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Rugby scrum

A rugby scrum restarts a rugby game after a minor infringement of the rules. Understand what goes on.

The Scrum

Minor infringements of the rules occur from time to time during a game.

When this happens and no advantage is gained by the team that didn`t break the rules, the match official stops the game.

The game is then restarted with a scrum

The eight forwards from your team bind together tightly and crouch facing the opposition goal-line. The other team does the same. The two masses then join together, holding each other up with equal and opposite forces.

One team caused the scrum. The other team gets the advantage of restarting the game by putting the ball in to the space between the opposing sets of forwards.

The team putting in the ball always has an advantage because it knows the exact moment it`s going to happen and because the way the scrum is formed deliberately creates an advantage.

Feet are used to 'hook' the ball backwards and so win possession of the ball which exits from the back of the scrum.

Because of the advantages, the team that puts the ball in usually wins possession.

Scrummaging is a very "technical" area of the game.

Law 20 governs the scrum. It is long and complex.

For more information on the basics and a link to full IRB information look on this site at rule number 20 in basic rugby rules.

Return from Rugby scrum to How to play rugby

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