Rules of Rugby League Explained

The Basics

Rugby League is played between two teams of 13 players on a pitch that is typically 100 metres long (with in-goal areas at each end) and 68 metres wide. Matches last 80 minutes, split into two 40-minute halves with a short half-time break. The team with the most points at full time wins.

As in Rugby Union, the ball can be carried in any direction but can only be passed backwards or sideways — never forward with the hands. The ball can be kicked in any direction at any time. A forward pass or a knock-on (dropping the ball forward) results in a handover or a scrum to the opposition.

What makes Rugby League fundamentally different from Union is its structured system of possession, built around the six-tackle rule. This single concept shapes the entire flow and tactics of the game.

The Six-Tackle Rule

This is the defining law of Rugby League and the key to understanding the sport. When a team has possession, they have a maximum of six tackles (sometimes called “sets”) to advance the ball before they must hand over possession to the opposition.

After each tackle, the ball carrier is brought to the ground. They then get to their feet and perform a play-the-ball (see below), restarting the next phase of play. The tackle count goes up by one each time. On the sixth tackle, if the team has not scored, possession is handed over to the opposition at the point where the tackle was made.

In practice, teams almost always kick the ball on the fifth tackle to push the opposition back down the field before the handover. The tactical kicking game — grubbers, bombs, and chips — is therefore a huge part of Rugby League. Some teams will occasionally kick on the fourth tackle to catch the opposition off guard, while a sixth-tackle kick is typically a desperate last resort.

The tackle count resets to zero when: the opposition commits a penalty, the ball is kicked and regathered by either team, or a scrum is awarded.

The Play-the-Ball

After a tackle is completed, the tackled player must get to their feet, face the opposition’s goal line, and roll the ball backwards between their legs with their foot. This is the play-the-ball. A teammate (the “dummy half” or “acting half-back”) stands behind the tackled player and picks up the ball to distribute it.

The speed of the play-the-ball is critical. A quick play-the-ball gives the attacking team momentum and can catch the defence before they have set their line. A slow play-the-ball allows the defence time to reorganise. Referees penalise defenders who do not release the tackled player promptly, and they also penalise attackers who do not play the ball cleanly.

The marker — usually one defender standing directly in front of the play-the-ball — must stand square and cannot move until the ball has been played. A second marker may also stand behind the first. All other defenders must retire 10 metres from the play-the-ball before they can advance.

No Lineouts, No Rucks, No Mauls

Unlike Rugby Union, Rugby League has no lineouts. When the ball goes into touch (over the sideline), a scrum is awarded to the team that did not put it there, or play restarts with a tap from the sideline depending on the circumstances.

There are no rucks or mauls in Rugby League. The tackle-and-play-the-ball system replaces these contested phases entirely. This is one of the main reasons League flows more quickly and has fewer stoppages than Union. The ball is almost always in play, and the emphasis is on structured defence and high-speed attacking plays.

Scrums in Rugby League

Scrums do exist in Rugby League, but they are a far cry from the contested, powerful scrums of Union. League scrums involve six forwards from each team (three in the front row, three in the second row) and are largely uncontested. They are used to restart play after knock-ons, forward passes, and certain other infringements.

The scrum-half feeds the ball into the scrum, and the team with the feed almost always wins it. The scrum in League is essentially a formality — a way to restart play rather than a genuine contest for possession. There have been periodic discussions about removing scrums from League altogether, but they remain part of the rules.

The 40/20 Kick

One of the most exciting plays in Rugby League is the 40/20. If a player kicks the ball from behind their own 40-metre line and it bounces into touch inside the opposition’s 20-metre area, the kicking team is rewarded with a scrum feed close to the opposition’s try line. It is a high-risk, high-reward tactic that can completely change the momentum of a game.

The 20/40 works on the same principle in reverse: a player kicking from inside their own 20-metre area who finds touch beyond the halfway line is rewarded with a scrum feed. This rewards teams that can kick accurately under pressure from deep in their own territory.

The Offside Rule

In general play, players must not be in front of the ball carrier or the kicker. At the play-the-ball, all defenders (except the marker or markers) must retire 10 metres from the point of the play-the-ball. If they advance before the ball is played, they are offside and the referee will penalise them.

Offside from a kick is judged from the moment the ball is kicked. Any player in front of the kicker must not interfere with play or move towards the ball until they are played onside by the kicker or another teammate running from behind the kicker.

Penalties and Sin Bins

Penalties are awarded for infringements such as offside, interference at the play-the-ball, foul play, and obstruction. The team awarded a penalty can:

• Kick at goal — worth 2 points if successful.
• Tap and run — restart play quickly from the mark.
• Kick to touch — gain territory (but they do not get a lineout throw, as lineouts do not exist).

Rugby League uses a sin bin system for foul play or repeated infringements. A player shown a yellow card must leave the field for 10 minutes. A red card means dismissal for the remainder of the match. The team plays with 12 players while a player is in the sin bin or has been sent off.

The professional foul — deliberately preventing a try-scoring opportunity — is treated seriously and typically results in a sin bin plus a penalty try.

Golden Point Extra Time

In knockout competitions and certain other matches, if the scores are level after 80 minutes, the game goes to golden point extra time. Two additional periods of five minutes each are played, and the first team to score any points (a try, conversion, penalty goal, or drop goal) wins the match instantly.

Golden point creates some of the most dramatic moments in Rugby League. Drop goals, normally worth just 1 point and relatively rare during regular play, become the most common way to win in golden point. Teams will manoeuvre into field position and attempt a drop goal to snatch victory. It is edge-of-your-seat viewing.

Other Key Rules

The handover: If a team fails to score or kick the ball before the sixth tackle is completed, possession is handed to the opposition at the point of the tackle. This is sometimes called a “turnover on downs.”

The dropout: If the attacking team kicks the ball into the in-goal area and a defender grounds it, or the ball goes dead, play restarts with a dropout from the defending team’s goal line (or 20-metre line in some competitions).

Voluntary tackle: A player who deliberately drops to the ground to play the ball without being tackled by an opponent is penalised. The ball carrier must make a genuine attempt to advance.

Substitutions: Each team may use up to 10 interchange substitutions per match (the number may vary by competition). The interchange bench typically holds four players, and they can be rotated on and off as needed throughout the game.

Video referee: The video referee reviews try-scoring situations and can be called upon for other incidents. The on-field referee can also refer decisions upstairs, and the video referee can intervene independently if they spot foul play.

For a full breakdown of scoring, see our Scoring in Rugby League page. To understand all 13 positions, visit Rugby League Positions Explained.