RUGBY TEACHING UNIT

Rugby is becoming more and more popular but if you don't know the rules well how can you follow a game on television for example? this 10-minute animation will show you what rugby is all about so you can have more fun when watching a game.

You play rugby in a sport shirt shorts and boots, with studs and you wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth. The ball is an oval shape and looks almost like an egg.

Because rugby is a British game there are a lot of English expressions to make it a bit more complicated there are two versions of rugby: rugby union and rugby league, this film is about rugby union, the most common type of rugby played

The pitch is about the same size as a football pitch, on the pitch there are a number of lines we start with the halfway line. From this line the game is started or restarted after someone has scored next is the 10-meter line after the kickoff the ball must cross this line, then there is the 22-metre line this line marks the defence area. Next is the try line or goal line behind this line you can score a try also, along the goal line are the rugby posts two vertical posts and a crossbar the last line is the dead ball line and marks the end of the field, on the sides you find the five meter line and the 15 meter line during a line out the players must stay between these lines.

A game is 40 minutes each way and has a halftime break of about five minutes a rugby team has 15 players, eight of them play forward these players form the scrum and the line out and do the more heavy work, next you have five players who do most of the fast running they are called the three quarters one player is called the scrum-half and they connect the forwards with the three quarters, and the last player right at the back is the fullback.

You play rugby with your hands and feet most of the time you hold the ball in your hands but rugby is a team sport so at some point you have to pass this ball to your teammates. If you pass, you are only allowed to throw backwards and you do this mainly by performing an underhand throw you may pass as much as you want. When you kick the ball you are allowed to kick the ball forward so you can gain territory.

There are several ways to score points the most important ways to score a try, you score a try when you place the ball on the ground behind the goal line of your opponent for this you score 5 points because you scored a try a member of your team may now kick the ball between the two vertical posts and above the crossbar, this is called a conversion this is an extra two points so together you score seven points if the referee.

Awards you a penalty kick your team can choose between starting the game again or kicking the ball between the posts if you should score your team is awarded three points you can also get points during an attack by performing what they call a dropkick you kick the ball between the posts scoring a drop goal this is also worth three points.

Suppose you throw the ball forwards or you drop the ball and it moves forward in both cases the referee will indicate that a scrum must be seen a scrum is a restart after a foul such as this the forwards of both teams stand in a specific formation against each other as you can see in this view from above next the scrum-half throws the ball exactly in the middle of the scrum and both teams start pushing as hard as they can to get possession of the ball. At the same time they use their feet to move the ball backwards while the ball is in the scrum you are not allowed to touch it with your hands when the ball comes out of the scrum the scrum-half passes it to one of the waiting players and the next attack begins.

Of course the ball can go out of touch if the ball is out because it's kicked out or because a player holding the ball is tackled and falls across the touchline or if the foot of a player holding the ball is on the touchline the game will be restarted with a line out to form a line out the forwards of both teams stand in separate lines between the five and 15 meter lines, the ball is then thrown exactly in the middle of the two lines of players the player who can jump the highest and they may also be lifted by their teammates can catch the ball or tap it to their scrum-half with possession of the ball they can continue with the game.

What's fun about rugby is that you can stop players by tackling them but you can only tackle a player who is in possession of the ball and you are only allowed to use your hands arms and body you can grab the player with the ball anywhere except their neck and head you're absolutely forbidden to kick them if you do that the referee will send you off the field immediately.

The best way to tackle a player is to hold them around their waist or legs so that they fall during a game you will often see two situations a mall and a rock. During these game formations players often make a foul so a referee has to intervene but what is a mall and a rug suppose a player carrying the ball runs into a player who wants to tackle them but instead of falling to the ground they remain standing players of both teams will immediately join this formation and the ball is somewhere in the middle this setting is called a more the player with the ball will try to turn their back on their opponents and make the ball available for their teammates if the mall takes too long the referee will decide for a scrum.

A rock is formed after the player with the ball is tackled and the players fall to the ground during this moment in the game two very important rules come into play the player who made the tackle must let go of the player who was tackled and the player who was tackled must release the ball immediately players of both teams will bind as a unit with each other over the ball and try to win the ball with their feet and by pushing back the opposing players there are several ways to be offside the most common way is during a more when players are struggling to gain possession of the ball.

During this formation the ball forms an invisible line across the field this is the gain line if you pass this line you are off side and the other team will get a penalty kick though.

Rugby is a physical and sometimes rough sport a rugby player even at the top of their game has respect for their opponent and certainly for the referee whatever the referee decides you never can test their decision after every game you pay you respects to your opponents but also to the referee by applauding for them and shout hurrah when they leave the field hopefully this animated explanation will help you to enjoy watching rugby even more so all you boys and girls out there if you'd like to play rugby yourself go on the internet and find a rugby club near you it's possible to start playing rugby even when you're just five years old they will coach you so that you can play safely and really enjoy the fantastic game of rugby.