Please, assume I'm stupid ...

Ok.

I just spent the last 4+ hours of my shift watching rugby. Yes, I am a relatively intelligent human being, but I am so utterly lost right now.

So, anyone who understands the basics of this fascinating game, please - assume I am not smart, and explain it to me the way you would explain things to curious 5-year-olds* ... without the butt-slapping, of course.

I just looked it up out of curiosity, and while the rules seem a bit of a mix between american football and soccer, it certainly seems to have its own mechanics and flavor separate from both.

It seems to have more "flow" than american football, and more physicality and impact than soccer. There seem to be two significantly different versions of the rules, which make it a bit confusing. The League rules, and the Union rules. The main differences seem to be in how posession is or is not contested during play.

It definitely seems posession of the ball is required to score. Depending on the rules, however, field position or posession may be more important.

Very interesting, indeed.... certainly worth further research at some point.

You can also think of rugby as the parent of american football, but without those countless breaks and sissy padded outfits. I was friends with a couple of girls that played freshmen year of college, and it's not a sport for the timid.

As far as really explaining it...that's beyond my skills. I can barely describe what's going on in an american football game if I happen to see one on tv. Of course, that could come down to complete lack of interest on my part. Trying to figure out what's going with that mass of players pushing and shoving each other, often covered in dirt and mud, trying to control one white egg-shaped ball...nope.

I'm wondering if I should flex my vast and extensive knowledge to help you guys out here .... but my experiences with this wonderful British sport normally go so far as my days at school.... which involved "lets bundle on the fat kid because we can ... " and " it's alright to kick the hell out of him, we were in the ruck " ....

However ... There are indeed two types of rugby commonly played, Union and League.. the rules vary considerably between the two (as do the way points are scored, last I knew)... ... I don't know much about League, it was considered the soft version as it's based on a 5-tackle rule and then possesion of the ball handed to the other side.....

Lets start with the basics, Two teams, one ball, one field with two H-shape goals ... Points are scored by getting the ball past the H, either by running it past and placing it on the ground or by kicking it through the center above the crossbar.....

Running it past (a try) scores 5 points and opens a chance at kicking it through (a conversion) for an extra 3 points from approx 22yrds away in line with where it was touched down, so the closer to under the H the touchdown is the better... Kicking the ball through in play will also earn 2points and is classed as a drop goal... also any awarded penalty can be kicked through to earn 2 points .... ..

Okay, still with me ?

I'll try and explain scrums, rucks, line-outs, touch, marking and dead balls next time .... ... ...

Thanks, Rusty! I intend to find the rugby channel again tonight, and we'll see if it makes more sense!

The whole reason I started watching it is because Tabitha is in a touch rugby program at the local Y, and I was wondering how the game differed from American football. She even brought a ball home so we could play catch together.

Anyways, thanks again for the info, and I look forward to more!

The main difference between union and league?
In league it is upon to frowned upon to beat up the opposition in full view of the Ref.

A couple more questions ... why do some players wear orange vests? And what is the meaning of the "off feet" and "not releasing" penalties?

*And yes, I know I could look it up myself, but that's *so* yesterday!

Wellll .. I was going to get around to them but since you asked ....

Rugby is primarily a hand and ball game, ie the ball should stay in the hands of the players.. it is a foul to kick the ball unless it is part of a recognised move (ie a drop goal, tap over or after making a "mark" statement (might have to check on these ones myself actually!!)) ....

If the ball hits the floor that is also normally a foul, this includes when a person is taken to the floor by a tackle from the other team, the game should be played "standing up", thus going to the ground is as good as loosing possession to the opposing team... "not releasing" the ball comes into play when someone has been tackled (took to the ground) and "refuses" to give the ball to the other side, instead holding onto it until his teammates catch up to him ... basically if a player hits the ground and doesn't release the ball that is a foul, ((he should have passed it on before hitting the dirt)) normally however his teammates will be right behind him in support and that is where a "ruck" starts, another fellow teammate will stand over the fallen to protect him and keep the opposing team at bay (usually more then one teammate in truth), whilst another teammate steps in to retrieve the ball and pass it along the line... during a ruck the opposing team can attempt to push past the fallen player and using their hands and feet "claw" the ball onto their side*, for their own teammate to pass along their own line....

A good way to think about Rugby is civilised war, on a playing field, your basically trying to out-strength and out-smarten the opposing team... it can be /is a very brutal and hard hitting game, very rough and tumble. It is the type of game where rolling around complaining that you hurt your knee is frowned upon unless the bone is sticking through the skin, and even then you might just have to "man up" and play on because otherwise your just being a big wuss .... ... I'd love to see any footballer (erm, soccer) player last a full rugby game, they'd just get laughed at for being pansies... ... ..


There we go two more questions kinda answered ...

Er, ye might want to look up on the orange vests .... .might be the captains colours... .. been a while since I actually played any rugby ...



*This is generally where you would get all kinds of dirty play and the fallen player normally just gets, well, the sh*t kicked out of him.. and a very dirty move called "stampsies" comes into play (now banned) but it used to involve deliberately stamping your boot into the fallen's hands/arms/leg/chest/head to draw blood and bruise with your boots studs.. and of course to admit you were hurting and leave the pitch was just , well, are ye a man or a mouse ? Men play rugby, Mice play football ... ... it's all about the image of being 'ard, innit ... .

Eric of Atrophy wrote:Thanks, Rusty! I intend to find the rugby channel again tonight, and we'll see if it makes more sense!

The whole reason I started watching it is because Tabitha is in a touch rugby program at the local Y, and I was wondering how the game differed from American football. She even brought a ball home so we could play catch together.

Anyways, thanks again for the info, and I look forward to more!

Re-reading old posts really can help sometimes.... I missed that bit first time round.... touch rugby is a whole different game.... If you wanted to think about it in terms of brutality it would go Hand-to-Hand War, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Rugby Touch* .... ... it's kind of like the softer little sister to the real games ...


The rules are , erm, mixed.. it's a little bit of union, a little bit of league and is generally played as a taster/teaser by schools as its a much less brutal version of the main game, with a lot less injuries all round ....

The basics and point scoring are the same, get the ball past the H in one of the three ways.. however, you MUST pass the ball if you are "touched" by the opposing team ... a "touch" counts as any move that WOULD/SHOULD have taken you to the floor (and in some cases does)... any legal tackle should (IIRC) be above waist height, below neck height and be enough force to stop you in your tracks without taking you over or causing injury ... ... .. Each side can only be touched upto 5 (might be 10?) times before the ball must be given to the other team .... .. if you have been touched you MUST pass the ball to a fellow teammate, or release it the ground behind you (whereby getting it becomes a free-for-all and the "knock-on" rule applies, please don't get me started on that one!) ... failure to pass or release is counted as a foul, "not releasing" the ball when you should... .. ... the same rules about it being a hand and ball game still apply though, ie it should not be kicked unless it's part of the recognised "kicking moves" ... ((ie if it comes "off [your] feet" that is a foul too)) ...

When the ball is given to the other side (by either penalty or "touch-timer" is up), the teams part by at least 10ft, and the new team will kick the ball as far into enemy territory as possible, then go and get it (or catch it as its falling if they're fast enough) and then attempt to get it past the H before their own "touch-timer" is finished... ...


((Just re-read the thread, because I was wondering why little tabi had started playing Rugby!!.. I was getting worried for her!! .. and I didn't want to put you off letting her play a very good sport !!))

*Then somewhere down the line Rugby with Cushions and More Big Padded Cushions (sorry, its called American Football to you) .. .. I had to say it at least once, no offence meant my American pals ..