Lesson scope
This draft uses the IRL 2026 international rulebook. It is a classroom interpretation exercise, not a contact session. The suggested learner ages describe the teaching audience, not eligibility to play under these laws. Check the relevant competition and age-group regulations before adapting it for actual matches; this is not a World Cup, NRL or domestic competition supplement.
The learner print pack contains questions only. Keep the worked examples and answer key separate until the appropriate teaching stage.
Learner worksheet
Name: ____ Date: ______
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to identify the decisive fact in a situation, choose a restart, explain which team acts next, and support a decision with a rule locator.
Use the international baseline specified for this lesson. A and B are opposing teams. Assume no unmentioned offence or special competition variation. For each question, write a decision, identify the restart team where relevant, underline the decisive fact, and record the supporting section and law. If you think information is missing, say exactly what you would need.
Work independently first, then compare reasoning with a partner. Do not change an answer merely because your partner sounds confident.
| Number | Situation | Task |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B holds A upright; A cannot advance or release the ball. | Is the tackle complete? |
| 2 | B holds A as A's ball-carrying arm touches the ground. | Is the tackle complete? |
| 3 | A is tackled for the sixth time at midfield. | Who restarts, and how? |
| 4 | B grounds A's bouncing general-play kick in B's in-goal. | Identify the restart. |
| 5 | B catches A's general-play kick on the full in B's in-goal. | Identify the restart. |
| 6 | A scores points. | Who kicks off, and where? |
| Question | Decision and restart team | Decisive fact | Section/law | Confidence: low, medium or high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| 2 | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| 3 | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| 4 | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| 5 | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
| 6 | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Worked examples — controlled-release answer material
Example A: A is legally tackled at midfield on tackle three. A retains possession and plays the ball. Locator: Section 11, Law 10.
Example B: A is held up in B’s in-goal on tackle three. A plays the ball ten metres out; the count continues. Locator: Section 12, note 1.
For each example, model the reasoning aloud: identify the event, check the count and location, then consult the locator. Ask learners to separate what the scenario states from what they merely assume.
| Question | Decision and explanation | IRL 2026 locator |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complete: neither progress nor release is possible. | Section 11, Law 2(b) |
| 2 | Complete: held, with the carrying arm grounded. | Section 11, Law 2(a) |
| 3 | Handover: B plays the ball at the tackle point. | Section 11, Law 7(a)(i) |
| 4 | B takes a goal-line drop-out: defensive touchdown. | Section 8, Law 4(c) |
| 5 | B receives a 20-metre optional kick: caught on the full. | Section 8, Laws 2(c) and 5 |
| 6 | B place-kicks from halfway's centre: B conceded. | Section 8, Law 1 |
Teacher notes: preparation and materials
Materials: learner print packs, separate answer packs, pencils, a board or projector, a simple field sketch, and access to the cited rulebook. A ball is unnecessary.
Preparation: read the cited passages and check that the linked document still identifies the named edition. Prepare a field sketch showing halfway, both goal lines, in-goal areas and the 20-metre lines. Label the teams A and B consistently. Print only the learner block group for initial distribution. Keep the answer group separate; display its worked examples during instruction without revealing the six worksheet solutions.
Introduce the vocabulary through the sketch and rulebook: possession, tackle, play-the-ball, handover, in-goal, on the full and drop-out. Invite learners to ask about unfamiliar terms before starting.
Use discussion, drawing and counters throughout. Do not ask learners to demonstrate tackles. Any practical coaching session requires its own suitable planning and applicable playing rules.
Teacher notes: 45-minute sequence
- 0–5 minutes — establish the task. Introduce the learning objectives, identify A and B on the field sketch, and explain the lesson’s rules scope.
- 5–13 minutes — model decisions. Display the two worked examples from the answer pack. Demonstrate how to locate a law and separate evidence from assumptions.
- 13–25 minutes — independent worksheet. Learners answer all six scenarios and record confidence. Offer vocabulary support without naming the decisions.
- 25–32 minutes — paired review. Partners compare decisive facts and locators. Each learner marks one answer they want to verify.
- 32–41 minutes — evidence-led feedback. Distribute the answer key. Ask learners to explain corrections in a different colour and open the cited passages together.
- 41–45 minutes — exit task. Learners write one fact they now check before making a restart decision and one question they would ask before transferring this lesson to a local competition.
Teacher notes: assessment and adaptation
Award up to three marks per scenario: one for the decision, one for identifying the decisive fact, and one for a relevant locator. Total: 18. Accept accurate plain-language explanations; do not require memorised wording. For questions asking for a restart, the decision mark includes identifying the team responsible.
Use mistakes diagnostically. Ask learners to point to the words that drove their choice before offering feedback. Compare confidence with accuracy to identify guesses that need further checking.
For additional support, read scenarios aloud, enlarge the field sketch, and provide a blank sentence frame: ‘My decision is ___ because the scenario says . The relevant law is .’ For extension, ask learners to alter one fact and research whether the answer changes; do not assume every alteration changes the outcome.
For further practice, use the existing rugby league decision quiz. Supporting reading includes tackle counts and turnovers and goal-line and 20-metre restarts. Check their stated rules scope before assigning them.