Rugby rules | Rugby Rules - Game Time, Points & More

Rugby rules

In rugby, two teams compete against each other, trying to carry or kick an egg-shaped ball into the opponent's half. But what exactly are the rules of rugby? This article explains the rules of rugby in simple terms.

spized | Rules

March 6, 2026 |

Whats’ on this page

1. Rugby rules explained simply

2. Rugby points

3. How long does a rugby match last? Rugby pitch and playing time

4. Equipment and clothing

5. The different varieties of rugby

6. The history and culture of rugby

7. Summary: The Rugby Rules at a glance

Rugby rules explained simply

Compared to American football, the rules of rugby are very straightforward, so that rules are rarely broken. The most important basic rule: The ball may only be passed or thrown backwards with the hands. Forward passes are only allowed by kicking with the foot. As soon as the passing rule is violated, a so-called "scrum" is to be carried out. In a scrum, eight players at a time try to push the opposing team away in a crouched position in order to win the initially free ball for their own team. Two teams of 15 players each stand on the field to score more points than the opponent. In summary, the basic rules of rugby are as follows:

The ball may be kicked with the feet and thrown or carried with the arms.
Only a backward pass is allowed when throwing.
Kicking is basically allowed in any direction of play.
Players without the ball may not be attacked. The so-called "tackling" is only allowed against players in possession of the ball.
The defending team may clinch, hold and bring the opponent to the ground.
If the player in possession of the ball comes into contact with the ground (apart from his own feet), the cue ball is released to all players. In this case, the player in contact with the ground may not pick up the free cue ball.

Rugby points

Rugby is a team sport where the aim is to score more points than the opponent. The defensive and offensive attacks are basically aimed at winning points for the team. The points to be scored in rugby are extensive:

The try: In a try, the team has successfully placed the ball in the opposing team's malt field. The successful team receives five points for this. The ball is usually carried into the field with the arms. However, it is also allowed to kick the ball into the malt field - but in this case an attacker must touch the stationary ball with his hand for a successful try. A successful try is the highest possible score of five points in rugby.
The raise: After the try, a so-called raise can be executed. To do this, the egg must be kicked through the rugby goal. If the kick succeeds, the team is credited with two points in the rugby.
The penalty kick: As soon as a team commits a foul, the referee decides on a penalty kick. The team in possession of the ball may then choose: Either they start an attack or a raise attempt. If the penalty kick is successful, the team gets three points.
The penalty try: The penalty try is a more severe penalty than the penalty kick. It is awarded, for example, if there is an unfair attack on a promising try. The penalty try results in five points for the team in rugby and can be supplemented by another two points with a successful increase.
The scrum: For minor offences, the referee decides on a scrum. Eight players at a time try to push the opposing team away in a crouched position in order to win the free ball. There are numerous tactical variations at this point because a successful scrum can quickly lead to a try.
The jump kick: In the jump kick, a player kicks the ball out of play into the goal. If this is successful, the rugby team receives three points. The ball must have made contact with the ground (drop kick). Drop kicks are often seen, but rarely successful.

Rugby team standing together in a circle on the field

How long does a rugby match last? Rugby pitch and playing time

A rugby match consists of two halves of 40 minutes each. Accordingly, a rugby match lasts a total of 80 minutes. Similar to football, rugby is a tactically very demanding, but nevertheless fluid game. The mixture of toughness, game flow and tactics makes the sport interesting for many spectators. The pitch usually has a total size of 100 x 69 metres. There are two 22 x 69-metre painting fields along the baselines. The goals in rugby are placed with two painting poles at a distance of 5.67 metres and a crossbar at a height of 3 metres.

Equipment and clothing

Compared to American football, the wearing of different protective protectors is undesirable in rugby. The rugby rules, on the other hand, clearly state that the wearing of a gumshield is compulsory. In addition, players must wear a rugby jersey and matching shorts. Would you like to design your team's rugby jerseys yourself? Then take a look at our online configurator - at spized you can customise your rugby jersey and make a positive impression with your team.

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The different varieties of rugby

The most common variant of rugby is rugby union (fifteen-a-side rugby). Rugby League (thirteen-a-side rugby) is also frequently seen, but less common. In the meantime, there is also so-called 7s rugby, which has become an Olympic discipline since the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The crucial difference between Rugby League and Rugby Union is the smaller width of the pitch. This automatically creates more physical contact between the two teams. In addition, the ball-carrying player may be tackled higher. On the other hand, the ball is not released after a successful tackle, but the team in possession receives the ball back, similar to American football. After the sixth successful tackle, possession of the ball changes. This means that the ball is usually kicked after the fifth tackle.

Rugby 7s is played on the same size pitch as rugby union. However, there are only seven field players and the game lasts seven minutes per half. The reduced number of players with the same pitch size ensures that points are scored more often. In addition, penalties and elevation kicks must be taken by drop-kick. Most 7s rugby players also play rugby union. 7s rugby teams are usually made up of reserve players from the union teams, who are expected to improve through the faster and more run-intensive game of 7s rugby.

Touch rugby is a variant without physical contact and is therefore very popular in school sports. There are men's and women's teams and also official competitions with mixed teams. The pitch in Touch Rugby is 50 m wide and 70 m long. The game usually lasts 2 x 20 minutes. The match ball is smaller than in ordinary rugby union and the game is played in 6 vs. 6 with a maximum of 8 substitutes.

The history and culture of rugby

According to legend, rugby originated from a football match. In 1863, the English Football Association (FA) was founded to standardise the unclear and diverse rules of football. Some clubs withdrew from the FA due to disputes over rule changes and formed the Rugby Football Union (RFU) on 26 January 1871. A now standardised set of rules eventually gave rise to the sport of rugby, which successfully distinguished itself from football. In 1895, 21 clubs from the north of England left the RFU because the federation did not allow for the professionalisation of the sport. The result was Rugby League with modified or adapted rules. It was not until 1995 that professional athletes were admitted to Rugby Union.

Rugby is particularly popular in the British Commonwealth and countries in the southern hemisphere. Unlike football, the sport of rugby has always had problems finding uniform rules. As a result, there are still numerous variations of the game in many countries today. Besides England, Wales and Scotland, rugby is also very popular in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina. But rugby is also the most popular sport in oceanic countries such as Fiji, Tonga or Samoa.

In most rugby nations, rugby union is considered an establishment sport. Rugby league tends to be associated with the working class, particularly in the north of England and in Australia. Wales is an exception in terms of this social classification - rugby union in Wales is associated with villages of miners and industrial workers competing against each other. In New Zealand, the South of France, Scotland, Ireland and the Pacific Islands, rugby union is also associated with the working class.

Summary: The Rugby Rules at a glance

Two teams compete against each other to score more points, depending on the game variant selected. A rugby match lasts a total of 80 minutes.
In principle, an attempt is made to place the ball in the opponent's try box.
For this, the ball may be thrown backwards, kicked forwards and carried.
If a player is thrown to the ground, the ball is free for both teams.
After a successful try, a raise is made which, if successful, earns an additional two points. In this case, the try is to kick the cue ball through the rugby goal.
In case of foul play, the referee decides on a penalty kick, a penalty try or a scrum.
Out of play, the cue ball may be drop-kicked through the opponent's goalposts at any time to score points.

Scoring is a little more complicated in rugby. A successful try gives five points. The following successful raise try gives two additional points. A successful drop kick out of play through the goals in rugby earns the team three points. If the elevation attempt is successful after a penalty kick, the team also scores three points. Last but not least, after unfair play, the referee can also decide on a penalty try and credit the disadvantaged team with five points and a raise try (two points).