Rugby League Rules | Sport Rules

Focus areas

Where league gets disputed

Tackle count and six-again: when the count resets, when a restart replaces a penalty, and why the referee keeps play moving.
Play-the-ball: marker position, ruck speed, interference, and penalties around the tackled player.
Grounding and obstruction: whether the ball was properly grounded and whether decoy runners illegally affected defenders.

Current explainers

Rugby league pages

Tackle count and turnover rules: how six tackles work, when the count restarts, and what happens on the last tackle.
Scoring rules: tries, goals, and field goals: how rugby league points are awarded, where kicks are taken, and when foul play changes the score.
High tackle and dangerous contact rules: when head or neck contact, shoulder charges, crushers, dangerous throws, and unsafe pressure become misconduct.
Sin bin, send-off, and report rules: temporary suspensions, dismissals, on-report decisions, misconduct, and later disciplinary review.
Interchange and HIA rules explained: bench replacements, interchange limits, head injury assessments, 18th-player activation, and why competition protocols matter.
Ball steal and strip rules explained: when one-on-one steals are legal, why multiple tacklers change the call, and how try-line grounding exceptions work.
Play-the-ball and ruck infringements: when markers, defenders, or the ball-carrier are penalised.
Offside rules explained: the 10-metre line, kick chasers, scrums, restarts, and when an offside player is put back onside.
Knock-on and forward pass rules: what counts as forward, when play continues, and when the restart is a scrum, handover, zero tackle, or penalty.
Scrums and scrum restarts: when scrums are used, who gets the feed, where players stand, and when another restart replaces a scrum.
Kick-offs and drop-out rules: halfway restarts, goal-line drop-outs, 20-metre restarts, short kicks, and when the first tackle is zero.
Goal-line drop-out and 20-metre restart rules: how in-goal responsibility decides whether play restarts from the goal line or the 20-metre line.
Touch line, in-goal, and dead ball rules: how boundary lines, in-goal grounding, touch in-goal, and dead-ball decisions are judged.
Captain's Challenge and video referee rules: when video review applies, who can challenge, what can be reviewed, and why competition protocols matter.
Six-again restarts: why some ruck offences restart the count instead of stopping play.
Obstruction and escort calls: how officials judge decoy runners and defensive interference.

Other rugby codes

Related rugby hubs

Rugby union rules for scrums, rucks, mauls, lineouts, 50:22, TMO, and union foul-play sanctions.
Rugby sevens rules for the seven-a-side union format.
Rugby rules hub for the top-level split between codes.

Rugby league rules belong in their own lane.

Where league gets disputed

Rugby league pages

Related rugby hubs