User:MacRusgail/Sandbox

The following is an alphabetical list of terms and jargon used in relation to rugby union. Rugby union is a team sport played between two teams of fifteen players. It is known for its rich terminology. It has sometimes been said that rugby union is a game designed more for playing than spectating, but it is now a sport which is watched by millions in most parts of the world. Rugby union is played in many regions which are widely dispersed geographically, and its traditional heartlands are sometimes at quite some distance from one another. Because of this, terms may vary from region to region, and although names are officially standardised, there can also be variation in hyphenation etc, e.g. lineout, line out or line-out can all be seen in various contexts. This glossary also includes slang, and colloquial usage, eg it is not uncommon to hear the word "rules" used, when technically rugby union has "laws" instead; and also historical and obsolete terms. Some of the less formal terms are often thought to be humorous or invented for comic purposes. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics. ==

Abbreviations
Other abbreviations include: JRFU)
 * 10s: Rugby Tens
 * 5N/5Ns: Five Nations
 * 6N/6Ns: Six Nations
 * 7s/7's: Rugby Sevens
 * 22: The 22 metre line or twenty two.
 * 25: The 25 yard line, now known as the 22 metre line or twenty two.
 * 89: Eighty nine move
 * 99: See main text
 * 1(st)XV, 2(nd)XV: First Fifteen, Second fifteen etc
 * A: e.g. Scotland A, the second team after the main one.
 * A.: (Points) A(gainst), often used in tables; Away
 * Ac./Acad.: Academicals, common suffix in some FP clubs.
 * AC: Athletic Club in team names
 * AS: in French names
 * ARFU:
 * B: e.g. Scotland B, the third team after the main one.
 * Capt.: Captain
 * CAR:
 * CEO: Chief Executive Officer
 * Co.: "County" in team names.
 * Coll.: "College" in team names
 * CONSUR:
 * D: (Games) D(rawn)/D(raws), often used in tables.
 * Div.: Division
 * FC: Football Club (generally used by older rugby clubs)
 * FIRA:
 * FORU:
 * FP: Former Pupils
 * FU: Football Union, e.g. Scottish Football Union (SFU), the old name of the SRU.
 * GSFP: Grammar School Former Pupils, also GS
 * H: Home game; also rugby goalposts, from their shape
 * HSFP: High School Former Pupils, also HS
 * IRB: International Rugby Board
 * IRFB: International Rugby Football Board (former name of IRB)
 * Jun., Jnr: Junior (not usually age related)
 * L: (Games) L(ost)/L(osses), often used in tables.
 * Lge: A league
 * NAWIRA:
 * NPC:
 * P: (Games) P(layed), often used in tables.
 * Pk: Park
 * Pres: President
 * Pts: Points, often used in tables.
 * RC: Rugby Club, abbreviation more common in continental Europe.
 * Ref: Referee
 * RFC: Rugby Football Club
 * RFU: Rugby Football Union (common as part of longer names as well, e.g.
 * RL: Rugby league
 * RU: Rugby Union (common as part of longer names as well e.g. SRU)
 * RUFC: Rugby Union Football Club (generally used in areas where rugby league is also common).
 * RWC: Rugby World Cup
 * SANZAR: South Africa New Zealand Australia Rugby
 * Sec.:Secretary
 * Sen: Senior
 * Snr: Senior
 * TMO: Television match official
 * Univ.s: Combined Universities side
 * U of: University of (in team names)
 * US: in French names
 * v: Versus, i.e. "against", also "vs"
 * VII(s): "Seven", i.e. rugby seven side, in plural also sevens tournament
 * vs: Versus, i.e. "against", also "v"
 * W: (Games) W(on)/W(ins), often used in tables.
 * WC: World Cup; also the club toilet.
 * WR: Women's Rugby
 * WRU: Women's Rugby Union (also Welsh Rugby Union)
 * WRWC: Women's Rugby World Cup
 * X: "Ten", i.e. rugby tens side.
 * XV: "Fifteen", i.e. a side in standard rules rugby union. The French "rugby a XV" means rugby union, and "rugby a XIII" refers to rugby league.
 * XX: (obs) "twenty", a team pre-1871.
 * XXV: (obs) "twenty five", a team pre-1865.

A


team names. non-offending side have the opportunity to gain sufficient territory or tactical opportunity to negate the need to stop the game due to the infringement. The referee will signal advantage with their arm out horizontally, toward the non-infringing team. If no tactical or territorial advantage is gained, the referee will whistle, and give the decision that had been delayed. If sufficient advantage is gained, the referee will call "advantage over", and play will continue. The Advantage Law allows the game to flow more freely, and not stop for every minor infringement. An example of the application of advantage would be if Team A knocked the ball on (technical offence, conceding a scrum) but a Team B player picked the ball up and made a run forwards before being tackled.
 * Above the horizontal: One determinant of a dangerous tackle. Defenders lifting an attacking player off the ground to the point when their feet are higher than their head. Lifting a player this way can be a precursor to the outlawed spear tackle.
 * Abbreviated code: rugby sevens, and perhaps by extension rugby tens.
 * Accidental offside: When a player is caught offside by a sudden change in the game. It is not penalised if the player makes an effort to get back onside, and does not go for the ball.
 * Accies, Ackies: (Informal) Abbreviation of "Academicals" in various
 * Advantage: the period of time after an infringement, in which the

Advantage is the period of time after an infringement, in which the non-offending side have the opportunity to gain sufficient territory or tactical opportunity to negate the need to stop the game due to the infringement. The referee will signal advantage with their arm out horizontally, toward the non-infringing team. The Advantage Law allows the game to flow more freely, and not stop for every minor infringement. drawn across the centre of the pitch when there is a breakdown in open play, such as a ruck, maul or scrum. Advancing across the gain line represents a gain in territory.
 * Advantage line: Also called the gain line. It is an imaginary line

It is an imaginary line across the pitch when there is a breakdown in open play, i.e. a scrum. Advancing across the advantage line represents a gain in territory. Also called the "gain line". kicker and the centre of the goals (on the goal line), and another imaginary line perpendicular to the goal line. (i.e. for a player standing at a point on the field where they are on the line bisecting the goals at each end of the ground, the angle is zero.) English people of Scottish origin playing for used when the player carrying the ball is running at speed and a defending player is approaching from behind. Even if the defender is not able to get close enough to the ball-carrier to wrap his arms around him in a conventional tackle, he may still be able to dive at the other player's feet and, with outstretched arm, deliver a tap or hook to the player's foot (or feet) causing the player to stumble.
 * Against the head:
 * All Blacks: Nickname for
 * All-Ireland: The island of Ireland, i.e. the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland considered together. Unlike some other sports, rugby union is organised on an All-Ireland basis, with no consideration for the border between the two parts.
 * All Whites: Facetious nickname for during apartheid.
 * Amateur: Rugby union was officially amateur until 1995. Professionalism was the main reason for the split with rugby league, and also a differentiation from association football in the early days of modern football codes. It has been suspected though, that certain players were in fact, shamateurs, i.e. pretending to be amateurs. A great deal of rugby union was still amateur, particularly in nations such as Argentina or Scotland, and amateurism in rugby union does not necessarily mean a player or a club is unnotable.
 * Angle: the geometric angle formed by an imaginary line between the
 * Anglo-Scot: 1) Scots playing in English teams, or based in England, 2)
 * Ankle tap: or tap-tackle is a form of tackle. It is

An ankle tap, also referred to as a tap-tackle, may be used as a last resort by a defender chasing the attacking player carrying the ball if that player is about to evade them and a conventional tackle is not possible. If the defender is not able to get close enough to the ball-carrier to wrap their arms around them in a conventional tackle, they may still be able to dive at the other player's feet and, with outstretched arm, deliver a tap or hook to the player's foot (or feet) causing the player to stumble. At speed, this will often be sufficient to bring the ball-carrier down and may sufficiently delay the attacker for a defender to complete the tackle or for the defending team to organise their defence.

corner kicking]]'' language|Lowland Scots]] for "old".
 * Argy-bargy: (Scotland) Fighting or arguing on the pitch. Famously used by the television commentator Bill McLaren.
 * Around the corner kicking: ''[[#Round the corner kicking|Round the
 * Asian Championship:
 * Astroturf: Artificial turf, often used for training purposes, but not for official matches.
 * Attacking team: The team which has the ball, especially if they are within the opposition's twenty two. See also offensive team.
 * Auld Enemy: Scottish nickname for . "Auld" is [[Scots
 * Azzuri:, meaning the blues

B


offload the ball to a team mate for them to carry on the attack before the tackle has been completed. This type of tackle involves preventing the player being tackled from being able to move their arms effectively. line-out at the point where the ball left the field of play. The exception to this is if the ball is kicked into touch on the full. In this case, a line-out is taken from the point from where the ball was kicked from, and not from where it entered touch.
 * Ba Bas, Bah Bahs, Baa Baas: (Informal) the Barbarians
 * Back, backs: Not to be confused with the back row.
 * Back line:
 * Back row: flankers and no. 8. The back row are confusingly, not backs
 * Back-rowers: (Australia) People in back row
 * Back three: The fullback and the wingers
 * Bagsnatcher: (informal) A nickname for a scrotum squeezer (illegal!)
 * Ball and all: tackle that prevents the player being able to
 * Ball back: If the ball enters touch, then play is restarted by a


 * Ball back is waived in certain circumstances:

then kicks the ball. If the player receives the ball outside the 22 then retreats back into the 22 and kicks into touch on the full it is a lineout at the nearest point on the touchline from where the ball was kicked. to get a new one for the players. Relatively uncommon in rugby. performed in general play that goes to off to the side of the kicker rather than in front, for chasers further afield. The aim of the banana kick is to be less predictable than conventional kicks and is named such thus as the rise and fall of the ball is in a curve like that of a banana. organisations, particularly if they are perceived as stuffy or snobby 2) Some rugby teams have given blazers to their players article les Bleus! (go on the Blues!) breakdown in play; it is the opposite of openside. The blindside flanker is expected to cover the opposing team blindside at scrum and breakdown. the defence used in rugby league. It relies on the whole defensive line moving forward towards their marked man as one, as soon as the ball leaves the base of a ruck or maul''. The charge is usually led by the inside centre. The idea of this technique is to prevent the attacking team gaining any ground by tackling them behind the gain line and forcing interceptions and charged down kicks. However, the defending team can be vulnerable to chip kicks and any player breaking the defensive line will have lots of space to play because the defence are running the other way and must stop, turn and chase.
 * If the kicking player is inside his own 22m line when he receives and
 * If a side elects to kick a penalty into touch.
 * Ball boy: A young person, generally male, used to fetch the ball, or
 * Ball burster: (informal) An especially long or hard kick.
 * Ball carrier: The player in possession of the ball.
 * banana kick, banana bender: A medium-range kick
 * Barbarians:
 * Barette: A game played in France by women, sometimes termed rugby.
 * Barracking: (Australian) Cheering or singing from the stands, not all flattering.
 * Barracks games: (Ireland, derogatory) nickname for "foreign sports" including rugby union from their strong connection with the British military and their colonial provenance. Also "the barracks" as in "go to the barracks" i.e. watch one of the foreign sports, or play it. See Rule 42
 * Beach rugby: A variant which is designed to be played on sand. It has fewer players than standard rugby union, but is popular in hot countries.
 * Behind: Lower score.
 * Bench, on the: If player is on the bench, it means that they are either a substitute, or they have been taken off. So called, because in many grounds there is an actual bench on which the players can sit.
 * Bent arm penalty: Short arm penalty
 * Between the posts: 1) When a kick is converted and goes between the goal posts and above the cross bar. 2) A try that is scored under the goal posts. While this has some extra kudos, it doesn't score any more points for the team. It does, however, make the forthcoming conversion much easier to kick.
 * Biff: (Informal) Fighting.
 * Big Eight: The early members of the IRFB, i.e. Australia, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. It is to be noted that all but one of these were British colonies and members of the White Commonwealth.
 * Bigside:
 * Big Three: 1), , also known as the Tri-Nations or (incorrectly) the Southern Hemisphere 2) (Wales) Swansea, Newport and Cardiff.
 * Bind(ing):
 * Blazers: 1) (Informal) Contemptuous name for people who run rugby
 * Bleachers: (Canada, USA) Spectator stands in smaller grounds. See
 * Bledisloe Cup:
 * Bleus, les: (Informal) meaning "the blues", ''Allez
 * Blindside: The narrow side of the pitch in relation to a scrum or a
 * Blitz defence: The blitz defence is a defensive technique similar to

his body. If the other player is a ball carrier, the player may attempt a tackle. If the other player does not have the ball it is a foul in rugby union. visible bleeding injury may be replaced for up to fifteen minutes (running time not game time), during which he or she may receive first-aid treatment to stop the flow of blood and dress the wound. The player may then to return to the pitch to continue playing. to replace someone who is bleeding. A recent development. Oxford or Cambridge in England, or wearing a blue shirt. See also Azzuri, bleus rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts. scrum-half, in which he turns away from the scrum facing the touchline, and kicks the ball back over the scrum into the clear "box" of space behind the opposition to allow his own team to chase through and regain the ball in undefended territory. ensuing ruck. During this time teams compete for possession of the ball, initially with their hands and then using feet in the ruck. Most referees will call "ruck" or "hands away" as soon as a ruck is formed. Most infringements take place at the breakdown, owing to the greater variety of possible offences at a breakdown, for example handling in the ruck, killing the ball, offside at the ruck and so on. compensated players for the time they missed from work due to their rugby playing commitments. The use of these payments was one of the issues that led to the schism of rugby football in England. Broken-time payments were the original player payment system of the Northern Rugby Football Union (the original rugby league governing body) in 1895. ruck, or slip through a tackle. especially if they do it frequently.
 * Blocking: This is when a player obstructs another player's path with
 * Blood bin: It is also called blood replacement. A player who has a
 * Blood substitute/replacement: Someone brought on
 * Blue: Many meanings, but especially someone who has played for either
 * Body armour:
 * Boks, Bokkies: (Afrikaans Informal) Springboks,
 * Bomb: 1) (Australia) an up and under 2) (Informal) A long pass
 * Bonus points: Bonus points are a method of deciding table points from a
 * Book, booking: (verb) To be penalised for fouling.
 * Boot: 1) A rugby shoe, 2) to kick, as in "boot it"
 * Borders Game: A nickname for rugby sevens
 * Boundary line: The touch line.
 * Bowl:
 * Box:
 * Box kick: This is a kick taken from behind a scrum, normally by the
 * Breakaway: An alternative term for a flanker
 * Breakdown: (colloquial) the period immediately after a tackle and the
 * Broken time, broken time payment: (Historical) Broken-time payments
 * Bust, tackle bust: (Informal) Break through opposition defence or a
 * Butterfingers: (Informal) Someone who drops the ball, or knocks it on,

Ball-carrying arm:
 * An instance in which a tackle can be judged to be complete is when

the attacking player's ball-carrying arm is touching the ground at the same time that a defending player is in contact with the attacker. Ball back:
 * If the ball enters touch, then play is restarted by a scrum at the
 * If the ball enters touch, then play is restarted by a scrum at the

point where the ball left the field of play. However, if the ball is kicked into touch without first bouncing inside the field of play (on the full). In this case, the scrum is taken from level with the place from where the ball was kicked from. The ball is given back to the team who did not kick it out of bounds; ball back is waived in certain circumstances: line before going out of play (the 40/20 rule). Banana kick:
 * 1) If a side elects to kick a penalty into touch
 * 2) If the kick took place from behind the 40m line and cleared the 20m

Blindside:
 * The narrow side of the pitch in relation to a scrum or a play the ball;

the opposite of openside. Blood replacement (obsolete):
 * See: Interchange

C
Leicester Tigers v Leinster - January 2008 (2) H Cup.jpg

precodified varieties in the south west of Ireland, some of which were similar to modern rugby. Since William Webb Ellis spent his formative years in Ireland, it has been suggested that he was trying to demonstrate caid at Rugby School. competed for by and competitions. "North America" or "NAm"(although this term excludes the other nations in North American) has appeared three times for his/her country has "three caps", originally named after 2 2) A commemorative cap given to a rugby player every time s/he plays in an international match, see also blazer 3) Scrum cap cautioned, and shown a yellow card. A cautioned player is suspended from playing for ten minutes sometimes by sending to the sin bin. involved Scottish, Welsh and Irish sides. centre|Centres]]: They are the players wearing shirts numbers 12 & 13. They are divided into inside and outside centre. http://www.bwctc.northants.sch.uk/Learning/Sport/Rugby/TacticsPhrases.aspx outstretched arms and hands, this is not a knock-on 2) To run with the ball towards the opposition, especially after a tap penalty without the ball it is an offence. that he cannot legally dispose of the ball. Generally considered to have been picked up from Rugby League. rooms and even a bar in richer clubs. controls the team's tactics during a match. Sometimes with inadequate numbers and facilities. close to the opposing team who formerly had an imposing lead. opportunity to "convert" it for two further points by kicking the ball between the posts and above the crossbar - that is, through the goal. The kick is taken at any point on the field of play in line with the point that the ball was grounded for the try parallel to the touch-lines. So it is advatageous to score a try nearer to the posts as it is easier to convert it. The kick can be either a drop kick or a place kick in the 15-man game. However, in sevens, all conversions must be drop kicks. the leg. contact) has secured the ball at a ruck, and the other team manage to force them off the ball and secure possession themselves, the defending team are said to have "counter-rucked" at pace and runs directly at the opposition's defensive line. The crash ball runner attempts to commit two or more opposing players to the tackle, then attempts to make the ball available to team-mates by off-loading in the tackle or recycling the ball quickly from the ruck.
 * Caid: Another name for Gaelic football, usually referring to
 * Calcutta Cup: The oldest international tournament in the world
 * Campeonato: (Spanish) Championship, used especially in Argentine
 * Campo: (Spanish) a playing field or ground.
 * Can-Am: Involving both the USA and Canada. More often referred to as
 * Canucks: (Informal)
 * Cap: 1) A selection for a national side, a player who
 * Carrying code: (Historical) The prototype of Rugby football in contrast to proto-association football which was known as the kicking code. It also influenced Australian Rules football and American football.
 * Cauliflower ear
 * Caution: A player who deliberately or repeatedly infringes the laws is
 * Cavaliers:
 * Cavalry charge
 * Celtic League: The old nickname for Magners League, because it
 * [[Rugby union positions#13. Outside centre & 12. Inside
 * Centre three quarter: Positions number 12 and 13 in the backs
 * Centring the ball:
 * Challenge:
 * Champagne rugby: (Informal)
 * Charge, charge down: 1) The blocking of an attacker's kick as it rises from the foot. Done with
 * Checkside: A banana kick
 * Chicken wing tackle: a tackle that locks in an opponent's arm so
 * Chippy: (Informal) play marked by a lot of fouling, or aggressiveness.
 * Churchill Cup:
 * Chip:
 * Cibi: A war dance performed by
 * Cite: To be penalised or shown a yellow or red card.
 * Citing commissioner:
 * Clash: A forthcoming match, especially one perceived to be exciting. Sometimes used in the press.
 * Clearance kick:
 * The Club: Blackheath F.C. (owing to its age)
 * Clubhouse: The physical home of a team, usually including changing
 * Coach: The person who trains the team; the manager of the team who
 * Coarse rugby: Rugby as played in low level amateur competitions.
 * Code: A variety of rugby and/or football. For example, rugby union is one code, association football and rugby league are two others. Variants of rugby union such as sevens or beach rugby are not generally seen as different codes.
 * Coin toss: A toss of a coin, used to decide which end each side starts at. This is generally restricted to amateur and low level rugby now.
 * Collapse: The bringing down of a scrum. It is considered a serious foul, and is perhaps one of the most dangerous aspects of the game.
 * Colts: A juvenile side.
 * Come back: Usually to gain a large number of points, to equal or come
 * Compression shorts: Elasticated shorts which are designed to help prevent pulled muscles.
 * Cones: Small objects, sometimes very low, or sometimes like small traffic cones, which are used by coaches to train players. Players generally have to try and run round them.
 * CONSUR: The South American continental governing body.
 * Contact area:
 * Conversion: If a team scores a try, they have an
 * Corinthian:
 * Corkie: (Informal) a corked muscle, which is a deep bruise, usually in
 * Corner:
 * Corner flag: Touch flag
 * Counter rucking: If a team (usually the team that took the ball into
 * Cover tackle:
 * Crash ball: It is an attacking tactic where a player receives a pass

By committing players to the tackle, the crash ball runner creates holes in the opposition's defense, thereby creating attacking opportunities for team-mates. code]]: a hybrid sport combining rugby union and [[rugby league]], not often played. beginning of a scrum, which is supposed to aid safety. beginning of a scrum, which is supposed to aid safety. ball.
 * Crash tackle: crash ball
 * Crooked feed:
 * Cross-bar: The wooden or metal bar which is supported by the two goal posts. Unlike certain other football codes, such as soccer and Gaelic football, theball has to go above the cross-bar in order for points to be scored in a conversion or drop goal.
 * [[Comparison_of_rugby_league_and_rugby_union#Cross-code_games|Cross
 * Crossing, crossing in midfield/shadow:
 * Crouch, bind, set: The current call given by the referee at the
 * Crouch, pause, engage: The former call given by the referee at the
 * Currie Cup:
 * Cut back, cut: To turn quickly to one side, when running with the
 * Cut out pass: This is when the ball carrier passes the ball in front of one or more of their team mates, to another player further away. This has the advantage of confusing the defending team, who will tend to concentrate on the player who has been "cut out".

Cover defence:
 * The attempt to tackle an attacker who has breached the main line of

defenders. Crash ball:
 * It is an attacking tactic where a player receives a pass at pace and

runs directly at the opposition's defensive line. The crash ball runner attempts to commit two or more opposing players to the tackle, then attempts to make the ball available to team-mates by off-loading in the tackle or recycling the ball quickly from the ruck.
 * By committing players to the tackle, the crash ball runner creates

holes in the opposition's defense, thereby creating attacking opportunities for team-mates. Crash tackle:
 * Another name for the crash ball.

D
than through the air, also known as a grubber. in serious injuries if sustained. It is severely frowned on and heavily penalised. if the ball goes over this it is technically "dead". defenders. However, backs often perform such a role, especially the full back when the ball is kicked deep. conversions, usually but not necessarily the full back (Okey Geffin, for example is a rare example of a prop as designated kicker) of deliberately falling on one's front on the ground. Dive passes are most common amongst scrum halves. goal. exposed. High level rugby often has random drugs tests these days. in rugby than some other sports like association football. forces the attacking side into an ever shrinking pocket near to the touchline. It operates by the defensive side moving forward and diagonally following the path of the attacking side's ball movements. If used successfully the ball will usually end up in the attacking winger's hands near the line of touch. This player would then find themselves surrounded on one side by a defending outside centre, with the opposing winger opposite and the touchline on his other side. This will prevent a cut-back and allows the Touchline to act as a 16th player. Its disadvantage is that if the attacking team are strong enough to break through the pocket tackle the defending team will have no players spare to cover a breakout. play. kicks the ball from hand through the opposition's goal, but the ball must touch the ground between being dropped and kicked. It is worth three points. The team awarded a free kick cannot score a dropped goal until the ball next becomes dead, or until an opponent has played or touched it, or has tackled the ball carrier. This restriction applies also to a scrum taken instead of a free kick. kicks the ball from hand and the ball touches the ground between being dropped and kicked. If a drop kick goes through a goal then it results in a drop goal. kick, drop goal'' high level. who has played both rugby union and rugby league at international level. The ball carrier moves as if to pass the ball to a team-mate, but then continues to run with the ball himself; the objective is to trick defenders into marking the would-be pass receiver, creating a gap for the ball carrier to run into. If the opposition are fooled by the dummy, then it is known as "selling a dummy". A form of trick play. opposition as if running onto a pass, only for the ball to be passed to another player, carried on by the ball carrier or kicked forwards. As with a dummy pass, this tactic draws defenders away from the ball and creates space for the attacking team actually doing so. A form of trick play. The tackler wraps his arms around the ball carrier's thighs and lifts him a short distance in the air before forcibly driving him to the ground. The tackler must go to ground with the ball carrier for the tackle to be legal. This technique is useful to completely stop the opponent in his tracks. A dump tackle which drops the ball carrier on his head or neck is known as a spear tackle, and will almost invariably concede a penalty and possibly result in a caution for the tackler. player.
 * Daisy cutter: (Australia) a kick that runs along the ground rather
 * Dangerous play: Fouling of a variety considered likely to result
 * Dead ball: a ball which is no longer in play.
 * Dead ball area:
 * Dead ball line: A line found behind the try line and the goal posts,
 * Deep: To kick deep usually within the opposition's twenty two
 * Defence, defender: Unlike some other sports, there are no specified
 * Defending team: The team which does not have the ball, particularly when the attacking side are within their twenty two.
 * Derby: A game between two teams from the same area/town.
 * Designated kicker: The player who takes kicks, especially
 * Developing nations: see also emerging nations
 * Development XV, development side: A team of players who have not been selected for the main team of the club or nation yet, but which are considered very good. The performance of the players is observed, and it is seen as a good opportunity for training them for full fixtures as part of the main team.
 * Diamond formation: (obs.)
 * Dinner: Many clubs have dinners with the visiting team after the match is over. These can include speeches and thanks etc. Just how formal these are, frequently depends on the nature of the clubs. Touring sides are often invited to dinners.
 * Dirty: (informal) involving fouling or violent behaviour, often used in the phrases "dirty play" or "dirty team".
 * Dirty player: (informal) A player who has a reputation for fouling or violence.
 * Disposal:
 * Dispose: To pass the ball after being tackled.
 * Dive pass: A type of speedy pass to another player using the process
 * Dob: (Informal) a kick, usually resulting in a drop goal, or a shot at
 * Domestic rugby: Rugby played by club teams, within a country, as opposed to international rugby. See also player base.
 * Don't argue: (Australia, informal) Stiff-arm fend
 * Doping: Taking steroids. Illegal, and heavily penalised if
 * Downward pressure:
 * Dragon rugby: (Wales) Mini rugby
 * Draw: When the final score of the two teams are equalised. Less common
 * Dribble, dribbling:
 * Drift defence: The drift defence is a defensive technique which
 * Drill: 1) To coach players in how to do particular moves 2) Patterned
 * Drop goal: A drop goal is scored when a player
 * Drop kick: A drop kick is when a player
 * Dropout: A drop kick awarded to the defending team.
 * Dropped goal, dropped kick: (Variant) See under Drop- eg ''drop
 * Drub, drubbing: (Informal) To beat another team by a wide margin.
 * Dual Code: Someone who has played both rugby union and rugby league at
 * Dual Code International: Someone
 * Dumb dumb: (Informal) A dummy.
 * Dummy: A faked pass or kick to fool opposition.
 * Dummy runner: a player on the attacking team runs towards the
 * Dummy scissors: Pretending to set up the scissors, but not
 * Dump tackle: It is a tackling technique.
 * Dunt: (Scotland, informal) 1) kick the ball hard 2) Bang into another

Dead:
 * The ball is deemed to be dead if it goes out of play beyond the

dead ball line. Dead ball line:
 * A boundary located at each end of the [[Rugby league playing

field|playing field]]. The dead ball line is out of play. Differential penalty: Dominant tackle:
 * A referee may call "Dominant!" as a player is tackled to indicate the

dominance of the defender over the attacking player in possession during the contact between them at the tackle. A dominant tackle is judged to be when the defender makes contact and drives the attacker back in one movement. The dominant tackle call rewards good technique and allows the defender extra time before the attacker must be released to be allowed to play-the-ball. Double movement:
 * An illegal movement in the attempt to score a try. An attacking player

whose momentum does not allow the ball to reach the try-line or in-goal after their ball-carrying arm touches the ground may not reach out to score if a defender is in contact with them; this is disallowed by interpretation as a "double movement". Downward pressure:
 * Downward pressure is one of the several criteria that needs to be met

for a try to be awarded by the referee. Drop goal:
 * A drop goal is scored when a player kicks the ball from hand through
 * A drop goal is scored when a player kicks the ball from hand through

the opposition's goal, but the ball must touch the ground between being dropped and kicked. It is worth one point.
 * The team awarded a free kick cannot score a dropped goal until the ball

next becomes dead, or until an opponent has played or touched it, or has tackled the ball carrier. Drop kick:
 * A drop kick is when a player kicks the ball from hand and the ball
 * A drop kick is when a player kicks the ball from hand and the ball

touches the ground between being dropped and kicked. If a drop kick goes through a goal then it results in a drop goal. Drop out:
 * Drop out could refer to the following ways of bringing the ball back

into play: Dummy pass:
 * 1) Goal line drop-out, from the goal line.
 * 2) A drop out from the 20 metre line.
 * An offensive ruse, where the ball carrier moves as if to pass the ball

to a team-mate, but then continues to run with the ball himself; the objective is to trick defenders into marking the would-be pass receiver, creating a gap for the ball carrier to run into. Dummy runner:
 * Another offensive tactic; a player on the attacking team runs towards

the opposition as if running onto a pass, only for the ball to be passed to another player, carried on by the ball carrier or kicked forwards. As with a dummy pass, this tactic draws defenders away from the ball and creates space for the attacking team Dump tackle:
 * It is a tackling technique. The tackler
 * It is a tackling technique. The tackler

wraps his arms around the ball carrier's thighs and lifts him a short distance in the air before forcibly driving him to the ground. The tackler must go to ground with the ball carrier for the tackle to be legal. This technique is useful to completely stop the opponent in his tracks. A dump tackle which drops the ball carrier on his head or neck is known as a spear tackle, and will almost invariably concede a penalty and possibly result in a caution for the tackler.

E
microphone to communicate with officials off the pitch, particularly video refs. contrast to association football which uses a round ball. Eight'' scrum, in which the number 8 picks up the ball and transfers it to number 9 (scrum half). non-English players. London Scottish, London Irish and London Welsh are the best known, but there are others. of/set up by foreigners in any given country. another's eyes. Dangerous play which is severely penalised, and may result in legal prosecution.
 * Eagles: (Informal) Nickname for
 * Earpiece: High level referees generally have an earpiece and a
 * Egg: (Informal) A rugby ball, owing to its shape.
 * Eggball: (Informal) A nickname for the game of rugby, particularly in
 * Eightman, Eighth-man: (Regional, especially South Africa) ''Number
 * Eighty nine move: An "89" or eight-nine move is a phase following a
 * Emerging nations, Emergent nations: Countries in which rugby is not as strong as it might be. Some of these countries, such as Japan, have in fact been playing rugby since the 19th century. A common problem that these countries face is having their best players poached by more successful countries' national and domestic teams.
 * End line: Tryline
 * Engage: Crouch, pause, engage
 * English rugger: (Canada, historical informal) Rugby union as opposed to Canadian football, a gridiron code which developed from it. “English rugger” was traditionally popular in British Columbia and the Maritimes, at either end of Canada. Some of the governing bodies of Canadian football were even known as Rugby Football Unions.
 * Exiles: Clubs based in London, which were originally based on
 * Expats: (Informal) Expatriates. Sometimes used for teams made up
 * Experimental law variations: Stellenbosch Laws
 * Eye gouging: A foul where a player sticks their finger(s) into
 * Extra time:

F
XV" etc, in which fans get to invent non-existent teams or tournaments of their own choosing. e.g. Fédérale 1 (Le championnat de France de première division fédérale) refer to a national governing body, whereas "Union" is more favoured in English speaking countries. to be sent on, often as a replacement. for the team itself. Before 1875, there were twenty players. There are other variants of rugby which use seven or ten players. referee blows his whistle; full time. more, depending on their circumstances. 5m of either try line, or a player carries the ball over his own try line and touches it down, the referee will award a scrum on the five metre line; this is to prevent all but the most brutal packs from driving the ball over the try line within the scrum. tournament between, ,  and , which was the precursor of the contemporary Six Nations Championship: 2) Asia the game designed for coaching children. flanker|Flanker]]: Also known as breakaways or wing forwards. They are the players wearing shirts numbers 6 & 7. They are the players with the fewest set responsibilities. The player should have all round attributes: speed, strength, fitness, tackling and handling skills. Flankers are always involved in the game, as they are the real ball winners at the breakdown, especially the number 7. The two flankers do not usually bind to the scrum in a fixed position. Instead, the openside flanker will attach to the scrum on whichever side is further from the nearer touchline, while the blindside flanker attaches himself to the scrum on the side closer to the touchline. referred to by a number of different names, they are the players wearing shirt number 10. This position is one of the most influential on the pitch. The fly-half makes key tactical decisions during a game. Generally a fly-half is also the goal kicker due to excellent kicking skills. is loose under circumstances other than its having been placed there or dropped from the kicker's hands to be kicked. play, but increasingly used to refer to association football or soccer. In North America, Ireland and Australia, this can refer to indigenous football codes. Despite folk etymology, it does not mean a ball kicked by foot originally, but one carried on foot (as opposed to on horseback, or with a stick/club etc) 2) The rugby ball itself. themselves, eg West of Scotland Football Club. Now more commonly "RFC" or "Rugby Football Club", as the term "football" is being monopolised by association football. you, rather than behind. Forward pass. It is an integral part of American and Canadian football, but illegal in both forms of rugby. It is called a throw-forward in the laws of the game. A forward pass occurs when the ball fails to travel backwards in a pass. If the ball is not thrown or passed forward but it bounces forward after hitting a player or the ground, it is not a throw-forward.If the referee deems it accidental, this results in a scrum to the opposing team, however deliberate forward passes result in the award of a penalty. See also knock on. may also substitute for referee or touch judge in case of injury to either of them. non-offending team after a foul. penalty''. This is a lesser form of the penalty, usually awarded to a team for a technical offence committed by the opposing side such as numbers at the line-out or time wasting at a scrum. A free kick is also awarded for calling a mark. A team cannot kick for goal and the normal 22m rule applies for kicking for position from a free kick. A Free Kick is signalled by the referee with a bent arm raised in the air. tournament or league. important defender. They are the player wearing jersey number 15. They act as the last line of defence against running attacks by the opposing three-quarter backs. The full back is expected to field high kicks from the opposition, and reply with a superior kick or a counterattack. The full back is sometimes the specialist goal-kicker in a team, taking penalty and conversion kicks. whistle.
 * Fair catch:
 * Falcon: an accidental knock to the head.
 * Fantasy : (Informal) used as a prefix for "fantasy league", "fantasy
 * Fédérale: Name given to various high level amateur leagues in France,
 * Federation: Used on continental Europe, notably France and Italy, to
 * Feed, Feed the scrum:
 * Feeder club: Feeder clubs are usually amateur clubs which help develop rugby in an area, and which "feed" the local professional sides with their best players.
 * Feeder nation: A nation which either has a low population, or player base, or a weak economy. Because of these factors, the best rugby players from the feeder nation often end up playing in the clubs of the stronger nation, or even occasionally in its national team. Examples of "feeder nations" include the smaller Pacific nations of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, which "feed" Australia and New Zealand; Namibia and Zimbabwe, which "feed" South Africa; former or current French colonies, and continental neighbours of France, which "feed" the French rugby establishment. See also emerging nation, minnow.
 * Fend: Hand off. Fending is the action by the ball carrier of repelling a tackler using his arm. For the action to be legal, the ball carrier's arm must be straight before contact is made; a shove,where the arm is extended immediately before contact or on contact, is illegal and classed as dangerous play.
 * Field: A commonly used synonym for pitch. To take the field, means
 * Field goal: drop goal
 * Field of play: The area between the trylines and the touchlines in which the ball can be played.
 * Fifteen: (Often seen as XV) The numbers of players in a team, often used as a shorthand
 * Fifteen-a-side: The full game of rugby union as opposed to sevens or tens.
 * Final, Finals:
 * Final whistle: Often used to refer to the end of the game, when the
 * First XV: A club's best team. Clubs often have two or three teams, or
 * First five eighth: Fly half
 * First Row:
 * Fish-hooking: A foul involving gouging of the eyes or mouth etc.
 * Fisticuffs: (Informal) fighting
 * Five metre scrum, Scrum-five: When a scrum offence is committed within
 * Five Nations, Five Nations Championship: 1) (historical) Europe, a
 * Fixture: The date, time and location of a particular match. If it is cancelled then the fixture is not played.
 * Flag: 1) A touch flag 2) American Flag Rugby, an American form of
 * [[Rugby union positions#6. Blindside flanker .26 7. Openside
 * Flick pass, flick:
 * Flip: a) Coin toss
 * Fly-hack
 * Fly half or five-eighth: Also
 * Flying kick: kicking the ball from where it
 * Fly-kick:
 * Float:
 * Football, footy, footie: 1) Traditionally used of rugby, and rugby
 * Football Club: Football Club or FC is a suffix often used by older rugby clubs to refer to
 * Footballer: A rugby player. Still in relatively common use, but in decline.
 * Forces Rugby: Rugby teams from the military, especially the army. There are forces rugby tournaments. Not all forces rugby is in the Commonwealth: the People's Liberation Army in China also plays.
 * Foreign sports: (Ireland) The GAA, an Irish nationalist sporting body deemed games of non-Irish origin such as rugby union, rugby league, soccer and cricket, as "foreign sports" or "foreign games". They were seen to be in competition with Gaelic Games in Ireland during the GAA's formative years, and also as colonial impositions. Their perceived connection with the British military in Irish nationalist circles also led to them being referred to as "Barracks Games". Some of these "foreign sports", including international rugby union were traditionally played in Lansdowne Road stadium. See also
 * Former Pupils: Former Pupils clubs, or FP, are clubs set up for the alumni of various schools. Most are now open. There is some controversy about FP clubs, as most are based around private schools, and are said to perpetuate snobbery in rugby union and hinder local development.
 * Forward:
 * Forward pass: A foul where the ball is passed to a player in front of
 * Foul, foul play: An infringement of the laws.
 * Fourth official: Someone who controls replacements and substitutes. He
 * Free or Free-in: normal means of restarting play by the
 * Free gangway: (Informal) Since professionalisation this refers to the ability of players to come from rugby league, or go to it and come back, without fear of disqualification.
 * Free-kick: Also called ''short arm
 * Friendly: A game played by invitation, not as part of an organised
 * Front five:
 * Front Row:
 * Fullback: no 15. a very
 * Full-time: the end of the match, usually marked by the referee's
 * Fumble: To lose hold of the ball.

Falcon:
 * An instance of the ball coming into contact with a person's head.
 * An instance of the ball coming into contact with a person's head.

Feed:
 * See: Loose head and feed

Feeding the scrum:
 * To roll the ball into the scrum.
 * Technically, the ball should enter the scrum via the tunnel formed by

the front row forwards of the two teams binding together, with both teams able to strike for the ball, but a relaxed application of the rule is practised. The relaxed application allows players to roll the ball more directly into their team's side of the scrum thus reducing the chances of the other team successfully striking for the ball and gaining possession of it.
 * "Feeding!" is an ironic accusation sometimes called out by spectators

of a game in response to a player taking advantage of the modern application of the rule. Fend:
 * Fending is the action by the ball carrier of repelling a tackler using

his arm, also known as a "hand off". For the action to be legal, the ball carrier's arm must be straight before contact is made; a shove or "straight-arm smash", where the arm is extended immediately before contact or on contact, is illegal and classed as dangerous play. Field of play:
 * "The area bounded by, but not including, the touch lines and goal
 * "The area bounded by, but not including, the touch lines and goal

lines". Flat:
 * A style of attacking play characterised by a lack of depth along the

line of attacking players. More of the attacking team are in close proximity to defenders. The attackers look to take advantage of weaknesses created if defenders cannot organise themselves and allocate defenders to where they are needed. Weaknesses of this style of play include risk of passes being intercepted and a lack of speed in the attacking line. Flat pass:
 * This type of pass involves the player in possession of

the ball and a team mate being level when the pass is received. The player about to receive the ball may be running past the ball-carrier aiming for a gap in the defence; with this there is a risk of committing a forward pass if the players get their timing wrong. Flop:
 * An attempt by a player not involved in the completion of a tackle to

delay the player in possession from getting to their feet quickly afterwards by falling on top of those involved. The referee can award a penalty to the attacking team when he sees this tactic. Forward pass:
 * A forward pass is deemed to have occurred when the ball travels forward
 * A forward pass is deemed to have occurred when the ball travels forward

relative to the player passing it. If the referee deems a forward pass to be accidental, this results in a scrum to the opposing team. Deliberate forward passes identified by the referee will result in the award of a penalty. It is extremely rare for a referee to deem a forward pass deliberate. If, during a non-forward pass, the ball is blown or bounces forward, it is not classed as a forward pass. Foul play:
 * A non-technical breach of the rules such as a ''[[#High Tackle|high

tackle]]''. Fullback:
 * The title of full back

(numbered 1) comes from the full back's defensive position where the player drops out of the defensive line to cover the rear from kicks and runners breaking the line. They therefore usually are good ball catchers and clinical tacklers. In attack the full back will typically make runs into the attack or support a runner in anticipation of a pass out of the tackle.

G
across the centre of the pitch when there is a breakdown in open play, such as a ruck, maul or scrum. Advancing across the gain line represents a gain in territory. Garryowen or up and under kick, is a high short punt onto or behind the defending team. See also "uglies". Presidents and Prime Ministers agreed, as part of their support for the international campaign against apartheid, to discourage contact and competition between their sportsmen and sporting organisations, teams or individuals from South Africa. With the end of apartheid this is no longer in force. through the plane bounded by the two uprights and above the crossbar. 2) drop goal or penalty goal count for 3 points and conversions count for two. 3) Goal from mark. of scoring. It occurred when a player "marked" and scored a goal from there. In the modern game, a goal cannot be scored from a free kick, but in the past the reward for scoring a "goal from mark" (which is a difficult kick to play) was three or four points. Occasionally referred to as a field goal. and play rugby league. Games]] (especially Gaelic football) to go and play rugby, or other "foreign games". Formerly frowned on, now quite common. See also ''Rule 42'' order to slow down a defender only to sprint once defender has slowed down. tournament or league, in addition to winning the competition overall. tackler attempts to impede the ball carrier by applying a chokehold-like grip. grounded by the ball carrier for a try to be allowed. It cannot be bounced off the ground as in American or Canadian football. situation that often occurs during the group stage of a tournament, where either (1) any team in the group could qualify and any team could be eliminated, or (2) more teams have a legitimate chance to advance to the next stage than allowed by the tournament structure. Typically, a group of death will see an unusual match-up of heavyweight sides, due to a quirk in the seeding system. in which the ball flies and bounces low to the ground, rather than a high one. Also mulligrubber or daisy cutter. It is a type of kick which makes the ball roll and tumble across the ground, producing irregular bounces making it hard for the defending team to pick up the ball without causing a knock-on. It gives the ball both high and low bounce and on occasions, the ball can sit up in a perfect catching position. shinguards.
 * Gainline: The gain line is an imaginary line drawn
 * Garryowen: an "up 'n' under" after the Irish club Garryowen FC. A
 * Girls, Girlies: (informal) Contemptuous term for backs, used by forwards.
 * Gleneagles Agreement: (Historical) In 1977, Commonwealth
 * Goal: A goal is scored when a player kicks the ball
 * Goal from mark: (obsolete) Goal from mark is an antiquated method
 * Goal line: Try line.
 * Goalposts:
 * Golden Oldies: A form of rugby for older players, with modified rules
 * Go north: (especially in Wales) in amateur rugby union days, this meant to go
 * Go to the "Barracks": (Ireland, informal) For a player of [[Gaelic
 * Goose Step: Change in running style from a sprint to high kicking in
 * Gorilla: (Informal) a large player, usually a forward, especially a prop.
 * Gouging: Eye gouging
 * Grand slam: This is when one of the teams beats all the others in a
 * Grapple tackle: A high tackle, usually illegal, whereby the
 * Grip:
 * Grounding: When the ball is touched to the ground. A ball has to be
 * Groundsman: A workman employed by a rugby club to insure that the pitch is well maintained. This usually involves looking after the grass on the pitch, painting lines, ensuring it is properly drained etc.
 * Group: An alternative word for a pool.
 * Group of Death: Is an informal sobriquet used in to describe a
 * Grubber |Grubber kick, grubber: A kick
 * Guard: Protective equipment such as mouthguards and
 * Guernsey: Rugby shirt.
 * Gumguard: A mouthguard.

Gain line:
 * See Advantage line

Goal:
 * A goal is scored when a player either kicks the ball through the plane
 * A goal is scored when a player either kicks the ball through the plane

bounded by the two uprights and above the crossbar. A conversion or penalty goal count for 2 points and drop goals for one. Goal line:
 * Two solid, straight white lines (one at each end) stretching across the

entire width of the pitch passing directly through the goal posts which defines the boundary between the field of play and the in-goal. As the goal line is defined as part of the in-goal, attacking players can score tries by placing the ball with downward pressure onto the goal line itself. The base of the goal posts and post protectors are also defined to be part of the goal line.
 * The goal line is often referred to as the "try line" though that term

does not appear in the Laws of the Game. Goal line drop-out:
 * Awarded when a defending player grounds the ball in his own in-goal

area, is tackled with the ball in his own in-goal area, or when a defending player plays the ball dead (into touch) behind his own goal line. The defending team must kick the ball from their own goal line and beneath the uprights to a minimum distance of ten metres.
 * Note that if a player grounds the ball on his own goal line in a

tackle, he is regarded as being in the field of play, and play continues. This is contrary to the definition of a try, where the goal line counts as the in-goal area. Golden point: Goose step: Grapple tackle:

Great Split:
 * See: 1895 Schism

Grounding:

H


shape. game. before matches. See Haka of the All Blacks half-time 2) Short for fly-half or scrum half. allows for a rest and a huddle etc. players (and the referee) to rest. At halftime, the two teams swap ends. Refreshments may be given to the players, such as oranges, water/energy drinks, and there is usually a team talk and a huddle, while the first half is evaluated. sustains an injury to this tendon. or arguing on field. carrier of repelling a tackler using his arm. For the action to be legal, the ball carrier's arm must be straight before contact is made; a shove or "straight-arm smash", where the arm is extended immediately before contact or on contact, is illegal and classed as dangerous play. was a New Zealand based organisation opposed to the racial discrimination practiced by South African rugby. where the tackler grasps the ball carrier above the line of the shoulders (most commonly around the neck or at the line of the chin and jaw).
 * H, Hs, H-posts: (Informal) Nickname for rugby goalposts owing to their
 * Hack: 1) 2) Hacking.
 * Hacking: Tripping or kicking the shins. Illegal, but part of early
 * Haka: Māori war dance performed by the All Blacks
 * Half: 1) One of the two periods into which a rugby match is divided by
 * Half-back: Scrum half
 * Half-back pairing:
 * Half break: The gap in play between the two halves of the game, which
 * Halfway line: The line dividing the two halves of the pitch.
 * Halftime, Half-Time: A break in the middle of the game, to allow the
 * Ham, Hammy: (Informal) hamstring. Generally used when a player
 * Handbags, Handbags at dawn: (Informal) Jocular term for minor fighting
 * Handling: Skill in handling the ball.
 * Handing on: (arch.) passing
 * Hand-off: Handing off (also called fend) is the action by the ball
 * Halt All Racist Tours: (Historical) Halt All Racist Tours or HART
 * Hat trick:
 * Head north: Go north.
 * Helmet:
 * High ball:
 * High tackle: A high tackle (or head-high tackle) is a form of tackle

Executed violently or at speed, a high tackle is potentially instantly lethal and, as extremely dangerous play, high tackles are a cause for penalties, and yellow or red cards. and one of the precursors of the Six Nations Championship SRU and WRU collectively number 2 shirt. The hooker is the player who is in the centre position of the front row of the scrum and who uses his/her feet to 'hook' the ball back. Due to the pressure put on the body by the scrum and the requirement to use both arms to bind to other players (and hence having no free arm to use to support or deflect bodyweight) it is considered to be one of the most dangerous positions to play. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs, partly because they are normally the shortest of the forwards, but more often because they are the most skillful of the forwards. the receiving player. Generally made in times of panic or when there is no-one else available. Called the Hospital Pass due to the high chances of the receiver going to Hospital afterward. break, which is used to discuss tactics, and psych-up.
 * High Veldt: See Veldt
 * Home: Referring to a team's own ground.
 * Home International: An international between the Home Nations.
 * Home Nations:,  and
 * Home Nations Championship: A championship between the Home Nations
 * Home Unions: The (English) RFU, IRFU,
 * Hooker: Hookers traditionally wear the
 * Hospital pass: Any pass that is made with a high risk of injury to
 * Huddle: a grouping of players on the ground at the half-time
 * Hybrid sports: Hybrid sports which involve rugby union include Samoa Rules (with Australian rules football) and Cross code (with rugby league).

Half break: Hand-off:
 * See Fend.

Handover:
 * Upon a team completing their set of tackles they are required to

surrender possession to the opposing team. Head and feed:
 * Short for loose head and feed.

Held:
 * The referee will call "held" to declare a tackle

completed if the ball-carrier is held stationary by defenders. High ball:
 * See Up and under

High kick:
 * See Up and under

High shot:
 * Another term for high tackle.

High tackle:
 * A high tackle (or head-high tackle) is a form of tackle where the

tackler grasps the ball carrier above the line of the shoulders (most commonly around the neck or at the line of the chin and jaw).
 * Executed violently or at speed, a high tackle is potentially instantly

lethal and, as extremely dangerous play, high tackles are a cause for penalties, and yellow or red cards. Hit-up:
 * Australasian term for crash ball.

Hold:
 * In competitions under some authorities, the referee will tell the

defensive line that it is too soon to advance on attackers at the play-the-ball by calling "Hold!". This call may be used by the referee as part of a sequence: "Move, hold, go".

I
does not reach the intended player. extending from each goal line to each dead ball line. formerly known as the International Rugby Football Board. Based in Dublin. ball which is being passed to another player.
 * Incomplete pass: A pass which ends up dropped, or fumbled, or which
 * Infringement:
 * In-goal (area): The in-goal or "in-goal area" is the scoring area
 * Injury time: Time which has been added to the end of the second half to compensate for time lost due to players' injuries.
 * In play: Referring to the ball, i.e. legal to play. See also dead ball
 * Inside centre:
 * Inside half: (Wales) Scrum half
 * International Rugby Board: The governing body of rugby union,
 * Interception, intercept: When a player from the opposition catches a
 * Inter-pros: (Informal) Irish inter-provincial games
 * Intervarsity: portmanteau of "Inter-university"
 * Invincibles: (Historical)
 * Islanders: The Pacific Islanders, a multinational side.

In and out:
 * A running arc made by an attacking player. Often attempted by fast

attacking players once the main line of defending players has been breached when they are left with the last player to beat. The ball-carrier arcs their run further in field, attempting to create indecision in the defender, before turning towards the corner and attempting to reach the goal line first to score a try. In-goal: Interchange:
 * Each team may make a maximum of 12 interchanges from the 13 starting
 * Each team may make a maximum of 12 interchanges from the 13 starting

players and four substitutes. A player sent from the field by the referee because they are bleeding may be replaced but should this happen the replacement will count as one of that team's allotted interchanges. Props are the most commonly interchanged players due to their frequent physical confrontations with opponents. The number of interchanges allowed may differ in local competitions.

J
mainly made up of players, but also including ones from, and play at senior level. shirt.
 * Jaguars: South American Jaguars, team
 * Jersey: Rugby shirt.
 * Jeu Anglais: French, the English game.
 * Junior: A grade of competition for players not quite good enough to
 * Jumper: 1) a player who jumps to win the ball in a lineout, 2) rugby

K
Jeremy Staunton kicks a penalty 1 Wasps Perpignan.jpg coin is tossed and the winning captain either chooses which direction his team shall play, or elects to take the kick that starts the game. Both halves of the match are started with a drop kick from the centre-point of the halfway line, sometimes using a tee. The kick must cross the opposition's 10-metre line, unless played by a member of the receiving team. The opposition are not allowed to encroach beyond the 10-metre line until the ball is kicked.
 * Kick-and-chase:
 * Kick for touch:
 * Kicking code: (Historical) The prototype of association football in contrast to proto-rugby football, which was known as the carrying code. Even so, kicking did, and continues to play a significant role in rugby.
 * Kicking tee: Small mount, often plastic used for place kicks.
 * Kick-off: The start of a game, and also the start of its second half. A

If the ball does not travel 10 metres, goes straight into touch, or goes over the dead ball line at the end of the pitch, the opposing team may accept the kick, have the ball kicked off again, or have a scrum at the centre.

After a score, the game is restarted from the same place under the same restrictions, with the conceding team drop-kicking the ball to the scoring team. However, in sevens, the scoring team kicks off. fielding kicks and running them back. for found in the islands. is when a player loses possession of the ball and goes forward off the hands or arms of a player and hits either the ground or another player. It results in a scrum with the put-in to the opposition.
 * Kick returner: a player on the receiving team who specializes in
 * Kilted Kiwi: (Informal) Facetious press term for New Zealanders capped
 * Kiwis: (Informal), named after a flightless bird
 * Knock-on, knock-forward: It is also called knock-forward. A knock-on
 * Kolpak ruling:

L


down in the rankings of a tournament or the IRB international rankings. tackle is a tackle executed on a player who has already passed or kicked away the ball. As it is illegal to tackle a player who does not have the ball, Late tackles are penalty offences (referees allow a short margin of error where the tackler was already committed to the tackle) and if severe or reckless may result in yellow or red Cards. than "rules". Often referred to as "the laws of the game" or "laws of rugby union". Sevens and Tens have slightly different rules to the full fifteen-a-side game. same level of skill 2) (informal) Rugby league as opposed to rugby union. parallel with each other between the five-metre and 15-metre lines. The hooker of the team in possession throws the ball in while his opposite number [may] stand in between the touchline and the five-metre line. (Note, from August 1st 2008 the IRB is conducting a global trial of a modification to this Law which requires the opposing player to stand no closer than 2m to the other players in the line out.) All players not involved in the lineout, except the scrum-half, must retire 10 metres.
 * Ladder: To go up the ladder, or down the ladder, means to go up and
 * Late tackle: Tackle after a player has released the ball. A late
 * Lawbook: A book of laws or rules, which governs the playing of rugby union.
 * Laws: Rules. In formal rugby usage, "Laws" is the correct term rather
 * League: 1) A set of teams, often from the same area, or at least the
 * Leg up:
 * Lelo, Lelo burti: (Georgia) A folk sport similar to rugby traditionally played in Georgia. The Georgian team is sometimes nicknamed "the Lelos" after this sport.
 * Leopards: African Leopards, a multinational team
 * Leprechaun rugby: (Ireland) mini rugby
 * Level: Become equal in score.
 * Lifting:
 * Line-out: A maximum of seven and a minimum of two forwards line up

The ball must be thrown in straight down the middle of the lineout and the hooker must not cross into the field of play while throwing in. If throw is not straight then the throw is given to opposition or a scrum.

Jumpers can be lifted by their team-mates below the waist, but the opposition's jumpers must not be obstructed, barged or pulled down. communicate intentions about a line-out within one team in a match without giving information away to the other team. The advantage in line-out comes from knowing in advance how the throw will be made. other team names too. the players wearing shirts number 4 & 5. Locks are very tall, athletic and have an excellent standing jump along with good strength. So they are the primary targets at line-outs. They also make good ball carriers, bashing holes in the defence around the ruck and maul. They also have to push in the rucks and mauls. position on the front row of the scrum. A loose head prop traditionally wears the number 1 shirt.
 * Line-out code: It is a coded piece of information, used to
 * Lions: Usually the British and Irish Lions, but found in many
 * Littleside: The team on which the 2nd XV play, or the Colts, especially in schools rugby.
 * Lock: Locks or second-row are
 * Lock horns
 * Loop:
 * Loose:
 * Loose forward:
 * Loosehead: The loose head prop is the player who takes the left hand

As the loose head has considerable potential freedom of movement compared to other front row players, the loose head can attempt to play various illegal techniques to divert the push of the opposing pack and is often able to illegally interfere with the ball in the scrum using his free arm.
 * Loosies: back row (loose forwards)
 * Lycee: (France) A term which properly means a type of secondary school, but which is preserved in the names of a few French rugby clubs. See also Former Pupils.

Late tackle:
 * A late tackle is a tackle executed on a player who has already passed

or kicked away the ball. As it is illegal to tackle a player who does not have the ball, Late tackles are penalty offences (referees allow a short margin of error where the tackler was already committed to the tackle) and if severe or reckless may result in yellow or red cards.
 * If a late tackle occurs after a kick and a penalty is awarded, the

non-offending team has the option of taking the penalty where the ball landed. Loose carry:
 * A referee may decide that an attacking player did not sufficiently

protect their possession of the ball as they came into contact with defenders; this is termed a loose carry. This interpretation allows a referee to decide if they think the attacking player committed a knock-on or whether the defenders stripped the ball with intent. Loose forward:
 * The loose forward (numbered

13) is the only forward in the third (last) row of the scrum. They are usually one of the fittest players on the field, covering the entire field on both attacking and defending duties. Typically they are big ball-runners who can occasionally slot in as a passing link or kick option; it is not uncommon for loose forwards to have the skills of a five eighth and to play a similar role in the team. Loose head and feed:
 * A team awarded a scrum due to a mistake by the opposing

team is given the loose head and feed of that scrum. The "loose head" means that the prop closest to the player who will feed the scrum (put the ball in) will be a team mate.
 * In the era of fully contested scrums the loose head prop was able to

exert influence on the outcome of the scrum by protecting the ball, moving the scrum etc.

.

M
Mark'''
 * Man: A player, see also opposite man. For obvious reasons, used in male rugby.
 * Man of the Match: The single player considered to have performed best during the game out of both teams.
 * Māori: Someone who has played for the NZ Maori, a team representing native New Zealanders. Cook Islanders are also technically Māori, but their national team is not referred to as such.
 * Margin of victory: the total difference in points in a game, expressed as possessed by the winning team.
 * Mark: 1) 2) To keep a watch and follow your number on the opposite team.

A mark is the place where the game will restart after a stoppage, such as where a scrum-offence or penalty offence occurred, or on the touchline where the ball went out of play (or where the ball was kicked in the case of ball-back). Marks are generally defined by the referee, or the touch judge when the ball leaves play by the touchline.

Marks can also be defined by a defending players who execute a clean catch (catch the ball before it bounces or touches another player) of a ball kicked by an attacking player if the defender is standing within his/her own 22 metre zone or in-goal. To "call a mark", the player shouts "Mark!" as he/she catches the ball. The referee then awards that player a free kick which must be taken by that specific player. (If for whatever reason, that player cannot take the kick, a scrum is awarded instead.) If the player is simply a poor kicker he/she is likely to take a 'Tap Kick' and immediately pass the ball to the fly-half or full back who will generally deliver a clearance kick.

Marks can be called when the ball is cleanly caught following a kick by the opposition for any type of kick except a kick off or restart after a score. It is legal, though very unusual, to call a mark from a clean catch of a Penalty Kick.
 * Mascot:
 * Match:
 * Maul: When a ball carrier is held up (without being tackled) by both an opposing player and a player from his own team, a maul is then considered formed.

The offside line becomes the last foot of the last man on each side of the maul. Players can only join in from behind that team-mate. Anyone who comes in from the sides will be penalised by the referee. Hands are allowed to be used in the maul. If either team deliberately collapses the maul then that side will be penalised by the referee. (Note that from August 1st 2008, the IRB is conducting a global trial of a modification of this Law which will allow players to deliberately collapse a maul providing the collapse is achieved buy pulling from above the waist.)

If the ball does not come out in a timely fashion, the referee will award a scrum to the team that did not take the ball into the maul.

Mauls can only exist in the field of play. Play that looks like a maul can exist within the in-goal but restrictions on entry to the maul and the need to bind on to a team member do not apply. line. children. It differs substantially from normal rugby. Also known as "dragon rugby" etc Often used in relation to the Rugby World Cup (after the small fish of the same name). See also feeder nation, emerging nation mulligrubber is directed towards the ground and forced to bounce. Often used in situations where either the ball needs to be placed in a specific position (i.e. on the try line) or to intentionally stop the opponent from being able to catch the ball on the full. also a film of the same title.
 * Meke: A Polynesian war dance performed by teams from the region.
 * Midfield: Generally the area between the 22 lines, near the centre
 * Midi rugby:
 * Mini, mini rugby: A form of rugby developed to coach young
 * Minnow: A minor team, often from a country with a small player base.
 * Miss move, mismove:
 * Mouthguard:
 * Mudbath: A badly maintained pitch, particularly if waterlogged, or with not much turf left on it. Much commoner, of course, in amateur and schools rugby than in the higher levels of the game.
 * Mulligrubber: The mulligrubber kick is a style of kicking. A
 * Murderball: (Informal) Slightly derogatory name for quad rugby,

Mark:
 * The mark is the place on the field where the referee awards a penalty

kick, free kick or scrum. Marker:
 * The defending team may position up to two of their players, known as

"marker(s)" at the play-the-ball opposite the tackled player and the dummy-half from the attacking team.

N
and which is awarded a penalty as compensation. France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and occasionally Italy. Most rugby playing nations are in the Northern Hemisphere, including Japan, Canada, the USA and the other European nations. and that there is no time to score. position that is usually known only by the shirt number. Number Eights must have a good tactical awareness in order to coordinate scrums and ruck moves with the scrum-half. If the ball is at his feet at the back of a scrum, ruck or maul, it is normally the number eight's decision whether to pass the ball out or drive the breakdown on in order to make ground.
 * Nasal strip: Accessory which was fashionable during the 1990s. It was believed (questionably) to improve the player's oxygen intake and thus performance. It was originally invented to stop snoring.
 * New Image rugby: Mini rugby
 * Ninety Nine Call, 99:
 * Non-offending team: The team which has not committed a given foul,
 * North America: Or "NAm". Often used incorrectly in rugby circles to refer to Canadian and USA rugby exclusively. Almost every North American nation has some rugby presence, although it is somewhat minor in some cases.
 * Northern Hemisphere: This is usually used as shorthand for England,
 * Northern Union:
 * No time: Referring to the fact that the game is over, or almost over,
 * Number 8: the only

O


before he reaches the ground, usually by turning to face a team-mate and tossing the ball into the air for a team-mate to catch. forward of the relevant offside line i.e. between the relevant offside line and the opposing team's dead ball line.
 * Obstruction:
 * Offence: 1) Attacking play. 2) A foul, or infringement of the rules.
 * Offending team/player: The team or player which has committed a foul
 * Offensive team: Attacking team
 * Off-load, off-load pass: A short pass made by a player being tackled
 * Offside: A player is offside when he/she is

In a match, most players will be offside several times but they only become liable for penalty if they do not act to attempt to become onside (which generally means retreat downfield) or attempt to interfere with play.

In open play, only the ball carrier's team (or the team that last carried or deliberately touched the ball) is bound by offside - the offside line for them is the ball. (Note every player who passes the ball backwards is offside and must attempt to retire.) people running rugby, who are thought to be old, or behind the times. Famously used by Will Carling. Rugbeian. relevant offside line for the particular phase of play. Players who are onside take an active part in playing the game.
 * Old Enemy: Anglicised spelling of Auld Enemy
 * Old Farts: (Informal) A contemptuous term for blazers or other
 * Old Rugbeian: Someone who went to Rugby School, see also
 * Onside, on side: A player is onside whenever he or she is behind the

Previously offside players may be "put onside" by the actions of other players (for example, in a kick ahead in open play, players in the kicker's team in front of the kick are offside but can be put onside by the kicker or any other team member who was onside at the time of the kick running up the pitch past them). So that players can be confident they are now onside and can take an active part in the game, the referee may shout "Onside" or "All Onside". inside the field of play it is termed as ball is kicked into touch on the full. breakdown in play. The openside flanker is expected to cover the opposing team openside at scrum and breakdown. It is the opposite of blindside. opposing team. Cambridge, in relation to their rugby clubs. Used often outside rugby contexts as well.
 * On the full: If the ball is kicked into touch without first bouncing
 * On the road: (informal) On tour
 * Open: 1) The "open game" means the professionalised form of rugby union 2) Some older rugby clubs were exclusively for former pupils of particular schools. When they dropped this exclusion and let other players in, they were considered "open". Many, if not most, clubs are now open from the beginning.
 * Openside: The broad side of the pitch in relation to a scrum or a
 * Opposite man: Used to refer to the player in the same position on the
 * Originals: (Historical)
 * Oxbridge: (England) portmanteau of Oxford and
 * Out half: (Ireland) Fly half
 * Out of bounds:
 * Outside half: Fly half
 * Outside centre:
 * Oval: A rugby ground, which is also, or was formerly used for, playing cricket.

Obstruction:
 * Impeding any opponent who does not have the ball by tackling them or

obstructing them. The referee will penalise a player obstructing an opponent. A player is not required to move out of the path of another to prevent an obstruction. If two players from opposing teams are running in the same direction towards a loose ball they are permitted to shoulder charge their opponent. Offload:
 * An offload is when a player holding the ball is tackled, but passes the

ball to a team mate before the tackle is completed. (A tackle is not considered complete until one of the following occurs: the arm carrying the ball touches the ground while the player is still held by the tackler; the player's forward momentum stops - in other words, he stops moving forward - while still being held by the tackler; or the referee calls "held".) If a player passes the ball legally during a tackle - in other words, if he offloads the ball - it does not count as a tackle in his team's current set of six, and play continues normally. Offside:
 * A player is considered temporarily out of play if they are offside and
 * A player is considered temporarily out of play if they are offside and

they might be penalised if they join the game inappropriately.
 * A player is offside when they are forward of the relevant offside line

i.e. between the relevant offside line and the opposing team's dead ball line.
 * In a match, most players will be offside several times but they only

become liable for penalty if they do not act to attempt to become onside (which generally means retreat downfield) or attempt to interfere with play.
 * In open play, only the ball carrier's team (or the team that last

carried or deliberately touched the ball) is bound by offside - the offside line for them is the ball. (Note every player who passes the ball backwards is offside and must attempt to retire.) One-on-one tackle:
 * One-on-one tackle is a colloquial phrase used to refer to a phase of
 * One-on-one tackle is a colloquial phrase used to refer to a phase of

play in rugby league in which a single defender attempts to tackle the ball carrier. Onside:
 * A player is onside whenever he or she is behind the relevant offside

line for the particular phase of play. Players who are onside take an active part in playing the game.
 * Previously offside players may be "put onside" by the actions of other

players (for example, in a kick ahead in open play, players in the kicker's team in front of the kick are offside but can be put onside by the kicker or any other team member who was onside at the time of the kick running up the pitch past them). So that players can be confident they are now onside and can take an active part in the game, the referee may shout "Onside" or "All onside". On the full:
 * If the ball is kicked into touch without first bouncing

inside the field of play it is referred to as the ball being kicked into touch on the full.
 * A player catching the ball after a kick before it bounces has caught it

on the full. Openside:
 * The broad side of the pitch in relation to a scrum or a

play-the-ball. Optional kick:
 * The optional kick is the instrument used to bring the ball back into

play. The team taking the kick may kick the ball in any way and in any direction. Except in cases of a penalty kick being taken, an optional kick is taken from the centre of the 20m line if the attacking team are the last to touch the ball before it goes over the dead ball line or touch in-goal line. An optional kick will also be awarded if an "attacking player infringes in the in-goal area" or if a defending player catches a kick in general play on the full while in their in-goal.

P
the captain of the team. during the Fascist period to play down rugby's English connections. rugby grounds, e.g. Ellis Park, Parc y Scarlets and Parc des Princes team. A pass is to transfer a ball to a teammate by throwing it. Passes in rugby must not travel forwards. There are different varieties of pass, including the flat, direct spin pass; the short, close-quarters pop pass; and the floated pass - a long pass which an advancing player can run onto at pace. Penalties are awarded for serious infringements like dangerous play, offside and handling the ball on the ground in a ruck. Penalties are signalled by the referee with a straight arm raised in the air. Players can also receive red and yellow cards, as in Association football.
 * Pacific: This term is used variously to describe Oceania, i.e. mainly the South Sea Island nations of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji, the local superpowers Australia and New Zealand. It can also be extended to include rugby in East Asia, especially in Japan, and Canada and the USA. There are many other rugby playing nations in this region, that are not necessarily covered by the term. Sometimes it appears in combination, i.e. Asia-Pacific.
 * Pacific Championship:
 * Pack: A collective term for the forwards
 * Pack down:
 * Pack leader: The leader of the forwards, sometimes, but not always
 * Palla ovale: (Italian) "Round ball", a term adopted in Italy
 * Palm off: Hand off
 * Park, Parc (French & Welsh): a common element in the names of
 * Park keeper: A groundsman.
 * Pass: To throw the ball to another player on your
 * Pause: Crouch, pause, engage
 * Penalty:

The offending team must retire 10 metres (or to their goal line if closer) for both penalties and free kicks. A team can either kick for goal, tap and run the ball, take a scrum or kick directly into touch with the resulting line-out awarded to them. opposition can take the option of a place kick at goal from where the infringement occurred (or, if the offence occurred when a player was in the process of kicking the ball, the non-offending team can opt to take the kick from where the ball landed which may be more advantageous). This is called a penalty kick. If successful, it is worth three points.
 * Penalty box: Sin bin
 * Penalty kick: If a side commits a penalty infringement the
 * Penalty try:

A penalty try awarded if the referee believes a team illegally prevented a try from probably being scored. Penalty tries are always awarded under the posts regardless of where the offence took place. (This gives the non-offending team the opportunity for the easiest possible conversion kick meaning that a penalty try is generally a certain 7 points for the non-offending team.) example, first phase would be winning the ball at the lineout and passing to a centre who is tackled. Second phase would be winning the ball back from the ensuing breakdown and attacking again. turf. kicking for goal. It typically involves placing the ball on the ground. To keep the ball in position, a mound of sand or plastic kicking tee is sometimes used. goals'' all have different point values. and/or a role filled by that player. These are usually assigned numbers. of obtaining the ball.. 2) The amount of time each team spends in control of the ball. foul is a deliberate act of foul play, usually to prevent an opponent scoring. prop|Prop]]''', prop forward
 * Phase: A phase is the time a ball is in play between breakdowns. For
 * Physio: (informal) physiotherapist
 * Pill: (Informal) Southern Hemisphere nickname for a rugby ball.
 * Ping: (Informal) To penanalise a player or team for fouling.
 * Pitch: a field used specifically for playing rugby. Covered in grass
 * Place kick: The place kick is a kicking style commonly used when
 * Plate:
 * Player base: The number of rugby players registered with a local rugby union.
 * Playing field: pitch
 * Point: the basic scoring unit. Tries, conversions and ''drop
 * Poms, Pommies: (Australia, informal) nickname for or English teams.
 * Pool: 1) A group of teams in the Rugby World Cup, who play against each other in the first rounds. The winning team, and occasionally the second best team, then qualify to play in the quarter finals, and the other teams drop out of the competition. 2) The players available to a team's squad, and/or the player base.
 * Pop pass:
 * Position: a place in which a player plays relative to teammates,
 * Possession: 1) The state of being in control of the ball, or the act
 * Posts:
 * Pro: (informal) 1) Professional, 2) Province
 * Professional foul: A professional
 * Promotion: Going up to a higher division.
 * [[Rugby union positions#1. Loosehead prop & 3. Tighthead

They are the players wearing shirts number 1 & 3. The role of both the props is to support the hooker in the scrum and to provide support for the jumpers in the line-out. The props provide the main power in the push forward in the scrum. For this reason they need to be exceptionally big and strong. for the game, sometimes used in the huddle. Pronounced "sike up". lineout.
 * Provinces:
 * Psych, psych-up: (informal) technique(s) used to get the players in mood
 * Puk Puks: (Informal)
 * Pumas: (Informal)
 * punt, punt kick:
 * Pushover try:
 * Put in: 1) feeding the scrum 2) Throwing the ball into a


 * To form a scrum.

Pass: the hands of the person passing. There are different varieties of pass, including the flat, direct spin pass; the short, close-quarters pop pass; and the floated pass - a long pass which an advancing player can run onto at pace. Pattern: Penalty kick:
 * A pass is to transfer a ball to a teammate by throwing it. Passes must not travel forward in direction from
 * If a side commits a penalty infringement the

opposition can take the option of a place kick at goal from where the infringement occurred. This is called a penalty kick. If successful, it is worth two points. Penalty try:
 * A penalty try awarded if the referee believes a team illegally prevents
 * A penalty try awarded if the referee believes a team illegally prevents

a probable try from being scored. Penalty tries are always awarded under the posts regardless of where the offence took place. Place kick:

Q

 * Quad rugby: A game developed for wheelchair players, and only remotely related to rugby proper, also known as "Murderball". Short for Quadruplegic rugby.
 * Quaich: (Scotland) trophy in the form of traditional Scottish drinking vessel from the Scottish Gaelic cuach meaning a cup, e.g. Centenary Quaich, which celebrates Scotland and Ireland's common Gaelic heritage.
 * Quickie: A quick pass or set piece executed quickly.

R
apartheid era South Africa, when bans were in place. serious foul, or who has been shown a second yellow card. In International matches, Red cards are shown to players who have been ordered off, which results in the player being removed from the game without being replaced. Players are usually ordered off for serious foul play, for violent conduct or for committing two offences resulting in cautions (yellow cards).
 * Raking: 1) Deliberately raking one's studs over a player.
 * Rebel, Rebel Tour: Tours or players who undertook games against
 * Recycle:
 * Red card: Card shown to a player who has been sent off for committing a

Red cards are also commonly used in non-international matches in precisely the same manner as in International matches but there is no regulation requiring their use. (i.e. in a domestic match, a referee may dismiss a player without actually displaying a red card.)

its own side. Now represented by (Northern Rhodesia) and (Southern Rhodesia). promise. kicking used for kicking penalties and converting tries. A ruck is formed when the ball is on the ground and two opposing players meet over the ball. The offside line becomes the last foot of the last man on each side of the ruck and players compete for the ball by attempting to drive one another from the area and to 'ruck' the ball backwards with their feet.
 * Ref: (informal) Referee
 * Referee:
 * Relegation: Going down to a lower division.
 * Repechage:
 * Restart:
 * Rest of Africa: Sometimes used to refer to rugby union in Africa outside South Africa. Nearly all African nations have some rugby presence. Teams which have qualified for the Rugby World Cup in the "Rest of Africa" include, and . Kenya has also been successful in international rugby sevens. Some countries in the "Rest of Africa" have also provided international caps for other nations.
 * Rest of Europe: Sometimes used to refer to rugby union outside France and the British Isles, and sometimes including Italy. Nearly all European nations have some rugby presence, in many cases nations in the "Rest of Europe" have rugby histories dating back to the nineteenth century, and sometimes earlier than the Big EIght. Teams which have qualified for the Rugby World Cup in the "Rest of Europe" include, , and . FIRA has played a significant role in spreading rugby in Continental Europe, as have rugby tours by club sides.
 * Reverse pass:
 * Rhodesia: Former British colony in southern Africa, which used to have
 * Rhodie: Player from Rhodesia.
 * Rising star: a young player who is thought to be showing great
 * Road game: (USA & Canada) An away game.
 * Roadie: (Informal) A Rhodesian player.
 * Rolling Maul:
 * Round the corner kicking: Round the corner kicking is a style of
 * Rover:
 * Ruck:

Rucks commonly form at tackles, but can form anywhere in the field of play where the ball is on the ground.

Handling the ball while it is in the vicinity of a ruck is a penalty offence. (Though modern practice allows a player on the ground to support the ball with his/her hands and for the player who is acting as scrum half to 'dig' for the ball once possession has been secured.)

If the ball does not come out of a ruck after about five seconds, the referee will award a scrum to the team he considers to have been moving forward in the ruck. rugby. Often used in contempt of the person involved, sometimes with undertones of snobbery. See also rugger 2. of Gaelic Games terminology#F|foreign sports]] (including rugby union) being played on GAA-controlled property. See List of non-Gaelic games played in Croke Park for exceptions to this rule. In recent years, this has been relaxed to allow rugby internationals to be played in Croke Park etc. See also Foreign Sports, Barracks Games.
 * Rug, rugs: (Informal, often USA) See rugger
 * Rugbeian: 1) Someone who attended Rugby School, an old Rugbeian 2) An obsolete adjective related to the game of rugby, e.g. "the Rugbeian code".
 * Rugby a XV: (French) Rugby union, as opposed to rugby a XIII (rugby league) or even rugby a VII (sevens)
 * Rugby fives: despite its name, this is a form of handball, and not connected to rugby union, or league.
 * Rugby football: 1) A formal name for rugby, which can refer to either rugby union or rugby league, or sometimes both codes. It is also sometimes used to refer to the game before the Split. 2) (Canada) This term was historically used for Canadian football, and rugby union is distinguished from it by known as “English rugger”.
 * Rugby sevens: Sevens
 * Rugby tens: Tens
 * Rugger: 1) (Informal) An old nickname for rugby, which was once popular, but is now in decline. 2) (Informal, esp. USA) A rugger can refer to rugby players and also the fans themselves. 3) (Canada) An old name for Canadian football; rugby union was sometimes referred to as “English rugger” to distinguish it from this.
 * Rugger bugger: (Vulgar) Someone who is obsessed with, or who plays
 * Rug off: (Informal, regional) Kick off. Mostly an American usage.
 * Rulebook: Lawbook
 * Rules: Laws. Rugby union properly has "Laws" rather than "rules", but it is not infrequent to hear the term used informally in rugby circles.
 * Rule 42: A rule in the GAA's Official Guide which prevents [[List
 * Runout: At beginning of game.

Red zone (obsolete):
 * In the past, in some competitions, the area between each ''[[#Goal

line|goal line]]'' and their respective 20 metre lines was referred to as the "red zone" and was marked using red lines. Ref's call:
 * The decision over awarding a possible try having been referred to the

video referee for examination may be passed back to the referee on the pitch to make the decision if the video is inconclusive. This rule is not used in the Northern Hemisphere. Round the corner kicking:
 * Round the corner kicking is a style of kicking used for kicking
 * Round the corner kicking is a style of kicking used for kicking

penalties and converting tries. Ruck:
 * The ruck is located between the player playing-the-ball and the

defending marker. The ruck exists during the time between a tackle being completed and the subsequent play-the-ball being completed. The ball cannot be interfered with by the marker whilst it is in the ruck, otherwise a penalty will be issued against that player's team. A penalty is also issued against the attacking team if the player responsible for playing-the-ball, does not play it correctly.

can release the ball.
 * Running play: fluid play not involving many rucks or mauls etc.
 * Rush: To charge at a player in attempt to get to them before they

S


abbreviated to scrum. The term is retained in American football. together and push against each other. The scrum-half from the team that has been awarded possession feeds the ball into the centre of the scrum from the side most advantageous for his hooker (which is typically the side of loose head prop).
 * Samoa Rules, Samoan Rules: A hybrid of rugby union and Australian rules football, using a rugby pitch.
 * Schism, the: The historic split between rugby union and rugby league.
 * Scissors:
 * Scouts: People who watch games to take players for other teams. In the old days this was common used for people who tried to recruit for rugby league.
 * Scrimmage: (historical, obsolete) An old form of scrummage, now
 * Scrum: The eight forwards from each team bind

The ball must be fed straight down the middle of the tunnel and the hookers must not contest for the ball until it is put in. If they do, a free-kick is awarded for "foot up".

The scrum is taken again if the ball comes straight out of the tunnel or if it collapses. If the scrum wheels (rotates) due to pushing more than 90 degrees the scrum is reformed and awarded to the other side. Pulling in an attempt to unbalance the other side or to assist in rotating the scrum is a Penalty Offence. protect the ears and hair.
 * Scrum cap: An item of headgear, mostly worn by forwards, which helps
 * Scrum down:
 * Scrum-five: Five metre scrum, Scrum-five
 * Scrum half:

Also known as a half-back, they are the players traditionally wearing shirt number 9. Scrum halves form the all-important link between the forwards and the backs. They are relatively small but with a high degree of vision, the ability to react to situations very quickly, and good handling skills.

They are often the first tackler in defence and are behind every scrum, maul or ruck to get the ball out and maintain movement. They put the ball into the scrum and collect it afterwards. Scrum Halves generally also act as "receiver" in the line-out to catch the ball knocked down by the forwards. (The receiver is a member of the line out and so stands within 10 metres of it and may join the line once the ball is thrown.)

to the term scrimmage used in Gridiron. game, and local climate, seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, this often runs from autumn until spring (i.e. overlapping two years), in some countries such as those in the Southern Hemisphere it runs during the middle of the year. Second XV, but Third XVs are less common, and Fouth and Fifth XVs even rarer. these, as well as a manager. "sham" and "amateur", in pre-professional days, players who were ostensibly amateur, but were being paid to play rugby in secret. Various regions of the world were accused of this, as were police and military rugby teams. players involved in the tackle.
 * Scrum half pass:
 * Scrummage: An old fashioned name for the scrum, which is related
 * Season: a year of competition. Because of the global dispersal of the
 * Second XV: The second best team a club puts out. Many clubs have a
 * Second five eighth: inside centre (position)
 * Second row:
 * See you later: (Australia, informal) Stiff-arm fend
 * Selection: The players chosen for any given match.
 * Selector: A person who helps pick a team. Usually a team has two of
 * Selling a dummy: When a dummy fools the opposition team.
 * Send off, sending off: Dismissal of a player from the pitch after the referee shows an offending player a yellow card (sin binning or temporary send off) or a red card (permanent for rest of game). This is not to be confused with a player being taken off which is when they leave the pitch honorably due to injury or substitution.
 * Senior: The highest grade which a player can play at, not limited by age or ability.
 * Sent off: See Sent off
 * Set piece: Set pieces are forms of play in rugby which are dictated by set rules. Set pieces include: scrums, line outs, conversions and penalties.
 * Sevens, Seven-a-Side: Rugby sevens, a variety of rugby invented in Melrose, Scotland. It has seven players on each team, and shorter halves. It is now an Olympic sport in its own right.
 * Shamateur(ism): (historical) portmanteau of
 * Shellacking: (Informal) To be beaten by a wide margin. See also drubbing
 * Shield: 2) Ranfurly Shield
 * Shirt: An alternative term for the jersey.
 * Shin guard:
 * Shoeing: At the breakdown a ruck commonly forms over the

Where players who are on the ground on the opposition side of the ruck do not move away quickly enough, players on their feet may be tempted to "help" them move by pushing them away with their boots.

This potentially dangerous act is illegal and if done deliberately (or recklessly) may result in penalties and yellow or red cards. to the sidelines used to be a synonym for being replaced or sent off with an injury.
 * Short arm penalty: free kick
 * Short game: rugby sevens
 * Shot: An attempt at a drop goal or conversion.
 * Shoulder charge:
 * Sidelines: One of the lines marking each side of the pitch. To be sent
 * Sidestep: When a ball carrier dodges a tackle or opposition player.
 * Sike: (Informal) Phonetic spelling of psych
 * Silver Ferns: Nickname for NZ women.
 * Sin bin:

The notional area where a player must remain for a minimum of ten minutes after being shown a yellow card. In high level games, the sin bin is monitored by the fourth official. matches See also Haka, Sipi tau. England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France and Italy. Preceded by the Five Nations, which did not include Italy. off at an angle to fool the opposition. See also scissors subzero temperatures internationally. from other forms of football including rugby union. Appears to have been influenced by rugby's own nickname of "rugger". See also kicking code. Zealand and South Africa, or for something occuring there. Increasingly refers to Argentina as well. Many other rugby playing nations are in the Southern Hemisphere, but are not usually referred to as such. Pacific island nations play some form of rugby. opposition player. It is highly dangerous and may lead to serious injury. Spear tackle'''
 * Sipi tau: Kailao (war dance) performed by before
 * Siva tau: War dance performed by before matches.
 * Six Nations: A European tournament between the national teams of
 * Skipper: (Informal) Team Captain
 * Slant: When a player carrying the ball runs straight and then veers
 * Slashing: Raking
 * Snow rugby: Various forms of rugby adapted for play in cold, or
 * Soccer: A name adopted for association football to distinguish it
 * Southern Hemisphere: Often used as short hand for Australia, New
 * South Seas, South Sea: Usually Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, although most
 * South West Africa: Present day before independence. The country was a South African client state, and often competed in the Currie Cup as a provincial side.
 * Spear tackle: An illegal tackle made by upending the

A spear tackle is a dangerous tackle in which a player is picked up by the tackler and turned so that they are upside down. The tackler then drops or drives the player into the ground often head,neck or shoulder first.

Spear tackles are particularly dangerous and have caused serious injury including spinal damage, dislocations and broken bones in the shoulder or neck. On rare occasion, even death can occur.

Spear tackles are taken very seriously by the various Union discipline committees and can result in lengthy playing bans. 1895. conditions, particularly cold winters. Canadian and Russian rugby have often played split seasons, to allow the ground to thaw out. team names, e.g. Stade Français Flaminio]]
 * Spill:
 * Spiral Pass:
 * Split, The Split: The schism between rugby league and rugby union in
 * Split season: A season which is divided to allow for local weather
 * Squad: The team (and reserves) selected for a particular game.
 * Stade: French for stadium, also used in some
 * Stadio: Italian for stadium, e.g. [[Stadio
 * Stalling
 * Stand off/Stand off half: Fly half
 * State of Origin:
 * Stellenbosch Laws:

The Stellenbosch Laws were a set of experimental laws of rugby union considered by the International Rugby Board (IRB) from 2006 through 2008. The trials ended in late 2008, with the IRB choosing to adopt roughly half of the proposed changes. jersey 2) Nasal strip the turf when running, rucking or mauling etc. They are often checked before games for safety. Raking and stamping are two fouls which involve misuse of studs. Early studs were nailed onto the sole of the boot, but more recent ones tend to be screwed on, or moulded on. able to assist a team mate. Effective support play is considered vital to quickly take advantage of opportunities to make ground towards the opponents' end of the field or to score. union for serious infringements.
 * Steepling: Kicking a ball high.
 * Stiff-arm, Stiff-arm fend:
 * Stoppage, stoppage time: Injury time.
 * Straight-arm, Straight arm fend: Stiff-arm fend
 * Straight red: a red card
 * Strip: 1) The clothes that a particular team wears, particularly the
 * Studs: Protrusions on the bottom of a rugby boot, which help to grip
 * Sub, Substitute: An alternative term for replacement
 * Super 12:
 * Support: Players in support are putting themselves in a position to be
 * Suspension: the temporary barring of a player from professional rugby
 * Sweeper: Full back
 * Syke: (Informal) Phonetic spelling of psych

Schism:
 * The term refers to the various splits in rugby football leading to the
 * The term refers to the various splits in rugby football leading to the

development of rugby league football. England]], also known as the Great Split, occurred when, following a meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, the Northern Rugby Football Union was formed by clubs breaking away from the rugby union establishment. and began a tour of Australia and Great Britain, risking sanctions such as bans from the New Zealand Rugby Union. The tour played a large role in establishing rugby league in both Australia and New Zealand and also gave birth to international rugby league. The first game of rugby league played on New Zealand soil was an exhibition by the tourists on their return in 1908. Football League]] was formed in a meeting at Bateman's Crystal Hotel in Sydney just five days before they were due to receive the touring New Zealanders. Players were recruited immediately to the new sport an a schism of rugby football in Australia resulted. Scissors move:
 * 1) In 1895, [[History of rugby league#The schism in England|the schism in
 * 1) In 1907, a group of New Zealand rugby footballers in secret organised
 * 1) In 1907, the [[New South Wales Rugby League|New South Wales Rugby
 * An attempt to cause a disruption and breach in the defence of the

opposing team. The attacking player carrying the ball forward will veer at an angle to their left or right, often drawing with them the defender covering them and sometimes engaging another defender by running towards them. A team mate of the ball carrier will run across and forward in the other direction just behind the ball carrier, receiving a pass as they cross and then running on towards the point of the disruption in the defence. Scrum:

Scrum-half:
 * The scrum half or 'half back'

(numbered 7) is the player who directs the game and is usually one of the smaller players on the pitch. The scrum half, along with the stand off together form the "creative unit" of the team. They will control the attack, deciding with their passes how the team attacks and if, when and where the ball is kicked. This player is also responsible for making sure all the other players are in the right position for an attacking move. Second effort:
 * A attempt by a defending player who has made a tackle on an attacker to

delay the play-the-ball by interfering with the tackled player's attempt to regain their feet. The referee will penalise the attempt if seen. Second row:
 * The second row forwards

(numbered 11 and 12) The modern day second row is very similar to a centre and is expected to be faster, more mobile and have more skills than the prop and will play amongst the three-quarters, providing strength in attack and defence when the ball is passed out to the wings. Good second-rowers combine the skills and responsibilities of props and centres in the course of the game. See you later:
 * A phrase sometimes used in commentary to refer to a hand-off or

fend. Shape:
 * Refers to the positioning of players. Most often used when talking

about the positioning of attacking players when they are supporting the ball-carrier after a break. "Good shape" will usually mean the support players have succeeded in positioning themselves to either side of the player running with the ball to offer offensive passing options. Short side:
 * The side of the ''play-the-ball which has the

shorter distance to the touch line. Shoulder charge: one another. with the ball. This may be used by a player rather than a tackle. A shoulder charge is most commonly used by forwards in an attempt to establish dominance over the opposing team's forwards. Show and go:
 * 1) Two players running side by side for a loose ball may shoulder change
 * 1) A direct physical challenge by a defending player against the player
 * The show: the player in possession of the ball will attack the

defensive line with a stance and holding the ball in front of them in a way so as to create the impression that a pass to a team mate is likely to occur. The defenders may be unwilling to commit themselves to tackling the ball-carrier as to do so would could create an exploitable gap in the line should a pass be made.
 * The go: with indecision created in the defence, the ball carrier will

sprint for a weak point in the defensive line. Sidestep:
 * An attempt to evade defenders by the attacking player carrying the

ball. By stepping to the side, the attacking player is testing the reactions of defenders and hoping gain time and space to advance the ball.

Sliding defence:
 * The sliding defence

requires that gaps are left at either edge of the field at the end of the defensive line, which aims to squeeze more players around the area of play. This allows the line to be at its strongest around the position of play, thus leaving the attacking side less opportunity to run through the line. Should the attacking side move the ball towards one edge of the field in an attempt to go around the defensive line, then the entire defensive line will move in that direction; this is known as sliding. Stand-off:
 * Springboks:
 * The stand off or '5/8th' (numbered

6) is often the most skilful player and main tactical kicker in the game (usually this role -'playmaker' - is either the scrum half or stand off depending on the coach's preferences). In interaction between the 'playmaker' positions (scrum half, stand off, loose forward and hooker), the stand off will usually be involved in most passing moves.

Stiff-arm fend:
 * Fending is the action by the ball carrier of repelling a tackler using
 * Fending is the action by the ball carrier of repelling a tackler using

his arm. For the action to be legal, the ball carrier's arm must be straight before contact is made; a shove or "straight-arm smash", where the arm is extended immediately before contact or on contact, is illegal and classed as dangerous play. Swinging arm:
 * Defending players may be penalised by the referee if they are caught

using a swinging arm against the ball-carrier in the tackle.

T
Dragons vs Leinster welsh try Celtic League 9 may 2008.jpg


 * Table rugby:
 * Tackle:

A tackle takes place when one or more opposition players [tackler(s)] grasp onto the ball carrier and succeed in bringing him/her to ground and holding them there.

Once briefly held, the tackler(s) must release the tackled player who must then him/herself immediately release or attempt to pass the ball so that play can continue. ruck, or slip through a tackle. free kicks to meet the regulation that requires the ball must be kicked a visible distance before a player may pass or run with it.
 * Tackle bust: (Informal) To break through opposition defence or a
 * Tag Rugby: American Flag Rugby
 * Take:
 * Taken off: To leave the pitch. This is in contrast to being sent off which is penalisation for bad behaviour. If you are taken off, it is for injury or substitution.
 * Tape:
 * Tap kick: A tap kick is a type of kick used by players at penalties or

In a tap kick, the player momentarily releases the ball from his hands and taps it with his foot or lower leg and then quickly catches it again. The player will then generally try to run forward with the ball. Despite its name, a tap tackle is a not actually a tackle as the ball carrier is brought to ground by a form of trip, is not actually held on the ground and may attempt to get up and continue to run. A tap tackle is used when a defending player is unable to get close enough to the ball carrier but is able to dive at the other player's feet and, with outstretched arm, deliver a tap or hook to the player's foot (or feet) causing the player to stumble. At speed, this will often be sufficient to bring the ball-carrier down, allowing a team-mate of the tackling player to retrieve the ball or provide sufficient delay for the defending team to organise a defence. high level games, and internationals, the referee will often confer with TMOs on possible tries, fouls etc, which he could not see clearly. The TMOs use film footage from different angles to try and come up with a fair decision. Ten Metre Law: The Ten Metre Law is a form of offside which is designed to prevent injury to a defending player who attempts to catch a ball that has been kicked ahead by the attacking side.
 * Tap penalty:
 * Tap tackle: Ankle tap,
 * Tee: Kicking tee
 * Television match official (TMO): Also known as "video referee". In
 * Temporary suspension: see yellow card and sin bin
 * Ten man rugby:

In the normal Law of Offside in open play, it is possible for an offside player to be put onside by actions of the opposing team. This ability to be put onside by a member of the opposing team does not apply if the offside player was within 10 metres along the field of a defending player waiting to catch the ball and the offside player remains offside until either he/she retreats onside or is put onside by a member of their own team. Malaysia. union matches with full (Test) status are called Test matches. position on the front row of the scrum. A tight head prop traditionally wears the number 3 shirt. He is named the tighthead since in the scrum he will have an opposition player bind to both his left and right hand side, meaning his head is unexposed to the side of the scrum as opposed to the loosehead, whose left-hand side is exposed. around its long axis, which is aligned with the direction the ball is travelling. is the area outside and including the two touch-lines which define the sides of the playing area. As the touch-lines are not part of the playing area they are part of touch. touch-line and raises a flag if the ball (or player carrying it) goes into touch. Touch judges also stand behind the posts to confirm that a goal has been scored following a penalty kick or conversion of a try. area. of its make up, or by being specifically designed for tours e.g. British and Irish Lions is well-established. Sometimes used inaccurately for countries such as Japan, the USA, or Germany, where rugby has been played since the 19th century, but which are not in the top rung. the other team offguard. Famous trick plays include the dummy kick, scissors, dummy pass etc , and. using the foot, or attempting to do so. This is in distinction to a tackle, ruck or maul. "Truck and trailer" occurs when a player carrying the ball leaves a maul, along with one or more of his teammates. Once the ball carrier leaves the maul, the maul is over, and if the ball carrier's teammates are in front of the ball carrier and prevent defending players from making a tackle, the defending team will be awarded a scrum. If the incident of truck and trailer is judged to be deliberate or the latest in a series of similar infringements, a penalty may be awarded instead.
 * Ten metre line:
 * Tens or ten-aside: Rugby tens, a ten-a-side variety of rugby invented in
 * Test, Test match: International rugby
 * Third half: (informal) After match festivities, particularly drinking, and the club dinner.
 * Third XV: See Second XV.
 * Three Quarter: Applied to positions 11, 12, 13, and 14 in the backs
 * Tight five:
 * Tighthead: The tight head prop is the player who takes the right-hand
 * Tight loose:
 * Time wasting:
 * Tokyu: Japanese
 * Torpedo punt, torpedo: A kind of kick which rotates the ball
 * Total rugby:
 * Touch: touch rugby, also "in touch"/Touch: Touch
 * Touch in-goal:
 * Touch judge: The touch judge is an official who monitors the
 * Touchline: The two lines going down the length of the pitch. If ball carriers or the ball goes over the touchline, a lineout is required.
 * Touch rugby:
 * Tour: A trip taken by a particular team to play outside their home
 * Touring side: A team set up specifically for touring, either in terms
 * Tourists: Players who are taking part in a tour.
 * Traditional: Usually referring to a country or area where rugby union
 * Trick play: Any of a number of strategies that use deception to catch
 * Tri-Nations: pronounced "try nations", tournament held between
 * Triple Crown: In the Six Nations Championship,
 * Tripping: A foul in which a player brings another down to the ground
 * Truck and trailer: A colloquial term for an accidental obstruction.

pressure. It is the primary method of scoring. A try is worth five points. It is scored when a player places the ball on the ground with downward pressure in the in-goal area between (and including) the goal-line and up to but not including dead ball line of the opposition's half. (As the goal posts and post protectors are also part of the goal-line, touching the ball down against the base of these is also a try.) There is no such thing as an "own try". If you touch the ball down in your own in-goal area, it results in a twenty-two metre drop out or a five metre scrum. across the entire width of the pitch passing directly through the goal posts which defines the boundary between the "field of play" and the "in-goal". As the goal line is defined as part of the "in-goal", attacking players can score tries by placing the ball with downward pressure onto the goal line itself. The base of the goal posts and post protectors are also defined to be part of the goal line. 2) The goal line is often referred to as the "try line" though that term does not appear in the Laws of the Game. When a scrum is formed, the gap between the legs of the three players from each team who form the 'front row' is called the 'tunnel'. When a team concedes possession of the ball, particularly at the breakdown, they are said to have turned the ball over to the other team. This can happen due to defending players stealing the ball from an isolated attacker, counter rucking, a knock on, an intercepted pass or the ball not emerging from a maul (wherein the referee awards the scrum feed to opposing team). reduced to fifteen, often seen as XX. A drop kick is taken from behind the 22m line if a team touches down in its own in-goal area but did not carry the ball over the try line, or if the ball is kicked over the dead ball line from any other play other than the kick-off.
 * Try: similar to a touchdown in Gridiron codes, but requiring downward
 * Try line: 1) Two solid, straight white lines (one at each end) stretching
 * Tunnel: 1) 2)
 * Turf: the grass playing surface.
 * Turnover:
 * Tuskers: Nickname for the historic East_Africa_rugby_union_team
 * Twenty: (Obsolete) a rugby team pre-1871, before the numbers were
 * Twenty two:
 * Twenty-two metre dropout:

The ball only needs to cross the line, but if it goes directly into touch a scrum is awarded to the receiving team at the centre-point of the 22m line.
 * Twickers: A nickname for Twickenham Stadium

Tackle:
 * The player in possession may be tackled by players on the opposing
 * The player in possession may be tackled by players on the opposing

team. It is not permitted to tackle or obstruct a player not in possession of the ball.
 * A tackle is completed when the player in possession of the ball:

arm|ball-carrying arm]] are in contact with the ground. "further progress" and "cannot part with the ball". "succumbed to the tackle and wish to be released in order to play the ball". Tap kick:
 * 1) Is held by a defending player while the ball or ''[[#Ball-carrying
 * 1) Is held by a defending player in such a way that they cannot make
 * 1) While being held by a defending player, makes it clear that they have
 * A tap kick is a type of kick used by players at penalties or free kicks

to meet the regulation that requires the ball must be kicked a visible distance before a player may pass or run with it.
 * In a tap kick, the player momentarily releases the ball from his hands

and taps it with his foot or lower leg and then quickly catches it again. The player will then generally try to run forward with the ball. Tap tackle:
 * Another term for Ankle tap.

Test match:
 * International rugby league matches with full (Test) status are called
 * International rugby league matches with full (Test) status are called

Test matches. Touch:
 * Touch is the area outside two touch-lines which define the sides of the
 * Touch is the area outside two touch-lines which define the sides of the

playing area. As the touch-lines are not part of the playing area they are usually included as part of touch. Touch in-goal:
 * The part of the touch line that is inside the in-goal

area. If a team causes the ball to go into touch in-goal in their own in-goal area they must perform a goal line drop-out. If a team causes the ball to go into touch in-goal in the opposing team's in-goal, the opposing team will be given an optional kick on the 20 metre line. Touch judge:
 * The touch judge is an official who monitors the touch-line and raises a
 * The touch judge is an official who monitors the touch-line and raises a

flag if the ball (or player carrying it) goes into touch. Touch judges also stand behind the posts to confirm that a goal has been scored following a penalty kick or conversion of a try. Try:
 * The primary method of scoring. A try is worth four points. It is scored
 * The primary method of scoring. A try is worth four points. It is scored

when a player places the ball on the ground with downward pressure in the in-goal area between (and including) the goal-line and up to but not including dead ball line of the opposition's half. (As the goal posts and post protectors are also part of the goal-line, touching the ball down against the base of these is also a try.)
 * There is no such thing as an "own try". If a defending player grounds

the ball in his own in-goal area, a goal line drop-out is awarded instead. Try-line:
 * Otherwise known as the goal line, so-called because a

player has to cross this line to score a try. Turnover:
 * Another term for handover.

U
positions. positions.
 * Uglies: (informal) Forwards, used contemptuously by backs. See also "girls".
 * Umbrella defence: A form of up and under
 * Umpire: (historical, obsolete) A Referee or touch judge. In the early period of the game, there were two umpires, one selected by each team, who would decide the results etc.
 * Under-18: A grade of competition for players under 21 years of age.
 * Under-21: A grade of competition for players under 21 years of age.
 * Underwater rugby: A game developed for playing in a swimming pool, and only remotely related to rugby proper.
 * Underdog: A team considered less likely to win a match or a tournament, particularly if it has been doing badly at the time. See also minnows.
 * Union: 1) Rugby union as opposed to rugby league; 2) the governing body for an area or nation.
 * Universities: A national side made up of student players.
 * University rugby: Rugby played between teams representing universities In some parts of the world, notably the USA and Japan, university rugby has been a traditional mainstay of the domestic game.
 * Up and under, up 'n' under: An up and under or a Garryowen kick, is a high short punt onto or behind the defending team.
 * Up the jumper: (informal)
 * Utility back: a utility player who plays in various back positions.
 * Utility forward: a utility player who plays in various forward
 * Utility player: a player who can perform well in different

V

 * Valleys, the: Referring to South Wales, one of the working class heartlands of rugby union.
 * Valleysman: (Wales) Someone from the Valleys.
 * Variants: Varieties of rugby union. Fifteen-a-side is considered the full game, but variants include sevens and tens (named after the number of players on each side), along with beach rugby and snow rugby which are named after the surfaces on which they are played on. Quad rugby (played in wheelchairs) and underwater rugby have a remote connection to rugby which is somewhat questionable. Touch rugby, is derived from rugby league, but is frequently used to train people to play rugby union. Rugby fives is not a variety of rugby football despite its name, and rugby league is an entirely separate but closely related sport.
 * Varsity: (Informal) Involving University teams. Used occasionally in England, and common in the USA, eg "play varsity rugby. See university rugby''.
 * Veldt: (Afrikaans) A region of northern South Africa including areas such as Transvaal. Often called the "High Veldt" because of its altitude, which makes kicking balls easier.
 * Video referee: Television match official: This is the official who monitors the match in recorded matches. He is the person who could be called apon by the referee if he is unaware of the outcome of a rugby situation. A good example is a try that that is obsecured from view i.e. under numerous players.

W
people from the South Seas or Polynesian region before a match. The haka is the best known, but there are others such as the Samoan siva tau, Tongan sipi tau, the meke and Fijian cibi.
 * Wallabies:, from logo.
 * Walla rugby: (Australia) mini rugby
 * War dance: Any of various traditional tribal war dances practiced by
 * Warm up:
 * Weakside:
 * Webb Ellis Trophy/Cup: The prize given to the winner of the Rugby World Cup.
 * Wheel: Wheeling
 * Wheelchair rugby: Quad rugby.
 * Wheeling: A scrum that has rotated through 90 degrees or more is said to have "wheeled". The referee will order the scrum to be reset, with the ball being turned over if the attacking team is deemed to have been deliberately or repeatedly wheeling the scrum.
 * Whipping boys: (Informal) The worst side in any given tournament, the underdogs particularly if badly drubbed.
 * Whistle:
 * Wide:
 * Wing, Winger: They are the players wearing shirts numbers 11 & 14. They are divided into left and right wingers. Wingers must be fast runners and agile in order to evade tackles and have excellent ball handling skills in order to pass and receive the ball at pace.
 * Wing forward: A flanker.
 * Wing tackle: chicken wing
 * Wing three quarter: Their main task is to receive passes and score tries. The wingers also drop back on the last tackle to cover the left and right sides of the field for kicks while the full back covers the middle.
 * Witches' hats: (Australia, informal) Cones used for training players.
 * Wooden Spoon: The "booby prize" for coming bottom of a division/championship, sometimes imaginary, sometimes real; also the name of a rugby charity, the Wooden Spoon Society.

X

 * X-bar: (Informal) Cross bar. Only used in written form.
 * X-kick: (Informal) Cross kick. Only used in written form.

Y

 * Yardage: (Historical) The area gained by an attacking team. See yards
 * Yards: Original rugby pitches were measured in the Imperial System, however modern pitches are now measured in metres.
 * Yellow card: Card shown to a player who has been cautioned ("booked") for committing certain types of fouls. A played who is cautioned twice in a match is shown the red card and sent off. In International matches, a yellow card is shown to a player who has been cautioned to indicate "temporary suspension" for repeated or deliberate infringements of the rules. The offending player is sent to the sin bin for at least 10 minutes while his team must play a man short.  (A player who is temporarily suspended cannot return to the pitch until the first break in play after his/her 10 minute suspension is completed.)

In domestic matches, yellow cards are commonly used in exactly the same manner as in International matches but this is not required by regulation, so a referee may order the temporary suspension of a player without showing a yellow card.

B

 * Bag : colloquialism for a large number of goals scored by one

player.
 * Ball! : usually yelled by spectators when an opposition player

is tackled in possession of the ball. Short for "holding the ball".
 * Ball burster : colloquialism for a massive kick, usually a

torpedo punt which travels over 70 metres.
 * Banana : a kick which causes the ball to swing in the air in

the opposite direction to the usual. See checkside.
 * Barrel : a "torpedo punt" kick. See also screwie.
 * Baulk : a manoeuvre where a player holds the ball to one side,

then runs in the other direction to evade a defender.
 * Bump : a contact between players using the hip and/or

shoulder. See hip-and-shoulder.

D

 * Disposal : a statistical term indicating that a player

disposed of the ball legally by either hand or foot.

H

 * Hip-and-shoulder : See bump

L

 * Ladder : the position of teams on the Premiership list,

determined by their win-loss ratio and percentage.

M

 * Man-on-man : the "traditional" defensive style of a defender

playing close to an opposition forward. See zone-off.
 * Mark : a clean catch of the ball after it has been kicked by

another player (either by a teammate or by the opposition), before it has touched the ground, or been touched by any other player, and after it has travelled a minimum of 15 metres.
 * Midfield : an indicative area of the ground that covers

half-foward to half-back down the centre, and out to the wings and flanks.

R

 * Raking :1) Deliberate foul involving scraping one's boot studs

over an opposition player. 2) a description of a kicking style that results in long kicks.
 * Rebound : the act of moving the ball forward after winning it

as the result of a turnover in the defensive end of the ground.

B
early point in the contest.
 * blowout : A game in which one team dominates another in scoring from an
 * bomb : a long pass

C

 * cut
 * 1) a sharp change of direction by a running player.

D
in play.
 * dead ball : a ball which is no longer

hits the ground and before it hits it again; a half-volley kick. A drop kick is one of the types of kick which can score a field goal.
 * drop kick : a kick in which the ball is dropped and kicked once it

F
sidelines. by place- or drop-kicking the ball through the opponent's goal other than via a kickoff or free kick following a safety; formerly, "goal from the field". A missed field goal can be returned as a punt, if recovered in-bounds by the defending team. In some leagues, four-point field goals can be scored under special circumstances.
 * fair catch :
 * field of play: the area between both of the goal lines and the
 * field goal : score of 3 points made
 * field position:
 * flanker :
 * formation :

the ball in play as a kickoff or following a safety (the score; "safety touch" in Canadian football) or fair catch.
 * free kick: a kick made to put

Canadian football the term includes muffs.
 * fumble:a ball that a player accidentally lost possession of; in

G
upright posts 18 feet 6 inches apart extending above a horizontal crossbar whose top edge is 10 feet off the ground. The goal is the surface above the bar and between the lines of the inner edges of the posts, extending infinitely upward, centered above each end line in American, and each goal line in Canadian football. zone]]. parallel lines. See also Gridiron football
 * goal:a surface in space marked by a structure of two
 * goal area:the end zone in Canadian professional football.
 * goal line:the front of the [[end

H

 * hand-off : (Note different usage of term from its rugby meaning.)

communicate instructions for the upcoming play.
 * Home and away:
 * huddle:an on-field gathering of members of a team in order to secretly

I
caught.
 * incomplete pass:a forward pass of the ball which no player legally


 * inside:

opposing player.
 * interception:the legal catching of a forward pass thrown by an

K
noun, such an action producing a punt, place kick, or drop kick kick offs). following a try or drop goal. The kickoff may be a place kick, or a drop kick.
 * kick: as a verb, to strike the ball deliberately with the foot; as a
 * kicker: player who specializes in placekicking (i.e. field goals and
 * kickoff:a free kick which starts each half, or restarts the game

L
football#B|backward pass]]
 * lateral: see [[Glossary of American

O
kicked ball.
 * offensive team:the team with possession of the ball
 * offside:
 * onside kick:a play in which the kicking team tries to recover the

P
placed stationary on the ground or, where legal, on a tee.
 * place kick:kicking the ball from where it has been

ultimately resulting in either a score, a turn-over, or the end of the half. (b) physical control of the ball after a pass or fumble.
 * possession: (a) having the ball on offense for a number of downs,
 * Preseason

before it reaches the ground. Used to give up the ball to the opposition after offensive downs have been used, as far down the field as possible.
 * punt:a kick in which the ball is dropped and kicked

S

 * slobber-knocker: a particularly gruesome tackle or hit.

intentionally kicked low to the ground, typically bouncing on the ground a few times before being picked up.
 * squib kick:a type of kickoff in which the ball is

by pushing them away with a straight arm.
 * stiff-arm or straight-arm:a ballcarrier warding off a would-be tackler

Print sources
Encyclopedia Canadiana ISBN 0 7172 1601 2 p111

== Philotus was revived in 2008, by Commedia della Scozia in Edinburgh. It was performed in Edinburgh University’s New College as part of the 12th Medieval and Renaissance Scottish Language and Literature Conference in July and played in the Queen’s Hall as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.