Basic rule: each of the teams of 15 athletes scores points by driving the ball with their hands to the end of the opposing field, the so-called in-goal area. Another option is to kick the ball over the opponent’s goal, a big «H» at the end of the field. It looks like American football, but there are differences. The main two:
1. In rugby, a player may only pass the ball to another player behind him. In American football, forward throws are allowed;
2. The ball only changes teams when the opponent manages to steal it, or in case of a foul. In Yankee sport, the team that does not go at least 10 yards (9.14 meters) in four attempts loses the ball.
Played in two halves of 40 minutes on a field the same size as football, rugby has a referee and two linesmen. You can check the main rules they use in the infographic on these pages.
THE ROLE OF SOLDIERS
The 15 players are divided into two main positions: the forwards, the strongest on the team, dispute the ball during fouls and restarts of the game. Backs, lighter and faster, carry and touch the ball to score points.
BALL OUT
Play stops whenever the ball goes out of bounds over the sideline. Who charges the lateral is a player of the attacking team, but the dispute for possession of the ball will be decided between the two teams in a move known as line out
THE TROOP ADVANCES
Players run towards the end of the opposing field carrying, kicking or passing the ball with their hands. The team positions itself in line, conquering ground with passes or brute force, “piercing” the enemy defense
FLYING HIGH
The line out is rugby’s «side kick». The forwards are positioned in two parallel lines and the player of the attacking team throws the ball between these two lines. Two strong men dispute the ball in the air, lifted by their teammates
FINAL SOLUTION
In addition to advancing towards the end of the opponent’s field to score a try, the attacking team can still appeal to the kick over the opponent’s crossbar. The option is worth less points, but it can be the only way out when it becomes difficult to break through the enemy defense
TOTAL ZORRA
After a foul, play resumes with a scrumm call. It’s a weird dispute: the ball is played on the ground, in the middle of eight forwards on each side. Players pass their foot over the ball until it comes out of the bun and is left for another athlete outside the pile.
FOLLOW THE GAME!
The tackle looks like a foul, but it’s an allowable play. If one or more defenders grab the opponent below the shoulder, knocking him down, he must release the ball. This is one of the main ways to interrupt an enemy attack.
BACK AND FORWARD
The player receiving the ball must be on the same line or behind the passer. If the ball goes forward, it is a foul: play stops and the ball is contested in a scrumm. The only exception is kicks: if a teammate kicks forward, another on the same team — who is behind at the time of the kick — can run and catch it.
VERTICAL EFFECT
As in rugby there are few long throws, the ball is passed vertically, “standing up”. When throwing it, players make it rotate around its axis, to give more stability. Oval, the pellet weighs 400 grams and measures between 76 and 79 centimeters from one end to the other
POINT TO POINT
There are two ways to score:
TRY
It is the rugby touchdown, when a player carries the ball to the end of the opponent’s field and puts it on the ground. worth 5 points
GOAL
It is scored by kicking the ball over the opponent’s goal, the «H» at the end of the field. Worth 2 points (extra kick after a try) or 3 points (kick during the game)