This section is for the moments where one phase changes everything: a possible knock-on before a try, advantage that keeps going, a high tackle under review, or confusion about grounding. Each page shows the order the referee and TMO work through so the final call feels earned, not random.
Five-minute guide
Rugby union rules in five minutes
Rules baseline: World Rugby Laws of the Game and law application material in force on 1 August 2026 for the standard 15-a-side game. Unions and competitions may apply authorised variations, trials, and disciplinary procedures.
Objective: score more points by grounding the ball in the opponents' in-goal or kicking goals while contesting possession legally.
Players, field, and equipment: each team has up to 15 players on the field, including eight forwards; the playing enclosure, posts, ball, boots, mouthguards where required, and other equipment must meet World Rugby law.
How play begins: a drop-kick at halfway starts each half and restarts after a score, with teammates behind the kicker and opponents behind the 10-metre line.
Possession: players may carry, kick, or pass backwards or laterally; tackles create contests through the tackle area and ruck, while scrums and lineouts contest specified restarts.
Scoring: a try is five points, a conversion two, a penalty goal three, and a dropped goal three; a penalty try awards seven without a conversion.
Length and winner: a standard senior match lasts up to 80 minutes plus time lost, split into two halves; the higher score wins and competition rules handle draws or extra time.
Main infringements and foul play: forward passes, knock-ons, offside, illegal tackle or breakdown entry, scrum and lineout offences, obstruction, and dangerous play lead to scrums, free-kicks, penalties, or cards.
Restarts and sanctions: kick-offs, drop-outs, scrums, lineouts, free-kicks, and penalties restart play; yellow cards mean temporary suspension and red cards send a player off, subject to current competition protocols.
Competition differences: substitutions, head-injury protocols, card review or replacement, bonus points, extra time, TMO scope, age-grade variations, and current law trials depend on the union or competition.
Grounding, tries, and held-up balls: when pressure on the ball creates a try, when the ball is held up, and why touch-in-goal changes the outcome.
Touch, in-goal, and dead ball rules: when the ball is in touch, how in-goal boundary calls work, and which restart follows a dead-ball outcome.
Lineouts and knock-ons: when touch brings a throw, what counts as forward handling, and how the restart is chosen.
Forward pass rules explained: what counts as a throw forward, why momentum can mislead, and when the result is a scrum, penalty, or advantage.
Kicking rules and 50:22: how kicks to touch, 22-metre gain, restarts, penalty kicks, and 50:22 lineouts work.
Mark rule explained: when a defender can call mark from an opponent's kick, where the free-kick is taken, and why restarts and bouncing balls are excluded.
Kick-offs and restarts: how halfway kick-offs, score restarts, 10-metre requirements, direct touch, 22-metre drop-outs, and try-line drop-outs work.
Match timing and stoppage time rules: how 40-minute halves, referee timekeeping, time lost, final-play exceptions, conversions, and extra time work.
Penalty kicks and free-kicks: the difference between penalties and free-kicks, quick taps, shots at goal, kicks to touch, and the 10-metre retreat.
Player positions and team numbers: how numbers 1 to 15 map to forwards, backs, front-row roles, half-backs, centres, wings, full-back, and replacements.
Ruck entry and jackal rules: how players enter the breakdown, when a jackal is legal, and why side entry, sealing off, and hands in the ruck are penalised.
Offside at rucks and mauls: where the back-foot line is, when players may join, and when defenders can move up.
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