Rugby Glossary
An A–Z guide to rugby terminology covering both Rugby Union and Rugby League. Over 60 terms explained.
Terms marked Union are specific to Rugby Union. Terms marked League are specific to Rugby League. Unmarked terms apply to both codes.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Advantage | When the referee allows play to continue after an infringement because the non-offending team has gained a benefit. If no advantage materialises, play is brought back for the original penalty or scrum. |
| Blood bin | A temporary substitution that allows a bleeding player to receive treatment off the pitch. The player may return once the bleeding has been stopped and the wound dressed. |
| Bomb (Up-and-under) | A high, towering kick designed to hang in the air and put pressure on the catcher. Used in both codes to contest for the ball in the air or force errors. |
| Bonus point Union | An extra league point awarded for scoring four or more tries (attacking bonus point) or for losing by seven points or fewer (losing bonus point) in many Union competitions. |
| Box kick | A high kick from the base of a ruck or scrum, typically by the scrum-half, aimed at gaining territory and contesting the ball in the air. |
| Breakdown Union | The phase of play immediately after a tackle, when players from both teams compete for the ball on the ground. Encompasses rucks and the contest at the tackle area. |
| Cap | An international appearance. A player who has played 50 matches for their country has 50 caps. |
| Charge down | When a defending player blocks a kick by the opposition at the point of kicking. The ball can then be played by either team. |
| Conversion | A kick at goal taken after a try is scored. Worth 2 points in both codes. |
| Cross-field kick (Crosser) | A kick across the pitch rather than down the field, aimed at a teammate on the opposite wing. A high-risk, high-reward attacking play. |
| Dead ball | When the ball goes beyond the dead-ball line at the end of the in-goal area, or any situation where the ball is out of play. |
| Drop goal | A goal scored during open play by drop-kicking the ball (bouncing it off the ground before kicking it) through the posts. Worth 3 points in Union, 1 point in League. |
| Drop-out | A restart kick taken by the defending team from behind their own goal line (League) or 22-metre line (Union) after the ball is made dead in the in-goal area. |
| Dummy | A deceptive move where a player pretends to pass the ball but keeps hold of it, hoping to wrong-foot a defender. |
| Dummy half League | The player (usually the hooker) who picks up the ball from the play-the-ball and distributes it. The most-involved player in the team. |
| Forward pass | An illegal pass that travels towards the opposition’s try line. Results in a scrum to the other team. |
| Forty-twenty (40/20) League | A kick from behind the kicker’s 40-metre line that bounces into touch inside the opposition’s 20-metre area. Rewards the kicking team with a scrum feed near the opposition’s try line. |
| Foul play | Any action by a player that is against the letter or spirit of the laws, including dangerous tackles, punching, stamping, or obstruction. |
| Full time | The end of the match after 80 minutes of play. |
| Garryowen | Named after the Irish club, a high up-and-under kick intended to test the opposition’s catching ability under pressure. Same as a bomb. |
| Golden point League | Extra time played in knockout matches when scores are level after 80 minutes. The first team to score any points wins instantly. |
| Grubber kick | A kick along the ground, typically aimed behind the defensive line for a chasing player to collect. |
| Haka | A traditional Māori war dance performed by the New Zealand All Blacks before international matches. |
| Halfback | In Union, another name for the scrum-half (9). In League, the number 7, who is the chief organiser and tactical kicker. |
| Handover League | When possession passes to the opposition after the attacking team has used all six tackles without scoring or kicking. |
| High tackle | A tackle that makes contact above the shoulders. Illegal in both codes and penalised with increasing severity depending on the level of danger. |
| In-goal area | The area beyond the try line where tries are scored, extending to the dead-ball line. |
| Interchange League | Substitutions in Rugby League. Teams have a limited number of interchanges per match, and players can be rotated on and off multiple times. |
| Jackal Union | When a player gets over the ball at a breakdown and wins (or attempts to win) a turnover by remaining on their feet and competing for the ball. |
| Kick-off | The drop kick from the centre of the halfway line that starts each half and restarts play after a score. |
| Knock-on | When a player loses possession of the ball forward from their hands or arms. Results in a scrum to the opposition. |
| Lineout Union | A set piece to restart play when the ball goes into touch. Players from both teams line up and the hooker throws the ball in. Does not exist in League. |
| Lock | In Union, a second-row forward (numbers 4 and 5). In League, the loose forward (number 13). |
| Loosehead prop Union | The prop who packs on the left of the front row in a scrum (number 1), with their left arm free. |
| Mark Union | When a player catches a clean kick inside their own 22-metre area and calls “mark,” they are awarded a free kick. |
| Marker League | The defender(s) standing directly in front of the play-the-ball. They must stand square and cannot advance until the ball is played. |
| Maul Union | A phase of play where the ball carrier is held by one or more opponents and one or more of their own teammates bind on. The ball is off the ground. Mauls can be driven forward. |
| Offload | A pass made by the ball carrier while being tackled, keeping the ball alive for a teammate. |
| Offside | Being in an illegal position, typically in front of a teammate who last played the ball, or in front of the offside line at a ruck, maul, scrum, or play-the-ball. |
| Penalty | An award to the non-offending team after an infringement. The team may kick at goal, kick to touch, tap and run, or (in Union) request a scrum. |
| Penalty try | Awarded when a try would probably have been scored but for foul play. Worth 7 points (auto-converted) in Union; taken under the posts with a conversion attempt in League. |
| Phase | A passage of play between breakdowns or tackles. A team might go through “20 phases” before scoring, meaning the ball was recycled 20 times. |
| Place kick | A kick taken with the ball resting on a tee or the ground. Used for conversions, penalty goals, and kick-offs. |
| Play-the-ball League | The method of restarting play after a tackle in League. The tackled player rolls the ball backwards with their foot to a teammate (the dummy half) standing behind them. |
| Red card | A player is sent off for the remainder of the match for serious foul play. The team plays with one fewer player. |
| Ruck Union | A phase of play formed when the ball is on the ground and at least one player from each team is on their feet, bound over the ball. Does not exist in League. |
| Scrum | A set piece involving forwards from each team packing down and pushing against each other. Contested in Union; largely uncontested in League. |
| Scrum-half | In Union, the number 9 who feeds the scrum and links forwards and backs. In League, another term for the half-back (7). |
| Sin bin | A temporary suspension. A player shown a yellow card must leave the field for 10 minutes. |
| Six-tackle rule League | The fundamental rule of League: a team has six tackles to advance the ball before possession is handed to the opposition. |
| Tackle | Bringing the ball carrier to the ground by holding them. In Union, a ruck usually forms. In League, a play-the-ball follows. |
| Tighthead prop Union | The prop who packs on the right of the front row (number 3), with both arms bound. |
| TMO (Television Match Official) | A video referee who reviews incidents and try-scoring situations to assist the on-field referee in making decisions. |
| Touch | The area beyond the sidelines. When the ball or a player carrying it goes into touch, play is stopped. |
| Touch judge / Assistant referee | Officials positioned along the touchlines who signal when the ball goes into touch and assist the referee with decisions. |
| Try | The primary method of scoring in rugby, achieved by grounding the ball with downward pressure on or beyond the opposition’s try line. Worth 5 points in Union, 4 in League. |
| Turnover | When possession changes from one team to the other, either through a steal at the breakdown (Union), a handling error, an interception, or a handover after six tackles (League). |
| Twenty-forty (20/40) League | A kick from inside the kicker’s own 20-metre area that bounces into touch beyond the halfway line. Rewards the kicking team with a scrum feed. |
| Up-and-under | See “Bomb.” A high kick designed to pressurise the catcher. |
| Voluntary tackle League | When a player deliberately drops to the ground without being tackled. Penalised in League because it wastes a tackle. |
| Yellow card | A caution resulting in a 10-minute suspension in the sin bin. The player’s team plays with one fewer player during this time. |
For more detail on the rules behind these terms, see our guides for Rugby Union and Rugby League.