Is rugby simply football without the pads?
No.  The first step as a new spectator is to understand the fundamental differences between rugby and football. In rugby, all players are allowed to handle the ball, but the ball cannot be passed forward. The ball can, on occasion be kicked forward in an attempt to gain better field position or to catch the other team unaware. Also, in direct contrast to American football, players do not wear any protective padding and there is no blocking in rugby. No player can shield or protect the ball carrier and by the same token the ball carrier cannot run behind his own players in an attempt to shield himself from the other team (doing so results in a penalty). If the player is tackled, play does not stop. Rugby is a continuous sport. Once tackled the ball carrier must immediately release the ball. A penalty will be called if a player is tackled and does not make an attempt to get away from the ball. As the rugby game tends to have non-stop action, players must be equally skilled both offensively and defensively and there are no temporary substitutions.

Each team starts with 15 players and the match begins with a kickoff, and as in football, the ball must travel 10 yards before the kicking team can play it. Unlike football though, kicking off is considered an advantage. The team that was scored upon kicks off to the team that just scored, allowing them to retain possession. The most common technique in kicking off is a team kicks the ball high in the air 10 yards and makes a play on the ball or the player about to catch the ball.

In general, during the "loose" phase of the game, there are only two positions in rugby. Players 1-8 are forwards, often referred to as "the pack. These are the workers on the rugby pitch (aka grunts) that are responsible for trudging through the mud, winning the ball and presenting a clean ball to the backs. Backs (numbered 9-15) smoothly and deftly cut through the opponent's defensive line, occasionally performing a brilliant "switch".

More objectives and rules of rugby...

The object of the game is to score more points than your opponents by moving the ball down field across the opponent's try line and physically touch the ball down. Supporting the ball carrier is very important in this game, especially since the ball carrier must release the ball once tackled. When you are on the ground, you are considered a part of the ground. If a team is supporting well, once a player is tackled there should be at least 2 or 3 other players around him ready to make a play on the ball. The first players to a ball on the ground attempt to either pick it up and secure it or try to push the other team's players away from it.

At any time a player may kick the ball towards an opponent’s goal and try to regain possession up the pitch. This has its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, you gain better field position but on the negative aspect, if you do not chase down and recover the ball, you lose possession to the other team.

How do you score?

There are four ways to score in rugby. A try, worth 5 points, is scored when a player carries or kicks the ball over the opponent's goal line and physically touches it down. A place kick or conversion is attempted after each try from a point directly out from where the ball was physically touched down. Hence, if a player touches the ball down in the corner of the try-zone, a place kick will be attempted from near the sideline. When successfully kicked over the bar and through the uprights, a conversion is awarded, worth two points.

The other two methods of scoring are also for kicking the ball through the uprights. Penalty goals are worth three points. A penalty situation comes about after a serious violation of the laws, and the victimized team is awarded a penalty kick from the point of the infraction. Drop kicks can be attempted at any time during the game and a drop goal is worth 3 points.

Common errors or penalties in rugby

Knock-on:
Hitting or dropping the ball forward with your hands.
Forward Pass:
The ball must be passed laterally or behind, never forward.
Offsides:
Defensively, a player must stay behind the ball or the group of people trying to win the ball. On offense, you may not kick a ball forward to a teammate downfield ahead of the kicker.
High tackle:
You will know when you see it. This tackle is often accompanied with many Oscar-winning performances put on by a back-line player trying to win favor with the referee or a promising rugby queen on the sideline.
Failure to release:
The ball must be released immediately upon being tackled.

For more information go to

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