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What is Rugby
There will be a short and long version to this question.
The more in depth version was taken “Cut and Pasted”
from the Harvard and UCLA rugby web pages and with those very
elite schools that cost $100,000 more then WSC, it must be
good.
Rugby is a game very similar to football, and as the quote
goes, “If you like football, you will LOVE RUGBY.”
Games are played 15 on 15 and range from 40-80 minute games
depending if it is a league game or a social game. Field space
is close to the size of a football field, and a touchdown
and conversion is worth 7 points just like football. A dead
ball field goal kick is the same as football with 3 points
given to the team that put the ball though the goal posts.
Rugby is similar to football due to the fact that you try
to run the ball down the field and cross the goal line and
run into the end zone for the score. However, this is difficult
due to the fact other players are trying to tackle you if
you get the ball. When you are tackled you must let go of
the ball and purposely fumble the ball. The ball carrier
and tackler CAN NOT TOUCH THE BALL AT THIS TIME and must
roll away from the tackle area. Now the ball is fair game
for any player from either team; to run to the breakdown to
pick up the loose ball. The faster person normally picks up
the ball first, but will it be fast enough and run with it
or will they be tackled right away? As you can see it is crazy
because you can not fall on a loose “rucked” ball
like a football fumble, you must be standing on both of your
feet to pick it up and run with it.
NO BLOCKING IS ALLOWED, the only contact is when you are
tackling a runner with the ball or a “Ruck/Scrum”
pile is started by having several players go for a loose ball
on the ground.
It goes very fast like hockey and soccer because a player
does play both defense and offense in a game that changes
offensive and defensive possession several times in a minute.
Pretty simple, if you get the ball run real fast and run
real far, or pass it BACKWARDS to your teammates.
If you don’t run after your teammate who has the ball
so they can pitch it to you, at least be close by, so when
they are tackled you are right there to pick up the loose
ball, and run with it after you pick it up after the you grab
it from the ground That’s it, we will see you at the
next practice.
The Rookie Primer
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Chapter 1 - Rugby? Wha…?
Rugby is a sport, a passion, a disease you catch. They'll
tell you it's a cross between soccer and football, but that
doesn't REALLY prepare you. Rugby is its own backasswards
self. There is NOTHING like it on or off the field.
Some sports historians put forth the theory that in the olden
days it was considered amusement for one town to try and carry
a somewhat startled young pig to another town's village square.
They would employ various methods of dodging, dashing, passing,
or just plowing through en masse to achieve this. These primitive
contests became refined over time and emerged as rugby, soccer,
football, etc. To the casual observer, rugby seems remarkably
close to its roots.
There is also the worn-out legend of William Webb Ellis,
who one day during a soccer match at Rugby School in England,
decided to pick up the ball and run with it. Our own research
has shown that the kid's name was really Wilma and it was
her ball. She was merely trying to make a point on the rampant
sexism and provincial attitudes of that particular institution;
besides, her mom was calling.
Wherever it came from, today's rugby is, at its best, a blend
of strategy, strength, speed, and instinct. At its least,
it is organized and glorious mayhem. The object is to, by
carrying, passing, and kicking the ball, score more points
than the other team. Simple enough . . .
Chapter 2 - The Pitch, Your Kit, and Other
Prerequisites
We play on a PITCH. It looks like a field and it is a field,
but we call it a pitch.
It is preferably grassy and level, but we also take what
we can get. All of these markings will someday make sense.
For now one important thing to store in your memory banks
is that the lines are included in what is beyond them (i.e.
the touchline is in-touch or out of bounds, and the goal line
is in-goal).
Your rugby KIT is what you wear to the pitch. It consists
of a sturdy rugby jersey (not one of those polyester numbers
from J.C. Penney), a pair of rugby shorts, matching socks
and cleats (see us for details)…and that's it! Well,
maybe a little athletic tape for effect or a mouthguard so
you'll look pretty in photographs…A tip for rookies:
leave your jewelry at home. Literally thousands of earrings
have been lost forever in the linty recesses of people's pockets.
You'll also need a ball - a rugby ball, of course. It looks
like a fat football with more rounded ends. Add one referee.
15 of you and 15 of them, and you're ready for a rollicking
good rugby match. Oh yeah, there are a few rules to learn
. . .
Chapter 3 - How to Begin and Some Strange
Facts
Teams often line up on the 50 m line for cleat inspection
and salutations, but the action begins with a kick-off. This
is taken at center field. The game is divided into two halves,
no more than 40 minutes long and sometimes less. The clock
never stops, but any time taken for injury is added on to
the half in which it occurs.
ANYBODY may play the ball. You may run with it, pass it,
kick it, or tackle an opponent who has it - provided that
you are ONSIDE. Rookies, this is key: if you are BEHIND THE
BALL you are ONSIDE. If you are in FRONT of it you are OFFSIDE.
You won't be in trouble if you're 50 meters away tying your
shoe, but if you influence the play in any way from an offside
position this is BAD, BAD, BAD - Penalty City, kids - DON'T
DO IT. The concept of offside explains a lot of this seemingly
convoluted game. For example: we CANNOT pass forward because
that would mean that the receiver would be in front of us
and thus offside. Kicking forward is permissible (and desirable),
but unless you are behind the kicker, she or someone behind
her passes you, or you ARE the kicker, you cannot just go
for the ball. In fact, if you are offside and within 10 meters
of an opponent fielding a kick you MUST RETREAT beyond that
10 and only go ahead in your pursuit of the ball after she
has moved 5 meters, passed, kicked, or dropped the ball. You
also may NOT BLOCK in rugby. Inhibiting opponents who do not
have the ball or even just sort of standing in the way is
called OBSTRUCTION and it is cheating. You should never cheat
unless you can cheat well.
Now that this is all perfectly murky in your mind, we will
proceed with what you CAN do, how the ball does manage to
move forward, and where you might fit in.
Chapter 4 - Have We Got a Position for
YOU!
THE FORWARDS:
These are a proud bunch . . . the worker bees, the relentless
tide. It is their responsibility to scramble, chase, heave
and ho in effort to gain possession of the ball and then take
it forward or present it very nicely to the backs to do something
with. They are then expected to remain in dogged support of
whoever carries the ball. Their work is never done and they
are also referred to as the pack or the scrum. A SCRUM is
also the name of the formal conglomeration of forwards who
bind together in specific positions when a scrumdown is called.
It is the basic set formation of rugby and occurs after various
minor infringements of the law, when the ball becomes tied
up, and other times you'll learn about later. It is a face-off
of sorts and a favorite among forwards. Form and timing are
more important than brute strength (although we'll take some
brute strength). A birds-eye diagram might make things more
clear:
1: Loose Head Prop (sturdy and fearless)
2: Hooker (small, quick, ready to take control)
3: Tight Head Prop (see #1)
4,5: Second Rows (Locks) - (big and strong)
6,7: Wing Forwards (Flankers) - (quick, aggressive)
8: Number Eight (smart, foot and hand skills)
9: Scrumhalf (smart, experienced, quick) -- technically
not a forward, but the link between forwards and backs -
special rules apply to the scrumhalf.
The scrumhalf puts the ball straight into the space between
the two front rows (the tunnel). By combining a DRIVING PUSH
and a quick foot strike by the hooker (occasionally a prop)
each team attempts to win the ball. It is then channeled back
to the #8 who lets it out to the scrumhalf (who has moved
to the back) or breaks off and picks it up. The team who gets
to put the ball in has the advantages of timing and having
their front row closer to the put-in point. By driving forward
we not only win the ball, but give momentum to any subsequent
offensive moves after the ball is out.
More spontaneous versions of this type of formation are the
RUCKS and MAULS which can occur at any time. A ruck is when
at least one player from each team binds over the ball ON
THE GROUND. A maul is when at least one player from each team
binds around a player STANDING WITH THE BALL in her possession
- (remember, a maul is tall). The essential aspect that we'd
like to drill into your heads is to position yourself low
and drive FORWARD when engaged in these odd sounding activities.
The essential no-no to keep in mind is that when there are
people bound over the BALL ON THE GROUND (a scrum or ruck)
there are NO HANDS ALLOWED! You may not touch the ball with
your hands until it is clearly in daylight. Rucks and mauls
basically give everyone a chance to collect themselves and
rally the troops for the next play. Once a ruck or maul forms,
players not participating (by being fully bound - with at
least one whole arm) MUST REMAIN BEHIND THE LAST PERSON'S
FOOT. This gives players not involved some time and space
in which to set up and look for defensive holes. A really
great team will be able to do this so quickly that their opponents
will be caught with their shorts around their ankles.
THE BACKS:
The speedsters, the golden hands, the glamour gals of rugby.
Although required to ruck and maul when necessary, tackle
and do whatever to advance the ball, the backs play in a lot
less traffic than the forwards. After the forwards have won
them the ball, they are expected to run, pass, kick, and score
lots of tries. A typical line up looks like this:
9: Scrumhalf (as you know)
10: Flyhalf (great hands, cool head)
12: Inside Center (good change of speed)
13: Outside Center (same and faster)
11: Wing (burner)
14: Wing (ditto)
15: Fullback (very good foot, able to read game)
The backline puts its strength on the roomiest side of the
field (STRONG SIDE). The other side is logically referred
to as the WEAK SIDE. The wings remain on the same side of
the field and thus play both weak and strong. If the ball
is in the middle the backs can split:
Once in possession of the ball, the backs have options galore.
They might quickly pass it out to the wing who has fewer obstacles
and is generally very fast. The ball might be kicked in various
ways and pursued. One of our favorite ways of extending the
backline is by LOOPING, which is when an inside player (often
after passing the ball out) sprints behind the line bursting
through to receive it again somewhere. The backs may SKIP
a player along the line in order to get it our quickly or
ADD an extra player like the fullback who might come crashing
through. You can catch everyone off-guard by changing the
direction of movement by REVERSE passing back to the person
you got it from, CUTTING back against the grain or SWITCHING
with another player. A switch (or scissors) happens when instead
of passing to the person outside you, she suddenly cuts back
behind you to receive a handoff as you angle a bit. You can
also DUMMY the defense by faking a move to a teammate and
keeping it yourself. When running downfield, backs want to
run STRAIGHT to leave room for outside people to do their
stuff. Most importantly, a team must work together. This applies
to defense as well.
Defense means never having to say you're sorry. The basic
idea is to come at them hard in a FLAT line (a veritable wall
of intimidation). The faster you're in their faces, the less
time they have to think. You must come up as a unit or a good
team will take advantage of the fault in the fabric.
Chapter 5 - Skills to Know and Love
Backs and forwards alike need to develop certain rugby-specific
abilities. These skills are the foundation of all play, simple
and complex. You must never, never, never neglect them.
We will begin with the PASS. You already know that you can't
pass forward. Lateral passing is OK, but a close call. What's
left? You guessed - we pass BACKWARDS. This explains the odd
diagonal line-up of the backs. Technique may vary, but the
important concept here is CATCHABILITY. Using both hands,
the ball is passed in an underhand fashion and should arrive
in the receiver's hands upright and UNdiscombulatedly. You
should lead the receiver so that she is BURSTING on to it
and thus gaining yardage even though she starts behind you.
Waist high would be nice. The distance between passer and
receiver varies depending on how skilled they are, the particular
play, and the weather. The receiver stays at an angle sufficiently
deep to receive the ball running at top speed. The passer
should always turn her body toward the receiver. Don't pass
until you see the whites of their eyes. We'll practice this
plenty, so don't worry if it seems awkward at first.
KICKING is another name of this game. Rookies, in general,
take awhile to incorporate this aspect into their game, so
don't feel retarded if it takes you awhile to get the hang
of it. It does open up a world of options to you - so we'll
briefly explain the range of fancy foot work.
The POP KICK is a popular item. It is a short up-in-the air
kick that you can field yourself. If some menacing hulk is
barreling down on you, why take the hit? If there is no one
to pass to, you can just pop it over her and run onto it.
You've got the momentum - she'll have to turn around to chase
it and you. Remember, she cannot touch you if you don't have
the ball.
The GRUB kick is like a hot grounder past the shortstop.
You punch it along the ground with your foot and, as always,
PURSUE it. Because of the shape of the ball, the grub kick
will take some weird hops, making it hard to handle. All kicking
should be done STRATEGICALLY and not in a panic. It is important
to place kicks in a spot where your team can regain possession.
Longer kicks may be used too, where the ball is kicked to
a part of the field that your teammates can get to first or
make life miserable for an opponent who does. The ball may
also be PUNTED INTO TOUCH (out-of-bounds) for long yardage.
We'll explain later what happens after the ball leaves the
field, but for now remember this: if you are BEHIND YOUR OWN
22 METER line and kick it directly to touch on a fly, the
ball is brought back in at THE POINT THAT IT CROSSES THE LINE.
Thus a long kick for touch can get you out of hot water when
the opposition is breathing down your goal line. This is also
true when you have been awarded a penalty kick anywhere on
the field. However, if you kick it directly out when you are
AHEAD OF YOUR 22, the ball comes back in from the POINT IT
WAS KICKED - meaning no yardage gained. You can dribble the
ball or give it a good whack with your foot anytime its loose
on the ground, but possession is 9/10th of the law in rugby.
It's always best to secure the ball for your side.
You've got to TACKLE. When you do, your tacklee has no choice
but to release the ball, leaving it fair game for either side.
No, the play does not stop, but she will. Tackling well and
decisively is vital (although we always keep in mind our lack
of padding). You should hit them low, squeeze their legs together,
and twist them so you land on top. We will review this thoroughly
in future practices. The technical definition of a tackle
is when a player is held by an opposing player and at least
one knee is touching the ground (falling down unassisted doesn't
count). Rookies: remember, if you are tackled you MUST release
the ball or its PENALTY time once again. You may pick it up
immediately upon gaining your feet. You are allowed a split
second to place the ball to your team's advantage when tackled.
The are of tackling is one of the more reluctantly embraced
skills in rugby, but when done right it can be extremely satisfying.
Chapter 6 - You Gotta Score if You Want
to Win
OK, so how do we pile up points? Well, first in our hearts
is the TRY. It has similarities to a touchdown (in football),
but with a significant difference. A try is accomplished by
bringing the ball into your opponent's in-goal and TOUCHING
IT TO THE GROUND. Control, downward pressure, and simultaneous
hand/ball/ground contact are essential. Woe to the rookie
who gleefully gallops over the line and in her excitement
forgets these key factors. A try is worth 5 points. The priority
is to get the ball over and down, but if possible, you want
to place it near the middle. The reason for this is that after
a try, you have a chance to make it 7 points by kicking the
ball through the posts (uprights). This is called a CONVERSION.
The kick is made from any distance back, but in line with
where the ball was touched down. It is far easier for a kicker
to make a conversion when she is in front of the posts as
opposed to at an angle. The kicker may use a PLACE KICK or
DROP KICK (a drop kick is where she drops it first and kicks
it on the rebound).
The game starts up again with a kick off (a drop-kick) to
the TEAM WHO HAS JUST SCORED. In either case its back to the
50 meter line a quickly as the kicking team can collect itself.
There is no official game stoppage.
The other way to score is BY GOING FOR POST (kicking a field
goal). This is worth 3 points. Most commonly it is made when
a penalty is called within the range of your team's best kicker.
It may be place kicked or drop kicked from the point where
the penalty was awarded (the MARK). Rarer in women's rugby
is a spontaneous drop kick through the posts during play.
This is allowed at any time but is very difficult to do.
If a team should touch the ball down in its OWN in-goal (better
you than them), two things can happen. If your team is responsible
for bringing the ball in, a scrum, 5 meters back from the
try line, will be awarded to the other team (meaning their
scrumhalf gets to put it in). If the ball traveled into the
in-goal on the other team's impetus, your team will be awarded
a 22 meter DROP OUT. A drop out means that your team may drop-kick
the ball from any point behind the 22 meter line. The other
team must RETREAT IMMEDIATELY to the other side of the 22.
REMEMBER this retreating business when the drop out is against.
Also learn to run backwards. You should never take your eyes
off the ball!
Chapter 7 - Take a Break (this means you!)
Feel better?…you may be feeling a little saturated with
rugby facts and figures at this point and as you might suspect,
there is much, much more. Don't worry if it seems confusing
or even ridiculous. Someday that light bulb WILL pop on, miscellaneous
ideas will click and in spite of yourself you'll be a rugby
player.
RANDOM THOUGHTS: Rugby is a continuous, flowing game with
natural ebbs and surges, but no real time-outs except for
injury. It has both premeditation and spontaneity. The faster
you can make things happen, the more likely you will be able
to score. All sixes and shapes of people can play. It is an
aggressive and physically demanding game. FITNESS is mandatory.
A couple of little catch words in rugby are MOVE FORWARD and
SUPPORT. Confusingly enough, you often have to back up or
pass back to support the surge forward. The overall team direction
should always be lustfully aimed toward the goal line. This
is a team game. The collective effort of 25 people is far
more powerful than the individual. When everyone on the field
is in sync, it's the coolest feeling in the world (or at least
the top 2 or 3). The best score is when everyone contributes.
Chapter 8 - What Happens After the Ball
Goes into Touch and Other Stories…
If the ball is kicked, carried, or otherwise escorted into
touch, its re-entry onto the field is by way of a LINE OUT.
A line out is a little like a jumpball in basketball. Two
columns of forwards (one column per team) line up 5 meters
in from the touch line and perpendicular to it. A player from
the team who DIDN'T touch it last before it went onto touch
gets to throw the ball down the tunnel. IT can be thrown any
distance as long as it flies STRAIGHT between the columns.
Teams use signals to let their players know where the thrower
intends to throw it. Certain players in the line out are designated
as JUMPERS (usually 2nd, 4th, and 6th in line). The rest support
and protect them in a variety of ways that you will soon be
learning. The ball may be thrown beyond the line out or drilled
to the first person, but it must travel the initial 5 meters
before before it may be played. The line out can extend out
to 15 meters. During a line out the backs line up in much
the same way as during a scrum, with one notable exception.
In a scrum they must only remain behind the #8's or last person's
foot. In a line out they (or anyone not participating directly)
must remain 10 METERS back until the line out is completely
over (NO CREEPING UP OR IT'S A PENALTY). The thrower from
the team not throwing in and both scrumhalves stand where
indicated on the diagram. There are short line outs, quick
line outs, and other variations, but that's all for now, folks.
Let's talk a little more about PENALTIES. For minor infractions
of the law a simple scrum down will do. A forward pass is
one such infringement. The infamous KNOCK ON is another (a
knock on is where you drop or bump the ball forward with any
part of your upper body). The scrum is awarded to the non-offending
team. A scrum may also be called when a ruck or maul goes
too long without the ball coming out or if the referee judges
it to be dangerous. There are other occasions for scrums,
as you may have guessed, but later...
It might behoove you to (at some point) learn the signals
a referee uses to indicate what he or she has called. After
the whistle she will usually give the MARK with her foot and
indicate, with her arm angled DOWN toward one team or the
other, who gets to put the ball in. The hookers then usually
line up at the mark and the rest of the pack comes in around
them.
A FREE KICK is awarded for slightly less secure infractions
than a penalty kick (hooker striking too early for the ball,
for instance). The difference is that you are not allowed
to go for post. The referee indicates a free kick by extending
a bent arm toward the team who gets to take it.
For a PENALTY KICK, the referee extends his arm UPWARD toward
the team to whom he's awarding it. A penalty kick is given
for obstruction, offsides, hands in a ruck, play deemed dangerous
by the referee, or any number of things that are extremely
naughty. A penalty kick is awarded at the place the infraction
occurs (usually). A mark will be given and that is the point
through which the kick MUST be taken. To execute a penalty
kick you must move the ball visibly through the mark with
your foot. This could mean anything from a short tap (after
which it may be picked up and moved in any legal way) to a
long punt (the space directly above the mark counts as the
mark). The opposition must RETREAT 10 meters immediately when
a penalty kick is awarded -- giving you quite an advantage.
If you ever hear your teammates screaming at you to get "back
10" it is probable that the other team has just been
awarded a penalty kick. Remember: keep facing the ball!
Now we will briefly ponder the vast gray area of ADVANTAGE.
In rugby, a referee does not have to call a penalty if she
feels that no advantage was gained by the offending team or
that the other team was able to capitalize on it. For example:
a referee may see a knock on occur, but wait to blow the whistle
until it becomes apparent who has made subsequent gains. If
the NON-offending team scoops up the ball and gains 10 meters,
the penalty may never be called at all. This is called "playing
the advantage." The advantage law helps to keep the game
flowing. File this for another day, but keep in mind that
even if you do spot an infraction, DO NOT STOP UNTIL YOU HEAR
A WHISTLE! The referee may not have seen it or may be playing
the advantage.
As long as we're on the subject, let's talk about the REFEREE.
There is only one ref and this is a very significant fact.
With 30 people careening around the field, one person cannot
possibly see everything and thus some unscrupulous players
have been known to cheat. Our team was of course very shocked
to hear this. Since you're new, it's wise to follow the rules.
When the referee does call something, her word is LAW. In
fact, she cannot change a call once made. It is no use arguing
-- in fact, you can even be penalized if you do. If you do
need to make a comment to the referee, for any reason, do
so through your captain. Different referees have different
styles. It is a smart rugby player who learns to "play
the ref." Many calls in rugby are completely up to the
referee's judgment -- especially those concerning FOUL PLAY.
This may be the grayest area of all. Basically, there is a
spirit of fair play that governs rugby. With all those people
running around, you could do things that aren't nice and not
get caught, BUT DON'T! These things have a way of escalating
in a game as physically intense as rugby and it's also distracting.
If something gets out of hand, go to your captain who can
speak to the referee The referee is the sole determiner of
what constitutes foul play and a good one will keep things
clean. A player can be ejected from a game as the most severe
resolution of a problem. Should this happen, her team may
NOT bring in a substitute, leaving them to play short.
Chapter 9 -- Last but not Least, The Party
If there is one thing that sets rugby apart from all the other
sports you've seen or played, it is that after a match, you
lay differences aside and have a party. There is a spirit
of camaraderie among rugby players. After all, it is a weird
sport -- nobody gets paid, you travel all around, and get
bruises for your trouble. You've GOT to have a passion for
it and despite all rivalries, it is a passion shared by everyone
who plays it. As the sport is unique and intense, so are its
players. Meeting people of all varieties, from all parts of
the country, is one of rugby's greatest delights.
Rugby is a lot of things to a lot of people. It is challenging
and playful, exuberant and exciting. There are always new
things to learn and old limits to push aside. We hope you
will love it as much as we do. Thanks for reading.
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