Rugby Union is a fast-paced hard contact sport that pits two teams against each other over eighty minutes. Matches are played on a pitch that must not exceed 70 metres in width and 100 metres in length and (in simplified terms) the aim is to advance the ball deep into the opposition's half and either touch the ball down for a try or else kick the ball between the posts. The sport emerged as a breakaway element from Association Football and there are some key differences in the way that the ball can be advanced that make rugby so special and unique.
In essence, there are two ways that players can advance the ball in rugby. They can either pass the ball through hands to run the ball forward into opposition territory, or they can kick the ball. Let's look at the intricacies of each of these approaches.
1. Running with the ball in hand:
Rugby Union has a rule that the ball cannot be thrown forward. In this respect, therefore, it's very different from other sports such as American Football or soccer where players will frequently pick out a team-mate with a piercing forward pass. Given that rugby players must either pass the ball sideways or backwards, the onus is upon using either strength or pace to find a way through the opposition's defence.
Rugby Union places a great importance upon set plays, such as scrums and line-outs, as ways in which the play develops. These set plays involve the big forwards and, traditionally, the smaller and faster backs then place themselves in a line out towards the touch line, ready to receive the ball. If we take the example of a scrum, the team that wins the scrum will normally feed the ball to the scrum half, who will then consider his attacking options. One option is to feed the ball out along his line of backs, so from scrum half to out half, through the centres and finally out to the wing. The idea will be for players to run to make some yards, then pass the ball onto the next player, before they get tackled, and that receiving player then similarly tries to make some more yards.
In an ideal scenario, the attacking team would pass the ball from player to player and the last player would then run through unopposed to score a try under the posts. However, the reality is that most attacks break down through the opposition line holding firm and tackles being made that result in the ball going to ground. This brings us onto another key aspect of rugby, namely the importance of recycling the ball at the breakdowns. Let's say that your centre is tackled and knocked to the ground. The aim would be for his team-mates to get to the ball before the opposition and start another move. Frequently, when these breakdowns happen, the team will play a series of short popped passes to a big forward who will crash forward into a tackle, making a few hard yards, and then the next forward will take up the ball and do likewise. This can look extremely messy but serves to suck in the other team's defences and may then create space to move the ball wide and create a scoring chance.
Set plays also present a great opportunity to advance the ball, at the expense of the other team. If one pack is stronger than the other in the scrum, then they may be able to push the other team back at the scrum, thereby making some yards. Similarly, from a lineout, if the ball can be safely caught, then the forwards may be able to get a rolling maul going, where the ball is driven forward by the pack of forwards to again create ground.
In all these moves, if the ball is accidentally or intentionally passed forward, the referee will blow his whistle and a scrum will be awarded to the opposition. This presents possession to the opposition and enables them, in turn, to start to launch an attack. It's vital, therefore, that teams are accurate in their passing and also in the positions that they take up so that a sideways or backwards pass can be made.
2. Kicking the ball:
The other way to advance the ball is to kick it. This can either be a kick from hand or kicking the ball from the ground. A key feature of rugby, of course, is the fact that the ball is oval shaped rather than round. This makes it harder to control the placement of a kick than in soccer but adds a delicious edge of uncertainty. It requires great skill to effect an accurate kick that will either result in your team being able to run onto the ball to score or in your team gaining territorial advantage.
Traditionally, teams employ a kicking specialist at Out Half although, additionally, it's advantageous for the Full Back to be a skilled kicker too. Most other players (and in particular the forwards) tend to be less skilled although they may still have occasion to try a kick.
There are essentially three outcomes that a player may try to achieve when kicking and these are:
- Kick the ball to score points
- Kick the ball to touch
- Kick the ball forward but ensure it stays in play
Kicking for points:
It's possible to score points in rugby union by kicking the ball between the goalposts. This is most commonly seen through a penalty or a conversion after a try has been scored. A penalty will be awarded if the opposition team has committed a transgression of the rules and will deliver three points if successful. It can be classified as "advancing the ball" because if the ball falls short or hits the post then play continues and your players can chase it down. A conversion is a chance to kick for an additional two points after your team has scored a try.
The other kicking option is to kick a drop goal from open play. This will be attempted where a player receives the ball in an attacking position and had enough confidence in his ability to attempt a shot at goal. The player will drop the ball towards the ground and will then sweep their foot through the ball and steer it up and between the posts. All the while, the opposition are entitled to close the player down and if they can block the shot then they can break forward and counter attack.
Kicking for touch:
If a player is within his 22 metres line, then he can kick the ball straight into touch and a lineout will result to the opposition team. This is often used to relieve defensive pressure or simply as a way of gaining ground and then trusting to your lineout jumpers to knick the ball at the lineout. One key thing to note, however, is that you are not allowed to kick the ball straight into touch if you are beyond your 22 metres line. If a player does this, then the ball will be brought right back to the point where they kicked the ball and a scrum will be awarded to the opposition. The kicking player will not be popular with his team-mates!
The other option for kicking a ball straight into touch is where your team has been awarded a penalty. If we take an example where you've received a penalty deep in your own half, then it's not going to be feasible for your kicker to take a shot at the posts. Therefore, a decision is often taken to kick the ball forward and find touch, thereby making ground. Additionally, because the kick came from a penalty, you will also get the put in at the lineout, thus presenting a great opportunity to launch an attack. This ploy is also increasingly seen, even when a penalty kick would be achievable. The reason is that a lineout may present a chance to score a try (worth five points) whereas the penalty is only worth three points.
Kicking the ball forward but keeping it in play:
The third kicking option is to launch the ball forward but ensure that it doesn't go out of play. This can present an opportunity for the kicking player, or one of his team-mates, to run onto the ball, or it may cause the opposition team to have to make a hurried defensive clearance that may result in an attacking line-out for your team.
Whilst the kicks used to kick the ball into touch are often quite agricultural, there is a very fine art often displayed when dinking kicks behind the opposition's defence to create scoring opportunities. It is typically the out half who takes responsibility for such kicks in their role as the play-maker. For those who have been brought up with American Football, the out half is playing a role similar to the quarter back of assessing options and then deciding which attacking play is the most advantageous.
Summary:
We've seen that the ball can be advanced either through hands or by foot in rugby union. One of the things that marks rugby union out as such a compelling sport to watch is the range of options that are available and the spontaneity of the play. Whilst it's true that some of the set play moves are rehearsed, the nature of the sport is that to break the opposition's defences often requires off-the-cuff brilliance and a mixture of brawn, brain and quick hands and feet. However, there's only so much that one can do to describe the range of ways that rugby players can advance the ball. The best way to get to grips with the sport and its intricacies is to sit down and watch a match. Then go down your local park and try to master some of those kicks and passes!