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iSport - Rugby terms Category: Sport and Leisure > Glossary of Rugby Terms Date & country: 16/08/2013, USA Words: 132

Advantage
When the referee allows play to continue after one team has committed a penalty that does not prevent the other team from playing the ball, effectively giving the team with the ball an

Back 10
When a penalty is awarded, the offending team must get back 10 meters

Back Row
The third line of the pack, consisting of the eight man and two flankers.

Backs/Back Line
Consisting of a Scrum Half, Fly Half, Inside and Outside Centers, Left and Right Wings, and a Fullback, they're usually the players who do the majority of the running with the ball. The Backs (who wear numbers 9-15) act much like the running backs and wide receivers on a (American) football team.

Ball Carrier
Whoever has possession of the ball at any given time is the ball carrier.

Ball's Out!
Whoever starts the ball moving after a scrum, ruck, or maul will call this out to signal the start of play to his teammates.

Binding
This occurs when players lock hands and arms with each other during scrums, rucks, and mauls in order to both combine strength with teammates, and make a larger obstacle for your opponent to handle.

Blind Side
The area of the pitch between the ball and the closest of the two touch lines; the opposite is the Open Side.

Blood Bin
When a player becomes wounded and starts to bleed, they are required to leave the pitch until the bleeding stops or gets bandaged. A temporary substitution takes place, and when the player who was bleeding gets it under control, they are permitted to return to the match. Such a substitution does not count against the set number of substitutions each team is allowed during the match.

Breakaway
See Flanker.

Breakdown
The term for what happens when the ball carrier gets tackled and a ruck is in the process of forming. Usually refers to the brief period of time when players from both sides compete to put their respective sides in a position to get the ball.

Captain
The one player from each team who

Centering (the ball)
After a try is scored, the place where the conversion kick takes place is both at least 10 meters out from the try line and a straight line out from wherever the ball was touched in the try zone. To make this kick easier, whoever scores the try will attempt to Center the Ball by touching it down as close to the middle of the uprights as possible.

Centers
Two positions in the middle of the Backs line, called Inside Center and Outside Center.

Charge Down
When one team attempts to kick the ball and members of the other team run full-speed at the kicker in an attempt to block the kick.

Clear(ing) the Ruck
The act of driving opposing players off of, and away from, a ruck.

Collapsing the Scrum
During a scrumdown, sometimes a player in the front row of one pack will attempt to pull down the player on the other team directly across from him/her in an attempt to create a weak part in the other team

Conversion Kick
The opportunity to score two additional points after a try. A conversion kick is attempted at a spot that

Dead Ball
When play stops for any reason, the ball becomes a dead ball and any action that happens after a dead ball has been called is nullified.

Dead Ball Line
Because the ball can be played in the in-goal zone

Drop Goal
A Drop Goal occurs when a player drop kicks the ball through the uprights while play is still going on, and is awarded worth three points.

Drop Kick
When the ball carrier drops the ball and kicks it at the exact moment it touches the ground.

Drop Out
A free kick taken from either the try line or the 22 meter line.

Dummy Kick/Pass
When the ball carrier motions as though they

Eight Man
The forward located at the back of the pack, supporting the second row from behind. When a pack wins control of the ball, the scrum half usually picks the ball up from right behind the eight man.

Fair Catch
If one team kicks the ball and a player from the other team catches the ball with at least one foot behind that team

Flanker
One of two forwards that binds on to the outside of the pack immediately behind, and to the side of, the second row during a scrum. Referred to as Blindside Flanker and Openside Flanker, depending on which side of the pack they're located.

Fly Half
A member of the back line, usually in charge of orchestrating plays among the backs. The Fly Half also usually receives the first pass after a scrum from the Scrum Half. Also referred to as the Outhalf or Outside Half.

Foot Up
When the hooker puts his/her foot out before the ball is put in to the scrum; it

Forward Pass
When the ball carrier passes the ball in front of him/herself; it is a minor penalty that results in a scrum down for the other team.

Forwards
The members of the team who make up the Pack, they

Free Kick
When one team commits a minor penalty, the other team will have the option to kick the ball down the pitch without the other team interfering. This is usually done to get the ball out of your team

Front Row/First Row
The forwards at the front of the scrum, made up of both props (loose head and tight head) with the hooker in between.

Fullback
One of the Back positions, often responsible for catching free kicks made by the other team.

Gain Line
An imaginary line across the pitch marked by the spot where the ball was when play stopped. It

Goal
A goal is awarded when the ball is successfully kicked between the posts (uprights). This is done with a drop kick during normal play or after play stops because one team committed a penalty; in the second instance, the ball can be placed on a tee.

Goal Line
See Try Line.

Goal Posts
The upright structure at the center of the try line. The lowest bar (cross bar) is 9 feet 10 inches from the ground, and the side posts are 18 feet 4 inches apart.

Grounding
In order to actually score a try, the ball carrier must touch the ball in the opponent

Grubber
When a player kicks the ball and it rolls along the ground bouncing.

Halfway Line
A line that runs perpendicular to the touch lines in the middle of the pitch, covering its entire width.

High Shot/High Tackle
When a defensive player attempts to tackle the ball carrier above the shoulders, that player guilty of a high tackle, an example of the more moderate-to-severe infringements. Multiple high shots/tackles are a good way to get sent to the sin bin, or sent off.

Hooker
The hooker is the middle forward in the front line of the scrum, residing between the two props. During a scrum, the hooker is supported by the props and attempts to kick the ball backwards after it

Hospital Pass
When the ball carrier makes an ill-timed or poorly executed pass to a teammate resulting in that teammate receiving a vicious hit from an opposing player.

In Touch
The term given when the ball crosses either of the touch lines or dead ball lines, essentially meaning the ball has gone out of bounds and is dead.

Infringement
When a player commits a penalty, it

In-Goal Area
The ends of the pitch between the try line and dead ball line, where the ball must be touched down to score a try.

Injury Time
Time added on to the end of each half to make up for any time where play stopped because of an injury; the amount for each half is determined at the referee

Inside Center
One of the two centers in the middle of the back line, closer to the scrum/pack than the outside center. See Centers.

IRB
The International Rugby Board, an organization that oversees and adjusts the Rugby Union laws and bylaws, and also moderates the Rugby World Cup tournaments every four years.

Jumper
Any player in a line-out that jumps and gets lifted by teammates while trying to catch the ball.

Kick Off
To start a match, or resume a match after one team scores or after half time, a player will dropkick the ball at or behind the 50 Meter line. The ball must go at least 10 meters forward, and once it reaches that mark it can be played by either team.

Knock-On
A knock-on is when the ball touches a player and moves in a forward direction, similar to a forward pass but without a pass having necessarily happened. It is a minor infringement, and results in a scrum-down to the other team. It

League
See Rugby League.

Lifter
Any player involved in a line-out who lifts a jumper.

Lineout
When the ball goes out of bounds, a lineout takes place to resume play. The team not responsible for the ball going out of bounds gets to throw the ball back in (similar to a throw in for soccer/football). Two rows of players line up perpendicular from the touch line where the lineout is taking place, with a few meters in between them, and when the ball is thrown in each team will lift a player who will attempt to catch the ball and secure possession for their respective teams.

Lock
The name for both forwards in the second row of the pack/scrum. Also referred to as a

Loop
A loop occurs when the ball carrier passes the ball to a teammate, then immediately runs behind that teammate and catches a pass from the same player.

Loose Forwards
Part of the pack and scrum, the loose forwards consist of two flankers and an eight man. The flankers support the second row players on each side of the scrum, and the eight man supports the second row players from behind. Also the name of the player at the rear of the pack in League rugby.

Loosehead Prop
One of two props in a pack, who

Mark
As determined by the referee, the spot where a scrum takes place.

Match
The technical term for a rugby game.

Maul
A maul occurs when the ball carrier runs at members of the opposing team but remains standing upright, not going to the ground (which would set up a ruck). At least three members of each team will bind on and push the ball carrier toward each side

Non-Offending Team
Whichever team is being awarded a penalty, as opposed to the team that committed the penalty.

Obstruction
Because blocking for the ball carrier is illegal in rugby, no player can purposefully put himself between the ball carrier and a member of the opposing team (which would obstruct the defensive player from making a play). When this occurs, a penalty will be awarded to the defensive team.

Offside
A player is offside when they essentially make a play on the ball from an illegal starting position. The ball acts a continually-moving line of scrimmage or offside line, and any attempt at a defensive play must be made by coming straight at the ball carrier, or at least from a forward direction, just as an offensive player must be behind the ball carrier to make a play. For example, a defensive player who attempts to make a play on the ball carrier from the side or behind the ball carrier is offside. A player can be offside without any penalty, so long as there is no attempt to make a play before that player gets back onside.

Onside
On offense, you

Open Side
The area of the pitch between the ball and the further of the two touch lines; the opposite is the Blind Side.

Outside Center
One of the two centers in the middle of the back line, closer to the touch line than the inside center. See Centers.

Over the Top
When a ruck occurs, members of the defensive team must go through the offensive players who bound up over the ball. Any attempt to jump or go over the ruck to get the ball is an infringement.

Overload
When there are more defensive players around the ball carrier than there are offensive players it's called an overload, which refers to the imbalance in the number of players from each side. Strategically, when an overload occurs the offensive team should recognize it and pass the ball to a teammate at a different part of the pitch, because if there are more defensive players than offensive players around the ball carrier at that point it automatically means that there is the opportunity to have fewer defensive players than there are offensive players elsewhere on the pitch, creating an advantage for the offensive team.

Pack
In Union rugby, the eight forwards involved in a scrum, consisting of three lines; the first is made up of the props and hooker, the second by two locks, and the third by both flankers and eight man. In League rugby, the six forwards involved in a scrum, consisting of two props and a hooker (front line), two second row forwards, and a loose forward (similar to the eight man in a Union pack).

Peeling Off
When a lineout player leaves the lineout formation to catch the ball.

Penalty
After a moderate to severe infringement has been called, the non-offending team is awarded a penalty. The offending team must back up 10 meters from the spot of the infringement, regardless of what the non-offending team chooses to do, and cannot move forward until the non offending team has crossed that 10 meter mark. The non-offending team has three options with how they use their penalty kick: 1) kick the ball far down the field (usually to get the ball away from your team

Penalty Try
When the team with the ball would

Pill
Nickname for a rugby ball.

Pitch
The term for the field where a rugby match is played. It can be no more than 100 meters long and 70 meters wide. It must clearly indicate a half-way line, a 10 meter and 22 meter line at each end (located at 10 and 22 meters out from the try line at each end, running the entire width of the pitch), and two hash-marked lines running parallel to both touch lines the entire length of the pitch, five meters out from each touch line.

Place Kick
When the ball is kicked from a tee (or other means to keep the ball upright and in place i.e. pile of sand), rather than a drop kick.

Pop Kick
A small kick, usually short in distance but several meters high; it

Pop Pass
A pass, usually soft, that only moves a few meters and is mostly vertical in movement.

Prop
One of two forwards in the first line of a pack; see Loosehead Prop and Tighthead Prop.

Punt
When the ball carrier releases the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground.

Pushover Try
A try scored when one pack in a scrum pushes the other pack across the second team

Put-in
After the packs come together in a scrum, the ball is introduced by rolling it into the space between both teams

Raking
When a player is on the ground in the middle of a ruck, it

Red Card
A signal by the referee that a player has been sent off.

Referee
The only official presiding over a match. The referee is also the timekeeper. Sometimes referred to as

Replacement(s)
Each team is allowed to substitute a certain number of players (depending on the rules of the league that the match is governed by) during the course of a match. Substitutions must be allowed by the referee, and are only allowed when a dead ball has been called.

Right to Contest Possession
During the course of normal play, possession of the ball is not fixed and can be attained by either team. In other words, the defensive team can try to obtain the ball from the attacking team at any time; there is nothing that guarantees possession for one team aside from penalties. Winning scrums, rucks, and lineouts are some of the most common ways of contesting possession of the ball. The right to contest possession exists in Union rugby only.

Rolling Maul
A maul that

Ruck
A ruck occurs when members (at least three) from both teams bind together and converge on the ball after it

Rucking
When a ruck occurs, there

Rugby Ball
The ball used in a rugby match, shaped like a football but wider and with blunted ends.

Rugby League
A code of rugby played with 13 players a side and a different set of rules from Rugby Union.

Rugby Union
The code of rugby most commonly played, with 15 players a side and 40 minute halves.

Rugger
Nickname for a person who plays rugby.

Rules
The laws by which a rugby match is officiated.

Scrum Cadence
The series of words used by the referee to start a scrum. The cadence usually consists of four sequential terms

Scrum Half
The back player who, among other things, is responsible for rolling the ball into a scrum, and collecting it as it exits a scrum. Also known as Inside Half and Half-Back

Scrum-down
The action of bringing the two packs in a scrum together. Also see Scrum.