Rugby union is played by two teams of 15 who score by carrying, passing, kicking and grounding the ball, and the team with more points at the end wins. A try is worth 5 points, a conversion 2, a penalty goal 3 and a dropped goal 3, and a match lasts no longer than 80 minutes.
This page follows World Rugby's Laws of the Game: Rugby Union 2026, which include the playing charter and standard variations for under-19s, 10s and sevens. I've stuck to the 15-a-side game and to the Laws as written, as of November 2026. It's for someone watching a first match or joining a social side, not for a referee.
The pitch, the oval ball and the squads
The Laws don't give a single pitch size. They set a maximum and a minimum for each part of the playing area.
| Part of the playing area | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Field of play, length | 100 metres | 94 metres |
| Each in-goal area, length | 22 metres | 6 metres |
| Width | 70 metres | 68 metres |
The ball is oval, made of four panels, and weighs 410 to 460 grams.
No more than 15 players per team can be in the playing area during play, though a match organiser may authorise fewer. For international matches a union may nominate up to eight replacements. For other matches the organiser decides, up to a maximum of eight. Replacements happen only when the ball is dead and with the referee's permission.
What each score is worth
| Score | Points | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Try | 5 | Be the first to ground the ball in the opponents' in-goal |
| Conversion | 2 | Kick the ball over the crossbar and between the posts after a try |
| Penalty try | 7 | Awarded between the posts when foul play stops a probable try; no conversion |
| Penalty goal | 3 | Kick at goal from a penalty |
| Dropped goal | 3 | Drop-kick the ball over in open play |
A try isn't only a dive over the line. A player tackled short whose momentum carries them along the ground into in-goal in a continuous movement can score, and so can a player tackled near the try line who immediately reaches out and grounds the ball. A try can also come when a scrum, ruck or maul reaches the try line and the ball is grounded first.
The conversion is taken in the field of play, on a line through the place where the try was awarded, parallel to the touchlines. It can be a place-kick or a drop-kick, it must be taken within 60 seconds of the try being awarded, and the ball must go over without touching a team-mate or the ground first. The scoring team can turn it down by saying 'no kick'.
A penalty goal can only come from a penalty. The kicker has to show they're going for goal, then kick within 60 seconds. A dropped goal is kicked from a drop-kick in open play.
Kick-off, the clock and when a half ends
- The referee organises the toss. One captain tosses a coin and the other calls. The winner chooses to kick off or pick an end, and the other team takes the other option.
- Every kick-off is a drop kick, taken on or behind the centre of the half-way line. The kicker's team-mates must be behind the ball, opponents must be on or behind the 10-metre line, and the ball must reach the 10-metre line.
- Play runs in two halves of not more than 40 minutes each, plus time lost. Half-time is no more than 15 minutes.
- After any score, the team that conceded restarts with the same kind of kick.
- The second half is started by the opponents of the team that kicked off the match.
In non-international matches, the match can be shortened by the organiser, by agreement between the teams, or by the referee.
Here's the clock rule that confuses new fans: a half doesn't end the second time is up. It ends when the ball next becomes dead after time has expired. There are exceptions, such as a scrum, lineout or restart kick awarded before time and not yet completed, or the referee awarding a free-kick or penalty. If a try is scored as time runs out, the referee allows time for the conversion.
No forward passes, and how the tackle works
This is the rule people most often get wrong when they first watch: you can't pass the ball forwards. A player must not intentionally knock the ball forward with hand or arm, or throw or pass it forward, and the sanction is a penalty. An accidental knock forward or throw forward gives a scrum to the other team. It isn't an intentional knock forward if the player was trying to catch the ball with a reasonable expectation of getting it. So passes go sideways or backwards, and ground is gained by running and kicking.
A tackle happens when the ball-carrier is held and brought to ground by one or more opponents. Brought to ground means lying, sitting or with at least one knee on the ground. Tacklers must tackle below the sanction line, which is the shoulder line in elite rugby, or the waist and base of the sternum in community rugby. Then they must release the ball-carrier and move away or get up, and the tackled player must make the ball available at once.
To play the ball at a tackle, players must be on their feet and arrive from the direction of their own try line. A player on the ground without the ball is out of the game and mustn't play the ball or tackle.
Rucks and mauls
A ruck forms when at least one player from each team is in contact, on their feet and over the ball, which is on the ground. Once it's formed, nobody may handle the ball unless they could get their hands on it before the ruck formed and stayed on their feet. Players join from behind their offside line and must bind. When the ball is clearly won, the referee calls 'use it', and the ball must be played away within 5 seconds.
A maul is the standing version: a ball-carrier and at least one player from each team, bound together and on their feet, with the ball held off the ground. A maul must move towards a try line. If it stops moving for more than 5 seconds and the ball doesn't come out, the maul ends unsuccessfully and a scrum is awarded.
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Set pieces: the scrum and the lineout
A scrum restarts play after a minor infringement, such as a knock forward. With 15 a side, eight players from each team bind together: two props and a hooker in the front row, two locks, and three back-row players. A team can't have fewer than 5 players in the scrum. The referee calls 'crouch', then 'bind', then 'set', and teams can only push once the scrum-half has thrown the ball in straight and it's left their hands.
Everyone else has to keep their distance. The scrum-half of the team not throwing in stands next to the opposing scrum-half or at least 5 metres behind their last scrum player's hindmost foot. Players outside the scrum stay at least 5 metres behind their team's hindmost foot.
A lineout restarts play after the ball goes into touch. Each team forms a single line, with at least two players, a half-metre from the mark of touch, between the 5-metre and 15-metre lines, within 30 seconds of the mark being made. The ball is thrown in straight and must reach the 5-metre line before it hits the ground. Players can lift or support a jumper but must lower them safely, and the lineout begins when the ball leaves the thrower's hands.
Offside, the 10-metre law and advantage
In open play, you're offside if you're in front of a team-mate who's carrying the ball or who last played it. An offside player mustn't interfere with play, and that includes playing the ball, tackling the ball-carrier, stopping the opposition playing as they want, or loitering. After a kick, the offside line follows the kicker's foot.
The 10-metre law adds to that. If you're in front of a team-mate who kicks, you must retire immediately behind an onside team-mate or behind an imaginary line 10 metres from where the ball lands or is caught. If you don't, the other team can choose a penalty or a scrum. When a penalty is awarded, the team can choose a scrum instead, and the opponents must retreat 10 metres from the mark.
Advantage keeps the game flowing. If the non-offending team gains an advantage after an infringement, the referee may let play continue. The advantage has to be clear and real; a mere opportunity isn't enough. If it doesn't come, the referee stops the game and goes back to the original sanction.
My verdict for your first match
I'd learn three things first: the points table, the no forward pass rule, and the fact that a half only ends when the ball goes dead. With those, most of what the referee does starts to make sense.
I'd skip the scrum offside distances, the lineout detail and the sanction lines until you're playing in a club or league, where a coach will show you. If you're comparing team sports for a social group, my netball rules guide and ultimate frisbee rules cover two other team sports worth a look.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a try worth in rugby union?
A try is 5 points. A conversion is 2, a penalty try 7, a penalty goal 3 and a dropped goal 3.
How long is a rugby union match?
No longer than 80 minutes, in two halves of not more than 40 minutes each plus time lost. Half-time is an interval of no more than 15 minutes.
How many players are on a rugby union team?
No more than 15 in the playing area during play. For international matches a union may nominate up to eight replacements.
Can you pass the ball forward in rugby?
No. A player must not intentionally throw or pass the ball forward, which is a penalty, and an accidental throw forward gives a scrum to the other team.
What is a ruck in rugby?
A ruck forms when at least one player from each team is in contact, on their feet and over the ball, which is on the ground. Once it's formed nobody may handle the ball, and when it's won the ball must be played away within 5 seconds of the referee calling 'use it'.
