Rugby league gameplay
Like most forms of modern football, rugby league football is played outdoors on a rectangular grass field with goals at each end that are attacked and defended by two opposing teams. The rules of rugby league have changed significantly over the decades since rugby football split into the league and union codes. This article details the modern form of the game and how it is generally played today, although rules do vary slightly between specific competitions.
Basics
Field
A game of rugby league consists of two forty-minute halves, played by two teams on a rectangular grass field 120 metres long and 58–68 metres wide, depending on the individual ground. In the middle of the field is the 50-metre "halfway" line. Each side of the field, on either side of the 50-metre line, is identical. 10 metres from the 50-metre line is the 40-metre line, followed by the 30, 20, 10-metre and goal or "try" lines. This makes up 100 metres of field that is used for general play.At the middle of each goal line is a set of goal posts in the shape of the capital letter "H", used for point scoring from kicks. Six to twelve metres beyond each goal-line is the dead ball line. The area between these two lines is called the in-goal area, and varies from field to field.
The dead ball lines and the touch-lines make up the boundary of the field of play. If the ball touches the ground on or beyond any of these lines, the ball is said to be dead, and play must be restarted. This is done by one of two ways. If the ball goes dead, play restarts at the 20 metre line closer to where it went dead. If it goes into touch, a scrum is played.
Players
All rugby league players must be particularly physically fit and tough because of the game's fast pace and the expansive size of the playing-field as well as the inherently rough physical contact involved. Depending on his exact role or position, a player's size, strength and/or speed can provide different advantages. Effective teamwork is also extremely important.Mode of play
After a coin toss with the two captains and referee, the winner elects either to kick off or to receive the kick off and chooses which end of the field to attack for the first half. The ends change over after the half-time break.Play commences once the ball has been kicked off from the ground in the centre of the field by one team to the other. The longer and higher the kick, the more advantageous, as this forces the team receiving the ball to return it from deeper within their own territory. If a long or misdirected kick goes out of the field of play without first bouncing, a penalty is awarded to the non-kicking team from the halfway line, but if a kicked ball lands in the field of play and then bounces out, the kicking team receives possession at the point of entry. A short kick off may be employed to regain possession, but it must travel at least beyond the 10 metre line; they are usually attempted towards the end of closely fought matches when time is scarce and points are needed.
Each team is responsible for defending their end of the field, and they take turns throughout a game at defending and attacking. At half-time, the teams have a 10-minute break, then swap ends before resuming play.
The team with possession of the football is the team in attack. The primary aim of this team is to "work" the ball out from their own end of the field, into a more favourable position towards the opposition's end, and score a try by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area or on the goal line. In some circumstances, the team in attack may opt to kick a one-point drop goal instead of attempting to score a try. Scoring will at least involve first gaining field position and, in the case of scoring a try, will almost certainly involve breaking the opposition's defensive line.
The objective of the defensive side is to prevent the team in possession from scoring and obtaining their shorter term objectives. The defensive team carries out these objectives by:
- maintaining the defensive line
- providing last-ditch defenders
- preventing a try
Point scoring
There are four ways to score in rugby league: tries, conversions, penalty goals, and drop goals.- The try is worth four points and is the primary means of scoring. To score a try, the ball must be placed with controlled downward pressure on the goal line or in the in-goal area between the goal line and the dead ball line using the hand, forearm, or torso area. This is referred to as grounding the football. If the player scoring the try is also being tackled at the same time, the try must be completed before or at the moment the tackle is completed. Occasionally, when it is deemed that a try would certainly have been scored were it not for a rule infringement of a defending player, a penalty try can be awarded directly under the goal posts regardless of where the offence took place. Because the referee must be certain that the try "would have" been scored, penalty tries are uncommon. Even more uncommon are 8-point tries, where in the process of a try being scored, a severe infringement by the defensive team has been committed, such as a dangerous tackle or ensuing violence. In this circumstance four points are awarded for the try and two attempts are allowed at goal, one in line with the try and the other directly in front, giving a possible 8 points.
- Following a try, the scoring team has a chance to convert the try from four points to six with a place kicked goal over the crossbar and between the uprights of the goal-posts; this is known as a conversion and the six-point total is known as a converted try. The kick may be taken from a position perpendicular to the goal line opposite the location that the try was scored. The kick may be taken as close or as far from the goal line as the kicker prefers. In Europe and under the international rules it is also permissible to take the conversion attempt with a drop kick rather than a place kick. Try-scorers will sometimes attempt to "improve the angle" for the kicker by grounding the football as close to the goal-posts as possible.
| Period | Try | Conversion | Penalty | Drop goal | Goal from mark |
| 1895–1897 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 1897–1922 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1922–1950 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – |
| 1950–1971 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – |
| 1971–1983 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 1983–2021 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 2021-present | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
- When a team is awarded a penalty, they are given the choice of taking a two-point penalty kick from the point that the offence took place, or attacking with a set of six tackles in the hope of scoring a four-point try. Depending on the proximity to the goal posts and other circumstances of the game, the team's captain will choose between these options. As with other goals, the kick must pass both over the crossbar and between the uprights of the goal-posts.
- In the event of a foul being committed on a player as or after that player succeeds in scoring a try, the scoring team will be awarded a penalty kick in addition to the conversion attempt. In such a circumstance, the conversion attempt is taken in line with where the ball was grounded, followed by a penalty goal attempt taken from directly in front of the goal posts, regardless of the spot of the foul. Should both kicks be successful, this event is often referred to as an 8-point try. The 8-point try differs from a penalty try, because the attacking player must have successfully scored the try.
- A drop goal is worth only one point. Since 2021 domestic matches in Australia reward a drop goal kicked from more than 40m out with two points. Thus, it is the least chosen method of scoring. It is attempted during general play, and to be valid must be made by a drop kick, and as with penalty and conversion goals, must pass both over the crossbar and between the uprights of the goal-posts. Drop goals are usually attempted when in good field position in an attempt to secure a win late in a close game or when the scores are within a converted try of each other so that, if successful, their opponents must score at least twice to avoid losing. Less commonly, drop goals may be attempted just before half-time, to secure the most points scored in the first half. Additionally, it is a common way to win matches in competitions that use golden point extra time to decide games that are tied after normal time has elapsed. Unnecessary or unlikely attempts at field goal have become less common with the advent of the zero tackle rule, with a miss generally resulting in a seven-tackle set restart from the 20m line for the opposing side.
Passing