When talking of rugby, a question often asked is “why some of the referees who were in the thick of things are no longer seen”. It is to do with a conflict situation that has been built up between the referees and the interim body.

A few weeks ago it was stated that the referees met the interim committee and news was that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As the popular Indian commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu once said “There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's that of an oncoming train which will run you over”.

Despite issues the game has been played at various levels of junior rugby including the Mercantile Sevens, some may be happy with the game getting on despite the handicap of referees .Others may ask where to from here. Does it matter if a naked man offers a shirt as long as the offer is made? In the interest of pulling out a naked man and dressing him with the knowledge of the laws I decided to talk about a simple guide to rugby laws.

A little knowledge with no intricacies to help the spectator or parent to understand what rugby is about. This idea is offered to help you enjoy or be part of the game.

Rugby teams are made up of fifteen players and seven substitutes. Officials include a referee, two Assistant referees and, and one in charge of substitutions.

Scoring is simple. An attacking player grounds the ball in the opponents’ in-goal. A try is scored and you get 5 points plus 2 points for a conversion. The Conversion Kick must be attempted from a place in line with where the Try was scored. A Penalty Goal is scored by kicking a penalty which goes through the goal post over the cross bar for 3 points. You get 3 points for a Drop Kick in general play which goes through the goal posts’ and over the crossbar. Players are expected to pass, kick, or run with the ball. A forward pass is illegal. The ball must be passed sideways or backwards.

A player who has the ball may be tackled. When a player is tackled, the game continues if the tackled player passes the ball without delay or places the ball on the ground.

The tackler must release the tackled player and both players must then get up or roll away from the ball. All other players must stay on their feet at a tackle. If players interfere by 'going to ground’ to prevent a fair contest for the ball, a penalty kick is awarded. If players accidentally 'go to ground’, they too must roll away or get up again. The assumption is that if you go to the ground and don’t move away fast you have gone to ground and have to be penalized.

When two players, one from each side, come into contact and form with the ball between on the ground there is a 'Ruck'. Each team tries to push the opponents back so that possession can be gained. Players not taking part in ruck must get to their side of the ruck without delay or they are offside. Because of this, when the ball is won from a ruck, there is room to play and continue. Players who join the ruck cannot do so from the sides.

When a player with the ball is held by two players (one from each side) but not tackled to the ground it is called a 'Maul'. Unlike a ruck the ball is being held in the hands of a player who is trying to get it to his team. Sometimes the ball is deliberately kept in a maul if a team can drive up the field. When such a drive stops, the team with the ball must pass it out without delay so that play may continue. If this does not occur, a 'Scrum' is awarded, and the opponents are given the throw-in.

For minor stoppages (e.g. a forward pass or knock on etc) the game is restarted with a Scrum. This is where eight players from each team bind tightly together and crouch in a shoving position before being allowed to engage their opponents. Legal binding in a scrum forbids more than three players from each team to make contact with the opponents. A team will have three players in the 'front row,' four in the 'second row,' and one player bound in at the back. Because the players are crouched, a tunnel is made between the front rows. The ball is put back into play when it is thrown into the center of the tunnel so that each team has a fair contest to gain possession; using only legs and feet.

Players in a scrum must stay in the scrum until the ball comes out players not in the scrum must stay five meters behind the back player of the scrum to allow the team which wins the ball room to play on.
For technical offences at restarts, a Free Kick is awarded. The opponents must go back 10 meters and the team given the free kick may kick the ball in any way (punt, drop kick, tap), but they cannot score directly from it. A Free Kick may also be awarded to a defending player who calls for one when catching the ball within 22 Meters of the Goal line.

For serious offences, including foul play, the game is restarted with a Penalty Kick. Opponents must go back 10 meters until the ball is kicked, and the ball may be kicked in any way. If the ball is kicked into touch from a Penalty Kick, the kicking team is awarded the throw-in. With the exception of the Penalty Kick to touch, when the ball goes into Touch, the game is restarted with a 'Line-out' where the ball is thrown in by the team which did not put the ball into Touch. The Line-out is formed when players from each team form two lines a meter apart across the field near the touch-line. The ball should be thrown straight into the gap between the lines, and the players jump to gain possession.

Jumpers may catch the ball or throw it to another player waiting to catch it. All other players not involved in the line-out must move 10 meters back towards their goal-lines so that, when the ball is won, the teams have room to continue playing.

When a player kicks the ball, all team-mates in front of the kicker are in off-side positions and cannot run towards the opponent who catches the ball until the kicker or another player who was behind the kicker runs ahead , putting them on-side.

Well, not all of it, but we hope this helps you to enjoy the game or may be referee the odd game.

Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB