Section 5: Rules of Play
Duration of the Match (Law 5 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 5.1: A match consists of two halves of 40 minutes of playing time each. The half-time interval must not exceed 15 minutes. The referee is the timekeeper. Time may be stopped for injuries to players at the referee's discretion; it is also stopped automatically when a try is scored, a penalty or free kick is awarded, or a conversion is attempted.
Law 5.4: If the ball is in play when time expires, play continues until the ball next goes dead. If a penalty or free kick is awarded after time has expired, the opposing team must be given the opportunity to take the kick; play continues until the ball next goes dead. A team that is awarded a lineout, scrum, or other restart after time expires is entitled to take it.
Law 5.7 (Extra Time): Where a match must have a definitive result and the scores are level at the end of normal time, the competition organiser's rules determine the method of play (e.g., two 10-minute periods of extra time, then sudden death, then kicking competition).
Kick-off and Restart Kicks (Law 13 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 13.1: The match begins with a kick-off: a drop kick taken from the centre of the halfway line. The kicking team must be on or behind the halfway line. Opponents must be on or behind the 10-metre line. The ball must reach the opponents' 10-metre line. If the ball fails to reach the 10-metre line, the opponents may have the kick retaken or accept a scrum at the centre.
Law 13.2: After a score, play is restarted with a drop kick by the team that conceded the points, from the centre of the halfway line.
Law 13.4 (22-metre drop-out): When the ball is made dead in the in-goal area by a defender (or the attacking team takes the ball into the in-goal area and a defender makes it dead without a try being scored), the defending team restarts with a drop kick from behind the 22-metre line.
Mode of Play (Law 7 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 7.1 describes the general modes of play: players may run with the ball, pass the ball (laterally or backward only), kick the ball (in any direction), and make contact with opponents who have the ball. Players may not throw or pass the ball forward; a knock-on or throw-forward results in a scrum to the non-offending team (Law 12).
Offside and Onside in General Play (Law 11 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 11.1: A player is offside in general play if they are in front of a team-mate who is carrying the ball or who last played the ball. An offside player must not interfere with play, move toward the ball, or be within 10 metres of an opponent waiting to play the ball.
Law 11.3: A player who is in an offside position is put onside when: the player who carried the ball has run in front of them; a team-mate who was behind the ball at the time it was played has run in front of them; or an opponent carrying the ball has run 5 metres. An offside player who is put onside by an opponent may then play the ball.
Law 11.5 (Accidental offside): If an offside player cannot avoid being touched by the ball or a team-mate carrying the ball, the player is accidentally offside. The referee orders a scrum unless there is no advantage to the opposing team.
Knock-on or Throw-forward (Law 12 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 12.1: A knock-on occurs when a player, in attempting to catch or pick up the ball or to fend off a tackle, loses possession of the ball and the ball travels forward (toward the opposing team's dead-ball line), hits the ground or another player, or is hit or propelled forward by an arm or hand. A throw-forward occurs when a player throws or passes the ball forward (toward the opposing team's dead-ball line).
Law 12.2: Sanction – The referee orders a scrum at the place of the knock-on or throw-forward. The non-offending team throws in. If a knock-on or throw-forward occurs in the in-goal area, the referee orders a 5-metre scrum.
Law 12.3 (Exception – accidental knock-on into own in-goal): If a player accidentally knocks on and the ball goes into that player's in-goal area, where it is touched down by a defender, a 5-metre scrum is awarded to the attacking team. A clean knock-on that is caught by another player before it reaches the ground does not constitute a knock-on.
Tackle: Ball Carrier Brought to Ground (Law 15 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 15.1 (Definition): A tackle occurs when a ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and is brought to ground (i.e., has one or both knees on the ground, is sitting on the ground, or is on top of another player on the ground). The tackled player must immediately release the ball and move away from it. The tackler must immediately release the tackled player and move away from the ball and tackled player or get to their feet.
Law 15.2: Players who are on their feet may play the ball at the tackle. A player may not be tackled once they have released the ball. A player may not seize an opponent's legs in a tackle when that opponent is in the air. The tackle must be made below the line of the shoulders (World Rugby high-tackle framework – see Section 7 and Section 8).
Law 15.3: After a tackle, the ball must be made available to both teams. Players joining the tackle from the tackler's side must approach from behind the tackler. Players joining from the ball carrier's side must approach from behind the ball carrier's feet. This zone is called the "gate."
Ruck (Law 16 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 16.1 (Definition): A ruck is a phase of play where one or more players from each team are in contact on their feet and over the ball on the ground. Players in a ruck must be on their feet; they may use their bodies to push opponents, but they may not handle the ball. Players joining a ruck must do so from behind the hindmost foot of their own team's players in the ruck (the "gate").
Law 16.3 (Successful ruck): A ruck is successful when the ball has been won by one team and has emerged from the ruck. The team that does not have possession of the ball at a ruck must not handle the ball and must not fall to the ground in a dangerous manner.
Law 16.4: Players who are offside at a ruck must not interfere with play. The offside line for players not in the ruck runs through the hindmost foot of their own team's players in the ruck, parallel to the goal lines.
Maul (Law 17 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 17.1 (Definition): A maul occurs when a ball carrier is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier's team-mates bind on the ball carrier, with all the players on their feet and moving toward a goal line. A maul begins when a player carrying the ball is held by an opponent and both players are on their feet and moving toward a goal line.
Law 17.2: Players joining a maul must do so from their own side of the offside line (behind the hindmost foot of the last player of their own team in the maul). A maul ends when the ball is on the ground, a ruck has formed, the ball has been played out, or a player carrying the ball has grounded the ball in an in-goal area.
Law 17.4 (Collapsed maul): If a maul collapses (all players lose their footing), a scrum is formed at the point of the collapse. The team that was in possession of the ball at the time of the collapse throws in.
Mark (Law 18 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 18.1: A player may make a mark when: the player is in the field of play; catches a kick directly from an opponent (not a kick-off or restart kick in open play); and simultaneously calls "mark." If a fair catch is judged valid by the referee, the player is awarded a free kick at the place of the catch.
Touch and Lineout (Law 19 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 19.1: The ball is in touch when it (or a player carrying it) touches or crosses a touchline. When the ball goes into touch, a lineout is formed. The team that did not put the ball into touch throws in; exceptions apply (e.g., a team knocks the ball into touch from a penalty – that team's opponents throw in).
Law 19.4 (Lineout): A lineout is formed at the line of touch (the point on the touchline where the ball crossed). Both teams form parallel lines, at least two players from each team. Players must stand at least 1 m from the lineout. The line of touch is perpendicular to the touchline. The throwing team throws the ball in straight along the line of touch. Lineout players may jump and support a jumper. Players who are not taking part in the lineout must remain at least 10 m from the line of touch or on or behind their goal line if within 10 m of it.
Scrum (Law 20 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 20.1 (Definition): A scrum is a means of restarting play. Eight players from each team bind together in three rows and engage with their opponents. The front rows of each team interlock such that each hooker has their head between the opposition's loosehead prop and tighthead prop.
Law 20.5 (Binding): All front-row players must bind on the back or side of the jersey from the armpit downward. A front-row player must not grasp the collar, the arm below the level of the armpit, the sleeve, or the shorts.
Law 20.6 (The put-in): The scrum-half of the team awarded the scrum puts the ball into the scrum from the left side of the scrum (the hooker's left). The ball must be put in straight along the middle line of the scrum. The ball must be put in with a single forward movement immediately when the scrum is set. Both hookers must have their weight evenly distributed on both feet when the ball is put in.
Law 20.9 (Scrum collapse): If a scrum collapses or a player in the scrum is lifted from the ground, the referee must immediately stop play and order a reset scrum. If a scrum repeatedly collapses, the referee may warn the team and award a penalty.
Penalty and Free Kick (Law 21 – World Rugby Laws of the Game 2024)
Law 21.1: A penalty kick may be taken from the mark of the infringement or from any point behind the mark on a line through the mark parallel to the touchlines. A penalty kick may be taken by any form of kick. The kicker may score a goal (penalty goal) from a penalty kick by any form of drop kick or place kick.
Law 21.2: For a free kick, a goal may not be scored. A free kick may be taken by any form of kick. If a player catches the ball directly from a free kick and calls "mark," the mark is not valid.
Law 21.4 (Quick tap): A penalty or free kick may be taken as a quick tap – a tap of the ball with the foot. The kicker must tap the ball themselves; it must travel at least 1 metre. The kicker may run with the ball after tapping. A quick tap is a running option that allows rapid restart.