John Winter Players have been sent off in rugby since the early days of the game. But red and yellow cards are a relatively recent innovation in the sport. Rugby Union borrowed aspects of card sanctions from soccer and ice hockey. You may be surprised to learn that the first yellow cards in international rugby matches didn’t … Read more
Everybody knows what a classic rugby tackle looks like. It’s how cops bring down the crooks they’re chasing in the movies. But there are plenty of different ways to tackle an opponent on a rugby field. Some ways are barely legal, and others will bring a red card and a lengthy ban from the sport. … Read more
The current laws of rugby say that you can’t tackle a player whose feet are off the ground. It seems obvious this means that you can’t tackle someone in the air in rugby. But wait. The pedants point out that players simply running with the ball will have their feet slightly in the air with … Read more
There are few sights more exciting in rugby than a player jumping over a tackle to touch the ball down for a try. However, players who hurdle tackles in the middle of the field may be penalized by the referee. So, what’s the difference? First, we’ll look at different ways of jumping to evade a … Read more
It’s unusual to see experienced players jumping into a tackle in rugby, but it still happens. This article shows several examples, including one involving a legendary international player and captain. You’ll see that some players were penalized and some weren’t. And you may be surprised to learn that the laws of rugby aren’t definitive about … Read more
If you watch old rugby videos, you’ll see dump tackles that are illegal in the modern game. So, what’s changed? Are all dump tackles illegal in rugby now? Don’t be too disappointed! It’s possible, but technically difficult, to make a legal dump tackle. Let’s see what players can and can’t do. The Original Dump Tackle … Read more
If you watch plenty of rugby matches, you’ll occasionally see a player trip an opponent who goes sprawling to the ground. It’s most likely when the attacking player has jinked or changed direction suddenly. The wrong-footed defender sticks out a leg as the opponent goes past him. Is this a legitimate tackle? Is Tripping Allowed … Read more
The ankle tap or tap tackle is usually a last-ditch effort in Rugby Union to bring down an opponent racing to score a try. It’s illegal in some similar sports but is allowed in rugby. There are ways to make ankle taps more effective, and ways to beat them! Let’s take a look at a … Read more
When your opponent is racing toward your try line with the ball, can you tackle from behind in rugby? You certainly can, as long as you are not offside. You can tackle from behind in rugby when you are in an onside position. The tackle must be legal, with both arms wrapped and below the … Read more
You’ll hear lots of terms and phrases for tackling someone without the ball in rugby. The phrases describe slightly different situations, but they all boil down to the tackled player not being in possession of the ball. Here are the scenarios we get into in detail in this article: Late tackles Early tackles Tackling the … Read more