The Rules of Rugby

What is rugby?

Rugby is a fast, exciting team sport played with an oval ball shaped like an egg. 🏉 Two teams run, pass and kick the ball, trying to carry it over the other team's line to score. The rules of rugby look complicated at first, but almost all of them come from three simple ideas: ground the ball over the line to score, never pass it forwards, and tackle safely.

There are different kinds of rugby. The two most common are rugby union (15 players per team) and rugby league (13 players per team). This lesson explains the main ideas that are the same in both.

Completely new to the game? Start with our short guide to rugby rules for beginners, which covers just the eight rules you need for a first match.

The aim of the game

Your goal is to move the ball to the other team's end of the pitch and ground it over their goal line. At the same time, you try to stop the other team from reaching your line.

The team with the most points at the end wins.

How to score

There are a few ways to earn points:

How you score	Points (union)
A try (grounding the ball over the line)	5
A conversion (a kick after a try)	2
A penalty kick through the posts	3
A drop goal (a kick during play)	3

A try is the main way to score. You press the ball firmly on the ground on or past the goal line. After a try, your team gets a free kick at the tall H-shaped posts, called a conversion.

Rugby rules at a glance

If you only remember six rules, remember these:

Rule	What it means
Score a try	Press the ball on the ground on or past the other team's goal line
No forward pass	The ball may only be thrown backwards or sideways
No knock-on	You must not drop the ball forwards out of your hands
Tackle low	Grab below the shoulders and wrap your arms — never the head or neck
Stay onside	Stay behind the ball or behind the back foot of a ruck
Release the ball	Once you are tackled and on the ground, let the ball go

The most important rule: no forward passes

This is the rule that makes rugby special. You can only pass the ball backwards or sideways, never forwards.

Why? Because if you could throw it forwards, players would just stand near the line and catch easy passes. Passing backwards means the whole team must run forwards together and support each other. It makes rugby a true team game.

If you do throw the ball forwards, the referee stops play and the other team gets the ball.

Moving the ball

You can move the ball in three ways:

1. Running with it in your hands.
2. Passing it backwards or sideways to a teammate.
3. Kicking it down the pitch.

Because you can run while holding the ball, the other team is allowed to tackle you to stop you.

Tackling safely

A tackle is when a player grabs and brings down the ball carrier. There are strict safety rules:

• You must tackle below the shoulders — never around the head or neck.
• You must wrap your arms around the player, not just push or trip.
• No tackling a player who does not have the ball.

These rules keep everyone safe. High or dangerous tackles give the other team a penalty. Tackling should always be learned with a coach or adult watching.

Scrums and rucks

When play stops for a small mistake, the game restarts with a scrum. The big, strong players from each team bind together, push against each other, and try to win the ball with their feet.

A ruck forms when a tackled player is on the ground and players from both teams stand over the ball, pushing to win it. Players must stay on their feet and come from their own side.

The knock-on rule

A knock-on is when the ball comes off your hands or arms and travels forwards towards the other team's goal line before it touches the ground or another player. It usually happens on a dropped catch.

A knock-on is not a foul — nobody is in trouble — but play stops and the other team gets the put-in at a scrum. If the ball goes backwards out of your hands, that is fine and play carries on.

The offside rule in rugby

Because you may only pass backwards, rugby has a simple onside rule: stay behind the ball. If you are in front of a teammate who has the ball, you are offside and must not join in until you get back behind them.

At a ruck or a scrum there is an imaginary offside line across the pitch at the back foot of the last player. Step over it early and the referee gives the other team a penalty.

Players, positions and match length

These parts of the rules change depending on which game you play:

	Rugby union	Rugby league
Players per team	15	13
Points for a try	5	4
Full match	2 × 40 minutes	2 × 40 minutes
Restart after a tackle	Ruck	Play-the-ball

Every team is split into forwards, the bigger players who win the ball in scrums and rucks, and backs, the faster players who run and pass it into space. Children play shortened games with smaller teams, so everyone gets plenty of touches of the ball.

Teamwork wins games

Rugby is built on teamwork. Because you pass backwards, you always need teammates running beside and behind you to keep the ball moving. Players support each other, defend together, and pick each other up after a tackle.

Good manners matter too. Players shake hands and respect the referee — in rugby the referee is always called "Sir" or "Ma'am" and their decision is final.

Practice activity: tag rugby relay

Try a safe, no-contact version with friends and an adult to help:

1. Each player tucks two ribbons or strips of cloth into a belt as "tags."
2. Split into two small teams. One team tries to carry a soft ball to a line.
3. Defenders stop them by pulling off a tag instead of tackling.
4. When your tag is pulled, you must stop and pass the ball backwards to a teammate within three seconds.
5. Score a point each time the ball is grounded over the line.

This teaches passing backwards, supporting teammates and grounding the ball — all without any rough contact.

Now you know the rules

You understand tries, the backwards pass rule, safe tackling and scrums. Grab an oval ball and some friends and try tag rugby!

Want more sports rules? Read The Rules of Soccer for Beginners, the rules of American football or the rules of netball, and learn about Teamwork and Sportsmanship. Before you play, warm up properly with our guide to dynamic warm-ups by sport and read up on preventing sports injuries.