Help required understanding rugby

[2SkodaFamily]

Hi all,

I hated rugby as a kid, and haven't watched any for about 25 years.

Now my eldest lad has started playing and I'd like to support and understand. The thing is I haven't got a clue what's going on.

Can anyone help please? Is there an idiots guide anywhere?

Cheers,

Martin

[john999boy]

Don't let any southerners tell you about the wrong number of players that need to be in each team!

[Republic]

Rugby world cup has been on atm, I'd certainly try watching that . Ideally, if you watch it with your son he can tell you what is going on ?

[chaos306]

I think a good starting point for the info you're after would be to check which rugby you mean, league or union?

I say this because I know very little about rugby union (very much a northern rugby league fan)!

Edited 25 September, 2011 by chaos306

[sausage roll]

It's got to be league he's on about. He's from Yorkshire FFS!

Here is all the info you will need on the game:

http://www.therfl.co.uk/a_guide_to_the_game

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/rules_and_equipment/4215844.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league_positions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_League

Anything else you want to know then just ask

[2SkodaFamily]

no, its rugby union. Under 14s.

[sausage roll]

Rugby union? in Yorkshire????

Blasphemy I tell you, Blasphemy!

You'll need to wait for one of the soft southern fairies to come along and explain...

['daiking']

All you need to know about rugby union is that everyone hates the English. Tell your son to choose a sport not played by toffs and public school bog warmers.

[Coops]

no, its rugby union. Under 14s.

Of course, there is only one game of rugby!!

[gadgetman]

A group of men having rough and tumble with others, chasing an egg about, occasionally reaching between each others legs before enjoying a bath together.

[2SkodaFamily]

Driffield are leading Yorkshire 1 at the moment (well at least the seniors are). Under 14s beat Scarborough 67-10 this morning. I was just about able to keep count of the score. Pretty much all I know is that you have to pass backwards and move forwards. I don't know the difference between a knock on and a kick forwards. Haven't a clue what penalties are about....

[2SkodaFamily]

Rugby union? in Yorkshire????

Blasphemy I tell you, Blasphemy!

You'll need to wait for one of the soft southern fairies to come along and explain...

What's the difference? Rugby league players seem to prefer skin tight shirts as far as I can tell?

[cjb]

A group of men having rough and tumble with others, chasing an egg about, occasionally reaching between each others legs before enjoying a bath together.

Is just the sort of thing I say to my rugby-mad neighbour.

Having said that, I don't really watch sport at all: can't stand it, but I will watch & enjoy a decent rugby match.

[Brimma]

Rugby league = 13 players using brute force and ignorance

Rugby union = 15 players using brute force and a tad more nous

Both teams usually coached by foreigners, because they're better than us

IMO

[gadgetman]

Is just the sort of thing I say to my rugby-mad neighbour.

Having said that, I don't really watch sport at all: can't stand it, but I will watch & enjoy a decent rugby match.

I'm only into sport with cars or bikes.

Football, rugby and cricket etc don't interest at all.

[Brimma]

Football, rugby and cricket etc don't interest at all.

You're trying so hard to convince us you're not into balls, Simon

Whoops, that'll probably be another warning

[gadgetman]

LOL

Nope man & machine. Nuts and bolts, no balls.

[sausage roll]

"Thirteen-man rugby league has shown itself to be a faster, more open game of better athletes than the other code. Rugby union is trying to negotiate its own escape from amateurism, with some officials admitting that the game is too slow, the laws too convoluted to attract a larger TV following."

That is all.

['daiking']

"Thirteen-man rugby league has shown itself to be a faster, more open game of better athletes than the other code. Rugby union is trying to negotiate its own escape from amateurism, with some officials admitting that the game is too slow, the laws too convoluted to attract a larger TV following."

That is all.

What is it? 6 phases of play? Can't league players count any higher than that?

[sausage roll]

What is it? 6 phases of play? Can't league players count any higher than that?

Course we can. We have fingers and toes so we can just about make it to twenty

"Since the 1895 division of the game, changes have taken place to the laws of both rugby union and rugby league football so that now they are distinct sports. The laws of rugby league have been gradually changed with the express intention of creating a faster, more entertaining and spectator-friendly sport. A distinction often cited is that rugby league has shed from its laws several opportunities for possession to be contested that rugby union has retained. As a result of the absence of the aforementioned rucks and line-outs, there are fewer stoppages of play in rugby league, with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes, compared with around 35 for professional rugby union. This, combined with the fact that thirteen rugby league players must cover the field of play as opposed to union's fifteen, implies that rugby league is the more physically demanding of the two sports. Rather than focusing on contests for possession of the ball, rugby league's rules have become oriented to promoting the contests of player against player and team against team with good passing, angles of running and organised defences the focus. Rugby league is also simpler and easier for spectators to understand than rugby union. The laws of rugby league are consequently fewer, comprising 21,000 words compared to 35,000 for union"

Once again, that is all.

['daiking']

Course we can. We have fingers and toes so we can just about make it to twenty

"Since the 1895 division of the game, changes have taken place to the laws of both rugby union and rugby league football so that now they are distinct sports. The laws of rugby league have been gradually changed with the express intention of creating a faster, more entertaining and spectator-friendly sport. A distinction often cited is that rugby league has shed from its laws several opportunities for possession to be contested that rugby union has retained. As a result of the absence of the aforementioned rucks and line-outs, there are fewer stoppages of play in rugby league, with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes, compared with around 35 for professional rugby union. This, combined with the fact that thirteen rugby league players must cover the field of play as opposed to union's fifteen, implies that rugby league is the more physically demanding of the two sports. Rather than focusing on contests for possession of the ball, rugby league's rules have become oriented to promoting the contests of player against player and team against team with good passing, angles of running and organised defences the focus. Rugby league is also simpler and easier for spectators to understand than rugby union. The laws of rugby league are consequently fewer, comprising 21,000 words compared to 35,000 for union"

Once again, that is all.

Sort of microwave meal versus fine dining then? Simple and easy for you every time?

The good thing about watching union is having to so much turgid going through the motion until you occasionally get a classic encounter. I never found league to have the same depth and it gets boring with them spending all afternoon charging at each other. Can't watch sports like ice hockey and basketball for similar reasons, too much back and for. Each to his own though.

[KenONeill]

Knock-on - Player attempts to catch the ball, and causes it to go forwards when it bounces off him.

Kick-ahead (also sometimes a "Garryowen" after the eponymous club) - Player carrying the ball drops it onto his foot in order to punt it ahead.

Off-side - Formally, when a player on the attacking team is ahead of the "game line", basically the present ball-carrier. He may take no further part in the play until he retires behind the game line, or until his team loses the ball. Note that this may occur naturally as the game line advances.

Informally, the place where Scottish Borders Fly-halfs are born!

[2SkodaFamily]

Knock-on - Player attempts to catch the ball, and causes it to go forwards when it bounces off him.

Kick-ahead (also sometimes a "Garryowen" after the eponymous club) - Player carrying the ball drops it onto his foot in order to punt it ahead.

Off-side - Formally, when a player on the attacking team is ahead of the "game line", basically the present ball-carrier. He may take no further part in the play until he retires behind the game line, or until his team loses the ball. Note that this may occur naturally as the game line advances.

Informally, the place where Scottish Borders Fly-halfs are born!

Cheers Ken, but I'm still confused. What's the practical difference between accidentally knocking it forwards and deliberately kicking it forwards? Isn't is difficult to tell whether someone accidentally dropped it onto their foot (which presumably is interpreted as a punt) or their knee (which presumably would be interpreted as a knock on)?

If the offside rule is a bit like the offside rule in football (i.e. there's an interpretation of "interfering with play") then what was all the hoo haa about Argentina being offside during the Scottish drop goal that they missed in the dying moments of yesterday's game?

(OT: Argentina - occupying territory that they shouldn't? Never! )

Also struggling with the tackling rules and what constitutes a penalty. My lad's team get told to go to ground when they are tackled. I'm presuming this is something to do with not being able to nick the ball off someone on the ground? :S

[KenONeill]

Cheers Ken, but I'm still confused. What's the practical difference between accidentally knocking it forwards and deliberately kicking it forwards? Isn't is difficult to tell whether someone accidentally dropped it onto their foot (which presumably is interpreted as a punt) or their knee (which presumably would be interpreted as a knock on)?

If the ball doesn't go to hand, it's a knock-on regardless; a kick-forward requires you to have had the ball in hand, or to have been kicking it. In this context, a forward pass is, obviously, throwing the ball to someone on your team nearer the opponent's tryline than you are.

If the offside rule is a bit like the offside rule in football (i.e. there's an interpretation of "interfering with play") then what was all the hoo haa about Argentina being offside during the Scottish drop goal that they missed in the dying moments of yesterday's game?

(OT: Argentina - occupying territory that they shouldn't? Never! )

You can be in an off-side position and not interfering with play. I missed the details of the relevant incident.

(OT, well sort of - That sort of flowing, open play is the sort of thing everyone should be trying to emulate)

Also struggling with the tackling rules and what constitutes a penalty. My lad's team get told to go to ground when they are tackled. I'm presuming this is something to do with not being able to nick the ball off someone on the ground? :S

Well, when you go to ground, you're allowed to hold the ball, and move it back to a posiiton where your team can reach it easier and the others can't (since both teams must enter the forming ruck from their own side, or play themselves off-side {Yes, this is one situation where the defending team can get off-side, entering a ruck from the wrong side}. If the guy who tackles you came in from behind you, he's off-side until he gets to his feet, and back to his side of the ruck, so he'll give away a penalty if he tries to play the ball).

Other reasons for a penalty can include bringing down a scrum (the ref got that wrong at least once; a genuine slip means the scrum should be reset, rather than giving a penalty to the other side), or tackling someone off the ball.

Don't confuse a penalty offence or a foul with "foul play" BTW: Foul play is things like deliberate punching or stamping on an opponent, and will probably have the supporters of both teams baying for your blood.

[GentleGiant]

A bit late to the game, but I MAY have a treat for you (if I can find the link). Early this week I stumbled across a video link "The Rules of Rugby Explained".

Why a treat??

The rules were being explained by a bevy of scantily dressed young "ladies"

I will root through my browser history and see if I can find the link. (stay tuned!!)