Rugby could be considered America’s very own football game, and people love rugby betting as much as they enjoy football betting. The popularity of the game is such that even online casinos in the UK allow betting online on this sporting event. If you are here to learn about the game out of curiosity or to understand the rules before entering the arena of rugby betting, we’ve got you covered.
Rugby- How is it played?
The sport is played with an oval shaped ball, and the game involves either 15 or 13 people on either team. The number of people on each team depends on the game played. For rugby union games, each team would have 15 rugby players, and for league play, there would be 13 players.
The Twist Is in Moving Forward
The goal is to move forward with the ball, but backward. It may sound confusing, but that’s the twist of the game.
The players would have to form a big circle around the ball, and the ball would have to be passed backwards. If there are teammates behind the ball, it can be kicked forward too. To get the ball and move forward into the opponent’s line, it requires lots of discipline, hard work, and teamwork.
How to Score at Rugby
There are four ways a team can score in the game.
The highest score that can be awarded in rugby is a score of five. For this, the player needs to hit “TRY.”
A try is scored when the ball is grounded in the in-goal area over the opponent’s goal line. If the team completes a successful TRY, then the team gets a chance for the conversion.
Conversion
During the conversion, the team can try to add two more points by kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the posts from the same spot where the try was scored. If done successfully, the team would earn another two points.
Drop Goal
When a player kicks for goal in open play, he or she drops the ball to the ground and kicks it on the half-volley. Once kicked, the ball has to pass through the crossbars and is not allowed to touch the ground. A drop goal can earn the team three points.
Penalty
When the opposite team plays in a manner that is against the law, agreement, or decorum of the game, a penalty is awarded to the team. When a penalty is offered, the team can either choose to kick the ball or not.
The Foul Play
Foul play can result in a penalty signal. Here are a few things a team should avoid doing while playing the sport: The referee must make the final decision while rewarding the team with benefits as a result of the opposition’s foul play.
Forward Pass or Knock On
Sometimes a whistle blows, stopping the advancement of the team towards the goal line. This happens because sometimes the players pass the ball forward. In a rugby game, the players are only allowed to pass the ball either sideways or backwards. If a player breaks this rule, a “scrum” is rewarded.
Scrum
A scrummage, popularly known as a scrum, is where the players from both teams pack closely around the ball. Both teams are gathered around the ball in hope of gaining possession of the ball. The players pack around the ball with their heads down, and the player that retains the ball passes it to the back of the line.
A Tackle
Although tackling is allowed in the sport, there are ways a player is not allowed to tackle the opponent. This is very important to maintain the safety of players on the ground and to avoid injuries.
When physically powerful players tackle each other, they have to ensure that they avoid high tackling. That is, the players are not allowed to tackle one another by wrapping their arms around the neck or above. Secondly, the players should not tackle each other by mounting above their heads. And as a third rule, players shall not use their legs to tackle other players; the tackling can only be done with hands or shoulders.
Ruck
When a player is in possession of the ball, opponents try to tackle him. If the team is successful in tackling the player, he shall immediately release the ball. The ball has to be immediately passed to a player from his team. Players form a “coming through the gate,” which means they can join the ruck from behind.
In a ruck, no player is allowed to use their hands. Any failure of this rule or during the coming through the gate if players join from the side can be penalised.