Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 Why You Need This Book 2 How This Book Is Organized 2 Part I: Rugby: Roots, Boots, and All 2 Part II: Getting Down and Dirty 2 Part III: Welcome to the Oval Planet 3 Part IV: Coaching and Refereeing 3 Part V: Following the Game: The Informed Fan 3 Part VI: The Part of Tens 3 The Glossary 4 Icons Used in This Book 4 Where to Go from Here 5 Part I: Rugby: Roots, Boots, and All 7 Chapter 1: Rugby''s Beginnings, Allure, and a Basic Overview 9 Rugby''s Roots -- the Birth of the Game 9 The mythical pick-up of William Webb Ellis 10 A century of amateurism 10 How the Game Is Played 11 The field 12 The scoring 12 The gear 12 Understanding the Essentials of the Game 13 Puzzling out the positions 13 Grasping the laws of the game 14 Scoping out skills, tactics, and training 14 Rugby''s a Worldwide Game 15 An international affair 15 North America gets into the action 16 Coaching and Refereeing 16 Keeping Informed about the Game 17 Chapter 2: The Basics 19 Figuring Out the Field 19 Dimensions of the playing area 19 What all those lines mean 20 Goalposts and flags 23 Understanding the Scoring System 23 Scoring a try 24 Awarding a penalty try 24 Converting a try 24 Kicking a penalty goal 26 Drop kicking a goal 27 Timekeeping on the Field 28 When the clock runs and when it stops 28 When someone''s injured 28 When the TMO is looking at play 29 When the hooter sounds 29 Introducing the Players 29 Taking up position 29 Positions by the numbers 30 The reserves 31 Chapter 3: Grab Your Rugby Gear 33 Getting It Together: The Essentials of the Kit Bag 33 Having a ball 34 Kicking in with a kicking tee 35 Miscellaneous kit items 36 Getting the Gear 36 Rugby jerseys 36 Rugby shorts 37 Booting up 38 Socking it to you 39 Protecting Your Assets 40 Choosing protective equipment 40 Preventing serious injury 43 Knowing what''s barred on the pitch 43 Part II: Getting Down and Dirty 45 Chapter 4: Location, Location, Location: Positions on the Pitch 47 A Place for Everyone 47 Playing the Numbers Game 48 Fearless Forwards 50 Getting in tight with the tight five 51 The back-row forwards: Breaking loose with the loosies 56 Get to the Back of the Line 58 Passing and pestering for profit: The scrumhalf 59 Feeling footloose and fancy-free: The flyhalf 59 Mastering the midfield: Centers 60 Running wild out wide: The wings 62 Roaming the range: The fullback 62 Chapter 5: Laying Down the Laws 65 The Laws of the Game 65 The IRB writes the law 66 The laws are dynamic and ever-changing 66 Reading the law book 68 Building up your knowledge 68 Introducing the Match Officials 69 The referee: The one with the whistle 69 Touch judges and assistant referees: The ones with the flags 71 The substitution official: The one with the numbers 72 The TMO: The one with the video screen 72 Recognizing the Referee''s Signals 73 Chapter 6: Understanding the Fundamentals 77 The Object of the Game 78 Running, Passing, and Kicking 79 Running 79 Passing 79 Kicking 79 What Can Go Wrong? 80 Knock-on 81 Forward pass 81 The Tackle Law -- Where Football Ends, Rugby Begins 82 The tackle situation and continuity 82 The tackled player 83 The tackler 83 Tackling no-no''s 84 The Advantage Law -- When Play Stops and When It Continues 84 Observing the Offside Law 86 In general play 87 From set pieces 90 At tackles, rucks, and mauls 91 Playing Foul 92 Obstruction 92 Unfair play 92 Repeated infringements 93 Misconduct 93 Taking Penalties 93 Kicking at goal 94 Kicking for touch 94 Choosing a scrum 94 Taking it quick 95 Free kicks 95 Chapter 7: Playing the Game 97 Getting Started 98 Kickoffs to begin each half 98 Restarts after scores and 22s 100 Rugby For Dummies, 3rd Edition The Tackle Situation 101 The tackled player 102 The tackler 102 What happens next? 103 Breaking Down the Breakdown 103 Tackle, Ruck, or Maul? 104 Roughing It in the Rucks 104 Rucking rules 106 Directing the ruck 107 Working the pick-and-go 108 Mastering the Maul 108 Mauling laws 110 Directing the maul 111 Stopping the maul 112 Chapter 8: The Art of Scrummaging 113 Scrum Isn''t Synonymous with Mayhem 114 Sections of the Scrum 115 The front row 115 The second row 117 The back row 117 The ninth forward -- the scrumhalf 118 Engagement 119 The put-in 120 The contest for possession 120 Laws at Scrumtime 121 Binding and releasing 121 Collapsing 122 Driving in and up 122 Feeding 123 Strategic Scrummaging 123 Attacking from the scrum 123 Wheeling the scrum 124 Getting a shove on 125 Pushing it over the edge 126 Chapter 9: Lineouts: Restarting from Touch 127 Determining When a Lineout Occurs 128 Understanding Where a Lineout Takes Place 128 Directly into touch 128 Indirectly into touch 129 Figuring Out Who Gets the Throw-in 130 Lining Up for a Lineout 131 Forming a lineout 132 Calling the play 132 Throwing in the ball 134 Taking the throw 135 Starring Roles in a Lineout 136 Jumpers and lifters 136 The receiver 138 Movement in the lineout 138 Talking Tactics Down the Line 139 Peeling off 139 Throwing to the front 139 Setting up the maul 140 Quick off the top 140 Things You Can''t Do 140 Taking It Quick 141 Chapter 10: Individual Skills 143 Running Rampant 144 Receiving a pass on the run 145 Side-stepping the tackler 145 Curving into the swerve 146 Fending off forcibly 147 Going into a hit and spin 148 Throwing the dummy 148 Passing with Panache 149 Bringing tactics into play 150 Spiral pass 151 Cut-out pass 151 Lob pass 152 Pop pass 152 Dive pass 152 Scrumhalf pass 153 Kicking Cleverly 153 Spiral punt kick 154 Up and under 155 Chip kick 156 Grubber kick 156 Drop kick 157 Goal kick 158 Tackling Tough 160 Front-on driving tackle 161 Side-on tackle 163 Tackle from behind 163 Ball-and-all tackle 164 Stationary tackle 164 Ankle tap 164 Chapter 11: Tactics and Teamwork 165 Creating a Game Plan 166 Understanding your team''s strengths and weaknesses 166 Analyzing the opponent 170 Weathering the Conditions 172 Adapting to inclement weather 173 Playing the pitch 173 Deciding On a Game Plan 174 Attacking Artistically 175 Launching an effective attack 176 Breaking through 176 Defending Devilishly 177 Coordinating the defense 177 Blocking the advance: Defensive systems 178 Developing commitment and trust 181 Chapter 12: Talented Training 183 Getting Match Fit 183 Warming up and having a good stretch 184 Stretching for performance 185 Developing a fitness program 187 Psyching Up for a Stellar Performance 189 Eating Your Way to Victory 191 Choosing a balanced diet 191 Taking in fuel 192 Choosing your supplements carefully 192 Part III: Welcome to the Oval Planet 193 Chapter 13: The World Cup 195 The Crown Jewel of Rugby 195 The Origins and History of the Rugby World Cup 196 1987 World Cup -- Australia and New Zealand 197 1991 World Cup -- Great Britain, Ireland, and France 197 1995 World Cup -- South Africa 197 1999 World Cup -- Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, and France 198 2003 World Cup -- Australia 198 2007 World Cup -- France, Wales, and Scotland 199 2011 World Cup -- New Zealand 199 Qualification and Finals Tournaments 200 North Americans in the World Cup 200 Fighting Eagles 200 Competing Canadians 201 Mammoths and Minnows 202 Great World Cup Moments 203 Australia versus England -- 2003 final 203 South Africa versus New Zealand -- 1995 final 204 Australia versus South Africa -- 1999 semifinal #1 204 New Zealand versus France -- 1999 semifinal #2 205 Other Cups on the World Stage 206 Rugby World Cup Sevens 206 Women''s Rugby World Cup 207 Junior World Championship 209 Chapter 14: The International Calendar 211 How the Game Is Organized 211 Rugby''s rulers -- the IRB 212 National unions 212 Provincial unions 213 Local unions 213 The Powers That Be 213 Where tradition is king -- the Six Nations 214 South versus north -- the SANZAR home tests 215 The battle of the Big Three -- the Tri Nations 215 North versus south -- the fall tests 216 The British & Irish Lions 216 The.