Sundevils - The Laws of Rugby

Introduction to Rugby

Rugby is a popular game played by men and women of every race and creed, from under age five to well over fifty, in over 100 countries of the world. In a few of those countries it is the national sport -- some say religion.

The basic game involves 15 players though seven-a-side tournaments are also popular. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by carrying, passing, kicking and grounding an oval ball in the scoring zone at the far end of the field -- called the in-goal area. Grounding the ball, which must be done with downward pressure, results in a try (worth 5 points). After a try a conversion may be attempted by place kick or drop kick. If the ball passes over the bar and between the goal posts the conversion is successful and results in a further 2 points.

Points may also be scored from a drop kick in general play (worth 3 points) and a penalty kick (worth 3 points). The ball may not be passed forward (though it may be kicked forward) and players may not receive the ball in an offside position, nor may they wait in such a position. Players may not be tackled without the ball. Play only stops when a try is scored, or the ball goes out of play, or an infringement occurs.

When the ball goes out it is thrown back in at a line-out where the opposing “forwards” line up and jump for the ball. Infringements result in a penalty, or free kick, or scrum. In a scrum the opposing forwards bind together in a unit and push against the other forwards, trying to win the ball with their feet. Substitutions are only allowed in case of injury and there is no separate offensive and defensive unit.

Laws of Play - (Rules, Shmules, Who Needs ’Em?)

The Laws of the Game have changed a lot since the early days of the 19th century. The International Rugby Board (IRB), with its headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, is the World Governing and Law-making body for the Game of Rugby Union. The Board was founded in 1886. They maintain a website where you can find information about many aspects of rugby and especially the current Laws of the Game. Click on Laws to be taken to the section of the IRB site that has all the rules.

Laws of Play - BC High School Interpretation

The following is some important rugby laws information as shared by Claude Paterson at a meeting of Sundevils Coaches February 19th ’03. Claude is the President of the Vancouver and Fraser Valley Rugby Referees’ Society.

These notes are in point form to encourage players to read them. This quick read will provide players a good understanding of some of the laws of the game.

Do not use what you see at the Super 12 rugby level on TV every Sunday to stand as a model on how to apply the laws of the game. Much of the application (or lack of) or translation of these laws at this level are designed to open the game up and improve the appeal of the sport to spectators and of course TV syndicates. Following are points as they relate to application of the laws in our hemisphere and specifically at high school level.

• Refs will be ensuring that Scrum Halves (SH) feed the ball straight into the tunnel of the scrum. The ball should be fed on an axis that is parallel to the ground.
• Refs will encourage SH to produce quick ball from the base of the scrum.
• SH must not stand in the pocket of the scrum (between the flank and lock).
• From high school (HS) game to HS game, Refs will attempt to apply the laws to the level of the teams ability. The higher the level of play and better understanding of the laws, the more rigorous the application of the laws.
• Squeeze ball or turtling at the HS level is illegal. In the tackle the player should be coached to immediately post the ball back at arms length in one movement only.
• In order to set up quality rucking and reduce the mess that we often see and the attendant infractions, couches should encourage first two players approaching a rucking situation to bind, go in together, drive over the ball and hold rather than blowing right through by themselves American football style.
• Correct body position in rucking is “airplane taking off“. Come in drive up. Stay on your feet. Incorrect is “airplane landing” with the obvious result.
• Tackled players should make every effort to get back on their feet and to do so as quickly as possible. Tacklers should make every effort to do the same.
• No deliberate wheeling of scrums. Penalty. A wheel is 45 degrees. Accidental wheel the same team gets the put in again.
• If a forward is sinbinned, the opposition must drop a forward out of the scrum. If a back is sinbinned, the penalized team must drop a forward into the backs and the opposing team must drop a forward into the backs.
• Boosting in lineouts must only come from gripping the shorts at pocket level (or thereabouts). No gripping legs.
• If the player who is acting as SH goes into the lineout to join the lineout the thrown ball must go to him.
• Jumpers must not jump until the ball leaves the throwers hands.
• Jumper can step into the tunnel to initiate the jump but his shoulder must not cross the “line of touch”.
• The lineout is over when the ball leaves the lineout or when the rear most players feet in the ensuing driving maul cross the line of touch.
• During rucks, defensive players must leave the SH alone.
• Every kick from centre is now a drop kick.
• Read in the BCRU rules“J.) Kick-offs and Restarts”, in particular v. and vi.
• Coaches are encouraged on kick restarts to have catchers jump to catch the ball and be boosted in the jump by the supporter(s).
• It is illegal to deliberately knock a ball into touch. It is illegal to deliberately knock on and then catch your own knock on.

Thanks to Claude for taking time off work and fitting us in to his busy schedule. It was a good session and much appreciated.

Rugby Union Rules.

Laws of the game interpreted by Charlie Minns
To Score:

• When the ball is carried over the goal line and placed down on the ground while in control of the ball carrier it is called a “try” and is worth 5 points
• A convert kick like football takes place after a try and that is worth 2 points
• A penalty kick over the bar between the uprights is worth 3 points. There are some penalties called “indirect”; where a kick for goal is not allowed but most penalties allow for the kick at goal.
• A player may, at any time if he/she has the skill and wherewithal do a drop kick through the uprights for 3 points.

Set Pieces

There are two set pieces (not including penalties).

• First the set scrum. That is when 8 players from each side come together and the scrum half puts the ball in the middle of this group. A set scrum most often comes as a result of the ball being knocked or fumbled forward (called a ““knock on””) or thrown forward. (Forward passes are not allowed in rugby)
• A lineout - this is how the ball is put back into play after it goes out of bounds. Hoisting the jumper is legal. If awarded a penalty, (excluding indirect), the team can kick as far down the field and out of bounds as possible where it is then their thrown in for the lineout from the spot where the ball went out.

Loose Play

or second phase as it is sometimes called is when the ball is being rucked or mauled after a line out or penalty play.

• Ruck. When the ball is on the ground, players drive over the ball and the scrum half retrieves the ball from the back of the ruck. The rucking players are not allowed to use their hands on the ball.
• Maul. When the ball is in a players hands and he is not on the ground, players pile around him and drive him forward.
• Offside. Key thing in rugby. Anytime there is a loose play, ruck or maul, any player entering this must come in from behind his own last man’s foot. So if a player comes in from the side or from the opposition’s side, he is offside and a penalty will ensue. The ref will play the advantage rule and indicate this by holding his arm up in the direction of the team being awarded the call.
• Advantage. If a team commits a penalty infraction, but the other team has the ball, the ref will indicate advantage and allow the other team an opportunity to make a meaningful ground gain. If this does not happen, play will be stopped and a penalty awarded back at the original point of the infraction.
• The tackle. This is a tough one to adjust to for footballers. A tackler must make every attempt to wrap his opponent with both arms. Anything above the chest is considered a dangerous tackle and cross body blocks and simply smacking into a guy without the use of arms are all against the rules.

22 Metre Line

(in the olden days it was called the “two bit” because it was 25 yards)

• One other little tidbit worth remembering. If the ball is in your end behind the 22 metre line you can kick it out of bounds and anywhere that the ball lands it is now a lineout for the other team, the attacking team. However, if you cross your 22 metre and attempt the same thing, and the ball goes out of bounds in the air. The lineout takes place directly in line from where you made the kick. In other words it comes back. If you kick it down the field and it goes out of bounds after touching the field inbounds then the lineout takes place where the ball went out.

The most important thing
to remember about rugby is that it has been described as 80 minutes of insanity to justify several hours of camaraderie. Rugby reaches it’s ultimate when a team either hosts a touring side or goes on tour. It is all about friendships, team and being able to laugh at oneself. The game of rugby combines, in my view, some of the most important life skills that any sport can deliver.

Rugby has been a fixture since South Delta Secondary School opened its doors. Today, there are four squads and over 100 players participated in the 2007 spring season. Many of the bond established over the past 35 years endure today as each year the senior team is challenged by former players, many now approaching their 50s. It's a great day that takes place every year on the third Friday in May.

South Delta has hosted our share of touring teams. Hurstpierpoint College was the first, followed by Sponne School and Monmouth from the UK. In 1980, South Delta hosted Kelston High School from New Zealand and over the years has also hosted teams from California, Quebec and Ontario. In 2005 we hosted Newquay Tretherras Technology College of Cornwall, England and Akeley Wood School of England in 2007.

The program faltered a few years back so a number of dedicated souls under the mentorship of program founder, SDSS Teacher and Coach, John Narbett, shouldered the task of a rebuild. The restart was not terribly auspicious as the one small team we managed to scratch together was comprised primarily of inexperienced players ranging all the way from Grades 8 through 11. We played exhibition games against similar but generally somewhat older sides.

Currently Rugby Sundevils are running four full sides: Grade 8 boys, two junior boys and a senior boys team. Between the four teams we have six games or practices a week involving over 100 kids on a regular basis.The Sundevils have plans that will involve an even broader range of kids at the school for the upcoming 2007/2008 season. So it's evident that Rugby is alive and well and thriving at SDSS