Rugby Game Terms Part 3

These rugby game terms, lingo and jargon are part of sports gamerisms, Define Your Game!
Part 3 completes rugby gamerisms provided for rugby players and fans who fantasize about a successful try and another and another!

Rugby Game Terms: I - K

• In-goal: term for field area between try-line and dead ball line.
• Injury Time: in toper-class rugby, a referee may publicly stop or start time for lengthy interruptions. This can be for injuries and even commercials in some televised events. This causes the game to extend beyond the allotted forty minutes per half, so time stoppages are re-added for play. At the club level, this concept can vary greatly.
• IRB: refers to the International Rugby Board. This is the Rugby Union's worldwide ruling body and is responsible for setting or adjusting the sport's laws. They also run the Rugby World Cup tournaments for the 15s and 7s. These tournaments occur every four years.
• Jumper: lingo for a player in a lineout who jumps to catch or intercept a throw. It is also a name for the rugby jersey.
• Knock On: jargon for a ball lost, dropped, or knocked forward from a rugby player's hand. This results in the ball being awarded to the opposition in a scrum.
  

Rugby Game Terms: L

• League: term for a rugby variation that is played by 13 players with different laws than the Union style. Until union went professional in 1995, there was a great deal of antagonism between the two types. Let's leave those debates for others and move on...
• Lifting: refers to action where the lineout jumper is lifted into the air to make it easier to intercept or catch a throw.
• Lineout: refers to a set play that restarts game play after the ball has either been kicked to touch or taken out. Each of the sets of forwards will line up on opposing sides while the ball is thrown down the middle.
• Lock: rugby game terms for 2 players/side positioned behind the scrum front row of the scrum.
• Loose forward or Lock forward: rugby players positioned behind the second rows in scrum who may run with or pass the ball.
• Loose head: player position in a scrum, also known as prop or tight head. 
  

Rugby Game Terms: M

• Mark: refers to specific place indicated by the referee as to where a scrum should form. A player inside their own 22 can call for a mark if they catch the ball when kicked by the opposition on the full. If the referee sees this as agreeable, the game restarts in a manner similar to a free kick.
• Marker: 2 defending team members, one of whom is positioned to challenge the attacking teams' dummy-half and the other to face the tackled player after tackling has occurred.
• Maul: Similar to a ruck, this occurs after a runner comes into contact with the ball and is being held by an opposing player. Once three rugby players bind, it is called and a maul is set. The main difference with a ruck and a maul is that in a maul, the ball is held and not on the ground.
  

Rugby Game Terms: N - O

• No Time: lingo that describes the end of a match. Full Time superseded this.
• Number 8: player who is situated between 2 locks who moves the ball to the scrumhalf and begins forwards' attacks.
• Offsides: During the occurrence of a lineout, ruck, maul, or scrum an imaginary line will be considered present. Any player crossing this line before the set piece is completed will have committed a penalty.
• Outside Backs: term used when speaking of centre and wing positions.
  

Rugby Game Terms: P

• Pack: jargon for all the forwards and usually refers to players when they are bound to scrum.
• Penalty: violations of the code that award the other team a kick.
• Penalty Goal: can be a place kick from a tee or a drop kick.
• Penalty Kick: refers to an uncontested kick. It is awarded when one team commits a major infraction. This kick is allowed as a direct assault on the goal. If the kicker is successful, points are received.
• Penalty Try: award granted when one team is repeatedly flagged for blatant violations that prevent a notable try from being scored.
• Pill: lingo for the ball used in rugby widely used in the southern hemisphere.
• Place Kick: action of a kick to the ball while it is resting on the ground. The ways that it rests varies. There may be an indention, a pile of sand, or even a standard kicking tee. These kicks are used for starting each game half. They are for penalty kicks or conversion kicks after a try as well.
• Pop Kick: jargon for quick aerial kick typically out of reach of the defender. Also known as a chip.
• Possession: of the ball may change with these play actions: a) the ball is kicked to the challengers, b) after a failed goal kick or c) pass is intercepted.
• Props: 2 players in forward positions on each team typically the strongest and bulkiest of all team members who are stationed on each side the hooker. Their duties are to defend against the challenger's forwards.
• Pumas: - The Argentinian national team.
• Pushover Try: terms for try scored at close proximity to the try line during a scrum. This try is scored by the forward pack of rugby players and is usually awarded whenever the number eight or scrum-half manage to touch the ball down after crossing the try line.
• Punt: term for a dropped or kicked ball that does not touch the ground and does not score a goal.
  

Rugby Game Terms: R

• Red Card: Refers to a permanent ban from the remainder of a game. A player that receives one of these from the referee will have persisted in breaking the rules or for very dangerous play actions.
• Ruck: Similar to a maul, this occurs when a runner contacts the ball once it has reached the ground. When at least three total players are bound up a ruck is set.
• RWC: abbreviation for Rugby World Cup, a tournament held once every four years.
• Rugger: lingo for name of the game.
• Rugger Bugger: jargon that describes rugby players.

Rugby Game Terms: S

• Scrum: type of formation used to restart play after a knock-on or a forward pass. Each of the forwards on both sides will bind together and then the scrum-half will feed the ball into the scrum. A referee may also call for a scrum.
• Scrum Down: - rugby game terms for the formation of scrums.
• Scrum-Half: another name for the half-back who is skillful at passing and tactical play.
• Scrummaging: refers to the process of both setting and completing a given scrum.
• Second-row forward: 2 players on each team who form the second row of the scrum.
• Sevens: lingo for a rugby variation invented by the Scotland portion of the Rugby Union. This version is played with only seven players. Three are usually forwards and the other four are backs. This is a much shorter game that usually has seven minutes halves.
• Sin Bin: jargon for a sad little corner where all the misbehaving rugby players have to sit and wait for ten minutes due to being yellow carded. Poor saps.
• Six Nations: tournament that is held annually from January until March. The attending nations are England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy, and France.
• Springboks: The South African national team. If you saw the movie Invictus, you know this.
• Stand-off or five-eighth: team member, also known as pivot, who is skillful at kicking and moving the ball during attack.
• Super 14: annual tournament held between the best provincial teams from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
  

Rugby Game Terms: T

• Take: A perfectly executed catch of a ball that has been kicked. A beautiful sight to see!
• Tap Tackle: another term for Ankle Tap.
• Tap Penalty: lingo for a penalty taken quickly. It occurs when a player taps the ball a short distance forward with their foot and rushes in to catch it and takes the other team off-guard.
• Tens: rugby game terms referring to Union rugby game where only ten players are used. Each half usually lasts ten minutes. The games are typically played during a tournament.
• Test: term for a match played between two national teams. Also, may be named an international.
• Three-quarters: players in position at the perimeters of the field. Also known as outside backs.
• Tight Five: jargon for the front five rugby players of a team.
• Tight head: prop who acts as the anchorman in the scrum and leads the attack on the challenging scrum.
• Touch, touchline: refers to the out-of-bounds line which runs along both sides of the pitch. Also, Touch rugby is a non-contact variation of the game.
• Touch Judge: officials who are placed on both sides of the pitch. Their job is to mark the location where balls go out of bounds. They also point out serious infractions of a violent nature that a referee might not see.
• Tri-Nations: annual competition carried out between the national teams of South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.
• Try: in rugby, the ball carrier must touch the ball to ground on or over the goal line.  When the ball is touched to the ground by an attacking player, he scores a try.
• Try Line: The goal line that extends across the pitch. The object of the game is to go beyond this line on the opposing side and touch the ball down as many times as possible on separate occasions.
• Tunnel: lingo for the gap between the front rows in any given scrum. It also relates to a similar gap between the forward lines in a lineout.
• Turnover: act of taking the ball from the opposing team during play.
  

Rugby Game Terms: U

• Union: is the most popular type of rugby game currently. This type of rugby can include 15, 10 or 7 players per side. The organizing body is also known as Union.
• Up and Under: jargon for a tactical kick. The action pops the ball up very high but not too far away. The purpose is to allow the kicker and their teammates to recover it easily. It is designed to put pressure on the opposing team. May be called a Garry Owen after its creator.
• Utility: rugby game terms for specialized team members who are skillful at playing both forward and back positions. Also known as utility forward or utility back.
  

Rugby Game Terms: W - Z

• Wallabies: Australia's national team.
• Webb Ellis Trophy: is named after William Webb Ellis and presented to the team that wins the Rugby World Cup.
• Wing or Wingers: rugby game terms for players recognized for their speed and ability to complete an attacking move.
• Yellow Card: penalty card given to players performing dangerous or persistent breaches of the rules. Sentenced to ten minutes in the sin bin.
• XV: lingo for the first fifteen rugby players of a club or team. Similar in concept to 'first-string' or a 'starting line-up' in some other sports.
  

From Rugby Game Terms, you can go to Tennis Game Terms
Other Sports Clicks
Baseball Trivia Facts
Football Game Terms
Hockey Quiz