Rugby Union - The Laws of the Game - Part 1
International Rugby Board 2007
Forward to:
Laws of Rugby - Part 1a - Law 1.6, Laws 2 - 4
Laws of Rugby - Part 1b - Laws 5 & 6
Laws of Rugby - Part 2 - Laws 7 - 10
Laws of Rugby - Part 2a - Laws 11 - 15.6
Laws of Rugby - Part 2b - Laws 15.7 - 19.6
Laws of Rugby - Part 2c - Laws 19.7 - 20
Laws of Rugby - Part 2d - Laws 21 & 22
Laws of Rugby - Part 3 - Variations
These are the full rules of rugby (but correctly known as the Laws).
Tags: rugby rules, laws of rugby, rugby laws, rugby rules & regs
Part 1 - Before The Match
Part 2 - During Play
Part 3 - Appendices: 7-a-side; Under-19; Rule Variations; Administration History
OCRFC Notes
The Laws have been reformatted by OCRFC to suit web publishing as they are not available in a suitable format.
There is a substantial amount of material here, which is not available in a format directly usable for printing or website reproduction.
We will first deposit the bulk of the content on these pages, then reformat it as time permits.
Diagrams which form an integral part of the rules will be added.
Administration history details which appear at the start of the Laws have been placed in the Appendix.
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD
DEFINITIONS
BEFORE THE MATCH
DURING THE MATCH
UNDER 19 VARIATIONS
SEVEN-A-SIDE VARIATIONS
REFEREE SIGNALS
REGULATION 12 EXTRACT
FOREWORD
The object of the game is that two teams of fifteen or seven players each, observing fair play according to the laws and sporting spirit, should by carrying, passing, kicking and grounding the ball, score as many points as possible, the team scoring the greater number of points being the winner of the match.
The laws of the game, including the standard set of variations for Under 19 rugby and Sevens rugby, are complete and contain all that is necessary to enable the game to be played correctly and fairly.
Rugby Union is a sport which involves physical contact. Any sport involving physical contact has inherent dangers. It is very important that players play the game in accordance with the laws of the game and be mindful of the safety of themselves and others. It is the responsibility of those who coach or teach the game to ensure that players are prepared in a manner which ensures compliance with the laws of the game and in accordance with safe practices.
It is the duty of the referee to apply fairly all the laws of the game in every match except when an experimental law variation (EVL) has been authorised by the IRB Council.
It is the duty of the unions to ensure that the game at every level is conducted in accordance with disciplined and sporting behaviour. This principle cannot be upheld solely by the referee; its observance also rests on unions, affiliated bodies and clubs.
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DEFINITIONS
A
Actual time: Elapsed time including time lost for any reason.
Advantage: Law 8 - Advantage.
Attacking team: The opponents of the defending team in whose half of the ground play is taking place.
B
Ball carrier: A player carrying the ball.
Beyond or behind or in front of a position: Means with both feet, except where the context makes that inappropriate.
Binding: Grasping firmly another player's body between the shoulders and the hips with the whole arm in contact from hand to shoulder.
C
Captain: The captain is a player nominated by the team. Only the captain is entitled to consult the referee during the match and is solely responsible for choosing options relating to the referee's decisions.
Cavalry charge: Law 10 - Foul Play.
Conversion kick: Law 9 - Method of Scoring.
Converted: A conversion kick that was successful.
D
Dangerous play: Law 10 - Foul Play.
Dead: The ball is out of play. This happens when the ball has gone outside the playing area and remained there, or when the referee has blown the whistle to indicate a stoppage in play, or when a conversion
kick has been taken.
Dead ball line: Law 1 - The Ground.
Defending team: The team in whose half of the ground play is taking place; their opponents are the Attacking Team.
Drop kick: The ball is dropped from the hand or hands to the ground and kicked as it rises from its first bounce.
Drop out: Law 13 - Kick-Off and Restart Kicks.
Dropped goal: Law 9 - Method of Scoring.
F
Field of play: Law 1 - The Ground.
Flanker: Forward player who usually wears jersey No.6 or No.7.
Flying wedge: Law 10 - Foul Play.
Foul play: Law 10 - Foul Play.
Free kick: Law 21 - Penalty and Free Kicks. A kick awarded to the non-offending team after an infringement by its opponents. Unless a Law states otherwise, a free kick awarded because of an infringement is
awarded at the place of infringement.
Front row players: Law 20 - Scrum. The forward players who are the loose-head prop, the hooker and the tight-head prop. These players usually wear jersey No. 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
G
Goal: A player scores a goal by kicking the ball over an opponents? cross bar and between the goal posts from the field of play, by a place kick or drop-kick. A goal cannot be scored from a kick-off, drop-out or free kick.
Goal-line: Law 1 - The Ground.
Grounding the ball: Law 22 - In-Goal.
H
Half time: The interval between the two halves of the game.
Hindmost foot: The foot of the hindmost player in a scrum, ruck or maul which is nearest that player?s goal-line.
Hooker: Law 20 - Scrum. The middle front row player in a scrum who usually wears jersey No. 2.
I
In-field: Away from touch and towards the middle of the field.
In-goal: Law 22 - In-Goal.
K
Kick: A kick is made by hitting the ball with any part of the leg or foot, except the heel, from the toe to the knee but not including the knee; a kick must move the ball a visible distance out of the hand, or along the ground.
Kick-off: Law 13 - Kick-off and Restart Kicks.
Knock-on: Law 12 - Knock-on or Throw-forward.
L
Lifting: Law 19 - Touch and Line-out.
Line of touch: Law 19 - Touch and Line-out. An imaginary line at right angles to the touch-line at the place where the ball is thrown in from touch.
Line-out: Law 19 - Touch and Line-out.
Line through the mark or place: unless stated otherwise, a line parallel to the touch-line.
Long throw: Law 19 - Touch and Line-out.
Loose-head prop: Law 20 - Scrum. The left front row player in a scrum who usually wears jersey No. 1
M
Match organiser: the organisation responsible for the match which may be a union, a group of unions or an organisation affiliated to the International Rugby Board.
Mark: Law 18 - Mark.
Maul: Law 17 - Maul.
N
Near: Law 14 - Ball on the Grounf - No Tackle. Within one metre.
O
Obstruction: Law 10 - Foul Play.
Off-side in open play: Law 11 - Off-side and On-side in General Play.
Off-side Line: An imaginary line across the ground, from one touch-line to the other, parallel to the goal-lines; the position of this line varies according to the Law.
Off-side the 10-Metre Law: Law 11 - Off-side and On-side in General Play.
On-side: Law 11 - Off-side and On-side in General Play.
Open or Bleeding Wound: Law 3 - Number of Players -The Team.
Out of play: This happens when the ball or the ball-carrier has gone into touch or touch-in-goal, or touched or crossed the dead ball line.
Oversteps: A player steps across a line with one or both feet; the line may be real (for example, goal-line) or imaginary (for example, off-side line).
P
Pass: A player throws the ball to another player; if a player hands the ball to another player without throwing it, this is also a pass.
Peeling off: Law 19 - Touch and Line-Out.
Penalty goal: Law 9 - Method of Scoring.
Penalty kick: Law 21 - Penalty and Free Kicks - A kick awarded to the non-offending team after an infringement by its opponents. Unless a Law says otherwise, a penalty kick is awarded at the place of infringement.
Penalty try: Law 10 - Foul Play.
Place kick: The ball is kicked after it has been placed on the ground for that purpose.
Placer: A player who holds the ball on the ground for a team-mate to kick.
Played: The ball is played when it is touched by a player.
Playing area: Law 1 - The Ground.
Playing enclosure: Law 1 - The Ground.
Playing time: The time that has been played excluding time lost as defined in Law 5 Time.
Possession: This happens when a player is carrying the ball or a team has the ball in its control; for example, the ball in one half of a scrum or ruck is in that team?s possession.
Pre-gripping: Law 19 - Touch and Line-out. Gripping a team-mate in the line-out prior to the ball being thrown in.
Prop: Law 20 - Scrum. A front row player to the left or right of the hooker in a scrum. These players usually wear jersey No?s. 1 and 3.
Punt: The ball is dropped from the hand or hands and kicked before it touches the ground.
Pushover try: Law 22 - In-Goal.
R
Receiver: Law 19 - Touch and Line-Out.
Red Card: A card, red in colour shown to a player who has been sent off
for contravening Law 10 - Foul Play, Law 4.5(c).
Referee: Law 6 - Match Officials.
Repeated infringements: Law 10 - Foul Play.
Replacements: Law 3 - Number of Players - The Team.
Ruck: Law 16 - Ruck.
S
Scrum: Law 20 - Scrum. This happens when players from each team come together in scrum formation so that play can be started by throwing the ball into the scrum.
Scrum-half: A player nominated to throw the ball into a scrum who usually wears jersey No. 9.
Sin Bin: The designated area in which a temporarily suspended player must remain for 10 minutes playing time.
Substitutes: Law 3 - Number of Players - The Team.
T
Tackle: Law 15 - Tackle: Ball-Carrier Brought to the Ground.
Team-mate: Another player of the same team.
Temporarily suspended: Law 10 - Foul Play.
The plan: Law 1 - The Ground.
The 22: Law 1 - The Ground.
Throw-forward: Law 12 - Knock-On or Throw-Forward.
Throw-in: The act of the player who throws the ball into a scrum or a line-out.
Tight-head prop: Law 20 - Scrum. The right front row player in a scrum who usually wears jersey No. 3.
Touch: Law 19 - Touch and Line-Out.
Touch down: Law 22 - In-goal.
Touch-line: Law 1 - The Ground.
Touch-in-goal line: Law 1 - The Ground.
Touch judge: Law 6 - Match Officials.
Try: Law 9 - Method of Scoring.
U
Union: The controlling body under whose jurisdiction the match is played; for an International match it means the International Rugby Board or a Committee of the Board.
Y
Yellow card: A card, yellow in colour shown to a player who has been cautioned and temporarily suspended for 10 minutes playing time.
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BEFORE THE MATCH
Law 1 The Ground
Law 2 The Ball
Law 3 Number of Players - The Team
Law 4 Players Clothing
Law 5 Time
Law 6 Match Officials
Law 1 The Ground
DEFINITIONS
The Ground is the total area shown on the plan. The Ground includes: The Field of play is the area (as shown on the plan) between the goal lines and the touchlines. These lines are not part of the field of play.
The Playing Area is the field of play and the in-goal areas (as shown on the plan). The touchlines, touch-in-goal lines and dead ball lines are not part of the playing area.
The Playing Enclosure is the playing area and a space around it, not less than 5 metres where practicable, which is known as the perimeter area.
In-goal is the area between the goal line and the dead ball line, and between the touch-in-goal lines. It includes the goal line but it does not include the dead ball line or the touch-in-goal lines.
"The 22" is the area between the goal line and the 22-metre line, including the 22-metre line but excluding the goal line.
The Plan, including all the words and figures on it, is part of the Laws.
1.1 SURFACE OF THE PLAYING ENCLOSURE
(a) Requirement. The surface must be safe to play on at all times.
(b) Type of surface. The surface should be grass but may also be sand, clay, snow or artificial grass. The game may be played on snow, provided the snow and underlying surface are safe to play on. It shall not be a permanently hard surface such as concrete or asphalt. In the case of artificial grass surfaces, they must conform to IRB Regulation 22.
1.2 REQUIRED DIMENSIONS FOR THE PLAYING ENCLOSURE
(a) Dimensions. The field of play does not exceed 100 metres in length and 70 metres in width. Each in-goal does not exceed 22 metres in length and 70 metres in width.
(b) The length and breadth of the playing area are to be as near as possible to the dimensions indicated. All the areas are rectangular.
(c) The distance from the goal line to the dead ball line should be not less than 10 metres where practicable.
1.3 LINES ON THE PLAYING ENCLOSURE
(a) Solid Lines
The dead ball lines and touch-in-goal lines, both of which are outside the in-goal areas;
The goal lines, which are within the in-goal areas but outside the field of play;
The 22-metre lines; which are parallel to the goal lines;
The half-way line which is parallel to the goal lines;
The touchlines, which are outside the field of play.
(b) Broken Lines
The 10-metre lines, which run from one touchline to the other, are 10 metres from each side of the half-way line and parallel to it; and the 5-metre lines, which run from one 5-metre dash line to the other, are 5 metres from and parallel to the touchlines.
The 15-metre lines, which link the 5-metre dash lines, are 15 metres from and parallel to the touchlines.
(c) Dash Lines
(i) Six dash lines, each being l metre long, 5 metres from and parallel to each goal line positioned 5 metres and 15 metres from each touchline and in front of each goal post.
(ii) Two dash lines, 5 metres long, 15 metres from each of the touchlines, which start at the goal line and end at the 5-metre dash line.
(iii) One dash line of 0.5 metre long intersects the center of the half-way line. All the lines must be suitably marked out according to the Plan.
1.4 DIMENSIONS FOR GOAL POSTS AND CROSSBAR
(a) The distance between the two goal posts is 5.6 metres.
(b) The crossbar is placed between the two goal posts so that its top edge is 3.0 metres from the ground.
(c) The minimum height of the goal posts is 3.4 metres.
(d) When padding is attached to the goal posts the distance from the goal line to the external edge of the padding must not exceed 300mm.
1.5 FLAG POSTS
(a) There are 14 flag posts with flags, each with a minimum height of 1.2 metres above the ground.
(b) Flag posts must be positioned at the intersection of touch-in-goal lines and the goal lines and at the intersection of the touch-in-goal lines and the dead ball lines. These eight flag posts are outside the
in-goal area and do not form part of the playing area.
(c) Flag posts must be positioned in line with the 22-metre lines and the half-way line, 2 metres outside the touchlines and within the playing enclosure.
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Laws of Rugby 1