This page is for parents,grandparents, uncles, aunts or anybody else who would like to know what in the world is going on out there during a game. First,  if you ever have question about something that happened during a game. Just come up during the game and ask a coach- Now tell me what other sport can parents do that? I want peope to learn about the game and how its played, So ask away.

Rugby: A spectator's summary

To the uninitiated a rugby game may well look like semi-organized mayhem. Bodies are crashing.  The ball is kicked and passed  in ways that seem mysterious or even illegal to football fans, and plays with unfamiliar names like ruck, maul, and scrum continuously forms and break up without rhyme or reason. There's no question that it looks rough out there on the field, yet the injury rate in rugby is about the same as in basketball. And there are plenty of rules-yet you need to only know some basic ones to understand the fundamentals of the game ( it's rumored amongst rugby players that not even the referees don't know all the rules). This summary tells you enough about rugby to help you sort out what's happening on the field.

One easy wayto understand some of the basics of rugby is to be aware of three major differences between rugby and football
1. In rugby the ball cannot be passed forward
2. There is no blocking in rugby- no player can shield or protect the ball carrier, and only the player with the ball can be tackled.
3. Play in rugby is continuous. The game does not stop when the ball hits the ground or the player with the ball is tackled. Instead the player who is tackled must immediately let go of the ball making it available to any player on either team.

Each team consists of 15 players: 8 forwards, 6 backs, and a scrumhalf

The game consist of two 30 minute halves- There are no time-outs other than for injuries. Object of the game is to get the ball cross your try line

Scoring: there are four ways for a team to score points in rugby
1. try worth 5 points- similar to a touchdown,except that the ball carrier must not only get the ball into the opponet's end zone,they must then touch the ball to the ground
2.conversion- worth 2 points- after a try the scoring team can get 2 additional points by place kicking or drop kicking the ball through the opponet's uprights and above the crossbar.
3.. penalty kick for posts- 3 points

4. Drop-goal worth 3 points- at any time during play a player can drop kick the ball through the goal post. To drop kick the kicker drops the ball on the ground and kicks it on the first bounce. You don't see this happen very often during a game.

Scrum
Restarts play because a player has either committed  a knock-on (hitting the ball forward accidentally with the hands) or passing the ball forward. When the opposing scrums come together,squat down and lock shoulders, the whole formation resembles a 32 legged spider maneuvering for position. The scrumhalf from the team that did incur the infraction puts the ball into the middle of the tunnel formed between the opposing front rows. While the opposing scrums shove against each other, the hooker from each team tries to hook the ball back with foot through the legs of their own scrum, and the scrum half from the team that wins the ball then picks it up and passes it to the backs.

Line-out
If a player from one team kicks or carries the ball out of bounds (into touch in rugby terms) the other team then gets to throw the ball into a lineout. The two teams line up parallel to each other 5 meters from the touch line. One player stands on the touch line and lofts the ball between the two lines of players and the players from both teams leap up and grab the ball.

There are two ways to make progress towards the try zone
1. players run down the field passing the ball ( remember ball must be thrown backwards)
2. players may kick the ball forward

once the ball carrier is tackled and on the ground, they must immediately release the ball and make an effort to get away from it. The ball then becomes fair game for either team, just as it is it football when someone fumbles. But rather than scramble madly after the loose ball, the players must try to win possession by pushing the other team away from the ball. The mass of shoving bodies that forms around the ball is known as a ruck. During a ruck, players cannot reach down and pick the ball up off the ground. Like horses pawling at the turf the players must use their feet to move the ball back to their own scrumhalf.

Hopefully, this quick summary helps you to understand rugby- but don't worry if you don't. I have been playing the game for over 35 years and I'm still learning about it. If you have any questions during the game don't be afraid to come to one of the coaches and ask. Hopefully, we'll know the answer. And thanks for your support and letting your son participate .

Coach Switzer