How many players are on a rugby team? | Reference.com How many players are on a rugby team? A: Quick Answer In rugby, each team has 15 players on the field and seven substitutes. Rugby is closely related to soccer and American football. Full Answer In 1823, a school in Rugby, England created a modified version of football, the precursor to soccer and American football. In 1871, the Rugby Football Union was formed, and in 1886, the International Rugby Football Board established some rules for the sport. Rugby was recognized as a professional sport in 1995. Rugby is similar to soccer and American football, as it is played on a grass field with a goal on each end. It begins with a kick-off, and the ball can be passed only laterally or backwards. The ball can be kicked, and tackling is permitted. Scoring is called a "try" and is executed much like a touchdown. Rugby sevens is another form of rugby in which each team has seven players. BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | Laws & Equipment | The basics of rugby union Rugby player positions explained Rugby union is played by two teams of 15 players.

Although the aim of the game is simple, there are many laws which make can make it hard for the new viewer to keep track of what is going on. Here BBC Sport runs through the very basics of the game and, to the right, you can click on the links to find our more on the various rules of rugby union. AIM OF THE GAME Jonny Wilkinson scores the winning points in the 2003 World Cup final The aim of the game is very simple - use the ball to score more points than the other team. You can run with the ball, kick it and pass it, but passing forwards is not allowed. Rugby union is a contact sport, so you can tackle an opponent in order to get the ball, as long as you stay within the rules. There is a referee, aided by two touch judges (one on each side of the pitch), to decide how the rules should be applied during a game. There are several ways to score points. A try - five points are awarded for touching the ball down in your opponent's goal area.

A conversion - two points are added for a successful kick through the goalposts after a try A goal kick - three points are awarded for a penalty kick or drop goal through the posts If both teams score the same amount of points, or no points are scored, then the match is a draw. In some cases, extra time is played to decide who wins. DURATION A game of rugby union has two periods of 40 minutes each. In international matches the referee will stop the clock for stoppages. Between the two halves, there is a maximum 10-minute interval, after which both teams change ends. The referee's whistle indicates the start and finish of the half. Extra time will only be played if it's a knockout competition. KICK-OFF Before the start of the match, the referee tosses a coin to decide which team will kick off the match. The captain of the team that wins the toss gets to decide which end he wants to attack first, or whether his side or the opposition will kick off. The game is started by a place kick or a drop kick from the middle of the halfway line. The ball must travel forwards at least 10 metres from the kick-off.

If it does not, the opposition get the choice of a scrum or line-out on the halfway line, with the advantage of the feed or throw. If a penalty or drop goal is scored during the game, play is restarted with a drop kick from the halfway line. The team that has conceded the points takes the kick. THE BALL Rugby union is played with an oval-shaped ball. All balls must be between 28cm and 30cm in length (approximately 11-13 inches). Most full-size balls weigh between 383 and 440 grammes (approximately 13.5-15.5 ounces) Bookmark with: Italy national rugby union team | Rugby Union | Fandom powered by Wikia Italy national rugby union team 242pages on Azzurri (the Blues), The Gladiators of Rome Ground For the rugby sevens side, see Italian national rugby union team (sevens) The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union . The team are also known as the Azzurri (Blues) and "The Gladiators of Rome".

Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and today are considered one of the best rugby nations in Europe and compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England , France , Ireland , Scotland and Wales . Italy really came to prominence following 2000 when they became a part of the Five Nations , making it the Six Nations. Italy have also competed at every Rugby World Cup since the first tournament in 1987 . Their best result thus far has been in 2003 where they managed two wins during the pool stages. Italy achieved their best result thus far in the Six Nations in the 2007 competition , with wins over Scotland and Wales. Italy are grouped in Pool C of the 2007 Rugby World Cup , with Scotland, the All Blacks , Romania and Portugal . Their current head coach is Nick Mallett . Contents Edit Forms of football involving both hands and feet have long been played in Italy from Roman times to the medieval era. It is normally said that Rugby union was first introduced into Italy by French students at Milan University in 1911 but it has been established that British communities brought rugby to Genoa between 1890 and 1895.

It remains stronger in the North of Italy than elsewhere. The first documented rugby union match played in Italy was a demonstration game played in 1910 in Turin between Racing Club París and Servette of Geneva. The society that organised the game didn't have a long life and dissolved after this first game but the game became known in Milan. The first match played by an Italian team was a year later US Milanese against Voiron of France. On July 25 of the same year the "Propaganda Committee" was formed which in 1928 became the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR). There was a further game in 1928 when Ambrosiana Milano beat R.C.T. Bucharest 15-3. The first Italian championship , won by Ambrosiana Milano, took place in 1929, with 6 of the 16 teams that existed in Italy. In May of the same year Italy played their first international losing 9-0 against Spain in Barcelona.

After the formation of FIRA in 1934, which brought together the national teams of Italy, France, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Germany rugby union spreads through Italy, especially the cities of Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna, Padua, Naples, Genoa, Brescia, Treviso, Rovigo and Parma. France was the first of the Championship countries to play Italy at senior level and the inaugural match took place in 1937, France winning 43-5. Post 1945 Edit World War Two interrupted Italian rugby union. After World War Two, there was a desire to return to normal and Italian rugby union entered a new dimension thanks to the help of Allied troops in Italy. But Italy followed the French model until the 70s. Very soon Veneto ( Rovigo , Padua and Treviso ) came to assume a prominent position in the Italian rugby union scene earning the name "Republic of the Italian rugby union". Parma and L'Aquila were also main centres for rugby union.

In the 70s and 80s rugby union made enormous progress thanks to great foreign players (John Kirwan, Botha, Campese, Lynagh) and coaches (Saby, Bish, Greenwood, Nelie Smith) in the Italian championship . Even foreign coaches were and continue to be chosen for the national team, like Bertrande Fourcade and Georges Costes. In 1973 the national team went on a tour of South Africa, coached by ex-Springbok prop Amos Du Ploony. Tours of England and Scotland followed, even games against Australia and New Zealand, the masters of their day. Since 1980 Italy has been chasing the dream of playing in the 5 Nations. Consistently good results against nations that now play in the European Nations Cup (Romania, Spain, Georgia etc), and the occasional win against the major nations such as France, Scotland, Wales or Ireland meant that they were often talked about as strong candidates. The Azzurri took part in the first ever Rugby World Cup match against New Zealand on 22 May 1987.

The match proved a one sided affair with New Zealand convincing 70-6 winners against a young Italian side. John Kirwan, later to become the Italian national coach, scored one of the tournament’s greatest ever tries for the All Blacks . Italy did, however, manage to beat Fiji and finished third in their pool; failing to make the finals. At the 1991 World Cup, Italy were grouped in a tough pool with the likes of England and the All Blacks. They lost both of these games but beat the USA. At 1995 World Cup in South Africa, Italy came close to beating England; losing 20-27 but managed to beat Argentina. They finished third in their pool again below England and Western Samoa, but above Argentina The Italians then built a very formidable side in the 1990s and recorded a lot of victories over Five nations opposition. In 1996, a deal between British Sky Broadcasting and the Rugby Football Union meant that England home games were exclusively shown on Sky. England were threatened with being expelled from the five nations to be replaced by Italy. This threat was never carried out as a deal was worked out.

Italy recorded two consecutive victories over Ireland in 1997 on January 4 37-29 at Lansdowne Road and on December 20 37-22 in Bologna . On March 22, 1997 they recorded their first and so far only win over France 40-32 (in Grenoble ). In January 1998 Scotland were the victims with Italy winning 25-21 (in Treviso ); in the same year in the Rugby World Cup Qualifiers, they lost 23-15 against England at Huddersfield, but they argued for a try by Alessandro Troncon disallowed by the referee. At the 1999 World Cup, Italy were drawn with New Zealand for the third time and lost again. They didn't win a single pool match and went home before the knock-out stage. Six Nations File:Federazione Italiana Rugby.jpg Italy finally joined the Six Nations Championship in 2000 but their admission coincided with the departure of some of their best players. Nevertheless they won their opening game against the reigning champions Scotland 34-20.

Since then they have struggled to compete against the other nations and their participation was called into question, however they answered their critics by playing a more disciplined game. The 2001 and 2002 tournaments were particularly disappointing as they did not win a single game. Coach Brad Johnstone was sacked in 2002 after an alleged show of 'player power'. John Kirwan was then appointed coach. Italy won two pool games at the 2003 World Cup, defeating both Canada and Tonga, but lost to the All Blacks and Wales. They managed to get their second win in 2003 30-22 against Wales and Italy avoided the wooden spoon. They followed up by winning two games at the World Cup, another first, though the tournament was ultimately disappointing as the Welsh gained revenge with a 27-15 success that meant that Italy were the only Six Nations country not to advance to the knock-out stage. Their third win came against Scotland in 2004. With many of their top players also involved in European club competition, the overall standard of play is improving constantly but it is likely to be a long time before Italy win their first Six Nations Championship .

More and more Italians are coming to watch rugby union games and whereas before most of the fans at the Stadio Flaminio were away fans, now Italy has a good home crowd. One cause for optimism in Italian rugby is that their star players tend to be young and are likely to improve with time. Moreover, the budget of F.I.R. has grown impressively: currently €21 million is available. Italy, along with other nations, had made good use of IRB rules which allowed them to select foreign born players if they had Italian ancestry or had lived in Italy for a qualifying period of 3 years. From 2004 they announced that they would only pick three such 'non-Italians' per team in order to develop their own domestic players. In 2005 Italy finished bottom of the table again and failed to win a single game. Kirwan was sacked and replaced with Pierre Berbizier . Italy then went on a tour of Argentina where they surprised many by beating the Pumas 30-29 and drawing the series 1-1 (the only 2005 victory of a northern hemisphere team visiting a southern hemisphere team).

However the Pumas had their revenge when they visited Genoa and beat Italy 39-22. In the 2006 Six Nations Championship the Italian team performed strongly against every team, leading against both England and France in the first half, but lost their first three games. They did, however, get a creditable 18-18 draw away to Wales, their first ever away point in the tournament, and were unlucky not to draw with Scotland in Rome in the final game, losing 10-13 courtesy of a late Scottish penalty. 2007 File:Italian kickoff.jpg In the 2007 Six Nations Championship, Italy started poorly, losing to France 3-39, and planned to play against a resurgent England at Twickenham. However, Italy's performance improved considerably, holding England to a hollow victory of 20-7, which included a debatable try. Italy's Alessandro Troncon also became man of the match.

Italy followed on with a stunning start to their match at Murrayfield against Scotland, with Mauro Bergamasco scoring a try off a charged-down kick in the first minute, and Andrea Scanavacca and Kaine Robertson scoring intercept tries within the next five minutes; Scotland's shocking start gifted Italy a 21-0 lead after 7 minutes. The Azzurri went on to a 37-17 victory, their first ever away win in the Six Nations. Italy's next match was against Wales. In a close match, Italy's Mauro Bergamasco touched a try down in the last two minutes to give a winning score of 23-20, their second victory over Wales, first consecutive victory in the Six Nations and their highest position ever in the Six Nations. However the match was not without controversy, as a last minute penalty over the line by Wales was later deemed out of time by Chris White. Wales were told by White there was "10 seconds" remaining but as Wales kicked to touch, under the instruction of the TMO, White blew the whistle for full time.

The domestic interest in rugby reached new heights with Italy's new success front page media coverage and the sport being held up as a model of fair play. [1] Media and public interest in the national team was very high during the sides new found success. [1] Despite losing their last game to Ireland, the headline on page one of the national sport newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport read "To lose like this is beautiful," and 10,000 fans later greeted the national team at Rome's Piazza del Popolo . [1] At the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, Italy were in pool C, which also included New Zealand, Portugal, Romania and Scotland. Italy lost their opening game against the All Blacks, and then won against Romania and then Portugal, and in the final pool game, lost to Scotland. Strip Italy play in blue jerseys; as of 2007, the strip is manufactured by Kappa and the Italian bank Cariparma & Piacenza is the shirt sponsor. Record Edit Since entering the Six Nations Championship in 2000, Italy have yet to win the tournament.

Italy got off to a positive start to the Six Nations in their first year ; defeating Scotland in their first match of competition. Italy finished fifth in the 2003 competition above Wales. The following year Italy managed to finish fifth again, above Scotland in the final standings. In the 2007 Six Nations Italy defeated Scotland at Murrayfield for their first win away from home ( Rome ) in the competition. Two weeks later Italy defeated Wales for the second time in the history of the tournament in Rome: it was the first time the team won two games in the championship, and finished in 4th place. The winner of the Italy-France game is also awarded the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy . Edit Italy have competed at every Rugby World Cup since the competitions inception in 1987 . Italy finished third in their pool at their first World Cup, defeating Fiji , but not making the finals. They did not make the finals in 1991 , grouped in a tough pool with the likes of England and the All Blacks . At the 1995 World Cup in South Africa , they finished behind England and Western Samoa , but above Argentina in their pool.

In 1999 they did not make the finals, with their All Blacks and Tonga . Italy won two pool games at the 2003 World Cup , defeating both Canada and Tonga, but lost to the All Blacks and Wales. Italy played the Rugby World Cup 2007 in Pool C, against New Zealand, Scotland, Romania and again Portugal (beaten 83-0 in the qualifiers) and had a very good chance of making the quarter finals and even the semi finals for the first time. However, Italy were undone by indiscipline in the crucial group match against Scotland in St. Etienne. Chris Paterson kicked all of Scotland's point in a 18-16 victory, despite Italy crossing the line for the game's only try. Bortulussi missed a match-winning kick in an even contest that Scotland arguably deserved to win in the end. Players Rugby Football History All Blacks Barbarians Canada British & Irish Lions Ireland Scotland Springboks USA Wales Wallabies Introduction Originally the number of players in a game of Rugby football was not limited, and there were no formal playing positions. Games at rugby school were simply played by however many boys wanted to play in a particular game.

A kind of huge rolling maul developed, moving around the field since there was a very limited amount of space on the field in which to run. As the game began to be played between different schools and clubs a fixed number of players was needed. The first internationals were played 20 a side (Scotland vs. England being the first in 1871). The number of players was reduced to 15 in 1876 after Oxford persuaded Cambridge to play the varsity match with just 15 players in 1874/75. The move was a great success since it opened up the space in which to run with the ball. Most club games used 15 players during 1876 and the first international with fifteen players was England vs. Ireland in 1877. "Numbers are not necessary and they savour of professionalism and the circus" The First Numbers The practice of showing the player's number on the shirt/jersey started in 1897 when New Zealand played Queensland in Brisbane (which was the first New Zealand tour match). The idea was to enable spectators to identify players by placing numbers on their backs.

Match cards (programmes) were sold listing the players' names and their corresponding numbers, and these proved popular with the public. The numbers used on that tour were 1 to 15 (from full-back to the forwards) for New Zealand and 16 to 30 for the host teams. The Australians quickly adopted the practice for their Tests against New Zealand ( the first Trans-Tasman Test, 15th August, 1903) and the British/Irish (1904) they numbered teams in reverse with the full-back wearing 15, as today. South Africa wore numbers for the first time in 1906 on their tour to the UK. The All Blacks wore numbers when they made their first official tour to Britain, and for the famous Wales Test at Cardiff on December 16, 1905 both teams were numbered: 1 for full-back (Wales), but 15 for full-back (New Zealand). 1905 All Blacks vs Midland Counties In 1921 England and Wales brought the matter before the IRB but the conclusion was that this was a matter to be decided by the individual unions.

In 1922 England played Wales in Cardiff and both teams used player numbering for the first time in a home nations championship game (Six nations). Some other countries did not adopt it till much later e.g. Scotland who adopted it first in 1928 in a game against France. Interestingly enough the committee consulted a senior cap (John Bannerman) afterwards to elicit the the views of the players and after the feedback was against it, they removed the numbers again until re-introducing them in 1933. When Scotland played England in the Calcutta cup at Twickenham in 1928 King George V asked a former president of the SFU James Aikman Smith (known as Napoleon) why Scotland were not wearing numbers and was told "This sir is a rugby match not a cattle sale". Numbers did not return to Scotland's jerseys until two years after Smith's death. Official programmes were usually very flimsy productions produced by the Union staging a Test, but there were often "pirate" versions issued by opportunists out to make a fast buck.

The Unions deliberately chopped and changed numbering methods to outwit the pirates, and the public were warned, in the press and at grounds, that only the official programmes had the "correct numbers for players." Edinburgh Academicals and Herriot's College arranged to number their players for the game on Saturday 21st February 1931. The first time two Scottish teams were numbered. By 1950 all the home nations used numbers but England, Scotland and Wales numbered the players starting from the full back (1) and France and Ireland did the reverse with the fullback being 15. By 1960/1 they had all agreed to use the France/Ireland numbering. The RFU publication "Rugby Union Football - Know the game" 1950 states that there are no hard and fast rules governing the names of the positions or the numbers worn but lists the custom in Britain at the time. The following table lists some of the common formats although it should be noted that many changes occurred over the years and sometimes just for specific tours. Position 16 onwards, up to 22 Notes: 1.

Other common variations in the numbering is the interchange of 6 and 7 (particularly in South Africa and Argentina) or 11 and 14. 2. Wales avoided the number 13 for a number of years and therefore numbered 1-16. 3. Wales switched to letters in the 1930s but ended this practice during the 1950s. Letters Some clubs and international sides like Wales used letters instead of numbers,below is a picture of England vs. Wales in 1939 just after Derek Teden has scored the winning try. The Welsh players can clearly be seen sporting letters not numbers i.e. Woller (C) and Jenkins (A). Some clubs, out of tradition, used special player labeling schemes for a number of years. Notably Leicester Tigers and Bristol used alternative schemes consisting of letters, whilst others Bath and Richmond used a scheme with no number 13. West Hartlepool hung up their No. 5 jersey in memory of their lock John How who died of a heart condition in a 1994 league match. Below you can see Bristol (letters) playing Bath (no number 13).

The English Premiership sides have ceased using these special labeling schemes, to better aid the understanding of those new to the sport. There also used to be regional variations to the way line-ups were listed. Most of the time, the first player mentioned is actually the number 15. The two mainstream styles of listing a line-up are 15-9 then 1-8 and 15-1. However, you may see the centers messed up and the same is often done to the back row. The British media usually use the 15-9, 1-8 methodology, an article taken from Scrum.com (historian John Griffiths) explains this as follows: "The first Test played under rugby union rules was Scotland v England at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, on March 27, 1871. The most detailed coverage of that match appeared in the next day's edition of The Scotsman. Nearly 24 inches (60 cm) of column space was given to the game and the teams were prominently displayed to show clearly the players' positions on the field. The English Twenty was listed first, with the backs preceding the forwards.

The so-called "Scotch" Twenty was listed underneath in the same way" - John Griffiths Formations varied many times in the late 1800s. Teams were reduced to fifteen-a-side for the 1877 international matches, but it was not until 1894, when all four of the Home Unions adopted the four three-quarter system, that team line-ups began to resemble today's formations. For many years teams were listed with the words full-back, three-quarters, half-backs and forwards added for clarification. Nowadays the British/Irish press assume their readers are familiar with team formations. The earliest Test cards (programmes) that are still in existence date from the Scotland v England match of 1873 at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow. The teams were listed from back to front on that card, as indeed they were on the England v Scotland 1876 card for the match at The Oval and the Ireland v England 1875 card for the game at the Rathmines Cricket Ground in Dublin - the earliest-known programmes still in existence for English and Irish home Tests. It is probable that the media took the team lists from the match programmes.

" Player number/letter chart Rugby Positions | LineoutCoach.com Key Partners Rugby Positions Rugby positions each have a specific role to play. Different physical attributes are required, although strength and speed are key across the team. Most players will specialise in one or two positions which uses their skills and size to best advantage. The 15 players for each team are on the pitch at all times and play both attacking and defending roles unlike American Football which has offence, defence and special teams that alternate depending on possession. The team is divided into two packs, the Forwards (8 players) and Backs (7 players) and they can stand in any position on the field of play as long as they remain onside. The exception is set piece plays when rugby rules stipulate where each player should be in relation to the ball and opposition. The players wear rugby jerseys with the numbers 1-15 on the back. The number stays with the rugby positions and not the player as it can do in other sports so the hooker is always number 2 for example. The numbers were introduced in 1920s as a way for coaches to rate the players.

Teams can call on substitute players with team numbers (16-23) to cover rugby positions where players are injured, tired or as impact players to turn a match around or close down an opposing team in a close game. Rugby Positions Explained A basic understanding of the rugby positions and the skills of each player will help you enjoy the sport more and appreciate the tactics of the game. Rugby positions names Some of the names for the 15 rugby positions have changed over the years and some have different names in other countries. The IRB use terms favoured by northern hemisphere countries. Variations to these include: Flanker – wing forwards Outside centre – centre three-quarter, centre Wing – wing three-quarter Fly-half – outside half, stand-off half, out half, first five-eighth Scrum-half – half-back Number 8 – 8 man Rugby Positions: Forwards Rugby positions numbers 1-8 on the field are called the Forward pack. They are involved in all the set piece plays and contest the lineouts and scrums. Larger and more powerful than the Backs, they aim to win or retain the ball and drive the team up the field and in that respect are similar to linebackers or linesman in American Football.

Rugby Positions: Front Row Supports hooker in the scrum Lifts jumpers in the lineout Key power at rucks and mauls for retaining ball 2 Hooker Middle of the front row of the scrum Responsible for winning the ball Throws ball at lineouts Rugby positions: Second row (loose forwards/loosies) 4 Lock or lock forward 5 Lock or lock forward Tallest on the field Bind in the scrum and drive forward Rugby positions: Back Row At the back of the scrum Aim to win ball through turnovers 8 Number Eight Link between the forward pack and backs Controls ball at back of scrum before attack begins Rugby Positions: Backs Rugby positions numbers 9-15 are called the Backs. They tend to be smaller than their Foward brothers as they need speed and agility to run the ball into space or kick for goal. They have to maximise the possession and get points on the board so would be similar to running backs or wide receivers in American Football.

Rugby positions: Half-backs Links between forwards and backs Feeds ball into scrum Collects ball from the back 10 Fly-half Directs play on the pitch Good decision maker and communicator Commonly the goal kicker Good reader of the game Direct attacks Score tries and finish plays Fast and agile Powerful enough to break tackles 15 Full Back How to Play Rugby (with Pictures) - wikiHow How to Play Rugby Three Parts: Understanding the Basics Learning the Basic Skills Setting Up a Game Community Q&A Rugby is a complicated, intense game, which consists of 15 players on each team on a field of 100 meters long and 70 meters wide. The basic rules are not so difficult that you need a lifetime to learn them, however you still need a couple of hours game-time to be able to understand the structure and game-play of Rugby. The concept of a game of Rugby is simple: two teams try and gain the most points in 80 minutes by trying to score points in the other team's half. The ball can never be passed forward only backwards or perpendicular, a team can only advance by passing or kicking the ball.

Any team can win the ball at any time, this is usually done by the forward pack which consists of 8 players, You also have a Back-line which consists of 7 Players. The forward pack is made up by Two Props(1 and 3), one Hooker(2), Two Locks(4-5) and Three Loose forwards(6,7,8). The Back-line is up made up by the Scrum Half(9), Fly-Half(10), Left-wing(11)Inside-center(12), Outside-Center(13), Right-Wing(14) and the Full-Back(15). The details of the game, however, may need some explaining. Note: This article is about playing the most common form of rugby, Rugby Union. Steps Understanding the Basics 1 Win by scoring more points than your opponent. Score tries by carrying the ball into Your opponent's try-zone, ( penalty tries can also be awarded from any infringements from the opposing team.) A try is worth 5 points. When a try is scored an opportunity is given to the scoring team to make a conversion kick which is worth 2 points.

The other way of gaining extra points for Your team is with penalty kicks, this is awarded when a member of the opposing team breaks a rule or if the play of the game is stopped by more than one member of that team. a Penalty kick is worth 3 Points. The last method of gaining points is with a drop-goal attempt, the ball is played backwards to a back-row player who then attempts to place the ball in between the uprights during ongoing game play, this is also worth 3 points. 2 The field is cut in half, and at each end is a 10-meter zone known as the "try-zone." If you get the ball into your opponent's try zone you get 5 points, as well as a chance to attempt a conversion kick for an extra 2 points. The winner is the one who scores the most points in 80 minutes of play. You have to touch the ball down to score in rugby. That means after you've entered the try zone the ball must be placed on the ground to score. [1] You can also kick the ball through the uprights during free play (with a drop-kick only) or after the referee awards your team a penalty (place kick) for 3 points.

[2] 3 Understand the ball can only be thrown backward or sideways. To score tries, offense teams form big horizontal lines, passing sideways and backward until they expose a hole in the defense and push forward. This is the big rule to remember when playing rugby. You cannot pass the ball forward with your hands or it is an automatic penalty. Whenever passing, you usually pass the ball across your body to get power and throw the ball diagonally to your teammate. Dropping or bobbling the ball counts as a forward pass if it hits your hands then hits the ground in front of you. You can, of course, carry the ball forward. However, any passes by the hand cannot be forward. [3] 4 Kick it forward to pass to yourself or your teammates. While you cannot ever throw a ball forward, you can kick it forward at any time. Once you kick the ball, any teammate that was behind you when you kicked it can run forward and get the ball without a penalty. Kicks are a great way to surprise a defense, or boot the ball way down the field to get your team out of trouble. Players can even kick it to themselves, chipping it over an opponent and running around to pick it up.

You cannot kick the ball to a teammate who is already further down the field than you unless you run past them at some point. If a player was behind you at any time after your kick they can touch the ball. If not, they are offside. [4] 5 Tackle the ball carrier to stop the opponent's attack. Rugby defense is all about making tackles. You can only hit the player currently holding the ball, and you cannot block or screen the other team or other players. When you tackle an opponent, your goal is to bring them to the ground as quickly as possible, preferably with teammates around to quickly help win the ball. General tackling rules include: You must tackle someone below shoulder height. You must wrap your hands around the player, not just spear them with your shoulder. You cannot pick up and drop players, especially on their head or neck. Once down, you must return to your feet before trying to win the ball from someone you've tackled. [5] 6 Form rucks whenever someone gets tackled to keep possession of the ball. When a player goes down, they must release the ball. From there, either team can fight to win the ball off the ground and take possession.

This usually takes place as a "ruck." A ruck is when 1-3 players from each team lock into one another, right above the ball (and tackled player), and push each other back and forth in an attempt to win possession. One player on each team stands behind the ruck and grabs the ball when it appears behind their rucking teammate's back foot. Because the tackled player can put the ball down wherever they want, the team that had the ball first usually controls it. There are a lot of rules and strategy for contesting a ruck, but some basic reminders include: Stay on your feet. A ruck is when at least two players lock shoulders above the ball and try and push the opponent away from the ball. You cannot reach in to grab the ball or push off the ground with your hands. Enter through the center. For safety reasons, you must enter a ruck straight up and lock in with the other team. You must be perpendicular to the end line, and your body must be straight over the ball. You cannot run into a ruck diagonally or from the side. Stay behind the back foot if not in the ruck.

Once a ruck is formed, you must stay behind the back foot of your final teammate until the ball comes out, no matter what team gets it. The entire space of the ruck is a "neutral zone" that no players can enter it. [6] 7 Form scrums to contest penalty calls. When a penalty (such as passing it forward) is called for your team, you get several options of restarts, depending on the foul. One of the most common is a scrum, where both teams form into battering rams and connect over the ball. A scrum is essentially a test of strength. In a scrum, 8 players from each team weave themselves together in rows to create a unified mass. The two teams then go head-to-head, each pushing against the other, with a tunnel formed on the ground in between them. In a scrum, one team throws the ball in the center of the two teams and they push and hook each other to try and win the ball. Scrums suck all the biggest players to one area of the field, leaving the other seven players with much more free space. If your team wins it, you're often off for a big gain.

Scrums are perhaps the most dangerous aspect of rugby, and you should not try them without a coach and well-trained, athletic players. [7] 8 Use line-outs to restart the ball after it leaves the sidelines. If a ball goes out of bounds the referee will call for a line-out. A line-out is like a throw-in in soccer, except the ball must be thrown straight forward. Each team forms a line on the field around the thrower. The team that did not touch the ball last gets to throw it in. They then toss the ball straight in between the two teams, who lift each other up to try and win the ball. The game then restarts as normal. Teams often use signals and codes to win their own line-outs. Basically, a thrower will signal to their team when they will throw it, and their teammates will hoist a player into the air, out of reach of the other team, to grab the ball quickly. [8] 9 Recognize the difference between forwards and backs on a team. Each team is made up of two smaller sections, each with their own positions and strengths.

Forwards take part in the scrum, and this is the only real difference between them an backs as far as rules go. However, forwards and backs have evolved their own specialties on the field, making each vital to success: Forwards/Packies: These are the big guys -- the bruisers and muscle-men who power the scrums and win most of your rucks. Forwards generally take short, powerful runs with the ball, pass less, and do the majority of tackling and defense. Generally thicker and stronger. [9] Backs: The runners and speedsters. Backs form a long diagonal line on offense and pass the ball quickly down the line, to the outside of the field, where they can take on a defender 1v1. On defense they form a wall across the field to prevent enemy backs from breaking through. Generally quicker, backs are good kickers, have solid passing skills, and tons of speed/endurance. [10] 10 Watch professional rugby to discover complex rules, strategies, and nuance. Watch local and professional teams’ matches or practices in order to see how the game is played. You can also watch matches on television or recordings such as DVDs.

Watching how a game is played in real life or through recordings allows you to see the intricacies of the sport. There are a lot of small rules, specific situations, and intricacies to rugby that are impossible to learn without playing or watching. Ask questions of fans and/or the referee when confused, and keep learning each game each time you play. Part 2 Learning the Basic Skills 1 Throw with speed and accuracy by spinning the ball. A good rugby throw is powerful and quick, which protects your teammate from a nasty tackle as they watch the ball approaching them. Practice throwing to your side, not in front of you. To get a good throw, use both hands and focus on accuracy first, hitting your teammates right in the chest every time. Once you feel accurate you can start working on a professional-looking spin. To throw from the right hand: Start with the ball horizontally in front of you. Place your right hand on the back third of the ball, so your palm faces down and your thumb towards your target. Place your left hand on the bottom left half of the ball, thumb pointing left. Bring the ball to your right side, keeping the point of the ball still roughly pointing at your target.

Using your left hand for aim and right for power, bring the ball across your body and towards your target. As your hands are almost extended, curl your right hand back towards you, spinning the ball. Release the ball with both hands simultaneously, rotating your wrist completely over on the follow-through. Both arms should be fully extended and pointed at your target, and your arms should stay low, around belly height. the whole time. [11] 2 Tackle with your whole body, not just your arms. Tackling is a skill that can be developed over a lifetime, but the basics are simple. You want to let your whole body do the work, not just your arms, to protect yourself and to ensure that you bring the guy down. Practice doing the following steps near simultaneously -- keeping your head up, driving with the shoulder, wrapping your arms, and driving to the ground: Set up on the balls of your feet. Make sure you are in a good athletic position for the hit -- knees bent, muscles relaxed, on your toes. Keep your head up and aim for their thighs/stomach. Keep your head up to see contact coming and line up the hit. This is a crucial step for safety.

Aim to make contact with your shoulder right at their upper thigh. Slide your head next to their butt to keep it safe and drive in with your shoulder. Wrap your arms around their thighs and pull back. Pull their thighs into a deep hug -- this causes them to lose balance easily. Drive with your legs to bring them down. Once you've got your head in place and your arms wrapped, you want to push with your legs to bring them down. 3 Attack rucks to shift the balance of momentum in the game . A ruck is your regular chance to keep or steal possession, and a good rucker is an invaluable asset on the team. If you see a teammate go down with the ball and you're nearby, try and be the first one in the ruck. Set one foot over the ball so that it is underneath you, then lean down into a low athletic position. When you've made contact with someone, win rucks using strength and leverage: Get underneath the opponent and push up and out. If you can get your shoulders or head under their chest, you can push them up to throw them off balance, then back to remove them from the ruck. Push teammates from behind to win contested rucks.

If it looks like your team needs a boost, push your ruck through like a minor-scrum. Remember, however, that committing more than 2-3 people to a ruck leaves a lot of holes in the defense if you lose. Keep your feet moving through the ruck. To really crush rucks, chop your feet and push forward with every step. Imagine running straight through the player to the other side. This is called "clearing" a ruck, and it opens up a lot of space. If you're on defense and you can clear a ruck, even if you can't win the ball immediately, you'll throw the other team into disarray. [12] 4 Always be in a position of support for teammates. Rugby is not an individually dominated sport. Even the best player will be unable to do anything without the support of teammates, as there are very few times a solo athlete has space or time to make a play themselves. On both defense and offense you should be in the best possible place to support your teammates, no matter what: On defense, you need to be in a horizontal line with your teammates, sliding left and right to close up any holes the opponent might try to push through.

Once a teammate makes a tackle, you should either jump in the ruck if it is open or winnable or slide to either side of the teammate to make sure the other team doesn't exploit the gap while he is down from the tackle, On offense, you need to spread out, forcing the other team to cover many angles. When a teammate is running, make sure you are always behind them and they have 1-2 people in passing range. If they get tackled, they may try a quick pass to you as they go down, leaving you plenty of time to run. [13] Part 3 Setting Up a Game 1 Find a large, flat field. Rugby can be played in any large field, so long as it is relatively flat and evenly sized. The size of the field will largely depend upon how seriously you intend to play. If you wish to simply play the game with a few friends, a local park with any large field may be enough. However, if you wish to play a proper match, you will need a field with two uprights for the extra point. Contact your local Parks and Recreation department or a local rugby club to find out about proper fields in your area.

As long as you can mark out try-zones for each team, any rectangular patch of grass should be fine. Though the dimensions are slightly different, an American football field can fill in for a rugby field in a pinch. 2 Form two even teams of players. There are three commonly played forms of rugby, where the biggest difference is in the number of players. Real games have 15, 10, or 7 players on each team, but you can play with as many players as you want if you're just with friends. Each player should have: Athletic shoes, preferably with cleats in the bottom. Light, breathable clothing. Water. [14] 3 Decide which forwards will play which positions in the scrum. Forwards are generally placed in position based on the scrum, and their positions does not necessarily impact where they will be during the rest of the game. What matters most is your scrum position: First row. The first row contains three players: the loose head prop and the tight head prop, who grip the hooker in between them.The role of the hooker is to gain possession of the ball during scrums and usually throw the ball in at line-outs.

The role of the loose and tight head props is to support the hooker during scrums, support other players during line-outs and provide strength during rucks and mauls. The props are your two biggest players. Second row. The second row consists of two locks. These are the tallest players in the team and are generally used in line-outs to gain possession of the ball. They drive their shoulders into the props and are the engines of your scrums and rucks. Back row. The back row of forwards consists of three players: two flankers and the eight-man. They clasp onto the two sides and back and control the direction of the scrum, as well as the ball if it squeezes out. Generally these three are your fastest forwards, as they can quickly dart off the scrum when play restarts. [15] 4 Build up your line of backs based on speed and ball handling ability. Backs need to be good with their hands, and the best players need to be the first ones touching the ball. To visualize your back line, imagine the ball on the right side of the field.

Each player will be 10-15 feet diagonally to the left of the other, starting with the scrum-half: Scrum-half: They start the ball from a ruck or scrum, pulling it out and determining the first player to get the ball. They must be light, small, and have considerable endurance to reach every ruck or scrum first. Most importantly, they need to see the whole field and distribute the ball accordingly. Fly-half: The quarterback for the backs. They run most of the kicking and run plays, like skipping a pass or fake passes, to try and break down the opponent's defense. Centers: There are two of them, and they are good overall players who can tackle well on defense, run and pass well in the middle, and kick if need be. They get the ball often and challenge the opponent's back line. Wings: Two wings that stay on each side-line, these are usually the fastest players. Your goal is to get them the ball on the outside, where they can hopefully outrun the opponents wing for massive gains.

Fullback: She/he sits 15 meters or so behind the line, ready to get an opponent's kick, make a last-second tackle, or sprint forward to unexpectedly join the offense and overload a team. Must be versatile, able to kick and catch, and fast. [16] 5 Designate a referee to enforce penalties. There are several ways in which a penalty may be earned, and it is impossible to play the game and keep an eye out for every infraction. Minor infractions will likely result in a scrum being awarded to the other team. Others may cause a referee to take more serious action, giving a penalty kick, a "back ten" (when the team gets 10 meters to run the ball for free), or removing a player for some time. Common offenses include incorrect tackling, collapsing a scrum or ruck by leaving your feet, holding the ball when on the ground, and entering rucks incorrectly. The team awarded the penalty has several options. They can take a kick or punt, which will allow them to gain field position. They can take a penalty kick at the uprights for a chance at 3 points, or they can take a scrum, all in the location of the penalty.

6 Warm up your whole body before playing to avoid dangerous injuries. A game of rugby is physically intense, and you're incredibly prone to injury if you don't prepare. A good warm-up increases blood flow and prepares your muscles for the beating to come. A good, simple warm up to start with would include: [17] 10-minute light jog. Running is an excellent way to warm up for rigorous physical activity. Begin by walking briskly for 5 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of light jogging to prepare yourself for running. [18] Dynamic stretching . Run with high knees, kick your ankle with your heel with each step, do some lunges, jump in place, swing your arms, and skip. These exaggerated, mobile stretches loosen your muscles more effectively than static stretching. Warm up rugby skills. Pass with a partner, take some kicks, and do some light rucking. Get used to rugby specific actions, even tackling at half-speed. Your forwards should do some practice scrums and lineouts, and your backs should get used to passing in a line. Drink water and eat at least 2 hours before playing. Hydration is essential in physical activity.

In order to combat the loss of and increased use of water during exercise, it is important to stay well hydrated throughout the day but especially right before activity. The other essential nutrients used and expelled by your body during exercise are salt and potassium, eating lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and sports drinks/food. [19] 7 Start the game with a kickoff. This is traditionally started by a coin toss, in order to determine which team will have first possession of the ball. You can toss coins or decide who starts in some other manner. Positioned at the center of the field, the team which has first possession will then kick the ball towards the opposition. Most rules state that this must be a drop-kick. It needs to go 10-meters before the ball can be played. If you are on the kicking team, you cannot pass the kicker until the ball has left his foot. After your team scores a try, the other team must kick it off to you again. [20] Community Q&A How can I get a spot on a rugby club team or international squad? wikiHow Contributor Practice and get in the best physical shape you can. Look up local teams and clubs online and reach out to the coach to tryout.

What is done in rugby that's not done in American football? wikiHow Contributor In rugby sevens, how many players are on the field? wikiHow Contributor If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know. Tips Play some touch rugby-- where two hands is all you need for a tackle -- to learn the rules and basic strategy of the game before worrying about the physical contact. Rugby is a sport meant to be fun, and the aim of the game should not be to injure your opponents; rather, it should be to score tries and kick into the posts. Warnings Rugby is a dangerous sport if you don't know what you're doing. Practice tackling, rucking, and scrumming at half-speed until you have the form down. Wear protective gear like gum shields or scrump caps when playing full contact rugby. It is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

Question: How many players are on the field in a rugby union team?
Answer: 15