- There
are three types of penalties in rugby, increasing in severity from infractions
to indirect penalties to full penalties.
- Infractions
are signalled by the referee pointing with a straight arm to the team
receiving the ball.
- Indirect
penalties, which the ref judges to be less serious than a full penalty,
are signaled by a bent arm.
- Full
penalties for major violations are signaled by a straight arm in the
air.
- Penalties
are followed by a scrum, a "tap" (when the penalized team
must step back 10 yards and play then restarts with a kick of the ball),
or a penalty kick. The "tap" or penalty kick usually occurs
after serious penalties. They occur at the spot of the penalty.
- Penalty
kicks, for the 3-point "goal", usually are taken within about
35 yards of the opponent's goal. Outside this range the team usually
elects the "tap"--a free kick, often driven out of bounds
to establish a "line-out".
- Infractions
are minor rule violations, and the referee will normally not stop play
to enforce one if the team can play the advantage. Infractions always
result in a scrum.
- Common
infraction are (1) a "knock-on", which occurs when a player
drops the ball forward and (2) a forward pass, which occurs when a player
throws the ball forward to a teammate.
- A tackle
must hit below the shoulder. A "high tackle" is illegal. It
is NOT illegal to tackle low; but it is difficult and you risk getting
kicked in the teeth.
- Cheap
shots are illegal--punching, kicking, poking eyes and anything like
that.
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