William Webb-Ellis - the father of modern rugby union?
Modern rugby union as we love it today can trace its roots back to 1823 in Warwickshire. The traditional story credits William Webb Ellis with inventing the modern day game at Rugby School in Warwickshire.

Many schools at that time played a game similar to rugby and football, which had few rules. And it was during one of these games that Webb Ellis decided to "cheat".
Quite simply, he picked the ball up and ran with it in his hands.
Some people have argued whether the Webb Ellis story ever happened, but it is still the most widely accepted version of how the modern game came to be.

AIM
The aim of the game is very simple: score more points than the other team. You do this by scoring trys, conversions, drop goals and penalties in your opponent's goal area. If both teams score the same amount or no points are scored then the match is a draw.

Duration
A game of rugby union consists of two halves of 40 minutes, with injury time added on at the end of each half. In between the two halves, there is a maximum 10-minute interval after which both team change ends.
The referee's whistle indicates the start and finish of the half

KICK-OFF
Before the start of the match, the referee will toss a coin to decide which team will kick-off the match.
The team that wins the toss will decide which end they want to attack first and whether they or the opposition will kick off at the start of the match.

The game is started by a place kick or a drop kick from the middle of the halfway line.
But the ball must travel 10 metres from the kick off, otherwise the opposition have the choice of whether to take a scrum or a throw in on the halfway line with the feed or throw. A drop kick from the halfway line will re-start the game after a penalty or drop goal has been scored. The team that did not score will take the kick.

TRY
Score a try and your team-mates, teachers and coach will be your best mates for ever.
Alright, maybe not for that long, but you'll definitely be among the popular players in the team.
The reason why is because a try is worth five points - the maximum number of points you can score in one go in rugby union.

A try is scored when a player puts the ball on the ground with "downward pressure" (very important) inside the opposition's in-goal area between the try line and dead ball line.

CONVERSION
A conversion kick is a great way of getting two bonus points after your team after have a try.
The kick is taken from a point level with where the try was scored.

A conversion is successful if the ball goes between the opposition's goalposts and above the crossbar.
Conversions are taken from all parts of the pitch, so if you are trusted to score the extra points, practice kicking from all corners of the pitch.

PENALTY
A penalty kick is a brilliant way of annoying the opposition after they have committed an offence.
The referee will award the penalty from the spot where the offence occurred. Your team has the choice of kicking for goal or kicking for touch. If you are not too far from the opposition's goalposts, a kick for goal is worth three points if you are successful. But to be successful, the ball has to go through the opposition's goalposts, above the crossbar. Once it does that, you get three points onto the scoreboard. But if you are too far out to kick for goal, a kick to touch is a good way of gaining ground. Better still, your team gets the throw at the line out.

DROP GOAL
A drop goal not only looks spectacular, it is also a handy way of adding three points to your team's score from open play.

A drop goal is scored when a player kicks the ball from hand through the opposition's goal posts, above the crossbar. However, the ball must touch the ground between being dropped and kicked.

PLAYER FIELD POSITIONS

The 15 players on the field of play are divided into Forwards & Backs. There are 8 forwards & 7 Backs
See main index to find out their roles & responsibilities

RUCK
A ruck may sound like a fight in the playground, but it is a very important part of rugby union.
If a tackled player goes to ground, they will be surrounded by their team-mates and opposition.
The opposition will want to get their hands on the ball, while the team-mates will not want to give the ball away.

Only players on their feet can handle the ball in a ruck. So to get hold of the ball, both sides will drive over it, making the ball available for their nearest team-mate. But if the ball does not come out of the ruck quickly enough, the referee will award the team moving forwards at the ruck the put in at the scrum. There are strict rules for a ruck which players must follow; otherwise they will give away needless penalties.

MAUL
The maul is about physical strength and power. A maul is when one or more players from either side are in contact together, challenging the player with the ball, moving towards a goal line. But what makes a maul different to ruck is that the ball is being carried. The side with the forward momentum always hold the advantage - if a maul goes to ground and the ball does not come out quick enough, then they will be given the put in at the scrum. But there are exceptions. If a player has caught the ball from a kick-off or a drop-out and is caught up in the middle of a maul, then the referee will award the scrum to their side if the ball has not come out in time.

KNOCK ON
Rugby union is one of the few ball games where the ball can only travel backwards. So that means the ball cannot be passed forwards at anytime. And that includes if you accidentally knock the ball forwards with your hands or arm when you fumble the ball. No excuses in this game. So if you do knock the ball on forwards, the referee will stop play and award a scrum to the other team.

FORWARD PASS
Rugby union is is one of the few ball games where the ball can only travel backwards. So that means the ball cannot be passed forwards at anytime. And that includes if you accidently knock the ball forwards with your hands or arm when you fumble the ball. No excuses in this game. So if you do knock the ball on forwards, the referee will stop play and award a scrum, with the other team getting the put in.

22m DROP OUT
This is way of re-starting play when the ball has gone over the dead ball line.
For example, if the attacking team kicks the ball too far, beyond the dead ball line, the defending team will be given the ball. The defending team can also ground the ball in their in goal area if a player on the other side was the last person to touch the ball. The defending team must then kick the ball forwards from the 22m line. Often they can put up a high kick for the forwards to get under. But they also have the option of kicking as far as they can down the field.

FIVE METRE SCRUM
The five meter scrum is one of the best ways of putting loads of pressure on your opponent's defence. It is given to the attacking side after one of the defending team has grounded the ball inside their own goal area. But it will only be given if the defender has carried the ball into their own in goal area. The other way a five meter scrum will be awarded is if the attacking team gets past the try line, but are held up by the defenders.
Because the attacking team has the momentum going forward, then the referee will award the scrum and they will also have the put in.

TACKLING
Tackling is the only way of legally bringing down your opponent in rugby union.
But there are certain laws on how you can tackle an opponent which you must follow; otherwise you will give away a needless penalty which your team-mates will not appreciate. When you tackle an opponent, you cannot make contact with their head. This is entirely for safety reasons. The referee will instantly give a penalty if he sees a high tackle. And he will also have a few words to say to the tackler if he thinks the challenge was dangerous.

Expect a yellow card and a spell in the sin-bin or worse, a red card and instant dismissal. So aim for your opponent's chest, waist or legs, you will make a better tackle if you aim for those areas in the first place. If a tackler and the ball carrier go to ground, the tackler cannot handle the ball because they are not on their feet. It can be tempting to bring the ball back to your side, but the referee will see it and give a penalty.

OBSTRUCTION
In rugby union, you can only tackle a player in possession of the ball. That means you cannot challenge your opponent at any other time. So if they do not have the ball, you cannot tackle them. Simple. Sometimes, a player will deliberately get in the way of an opponent without the ball because they think the attacker has a good chance of scoring a try. But if the referee sees this, the defender will be in trouble. A penalty will be awarded to the opposition and the defender could find themselves sitting in the sin-bin for 10 minutes after being shown a yellow card.

SIN BIN
This is a place you should avoid at all costs. The sin-bin is the bench where all players who have been bad sit out of the game for 10 minutes. If the referee believes a player has committed a serious foul or shown indiscipline, then he will show them a yellow card, just like in football.

However, unlike football, that player must then immediately leave the pitch.
They then have to sit in the sin-bin for 10 minutes while the game continues without them.
This is music to the opposition's ears because they have one more player on their side.

See the rucking and mauling offences section for more details.