ALL ABOUT RUGBY FROM BEGINNER TO ADVANCE
HISTORY
In ancient times, various forms of football abounded. The Romans engaged in harpastum, a vigorous contest where teams vied to hurl a large ball into an adversary's goal while grappling for possession. Meanwhile, medieval Irishmen partook in caid, wielding an inflated bladder and utilizing natural arches as scoring zones. Welsh communities embraced cnapan, a rustic pursuit involving a wooden sphere. Across the English Channel, the French indulged in soule, while in Georgia, lelo was the preferred variant. The modern conception of "football" took shape notably at Rugby School circa 1803. By the 1830s, rules permitted carrying the ball while running, albeit amid rough tactics like hacking and collaring.
TYPES OF RUGBY PLAYED
Rugby is primarily divided into two main types: Rugby Union and Rugby League.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNION AND LEAGUE.
Rugby Union:
- Teams: Typically consists of 15 players per team on the field.
- Scoring: Points are scored by carrying or kicking the ball over the opponent's try line (5 points), kicking the ball through the opponent's goal posts (3 points), or converting a try (2 points).
- Rules: More complex rules regarding set pieces (e.g., scrums and lineouts), and continuous play is emphasized.
Rugby League:
- Teams: Usually consists of 13 players per team on the field.
- Scoring: Points are scored similarly to Rugby Union, but there are slight differences in scoring techniques and values.
- Rules: Simplified rules compared to Rugby Union, with fewer set pieces and a focus on faster gameplay and scoring opportunities
POSITIONS
The forwards' primary responsibility is to secure and maintain possession of the ball, playing a crucial role in tackling and engaging in scrums and line-outs. These players, typically larger and more robust, are collectively known as the 'pack' when in scrum formation.
In the front row, three players form the foundation: two props (the loosehead and tighthead props) alongside the hooker. Props support the hooker during scrums, assist jumpers in line-outs, and provide strength in rucks and mauls. The hooker, pivotal in both attack and defense, initiates the ball in line-outs and strives to win possession in scrums.
The second row consists of locks, usually the tallest team members, specializing in line-out jumping. Their role involves securing thrown balls and providing driving force in scrums by binding behind the front row.
The back row, distinct from the 'Backs', comprises loose forwards: the blindside flanker, openside flanker, and number 8. These agile players aim to gain possession through turnovers. The number 8, positioned behind the locks in scrums, controls the ball and facilitates connections between forwards and backs during attacking phases.
The backs' role centers on creating and converting scoring opportunities, leveraging their agility and superior kicking and ball-handling skills compared to the forwards.
The half-backs encompass the scrum-half and fly-half (or half-back and first five-eighth in the Southern Hemisphere). The fly-half orchestrates team strategy, receiving passes from the scrum-half and directing play. Many also serve as goal kickers. The scrum-half acts as a bridge between forwards and backs, feeding scrums and initiating plays from line-outs.
The three-quarters consist of two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is often termed the second five-eighth. Centres focus on tackling in defense and using speed and strength to breach opponent lines in attack. Wings, positioned on the outer edges of the backline, aim to finish off attacking moves with tries, utilizing their speed and evasive skills.
The full-back, positioned a few meters behind the backline, plays a pivotal defensive role, fielding kicks and serving as the last line of defense against opposing attacks. Crucial attributes for a full-back include reliable catching abilities and a strong kicking game.
SCORING
Points are earned through various means: scoring a try, achieved by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), earns 5 points. Following a try, a conversion kick is worth 2 points. Additionally, both a successful penalty kick and a drop goal contribute 3 points each.
PLAYING FIELD
pic credit -Rugby union - Wikipedia
MATCH FORMAT
At the game's outset, the captains and referee engage in a coin toss to determine which team kicks off first. Play commences with a dropkick, the ball chased into the opposition's territory while the opposing side aims to regain possession and advance. The dropkick must contact the ground before being kicked. Should the ball fail to reach the opponent's 10-metre line, situated 10 meters away, the opposing team has two options: request a re-kick or opt for a scrum at the center of the halfway line.
Matches consist of two 40-minute halves separated by a halftime break lasting no more than 15 minutes. Following halftime, the teams switch ends of the field. Injury stoppages or disciplinary actions taken by the referee do not count towards playing time, resulting in the actual elapsed time often exceeding 80 minutes. The referee manages time, sometimes assisted by an official timekeeper in professional tournaments. When play continues beyond the scheduled time due to the ball remaining in play, the referee only halts the game once the ball becomes "dead". However, if a penalty or free-kick is awarded by the referee, play continues until an appropriate stoppage occurs.
SKILLS, TECHNIQUES, AND MOVES
Kicking and passing
A player before the ball is passed
Kicking conversion following a try
Prohibited is forward passing (throwing the ball ahead to another player); however, it can be passed laterally or backward. The ball usually advances in three ways—by kicking, by a player running with it, or within a scrum or maul. Only the player with the ball can be tackled or rucked. A "knock-on" occurs when a player knocks the ball forward, leading to play restarting with a scrum.
Any player is allowed to kick the ball forward to gain ground. When a player anywhere in the playing area kicks indirectly into touch so that the ball first bounces in the field of play, the throw-in is taken where the ball went into touch. If the player kicks directly into touch (i.e., without bouncing in-field first) from within one's own 22-metre (24-yard) line, the lineout is taken by the opposition where the ball went into touch, but if the ball is kicked into touch directly by a player outside the 22-metre (24-yard) line, the lineout is taken level to where the kick was taken.
Breakdowns
A child in a green and black hooped rugby jersey runs away from the camera, being tackled around the hips and legs by another child in opposition kit.
A rugby tackle must be below the neck to impede or ground the player with the ball.
The aim of the defending side is to halt the player with the ball, either by tackling them and bringing them to ground (often followed by a ruck) or by contesting for possession with the ball-carrier on their feet (a maul). A ruck or maul is known as a breakdown, with each governed by specific laws.
Tackling
A player may tackle an opposing player who has the ball by holding them and bringing them to ground. Tacklers must not tackle above the shoulder (the neck and head are out of bounds), and the tackler has to attempt to wrap their arms around the player being tackled to complete the tackle. It is illegal to push, shoulder-charge, or trip a player using feet or legs, but hands may be used (referred to as a tap-tackle or ankle-tap). Tacklers may not tackle an opponent who has jumped to catch a ball until the player has landed.
Rucking and Mauling
Mauls happen after a player with the ball comes into contact with an opponent while the handler remains on their feet; once any combination of at least three players has bound themselves, a maul has been formed. A ruck resembles a maul, but in this case, the ball has gone to ground with at least three attacking players binding themselves on the ground in an attempt to secure the ball.
Set pieces
Two rows of opposing players, green leading, white trailing, each aiding a jumping player from their team by lifting him toward an off-picture ball traveling overhead.
Lineout
When the ball exits the side of the field, a line-out is awarded against the team that last touched the ball. Forward players from each team line up a meter apart, perpendicular to the touchline and between 5 and 15 m (5.5 and 16.4 yd) from the touchline. The ball is thrown from the touchline down the center of the lines of forwards by a player (usually the hooker) from the team that did not play the ball into touch. The exception to this is when the ball went out from a penalty, in which case, the side who gained the penalty throws the ball in.
Both sides compete for the ball, and players may lift their teammates. A jumping player cannot be tackled until they stand, and only shoulder-to-shoulder contact is allowed; deliberate infringement of this law is dangerous play and results in a penalty kick.
Scrum
Two opposing formations of eight men, in white and black to the left, red and black to the right, push against each other in a crouched position; behind them stands another player and the referee
A scrum between New Zealand's Crusaders and Australia's Brumbies
A scrum is a method of restarting the game safely and fairly after a minor infringement. It is given when the ball has been knocked or passed forward, if a player takes the ball over their own try line and puts the ball down, when a player is accidentally offside, or when the ball is trapped in a ruck or maul with no realistic chance of being retrieved. A team may also opt for a scrum if awarded a penalty.
A scrum is formed by the eight forwards from each team crouching down and binding together in three rows before interlocking with the opposing team. For each team, the front row consists of two props (loosehead and tighthead) on either side of the hooker. The two props are typically among the team's strongest players. The second row comprises two locks and the two flankers. Behind the second row is the number 8. This setup is referred to as the 3–4–1 formation. Once a scrum is formed, the scrum-half from the team awarded the feed rolls the ball into the tunnel between the two front rows. The two hookers then vie for possession by hooking the ball backward with their feet, while each pack endeavors to push the opposing pack backward to secure possession. The side that gains possession can either keep the ball under their feet while driving the opposition back to gain ground or transfer the ball to the back of the scrum, where it can be picked up by the number 8 or the scrum-half.