19 Rugby League / Betfair Education / 08 August 2008 / Leave a comment

Rugby league is a game played over eighty minutes, divided into two halves. The clock always counts up with the referees able to stop the clock by calling time out. On television, matches tend to last about two hours.

Each team fields thirteen players with four interchange players. Teams are allowed to make ten interchanges per match. This was reduced from twelve this season in an attempt to make the sport a greater battle of endurance and mental strength. It is generally forwards who are interchanged with most backs playing the entire eighty minutes of a match.

Teams slug and finesse it out in an attempt to score more points than their opposition. That is the fundamental aim of the game.

Scoring

Teams can score points in three different ways.

(1) Try: 4 Points
(2) Goal (Conversion or Penalty): 2 Points
(3) Drop/Field Goal: 1 Point

A Try occurs when the attacking team forces the ball to the ground in the in-goal area of the defending team. The player attempting a try must ground the ball with downward pressure and be inside the field of play when doing this.

A Goal occurs when the ball is place kicked between the two uprights and above the crossbar. A Penalty Goal is taken from the mark of the infringement. A conversion is taken at any point in line with where the try was scored.

A Drop/Field Goal occurs when a player drop kicks the ball between the two uprights and above the crossbar.

A Penalty Try or Eight Point Try may also be awarded. A Penalty Try may be awarded when the defending team commits an infraction that directly prevented a certain try. If the referee deems this to be the case, a try is awarded and the conversion is taken from in front of the posts. An Eight Point Try may be awarded if the defending team commits an infraction after the try has been scored by the attacking team. In this case, the try is awarded and the attacking team gets two kicks at goal; one from in front of the posts and one from the line of where the try was scored. Both are rare.

Rules

Below is a brief explanation of the important rules in rugby league. For a full explanation of the rules of rugby league, click here.

The Knock On: Players cannot propel the ball forward with their hands. If a player propels the ball forward with his hands and it either touches an opponent or touches the ground, the opposition shall either receive the ball or the scrum feed. Players may, however, charge the ball down, which is a deliberate play at the ball when an opponent attempts to kick the ball.

The Forward Pass: Players cannot throw the ball to a teammate in front of themselves. When passing, the ball must be propelled in the direction of the player's own tryline. The opposition shall either receive the ball or the scrum feed.

Six Tackle Rule: Teams receive the ball for six tackles each possession. The tackle count is restarted if the ball is deliberately touched by an opponent. If a player is caught in possession for the sixth tackle, the ball is handed to the opponent. Teams usually kick the ball to the opposition on the fifth tackle in order to obtain better field position or attempt to score a try.

Offside: Players can be offside in numerous ways.

In attack, a player is offside if he touches a ball which was touched, kicked or passed from a player on his own team behind him. Also, a player is deemed to be offside in attack from a kick if the player is in front of the kicker. Those players deemed to be offside from a kick must remain ten metres from where the ball landed until placed onside by an opponent returning the ball or the kicker running past.

In defence, a player is offside if they are within ten metres of the play the ball (if not one of the two markers) or a marker who is not square at the play the ball.

If a player is offside, a penalty is awarded to the opposition.

Tackling: When tackling, a player must not hit an opponent above the shoulders, lift an opponent above the horizontal or tackle an opponent while he is in the air. A penalty is awarded to the opposition if any of the aforementioned occur.

If an attacking player deliberately allows himself to be tackled, he can be penalised in what is known as a voluntary tackle.

40/20 Rule: In general play, when a player kicks the ball from inside his own forty metre line and the ball goes out inside the opposition's twenty metre line after bouncing in the field of play, the kicking team receives the scrum feed.

Kick Penalties: If the kick is a restart, it must not travel out on the full or a penalty is awarded to the opposition. All players must be behind the kicker from a restart or a penalty will be awarded to the opposition.

Double Movement: A player attempting a try cannot extend the ball over the tryline if he is tackled before the line and momentum does not carry the player over the line.

Obstruction: Attacking players without the ball must not obstruct defenders from tackling the ball carrier or they will be penalised.

Misconduct: Players are penalized for various acts of misconduct such as striking, kneeing, fighting, abuse and dangerous play.

Player Positions and Roles

Positions were originally titled based on where players were positioned relative to a scrum. These titles are still maintained today, despite the changing nature of some positions.

The Backline

The defining characteristic of the backline is that they are not in the scrum. They stand away from the scrum and wait for the ball to exit before becoming involved in the play. Backs, generally, are usually smaller, quicker and have better ball control than forwards. They play wide of the ruck and tend to score more tries than forwards.

Fullback: Fullbacks wear jersey number 1. They stand behind the front line of defence and catch and return kicks and make tackles when the defensive line has been broken. In attack, fullbacks tend to join the front line and act as a third centre or, on occasions, another ballplayer.

Wing: Wingers wear jersey numbers 2 and 5. In both attack and defence, they are the widest players on the field. When defending late in the tackle count, wingers tend to drop back and catch and return kicks. Traditionally, wingers score more tries than any other players.

Centre: Centres wear jersey numbers 3 and 4. Centres, in the modern game, play one position in from the winger on each side of the field. Centres play as a combination of winger and forward, defending wide and scoring tries while also hitting the ball up, at times. Centres nearly always remain in the front line.

Five Eighth: Five Eighths wear jersey number 6. Five Eighths tend to be ballplayers whose main skills are passing and kicking. From scrums and many attacking plays, the five eighth is the second receiver.

Halfback: Halfbacks wear jersey number 7. Halfbacks are the primary ballplayer of a team and must be able to pass and kick effectively, as well as run. Halfbacks act as a link between the forward pack and the backline and usually direct play. Halfbacks often defend between the front line and the fullback late in the tackle count.

The Forward Pack

The defining characteristic of the forward pack is that they contest scrums. Forwards tend to be bigger than backs and are primarily used for defence in the middle of the field and in hitting the ball up.

Lock: Locks wear jersey number 13. Locks are the last man in the scrum or the man who locks the scrum. Like other forwards, locks defend in the centre of the field. The main responsibilities of the lock forward is defending and hitting then ball up. Some lock forwards also take on a ball playing role.

Second Row: Second rowers wear jersey numbers 11 and 12. Second rowers, naturally, form the second row of the scrum. They have virtually an identical role to lock forwards.

Prop: Props, also known as front rowers, wear jersey numbers 8 and 10. Props fill the two outer front row positions at scrums. The main role of the prop is to hit the ball up and tackle. The biggest players in most sides play prop.

Hooker: Hookers wear jersey number 9. Unlike other forwards, hookers tend to be small and more skillful. Hookers pack in the centre of the front row in scrums and usually act as dummy half at play the balls. Hookers must have a good passing game.