| Scrum: |
The eight forwards from each team bind together and push against each other. The scrum-half from the team that has been awarded possession feeds the ball into the centre of the scrum from the side most advantageous for his hooker (which is typically the side of loose head prop).
The ball must be fed straight down the middle of the tunnel and the hookers must not contest for the ball until it is put in. If they do, a free-kick is awarded for "foot up".
The scrum is taken again if the ball comes straight out of the tunnel or if it collapses. If the scrum wheels (rotates) due to pushing more than 90 degrees the scrum is reformed and awarded to the other side. Pulling in an attempt to unbalance the other side or to assist in rotating the scrum is a Penalty Offence. |
| Shoeing: |
At the breakdown a ruck commonly forms over the players involved in the tackle.
Where players who are on the ground on the opposition side of the ruck do not move away quickly enough, players on their feet may be tempted to "help" them move by pushing them away with their boots.
This potentially dangerous act is illegal and if done deliberately (or recklessly) may result in penalties and yellow or red cards. |
| Scrum half: |
Also known as a half-back, they are the players traditionally wearing shirt number 9. Scrum halves form the all-important link between the forwards and the backs. They are relatively small but with a high degree of vision, the ability to react to situations very quickly, and good handling skills.
They are often the first tackler in defence and are behind every scrum, maul or ruck to get the ball out and maintain movement. They put the ball into the scrum and collect it afterwards. Scrum Halves generally also act as "receiver" in the line-out to catch the ball knocked down by the forwards. (The receiver is a member of the line out and so stands within 10 metres of it and may join the line once the ball is thrown.) |
| Sipi Tau: |
| Sipi Tau is a Tongan war dance performed by the Tongan national rugby union team before each of their international match. |
| Sin bin: |
| The notional area where a player must remain for a minimum of ten minutes after being shown a yellow card. In high level games, the sin bin is monitored by the fourth official. |
| Stellenbosch Laws: |
| The Stellenbosch Laws are a set of experimental laws of rugby union that are under consideration by the International Rugby Board (IRB) and, if accepted, may to come into effect late in 2008. |
| Spear tackle: |
A spear tackle is a dangerous tackle in which a player is picked up by the tackler and turned so that they are upside down. The tackler then drops or drives the player into the ground often head, neck or shoulder first.
Spear tackles are particularly dangerous and have caused serious injury including spinal damage, dislocations and broken bones in the shoulder or neck. On rare occasion, even death can occur.
Spear tackles are taken very seriously by the various Union discipline committees and can result in lengthy playing bans. |
| Tackle: |
A tackle takes place when one or more opposition players [tackler(s)] grasp onto the ball carrier and succeed in bringing him/her to ground and holding them there.
Once briefly held, the tackler(s) must release the tackled player who must then him/herself immediately release or attempt to pass the ball so that play can continue. |
| Tap kick: |
A tap kick is a type of kick used by players at penalties or free kicks to meet the regulation that requires the ball must be kicked a visible distance before a player may pass or run with it.
In a tap kick, the player momentarily releases the ball from his hands and taps it with his foot or lower leg and then quickly catches it again. The player will then generally try to run forward with the ball. |
| Ten Metre Law: |
The Ten Metre Law is a form of offside which is designed to prevent injury to a defending player who attempts to catch a ball that has been kicked ahead by the attacking side.
In the normal Law of Offside in open play, it is possible for an offside player to be put onside by actions of the opposing team. This ability to be put onside by a member of the opposing team does not apply if the offside player was within 10 metres along the field of a defending player waiting to catch the ball and the offside player remains offside until either he/she retreats onside or is put onside by a member of their own team. |
| Tap-tackle: |
| Despite its name, a tap tackle is a not actually a tackle as the ball carrier is brought to ground by a form of trip, is not actually held on the ground and may attempt to get up and continue to run. A tap tackle is used when a defending player is unable to get close enough to the ball carrier but is able to dive at the other player's feet and, with outstretched arm, deliver a tap or hook to the player's foot (or feet) causing the player to stumble. At speed, this will often be sufficient to bring the ball-carrier down, allowing a team-mate of the tackling player to retrieve the ball or provide sufficient delay for the defending team to organize a defense. |
| Test match: |
| International rugby union matches with full (Test) status are called Test matches. |
| TMO: |
| Television match official (TMO), commonly called the video referee. |
| Tight Head: |
| The tight head prop is the player who takes the right-hand position on the front row of the scrum. A tight head prop traditionally wears the number 3 shirt. He is named the tighthead since in the scrum he will have an opposition player bind to both his left and right hand side, meaning his head is unexposed to the side of the scrum as opposed to the loosehead, whose left-hand side is exposed. |
| Touch judge: |
| The touch judge is an official who monitors the touch-line and raises a flag if the ball (or player carrying it) goes into touch. Touch judges also stand behind the posts to confirm that a goal has been scored following a penalty kick or conversion of a try. |
| Touch: |
| Touch is the area outside and including the two touch-lines which define the sides of the playing area. As the touch-lines are not part of the playing area they are part of touch. |
| Truck and trailer: |
| A colloquial term for an accidental obstruction. "Truck and trailer" occurs when a player carrying the ball leaves a maul, along with one or more of his teammates. Once the ball carrier leaves the maul, the maul is over, and if the ball carrier's teammates are in front of the ball carrier and prevent defending players from making a tackle, the defending team will be awarded a scrum. If the incident of truck and trailer is judged to be deliberate or the latest in a series of similar infringements, a penalty may be awarded instead. |
| Tunnel: |
| When a scrum is formed, the gap between the legs of the three players from each team who form the 'front row' is called the 'tunnel'. |
| Try: |
It is the primary method of scoring. A try is worth five points. It is scored when a player places the ball on the ground with downward pressure in the in-goal area between (and including) the goal-line and up to but not including dead ball line of the opposition's half. (As the goal posts and post protectors are also part of the goal-line, touching the ball down against the base of these is also a try.)
There is no such thing as an "own try". If you touch the ball down in your own in-goal area, it results in a twenty-two metre drop out or a five metre scrum. |
| Turnover: |
| When a team concedes possession of the ball, particularly at the breakdown, they are said to have turned the ball over to the other team. This can happen due to defending players stealing the ball from an isolated attacker, counter rucking, a knock on, an intercepted pass or the ball not emerging from a maul (wherein the referee awards the scrum feed to opposing team). |
| Twenty two metre drop-out: |
A drop kick is taken from behind the 22m line if a team touches down in its own in-goal area but did not carry the ball over the try line, or if the ball is kicked over the dead ball line from any other play other than the kick-off.
The ball only needs to cross the line, but if it goes directly into touch a scrum is awarded to the receiving team at the centre-point of the 22m line. |
| Up and under: |
| An up and under or a Garryowen kick, is a high short punt onto or behind the defending team. |
| Use it or lose it: |
| If the maul stops moving forward the referee will often shout "use it or lose it" to the team in possession of the ball. This means they must pass the ball within a five-second time period. If they do not the referee will call a scrum and the team not in possession at the beginning of the maul will be given the feed. |
| Wing: |
| They are the players wearing shirts numbers 11 & 14. They are divided into left and right wingers. Wingers must be fast runners and agile in order to evade tackles and have excellent ball handling skills in order to pass and receive the ball at pace. |
| Wheel: |
| A scrum that has rotated through 90 degrees or more is said to have "wheeled". The referee will order the scrum to be reset, with the ball being turned over if the attacking team is deemed to have been deliberately or repeatedly wheeling the scrum. |
| Yellow Card: |
In International matches, a yellow card is shown to a player who has been cautioned to indicate "temporary suspension" for repeated or deliberate infringements of the rules. The offending player is sent to the “sin bin” for at least 10 minutes while his team must play a man short. (A player who is temporarily suspended cannot return to the pitch until the first break in play after his/her 10 minute suspension is completed.)
In domestic matches, yellow cards are commonly used in exactly the same manner as in International matches but this is not required by regulation so a referee may order the temporary suspension of a player without showing a yellow card. |
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