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Rugby
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Introduction The purpose of this research paper is to explore the sport know as rugby. I will take a look at rules, positions, terminology and common injuries. Another reason for writing this paper is to honour the late Eric Adams who died at the young age of 25 on Wednesday, September 24th of this year. What is Rugby? Rugby is a football game in which the ball is kicked or carried forward down a field to score points either by touching the ball down beyond a tryline or kicking the ball through posts. The primary rule governing the game is that no pass to a player forward of the ball is allowed. Two codes of rugby are played, Rugby Union and Rugby League. All information at this site concerns Rugby Union. Union is normally played with fifteen players, but versions of the game featuring only seven or ten players is also popular. Football is quite ancient and has existed in most every cultural group through time. The current form of Rugby Football was first developed at Rugby School in England and thus the school provided the name for the sport. Rules The Laws of Rugby The following list consists of the primary basic laws of rugby 1. Forward passes are not allowed. Dropping the ball forward is also prohibited and is called a knock-on. 2. The ball can only be advanced by running or kicking the ball forward. 3. A tackled runner must immediately release the ball, the tackler must immediately release the tackled player. 4. Play is continuous, all stoppage of play must be immediately restarted( unless there is an injury). 5. A scrum restarts play after a forward pass or a knock-on, a scrum can also be awarded in other situations. 6. A lineout restarts after the ball travels into touch( out of bounds). 7. No blocking, normally all supporting players must stay behind the ball carrier. 8. A try is awarded when the ball is carried or kicked across the goal line and downward pressure is applied to the ball. A try is worth five points. 9. Two points is awarded for a successful conversion kick after a try. 10. Three points is awarded for a successful penalty or drop goal kick. 11. After the points are scored, the ball is kicked back to the scoring team. 12. The game is governed by laws not rules, the referee is the sole enforcer of those laws. 13. The game clock is kept by the referee on the pitch and is stopped only for injury. The time spent attending to injuries is added to the end of each half and is called injury time. 14. Two additional judges are utilized on each touchline to signal when the ball has left the field of play, and to assist the referee in various capacities. Common Penalties Offside is the most common penalty during a match. If a penalty is awarded within goal kicking distance of a team's kicker, the team captain may elect to have the kicker take an uncontested place kick at goal for three points from a spot determined by the referee called a mark. If the kick is successful, play is restarted at the 50 metre line with a drop kick back to the scoring team. After an unsuccessful penalty kick, play is usually restarted by a drop kick (a kick executed by allowing the ball to hit the ground before kicking it) to the kick attempting team from the 22 metre line. This restart is called a 22 metre dropout. Other common penalties include violent play, barging, not releasing the ball, obstruction (blocking) and diving over a collapsed ruck. Other options available to a team awarded a penalty include restarting play by a tap kick through the mark with the opposing team ten meters away or an uncontested kick to touch which is awarded back to the team receiving the penalty award. For minor infringements such as a foot up in the scrum, a free kick can be awarded. A free kick is just like a penalty kick except it cannot be taken directly at goal and if it goes to touch, the other team is awarded the ball for the lineout. Positions There are fifteen positions in rugby. Generally, the positions are broken up into two groups the eight forwards and seven backs. The forwards are generally larger (usually slower) players that make up the scrum. They do most of the rucking and mauling. The seven backs are usually smaller and faster and are more responsible for open field play. Forwards Front Five( Front Row and Second Row) The role of the front five is that of primary ball getters. Games are won and lost by the front five. To succeed as a front five forward, it demands a special type of person. It is not enough to be big, although it helps. It is not enough to be strong, although it helps. It is not enough to be fit, although it is essential. Above all, front five forwards must have determination and aggression; without these attributes they are nothing. The forwards must work as a unit but the front five must work as a unit within this unit. A good front five forward never surrenders. Not only must a front five forward do his job in the set pieces, he must also contribute to the loose play. Front Row( Props, Hooker) The props are generally the stockiest players on the field. They prop up the hooker in the scrum and support the jumper in the line outs. While it is true they are rarely in a position to score the tries that are the most celebrated and commented upon part of rugby, props are indispensable. The hooker is also generally very stocky however hookers are generally more mobile and have better ball handling skills than the props. Hookers are responsible for hooking the ball back when it is placed in the scrum. At the lineout it is the hooker who must throw the ball to the jumper. Second Row Also called locks, the second row forwards provide the power for the big push in the scrum, they are usually the main recipient of the ball in the lineout. After securing the ball they have to get it away to the scrum half as soon as possible. The tallest men in the team, the second row also needs to be mobile in order to reach rucks and mauls quickly and to receive the ball at kickoffs.
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