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| A style of play where the pack dominates and the flyhalf kicks most of the time. This was England's game plan in the late 80s to mid 90s. Very boring for the three quarters and the spectators. |
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| 10 meters from the halfway line, on either side of the field. The kick off or restart (drop kick after a score) must cross the 10 meter line. |
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| An intercepted pass that should have resulted in a try can be a 14 pointer because there is often no defense behind the line when the attacking team is that close to the try line. |
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| Used to be the 25 yard line. Now 22 meters from the try line. You have to be behind your own 22 to kick the ball out on the full, if you want to get the lineout where the ball goes out. |
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| A good referee will not blow the whistle to penalize the red team if the blue team has gained an advantage. If no big advantage comes within a short time, the ref will stop play, otherwise, play continues. This is called playing advantage. |
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| The national team of New Zealand, so named, unsurprisingly, because their entire strip is black except for the white collar. |
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| Not offense- helps dismantle the grid iron mentality |
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| The two flankers and the number 8 |
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| The two wingers and the full back |
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| Delightful commentator. His Scottish accent belies his objectivity. His vivid commentary has contibuted to the rich language of rugby. Retained his job as a school teacher and rugby coach while working for the BBC. Several of his former pupils have pulled on the blue jersey to represent Scotland. |
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| The side of the field with less space. Opposite of open side. Most teams outside of the US play with an open side and blind side flanker who switch between right and left of the scrum. The open side is usually the smaller faster, while the blind side is bigger and more lumbering. Also used to describe the wingers, but they always stay on either the right or left. |
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| Was made in 1879 from silver Rupees left over when the Calcutta Rugby Club disbanded. Whenever Scotland and England play, the winner takes the cup until they next play. The Calcutta cup is usually contested every year in the Five Nations |
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| The first time a player represents his country he is given a cap. For subsequent test matches (i.e. internationals), he doesn't get more actual caps, but the number of times someone plays for his country is still referred to as the number of caps he's earned. The world's most capped player is Phillipe Sella, who represented France 111 times. |
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| A short but high kick inteded to be gathered by the attacking team. Used to counter defenses that charge up on the back line. |
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| A tackle made by grabbing a player's collar. This is a high tackle and is a serious offense. |
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| Successful attempt to add two extra points from a place kick after a try is scored. It is taken and equal distance from the touch line from where the try was scored, as far back from the goal line as the kicker likes. For this reason players usually try to score near the posts or under the sticks. v. to convert [a try, penalty] |
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| Defence where players move out wide once the ball has gone outside them. Very well demonstrated by Bob Dwyer's Wallabies at the 91 World Cup. Center Tim Horan is the master of making cover tackles- that is, chasing the ball out wide, then tackling the ball carrier. |
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| Defines the end of the field. Once the ball or ball carrier crosses this line, the ball is dead. |
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| As in department of da fence. Sounds better this way in a rugby connotation. Not deefense |
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| A defensive scheme where the scrum half and fly half mark the opposition's fly half, allowing the rest of the backs to mark the man outside of their opposite number. This scheme frees the wingers to drop back deeper and cover kicks. It is a defensive pattern that relies on cover defense. |
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| To kick the ball instantaneously after it hits the gound. Done to restart play from a 22 dropout or to restart after a score. A drop kick that goes between the uprights and over the cross bar earns three points and is called a drop goal. |
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| England, France, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. They have had a league style tournament every year since 1882. In 2000 Italy will join, making it Six Nations. |
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| Refers to the back line, meaning standing level with each other just behind the offside line. The backs should be flat for defense, but steep on attack. If players aren't steep enough when running with the ball, it is easy to make a forward pass and makes it harder for the support players to take the ball on the burst. |
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| Not legal in rugby. The ball must go backwards relative to the player who made the pass. Similar to a knock on, when the ball is dropped forward. |
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| Tight-head and loose-head props as well as the hooker. The front three in the scrums. |
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| Analogous to line of scrimmage. The line on which a set piece or break down occurs. It is important for the attacking team to make the gain line so that the forwards join the ruck or mall going forward. Making the gain line or line of advantage keeps themomentum going forward, and keeps the defense going backwards. |
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| A low kick along the ground intended to be gathered by the attacking team. Often used near the try line, so that a player just has to fall onto the ball to apply downward pressure on the ball to score if the ball goes in goal. The ball tends to slide in wet conditions, but bobble on a hard, dry pitch. |
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| The scrumhalf and flyhalf. This is considered one of the important combinations as is the connection between the centers. New Zealanders call the scrumhalf the half back and call the flyhalf and inside center the first five-eighth and second five-eighth respectively. For me, this is too many numbers. |
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| To fend off a tackler with a hand. Similar to a stiff arm in football. Often you'll see players push the tackler away on his shoulder, but a handoff to the face is legal and can be more effective, especially if the defender is coming into the tackle too upright. You're allowed to push (not strike) a defender with an open hand (i.e. not a clenched fist). |
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| No tackle can be made above the shoulders. At least a penalty will be given for a high tackle, and if it is intentional and dangerous a spell in the sin bin or a sending off could result. |
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| The area between the try line and the dead ball line. |
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| Also called the IRB, it is an acronym for International Rugby Football Board, the world governing body. Until 1997 its headquarters were in London, but it moved to Dublin for tax reasons. |
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| To drop or nudge the ball forward, a minor offense which results in a scrum for the opposition. It is legal to knock the ball forward off your chest or head, but because it's not often done intentionally, many refs don't know this. |
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| Rugby doesn't have rules, it has laws, 28 of them in fact, although some of them have many parts. They are decided on by the IRB. |
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| The way that ball is returned to play after it goes into touch. Not all 8 forwards need to partipate. The defending team has to mark the same number of men in the line. |
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| In the modern game the the back row plus the hooker are considered loose forwards. The hooker is essentially free from the pack at the lineouts. Loose forwards should be mobile and have good ball skills. |
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| 1 to line up oposite attackers, in preparation for defense. 2 a player behind his own 22 can call Mark! when catching a kick on the full to earn a free kick. |
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| A tackle where the ball carrier stays on his feet results in a maul. Once a third player joins, the maul is formed. The players wrestle for the ball and try to shove the other team backwards. If the ball is not released within 60 seconds or so, a scrum is awarded to the team that didn't carry the ball in. |
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| There are lots of ways to be offside in rugby, but it generally involves being in front of the action. In this case the player must not interfere with play, and must make an effort to get back on side. Players in the line who are in front of the back foot of the scrum, ruck or maul are offside. Also if a teammate behind you kicks the ball, you're off side. In the latter situation, you are put on side by an on side player gettin in front of you. |
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| A situation where there are more attackers, further out in the line than defenders. More descriptive than |
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| Rugby for speed. e.g. Andre Snyman is a center but he has all the pace of a winger. Or Do this drill at pace, lads. |
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| The forwards. |
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| The consequence of a more serious infraction. The team awarded the penalty can kick at goal or kick the ball strainght into touch and get the throw in at the ensuing lineout. The opposition must be back ten meters from the point where the penalty is taken. |
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| If a try would have been scored, but for foul play near the try line or in goal, the referee can award a penalty try. The ensuing conversion is taken from in front of the posts, or wherever the kicker likes. |
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| The number of times a team has maintained posession of the ball after a breakdown. After a set piece, a team has 1st phase ball. If they keep the ball at the ruck or mall that follows, they have second phase possesion. This process is refered to as recycling the ball. According to modern thought on the game, 1st phases defences are very well organised so it's hard to penetrate them deeply. After a few phases, though, backs have been tied into rucks or malls, and the defence is less organised so it's easie |
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| A kick from the ground either at kick off or when kicking at goal after a penalty. |
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| A try scored by shoving a scrum over the goal line and dropping on the ball. Not very spectacular to watch, but it requires a strong pack and good ball control from the number 8 at the base of the scrum. |
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| To encourage the ball carrier by gentle pesuation of the boot to release the ball when he's on the ground, just like he's supposed to. Draging your boot along a player is legal (and justified when he's holding the ball on the ground) but stamping is not.This is an important distinction. |
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| Reserves in rugby are often called replacements. A team is allowed six of them. The use of tactical replacements, that is bringing on fresh legs towards the end of the game is now accepted at all levels. In international rugby, a cap is earned for comingon as a replacement, but an international's first start is often referred to as his first full cap. Bobby Skinstad of South Africa had several caps and test tries before his first full cap. |
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| Forms when the ball carrier goes to the ground with tackler. Players try to shove each other off the ball and win it back for their own team. |
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| A scrum is awarded for a small infringement. vi.- to scrummage The word is derived from the word skirmish, and is the root of the American Football word, scrimmage. |
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| Scrum or lineout |
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| A kick which sets the ball spinning on its axis. The ball is much more aerodynamic this way and flies further. Bill McClaran prefers |
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| The South African National team. The Springbok is the most graceful running gazelle on the velt of Southern Africa. |
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| Catch. Usually applies to catching the ball from a kick. |
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| A tackle made by whacking the ball carrirer's foot as he brings it forward. The timing is hard to get right, speaking from the tackler's perspective. The ball carrier usually has no idea it's coming, and take it from me, you land very hard. |
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| A match between two national sides. Caps are only awarded for test matches- an appearance for your country against a club or provincial team is not enough. Such matches are almost always played during the middle of the week when a national team goes on tour. The guys who play in the midweek games, but not in the test matches are called the dirt trackers. |
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| Everyone outside the flyhalf, i.e. the centers, wingers and fullback. A somewhat dated term. |
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| Numbers 1 through 5. Props, hooker and locks. |
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| Out of bounds. A clearance kick that doesn't find touch often gives the back three a good chance to counter attack |
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| Australia, south africa and New Zealand. In a tournament innaugrated in 1996 each country plays the others twice- once at home, once away. The union encompassing these countries is called sanzar, so named for their initials |
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| Scored by putting downward pressure on the ball in goal. When the game started in 1832 a try was worth no points, you simply got the chance to try for a conversion. Since 1993, a try has been worth 5 points. This recent change was made to encourage triesover penalties and drop goals. |
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| Often formed by players at the end of the game. The home side should form a tunnel at around half way, stand still and congratule the oppostion as they walk through. As the away team emerges, they form their own tunnel and do likewise as the home team follows through. |
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| A very high kick intended to test a full back or possibly a winger. You kick the ball up and then charge like hell to get under it to tackle the unfortunate man who happens to catch it. |
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| The Australian national side. A wallaby is basically a miniature kangeroo. |
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| The boy at Rugby School who, according to popular lengend, picked up the ball and ran in splendid disregard for the rules of football. The Ellis Cup (World Cup, that is) and Ellis Park in South Africa are named after him. The game is named for his School which is named for its town in the South of England. |
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