What are the rules of rugby?
The rules of rugby are not simple. It is a sport that requires a lot of experience. To understand it well, you have to watch a lot of rugby, but you also need to read a lot if you want to understand all the concepts of this discipline. For those interested, a summary analysis could be a good option to start enjoying it.
Rugby union is a team contact sport , sharing origins with European football. However, at first glance they do not look much alike, since in rugby you can use your hands, something that is prohibited in football. Neither do they look alike in the balls, since the soccer ball is spherical, while the rugby ball is oval.
However, there are some similarities, such as the fact that the objective of both games is to place the ball in the end zone and score more goals than the opponent. To do this, the rugby team can move the kicked, passed or carried ball. Unlike in football, goals are not necessary and only play a punctual role.
Teams are made up of 15 rugby players, although variations currently exist, the most popular being 7, known as Rugby Sevens . When people ask what rugby is, they usually believe that it is a very physical and violent game, however, fair play, respect and sportsmanship prevail in it, injuries or arguments with the player being very rare. referee. In this sense, a common practice is the so-called “Third Half”, where the players of both teams and their coaching staff meet to comment on the match and have a few pints.
The origin of rugby
The origin of football and rugby is found in the so-called “Carnival Football”, a competition that was held in the villages during the Carnival festival, without field or rules. In the 19th century, British universities began to develop this game on their campuses, but each institution had its own rules .
Over time, the game became institutionalized and universities began to compete with each other, implementing the rules for each game before the match, which led to discussions and the need for written rugby rules . The problem is that each university created its own rules, until the first official regulations were made in 1848.
Until 1823, the game was played with the legs, however, on this date a player took the ball with his hands and ran to the goal, forcing the university where he studied to change the rules and creating the first rugby rules recognized by World Rugby, the official international body that regulates the sport.
Later, as the game evolved, the first difference between rugby and American football appeared. At first, the difference was in the number of players that went from 15 to 11 , there is also a difference in terms of changes, since in American football there is no limit. The rest of the differences are minimal, and have to do with the measurements of the rugby field, the equipment and the weight of the ball.
The rules of rugby
One of the first things that the regulation indicates is how long a rugby match lasts. The total duration is 80 minutes , with two periods of 40 minutes and a break of 15 minutes between each one. Unlike in American football, the game does not stop, except for serious reasons such as injury. In addition, once the time is up, until the ball is dead, the game is not interrupted.
Scoring in rugby
At this point, there are several ways to score. The first is the Try or Essay (5 points) that occurs when an attacking player supports the ball in the end zone. The second is the Penalty Try or Punishment Trial (5 points), which is a type of foul. The next way to score is the penalty goal (3 points), which is scored after the launch of a free kick and is executed from the point where the infraction occurred. The last one is the Drop-Goal, which is a 3 point goal scored by a Drop-Kick with the game in progress.
Offside in rugby
A player is offside whenever he is ahead of the teammate carrying the ball . From that position he cannot perform any action. In the event that the rule is broken, the opposing team can choose between penalty or scrum.
rugby positions
The rugby scrum is the best known position. Also called a scrum, this is a way of restarting play with a dispute following a minor infringement . It takes place from the point where the infraction took place, on a mark indicated by the referee and with the 8 forwards of each team placed in 3 rows of players. Once the scrum is set, the ball is introduced and the players have to push straight until they gain possession of the ball.
What is touche in rugby?
The touche or touch are the lateral lines that delimit the field, they are also called Touch-in-Goal whenever the ball or the player carrying it touches said limitations or a part of the ground outside them. In this sense, it is not a goal if the player catches the ball outside the lines.
With these rules, you will be able to enjoy rugby games, whether you are watching them on TV at home or participating in this fun sport.
