According to urban legend, the origins of rugby can be traced to a soccer game in 1823 at a high school in Rugby, England. William Webb Ellis used his hands to grab the ball and raced toward the opposing team’s goal.
That day, the sport of rugby was born.
The winning team in the Rugby World Cup – which takes place every four years – hoists the Webb Ellis Cup, the most coveted prize in the sport.
As rugby continues to grab the world’s attention, here’s a look at the rules and regulations of the ever-growing sport:
Rugby 15s
Two teams of 15 players square off for 80 minutes (two 40-minute halves) with the objective of advancing the ball past their opponents’ side of the field (or pitch) and touch it to the ground past the tryline and into the tryzone for a score worth five points (try).
Players may only pass the ball backwards or sideways – with blocking allowed only if a player is level or in front of the person passing it (otherwise an offside penalty occurs) – using methods like lineouts, mauls, rucks and scrums to retain possession during play.
Lineout: A means of restarting play after the ball falls out of the field of play (touchline, similar to sideline). Forwards assemble in a line on each side where one team’s hooker (one of the eight forwards) throws the ball straight in the middle. Each team uses various formations to lift players up, retrieve the ball and put it back in play.
Maul: When the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and one or more of their teammates also binds on. The ball must be off the ground, a minimum of three players must be involved.
Ruck: When the ball is on the ground and at least one player from each team closes around it while on their feet. The ball cannot be handled in the ruck, players must move it until it reaches a teammate’s hindmost foot and can be picked up.
Scrum: A means of restarting play after an infringement. Each team’s forwards bind together and connect with an opposing team’s forwards. The ball is thrown into the middle of the tunnel by the non-offending team’s scrumhalf. Both team’s hookers use their feet to try and move the ball while also pushing the other team backwards until the ball reaches the hindmost leg of one of their teammates where they can claim possession.
Play continues in rugby even after players are tackled. Kicking is the only method teams may use to move the ball forward. After each try – worth five points – the scoring team is allowed an opportunity to kick the ball through the posts for an additional two points (conversion). Certain penalties also earn the non-offending team a kick through the posts, worth three points (penalty) if made.
At the end of the match, the team with the most points wins.
Rugby 7s
Currently an Olympic sport, rugby sevens is a faster, higher-scoring version of the sport that features two teams of seven players facing off on each side of the ball for 14 minutes (two seven-minute halves) in tournaments with up to three matches per day.
Players have 14 minutes to advance the ball into their opponent’s area of the field and touch it to the ground past the tryline and into the tryzone for a score worth five points (try). As in Rugby 15s, players may only pass the ball backwards or sideways – with blocking allowed only if a player is level or in front of the person passing it (otherwise an offside penalty occurs). Kicking is the only method teams may move the ball forward. At the end of regulation, the team with the most points wins. If both teams are tied in a knockout round, the first team to score during a five-minute overtime period wins.
A player is removed from the game and forced to sit in the “sin bin” for 10 minutes (in rugby 15s) or two minutes (in rugby sevens) after drawing a yellow card for breaking the rules or exhibiting dangerous styles of play. Serious offenses can draw a red card, which results in immediate disqualification and possible suspension.
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