Laws of the Rugby Football Union (1892)

1. The Rugby game of football should be played by fifteen players on each side. (Anyone coming under the laws of professionalism shall not be allowed to take part in any game under this Union's jurisdiction.) The field of play shall not exceed 110 yards in length, nor 75 in breadth, and shall be as near these dimensions as practicable. The lines defining the boundary of the field of play shall be suitably marked, and shall be called the goal lines at the ends and the touch lines at the sides. On each goal line and equi-distant from the touch lines shall be two upright posts, called goal posts, exceeding 11ft. in height, and placed 18ft. 6in. apart, and joined by a crossbar 10ft. from the ground; and the object of the game shall be to kick the ball over this crossbar and between the posts. The game shall be played with an oval ball of as nearly as possible the following size and weight, namely:

Hand sewn, and not less than eight stitches to the inch.

2. The following terms occur in the laws, and have the respective meanings attached to each:

Dead Ball Line.— Not more than 25 yards behind the goal line, and parallel thereto, shall be lines, which shall be called the dead ball lines, and if the ball or player holding the ball touch or cross these lines the ball shall be dead and out of play.

In Goal.—Those portions of the ground immediately at the ends of the field of play and between the touch lines, produced to the dead ball lines, are called in goal. The goal lines are in goal.

Touch.—Those portions of the ground immediately at the sides of the field of play and between the goal lines, if produced, are called touch. The touch lines are in touch.

Touch in Goal.—Those portions of the ground immediately at the four corners of the field of play, and between the goal and touch lines, if respectively produced, are called touch in goal. A Drop Kick is made by letting the ball fall from the hands, and kicking it the very instant it rises.

A Place Kick is made by kicking the ball after it has been placed on the ground.

A Punt is made by letting the ball fall from the hands, and kicking it before it touches the ground.

A Tackle is when the holder of the ball is held by one or more players of the opposite side.

A Scrummage, which can only take place in the field of play, is when the ball is put down between players who have closed round on their respective sides.

A Try is gained by the player who first puts his hand on the ball on the ground in his opponents' in-goal. A Touch Down is when a player touches down as above in his own in-goal.

A Goal is obtained by kicking the ball from the field of play, except from a punt, from a kick off, or from a drop out, direct (i.e., without touching the ground or any player of either side) over the cross-bar of the opponents' goal, whether it touch such cross-bar or the posts or not.

Knocking-on and Throwing-Forward are propelling the ball by the hand or arm in the direction of the opponents' goal; a throw out of touch cannot be claimed as a throw-forward.

A Fair-Catch is a catch made direct from a kick or knock-on, or throw forward by one of the opposite side, who must immediately claim the same by making a mark with his heel at the spot where he made the catch.

Kick-off is a place-kick from the centre of the field-of play; the opposite side may not stand within 10 yards of the ball, nor charge until the ball be kicked, otherwise another kick-off shall be allowed. If the ball pitch in touch the opposite side may have it kicked-off again.

Drop-out is a drop-kick from within 25 yards of the kicker's goal line, within which distance the opposite side may not charge, otherwise another drop-out shall be allowed. If the ball pitch in touch the opposite side may have it dropped out again.

At kick-off the ball must reach the limit of 10 yards, and at drop-out must reach the twenty-five yards line. If otherwise, the opposite side may have the ball re-kicked, or scrummaged, at the centre or in the middle of the twenty-five yards line, as the case may be.

Off-side. See Laws 7 and 8.

3. In all matches a referee and two touch-judges must be appointed, the former being mutually agreed upon. The referee must carry a whistle, which he must blow in the following cases:

(a) When he allows an appeal.

(b) When a player makes and claims a fair catch.

(c) When he notices rough or foul play or misconduct, when for the first offence he shall either caution the player or order him off the ground, but for the second offence he must order him off and afterwards report him to this Union.

(d) When a player is down in a scrummage and he considers it dangerous.

(e) When the ball has been improperly put into a scrummage.

(f) When he allows a decision given by a touch judge.

(g) When he wishes to stop the game for any purpose.

(h) If the ball or a player running with the ball touch him.

(i) At half time and no side, he being the sole timekeeper, having sole power to allow extra time for delays, but he shall not whistle for half time or no side until the ball be held or out of play.

The referee shall be sole judge in all matters of fact, but as to matters of law there shall be the right of appeal to the Rugby Union. All appeals must be made to him immediately, otherwise they cannot be entertained.

The touch-judges shall carry flags, and shall each take one side of the ground, outside the field of play, and their duty shall be to hold up their flag when and where the ball goes into touch.

4. The captains of the respective sides shall toss for the choice of goals or the kick-off. Each side shall play an equal time each goal, and a match shall be won by a majority of points; if no point be scored, or the number be equal, the match shall be drawn.

The following shall be the mode of scoring :

5. At the time of the kick-off all the kicker's side shall be behind the ball; if in front, the referee, on an appeal from the opposite side, shall order a scrummage where the kick-off took place. The game shall be re-started by a kick-off

(a) After a goal, by the side losing such goal, and

(b) After half-time, by the opposite side to that which started the game.

6. When once the game is started, the ball may be kicked or picked up and run with by any player who is on side, at any time; except that it may not be picked up—

(a) In a scrummage.

(b) When it has been put down after it has been fairly held.

(c) When it is on the ground after a player has been tackled.

It may be passed or knocked from one player to another, provided it be not passed, knocked, or thrown forward. If a player, while holding or running with the ball, be tackled and the ball fairly held, he must at once put it down in front of him.

7. A player is placed off side if he enters a scrummage from his opponents' side, or if the ball has been kicked, touched, or is being run with by one of his own side behind him. A player can be off side in his opponents' in goal, but not in his own, except where one of his side takes a free kick behind his goal line, in which case all of his side must be behind the ball when kicked.

8. An off-side player is placed on-side—

(a) When an opponent has run five yards with the ball.

(b) When the ball has been kicked by or has touched an opponent.

(c) When one of his side has run in front of him with the ball.

(d) When one of his side has run in front of him, having kicked the ball when behind him.

An off-side player shall not play the ball, nor, during the time an opponent has the ball, run, tackle, or obstruct, nor may he approach within five yards of any player waiting for the ball; on any breach of this law, the opposite side, on an appeal by them, shall be awarded, at their option —

(e) A free kick, the place of such breach being taken as the mark.

(f) A scrummage at the spot where the ball was last played by the offending side before such breach occurred.

Except in the case of unintentional off-side, when a scrummage shall be formed where such breach occurred.

9. If a player makes a fair catch he shall be awarded a free kick, and he himself must either kick or place the ball.

10. All free kicks may be place-kicks, drop-kicks, or punts, but must be in the direction of the opponents' goal line, and across the kicker's goal line, if kicked from behind the same. They may be taken at any spot behind the mark in a line parallel to the touch lines. If taken by drop or punt the catcher must take the kick, if taken by a place kick the catcher must place the ball. In all cases the kicker's side must be behind the ball when it is kicked, except the player who may be placing the ball for a place kick. In case of any infringement of this law the referee shall, on a claim by the opposite side, order a scrummage at the mark. The opposite side may come up to and charge from anywhere on or behind a line drawn through the mark and parallel to the goal lines, and may charge as soon as the catcher commences to run, or offers to kick or places the ball on the ground for a place-kick, but in case of a drop-kick or punt the kicker may always draw back, and, unless he has dropped the ball or touched it with his foot, the opposite side must retire to the line of the mark. But if any of the opposite side do charge before the player having the ball commences to run or offers to kick, or the ball has touched the ground for a place kick (and this applies to tries at goal as well as free kicks), provided the kicker has not taken his kick, the charge may be disallowed on an appeal.

11. Free kicks by way of penalties shall be awarded on claims by the opposite side, if any player—

(a) Being in a scrummage, intentionally either handles the ball, falls down, or picks the ball out of a scrummage.

(b) Having the ball does not immediately put it down in front of him, on it being held.

(c) Being on the ground, does not immediately get up.

(d) Prevents an opponent getting up.

(e) Illegally tackles, charges, or obstructs as in Law 8.

(f) Wilfully puts the ball unfairly into a scrummage.

(g) Not himself running at the ball, charges or obstructs an opponent not holding the ball.

(h) Not in a scrummage wilfully obstructs his opponents' half backs by standing on his opponents' side of the ball when it is in a scrummage.

The places of infringement shall be taken as the mark, and any one of the side granted the free kick may place or kick the ball.

12. The ball is in touch when it or a player carrying it touch or cross the touch line; it shall then belong to the side opposite to that last touching it in the field of play, except when carried in. One of the sides to whom the ball belongs shall bring it into play at the spot where it went into touch by one of the following methods:

(a) Bound it on the field of play, and then run with it, kick it, or pass it.

(b) Throw it out so as to alight at right-angles to the touch lines; or

(c) Scrummage it at any spot at right angles to the touch line, between 5 and 15 yards from the place where it went into touch.

If the ball be not thrown out of touch so as to alight at right-angles to the touch lines, the opposite side may at once claim to bring it out themselves as in (c).

13. When a side has scored a try, the ball shall be brought from the spot where the try was gained into the field of play in a line parallel to the touch lines, such distance as the placer thinks proper, and there he shall place the ball for one of his side to try to kick a goal ; this place kick is governed by Law 10 as to charging, &c., the mark being taken as on the goal line. It is the duty of the defending side to see that the ball is taken out straight.

On an appeal, the referee shall award a try if, in his opinion, one would undoubtedly have been obtained but for unfair play or interference of the defending side. Or, he shall disallow a try, and adjudge a touch-down, if in his opinion, a try would undoubtedly not have been gained but for unfair play or interference of the attacking side. In case of a try so allowed the kick at goal shall be taken at any point on a line parallel to the touch lines, and passing through the spot where the ball was when such unfair play or interference took place.

14. If the ball, when over the goal line and in possession of a player, be fairly held by an opposing player before it is grounded, it shall be scrummaged five yards from the goal-line, opposite the spot where the ball was held.

15. After an unsuccessful try, or touch-down, or if the ball after crossing the goal-line go into touch-in-goal or touch or cross the dead-ball line, it shall be brought into play by means of a drop-out, when all the kicker's side must be behind the ball when kicked; in case any are in front, the referee shall, on an appeal from the opposite side, order a scrummage on the twenty-five yards line equidistant from the touch-lines.

16. In case of a throw-forward or knock-on, the ball shall, on a claim by the opposite side, be at once brought back to where such infringement took place and there put down, unless a fair catch has been made and claimed. If the ball or a player running with the ball touches the referee it shall there be put down.

17. If a player shall kick, pass, knock, or carry the ball back across his goal-line, and it there be made dead, the opposite side may claim that the ball shall be brought back and a scrummage formed at the spot whence it was kicked, passed, knocked or carried back. Under any other circumstances a player may touch the ball down in his own in-goal.

18. No hacking, or hacking over, or tripping up, shall be allowed under any circumstances. No one wearing projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta percha on any part of his boots or shoes shall be allowed to play in a match.

19. In case of any law being infringed in in goal by the attacking side, a touchdown shall be awarded; but where such breach is committed by the defending side, a scrummage shall be awarded 5 yards from the goal line, opposite to the spot where the breach occurred.

But in the case of any law being broken, or any irregularity of play occurring on the part of either side, not otherwise provided for, the opposite side may claim that the ball be taken back to the place where the breach of the law or irregularity of play occurred, and a scrummage formed there.

20. It is illegal for any member of any club in England in membership with this Union (a) to take part in any match or contest where gate-money is taken, unless it is agreed that not less than fifteen players on each side take part in the match. (b) To play between May 1 and Aug. 31, both dates inclusive, in any football contest of any character, either for charity or otherwise, where gate-money is taken.

Any player transgressing this law shall be deemed a professional, and may be dealt with under Rule 4 of the Rules relating to professionalism.