Rugby guide
Rugby rules for beginners
Rugby can look like organized chaos the first time you watch. The core ideas are simple, though: carry the ball forward, pass it backward, and score tries. This guide explains the basics of rugby union and how sevens and league differ.
The goal of the game
Rugby union is a running, passing and kicking game between two teams. Each team tries to score more points than the other by carrying the ball over the opponent's goal line and touching it down. The team with more points when time ends wins. This guide covers rugby union, the version most people mean when they say rugby. Two close relatives, sevens and league, are covered near the end.
How the ball moves
Players can run with the ball, kick it, or pass it to a teammate. The one big rule to learn first: every pass must go sideways or backward. A pass that travels toward the opponent's goal line is a forward pass and is not allowed. The ball can move forward only when a player carries it or kicks it. This is why rugby looks like a line of players running side by side, with the ball swinging along the line.
A knock-on happens when a player drops or fumbles the ball and it travels forward. It usually leads to a scrum for the other team.
How teams score
| Way to score | Points in standard rules | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Try | 5 | A player grounds the ball in the opponent's in-goal area, behind the goal line. |
| Conversion | 2 | A kick at goal after a try, taken from anywhere in line with where the ball was grounded (in sevens it must be a drop kick). |
| Penalty goal | 3 | A kick at the goal posts awarded after a penalty by the other team. |
| Drop goal | 3 | A kick at the posts during open play, dropping the ball and kicking it just after it bounces. |
The ball must go over the crossbar and between the upright posts for any kick to score. Many youth leagues change how scoring works, especially at the youngest ages, so ask your league.
Tackling and keeping the ball alive
A player carrying the ball can be tackled by the defense. In standard rules a tackle must be made at or below the shoulders (many youth and community programs set the line lower, such as the waist), and tackling dangerously, such as high, without using the arms, or making contact with the head, is penalized. Safe tackling is taught step by step, so ask your coach how technique is coached at your child's level. After a tackle, the tackled player must release the ball, the tackler must let go and move away, and the game keeps flowing. There are two ways play continues:
- Ruck: after a tackle, the ball is on the ground and players from both teams bind over it on their feet, competing for possession. Players may not use their hands in a ruck.
- Maul: a player carrying the ball is held up by opponents and at least one teammate binds on, and the group moves together while still on their feet.
Restarts and set pieces
- Scrum: used to restart play after minor errors such as a knock-on. In standard rules, eight players from each team bind together and push for the ball, which is fed in between them. Youth leagues often use smaller or non-contested scrums, so check yours. See forwards and backs positions for who does what.
- Lineout: used to restart play when the ball goes out over the sideline. Players line up and a teammate throws the ball in straight, often lifted by teammates as they jump to catch it.
- Penalty and free kick: awarded for rule breaks. The team can kick for goal, kick to the sideline, or tap the ball and run.
Offside, in plain words
Offside is the rule new families find hardest. The simple version: in open play, players must stay behind the ball when a teammate has it or kicks it, and must stay behind the back foot of their own team in a ruck or scrum. Referees will explain it to players, and it takes seasons to master. Do not worry if it is fuzzy at first.
Game length and youth rugby
In standard adult rules a match has two 40-minute halves. Youth rugby is different. Game length, team size, field size, contact level and whether scrums and lineouts are contested all vary by league and age group, so check with yours. Many programs introduce the game through tag or touch rugby, where pulling a flag or touching a player replaces the tackle. Contact is usually phased in gradually as players learn technique.
Sevens and rugby league
Rugby sevens uses mostly the same laws with seven players per side instead of fifteen and much shorter matches (a few details differ, such as drop-kick conversions), so it is fast and open. Rugby league is a separate sport with its own rules and scoring, including thirteen players per side in the standard game and a limited number of tackles (usually six) before the ball is handed over. Both exist alongside union, but everything on this page describes union unless noted.
Watching your first game
Pick one thing to watch each time: the ball carrier, then the tackle, then the ruck. Soon the pattern of the game becomes clear. For vocabulary, see rugby terms for new parents, and for what to bring, see the equipment checklist. The rugby hub collects all our rugby guides.
In BlackForge Sports: BlackForge Sports is live for youth baseball today and rugby is on our roadmap. Join the early-access list and tell us you want rugby next, and we will let you know when it is ready. Get early access →
Frequently asked questions
How do you score in rugby union?
A try is worth five points in standard rules, a conversion kick after a try is worth two, and penalty goals and drop goals are worth three each.
Can you pass the ball forward in rugby?
No. Passes must go sideways or backward, and the ball moves forward only when a player carries or kicks it.
How long is a rugby game?
In standard adult rules a match has two 40-minute halves. Youth game lengths vary by league and age group, so check with yours.
What is the difference between union, sevens and league?
Union has fifteen players per side, sevens uses mostly the same laws with seven per side and shorter matches, and league is a separate sport with its own rules, scoring and thirteen players per side in the standard game.