Rugby Terminology
Rugby Terminology
Lineout
When the ball goes out of bounds, play is restarted by a lineout, in which both teams line up to contest the throw. With the team-mates allowed to assist the jumper, he soars up like a marlin to catch the ball. If the throw is crooked, the non-offending side is offered a scrum or lineout throw.
Red and Yellow Cards
A red card produced by the referee signifies that the player has been involved in a very serious offence and is banished from playing the remainder of the game. A yellow card is given for a less serious offence and means the player must leave the field for 10 minutes, commonly referred to as the “Sin Bin”.
Scrum
The Scrum is used to restart play after a knock-on or other minor infringements. Both sets of forwards pack down against each other like Greco-Roman wrestlers. All sixteen forwards are pushing in unison, often less than two feet of the ground. On a hand signal from his hooker, the scrum-half from the side awarded the scrum rolls the ball into the tunnel created by the scrum. The hooker then tries to hook the ball back with his feet. The team feeding the scrum has the advantage because its hooker, who rakes the ball back with his feet, is closer to the scrum-half. One pack may by shear force may push and past the ball to gain possession. The defending side tries to disrupt it by putting a big shove or wheeling the scrum, and winning against the feed, which happens only irregularly. The ball is picked up when it emerges at last scrummager’s foot.
Offside
In general play, a player is in an off-side position when they are in front of the ball when it has been played by a team-mate. At a scrimmage, ruck, maul or line-out, a player is offside if he remains, or advances, in front of a imaginary line indicated by the referee.
Ruck
When the player with the ball is tackled and goes to ground, he must release the ball and then a contest for the ball begins. A ruck is formed when a player from each team comes into contact with each other over the ball. Players cannot use their hands in a ruck. A player who is not on his feet can’t contest for the ball. To some, a ruck seems nothing more than a unruly pile up of bodies, yet it is a very technical aspect which requires much skill.
Apart from being a genuine contest, rucks allow for quick recycling of the ball to help provide a free-flowing game.
Maul
A maul is a very technical aspect of Rugby and puzzling for the first observer. When a player with the ball is held by a defender, but has not been brought to the ground, a maul forms when a player from each team joins the ball carrier. Often the team with the ball will chose to employ their strength and size to try and move the maul up the field in a driving maul, a tactic which often results in tries from short range. If the ball is stuck in the maul with neither team able to use it, the referee will stop play and a scrum will be called.
Advantage Law
This is where the law tries to promote the free-flowing nature of the game and to make it more entertaining. The referee is permitted to use his discretion as long as he considers that the non-offending team has gained an advantage. If the attacking team does not gain any advantage, the referee takes play back to the spot of the original infringement and awards a penalty.
Added Time
Time added on after delays, injuries and time spent consulting the video referee.
Knock-on
Where a player drops the ball forward (towards the opponents’ goal line).
The 22
A line marked out across the pitch exactly 22 meters from the try-line. Within this area you are allowed to kick the ball directly into touch.
Passing and Kicking the Ball
The ball may never been passed forward and play cannot occur in front of the ball. The ball may be advanced by running it forward, kicking it forward, or passing the ball laterally to another player. When a ball is accidentally fumbled forward a minor infraction has occurred called a “knock on”, a scrum would be called at this stage or the referee in his discretion, may allow play to advance should the other team gain an advantage from the miscue.
