Rugby Rules: How to Play

We credit the growing popularity of rugby largely to Ilona Maher. With 2.9 million TikTok followers, Maher has captured our hearts with her hilarious content. But by day, she’s crushing more than just follower counts and the “Dancing With the Stars” stage — she’s dominating on the rugby field.

The sport saw a spike in attention following Paris 2024, when the US Women’s Sevens Team brought home the bronze, the team’s first time medaling at an Olympic Games. Rugby is built on strength, grit, and speed; it’s not football, but it has all the action-packed elements.

If you’re interested in learning more about the rules of rugby, we’ve got you covered. Here’s an easy-to-follow primer to help you take your burgeoning fandom to the next level.

What Are the Types of Rugby

Rugby comes in two main styles: Rugby Fifteens and Rugby Sevens. As the name implies, in Rugby 15s, you’ve got 15 players on each team going head-to-head for 80 minutes (two 40-minute halves).

Meanwhile, Rugby 7s has seven players per side, and matches are just 14 minutes (with seven minute halves). It’s short, intense, and incredibly fun to watch — and is the form of rugby played at the Olympics.

What Are the Rugby Players and Positions

Both Rugby 15s and Rugby 7s have forwards, who are responsible for more attacking and hitting, and backs, who tend to be faster players, responsible for most offensive and defensive play. Forwards also compete for possession of the ball in scrums or line-outs (both methods of restarting the game after a stoppage due to a minor infraction or an out-of-bound ball).

In 15s, there are eight forwards (wearing jersey numbers 1-8) and seven backs (numbered 9-15). In 7s there are 3 forwards and 4 backs.

Rugby Position Names

In addition to forwards and backs, rugby player positions can be further broken down into the following roles. Each player is meant to take a specific position during gameplay, or take on certain duties, such as kicking or decision-making.

Forwards:

Backs:

What to Know About the Rugby Pitch

The rugby playing field, also referred to as the pitch, is a wide and long playing surface made of grass. This massive field is 74 yards wide and approximately 103 to 109 yards long (from goal line to goal line). Here’s an overview of the field markings on the rugby pitch. We know this is a lot of terminology, but knowing the various lines on the pitch makes understanding game play much easier.

The Field Markings

What Are the Rules of Rugby?

Now that we understand the terrain and how teams are made in rugby, here’s how the game is actually played.

The objective of rugby is to score as many points across your opponent’s goal line as possible before time expires.

Each game starts with a drop kick that must stay in the playing area and travel past the ten-meter line. While in play the ball can be carried with one or two hands, passed down the field, or kicked as players attempt to score.

Here’s the kicker: the ball can be carried or kicked forward down the field, but it can only be passed backwards and sideways. It can be passed as often as a team wishes. And the opposing team can tackle, push, hold, or grab the player in possession of the ball — but only the player in possession. All in all, it’s very much a team sport.

When play stops, it restarts with a scrum or a line-out. Scrums, which occur after minor infractions, look kind of like American football huddles, but more chaotic. Eight players from each team lock together in a three-row configuration, facing and binding with the opposing team’s front row. The scrum-half tosses the ball into the tunnel formed by the players’ heads, and the forwards fight for possession. It’s as intense as it sounds.

A line-out occurs when the ball goes out of bounds. Both teams line up near the sideline, and the ball is thrown back into play. Players can jump or be lifted by teammates to catch it.

How Does Rugby Scoring Work?

Again, each team is trying to score as many points as possible during the game. Here’s how points are awarded:

D’Annette Stephens is a PS contributor, certified personal trainer, and former volleyball player and coach.