SCRUM (RUGBY)

'Scrum' (short for 'scrummage'), in the sports of rugby union and rugby league, is a way of restarting the game, either after an accidental infringement or (in rugby league only) when the ball has gone out of play. Scrums occur more often, and are of greater importance, in union than in league.
In both sports, a scrum is formed by the players who are designated forwards binding together in three rows. The scrum then 'engages' with the opposition team so that the player's heads are interlocked with those of the other side's front row. The scrum half from the team that did not infringe then throws the ball into the tunnel created in the space between the two sets of front rowers' legs. Both teams may then try to compete for the ball by trying to hook the ball backwards with their feet.
A key difference between the two sports is that in rugby union both sets of forwards try to push the opposition backwards whilst competing for the ball and thus the team that did not throw the ball into the scrum have some chance of winning the possession. In practice, however, the team with the 'put-in' usually keeps possession. Forwards in rugby league do not push in the scrum, often feed the ball directly under the legs of their own front row rather than into the tunnel, and the team with the put-in almost always retains possession.

Contents

History

Rugby union

Overview

Infringments

Players

Awarding

Safety

Rugby league

See also

References and notes

External links

History

The word "scrummage" is a modification of "scrimmage" (the form of the word previously used in rugby and still used in American and Canadian football), which in turn derives from or is a cognate of "".
Originally there was no distinction between an awarded or "set" scrum (today officially called simply "scrummage") and a "loose" scrum (today officially called a ruck). The side awarded a scrimmage simply had one player put the ball on the ground and let go of it; there was no requirement of a tunnel, although players were required to be onside, i.e. not ahead of the ball. The most common way for a scrimmage/scrummage to be so awarded (there being no referee to actually award one, but as the rules specified) would be the occurrence of a stalemate between the player with the ball (who would declare "held") and opponents holding him (who would call, "Have it down"). A scrummage could also occur as a ruck today, in which opposing players simply close around a ball already on the ground.
Although the rules of playing the ball were different as to whether it was in scrimmage or not, the early rules did not draw a clear distinction between players in or out of scrimmage, and did not require players in scrimmage to bind. Early accounts of play show that in fact they could not have been bound, for they would try to work their way through the pack while attempting to get to and dribble the ball.
The early rules of rugby, even after recodification as "Laws of the Rugby Union" (the term "laws" having been borrowed from the Football Association), said the object of players in the scrummage was to kick the ball towards their opponents' goal line. This provision remained in the laws for approximately 20 years after practice had changed in the late 19th century.
The modern scrummage and ruck, the rugby league play-the-ball, and the American football snap and scrimmage (later adopted by Canadian football) were all derivatives of the early scrimmage, and responsive in different ways to problems encountered in the way the rules regarding it were written and administered.

Rugby union

Overview

To prepare for a scrum each team's eight forwards (referred to as the ''pack'' or ''forward pack'') bind together in three rows — the front row, second row and back row. The front row is composed of the two ''s'' and the ''. To the left is the ''loosehead'' prop with the hooker in the middle, and the ''tighthead'' prop on the right (jersey numbers one, two and three). The three bind together tightly and there is no gap between the hooker and either prop.^[1] According to the laws of the game; "When a player binds on a team-mate that player must use the whole arm from hand to shoulder to grasp the team-mate’s body at or below the level of the armpit."^[2] Failing to bind properly results in a penalty, and the opposition team being awarded a free kick.
The two ''second row'' forwards (jersey numbers four and five) bind together and directly behind the front row with each putting their heads between the props and the hooker. They are more commonly referred to as ''s'' as they "lock" the scrum. Lastly the back row is made up of the two ''s'' and the . The flankers bind on each side of the scrum — next to a lock and behind a prop. Generally the number seven flanker is referred to as the ''openside'' flanker, and with the number six flanker as the ''blindside'' flanker. "Openside" and "blindside" refer to the wide and narrow side of the pitch respectively, as scrums usually occur closer to one of the touchlines than the other. The openside flanker's job is to get to the next ruck or maul as quickly as possible, so he will usually bind on that side. The number 8 binds behind the two locks, with his/her head between them.
To form a scrum the two forward packs approach to within an arms length of each other. The referee gives the command ''crouch''and the opposing front rows then crouch so that their backs are parallel to the ground and their head and shoulders are no lower then their hips. Then the referee calls ''touch'' and "using their outside arm each prop touches the point of the opposing prop’s outside shoulder."^[3] This command is to ensure that the two front rows are not too far apart.The referee then issues the ''pause'' command and inspects the scrum finally the referee then says ''engage'' (this is not a command, but rather permission to the front rows to engage) and the two front rows come together. When this happens both front rows thrust forward with the tighthead props heads going between the opposing hooker and loosehead prop. The props then bind by gripping the back or side of the opposing prop's jersey.
The from the team that has possession (referred to as having ''the feed'' or ''put in'') then throws the ball in the gap formed between the two front rows.^[4] This gap is called the ''tunnel''. With the ball in the tunnel the two hookers (and sometimes the props) compete for possession by trying to hook the ball backwards with their feet, while the entire pack tries to push the opposing pack backwards. The side that wins possession usually transfers the ball to the back of the scrum — which is done with their feet. Once at the back it is picked up either by the number 8, or by the scrum-half.^[5] From here the ball is in play and the player with possession will either run, pass or kick the ball. On other occasions the forwards will hold the ball in the scrum and try to push the opposition backwards.

Infringments

There are a large number of rules regarding the specifics of what can and cannot be done during a scrum. This is mainly for safety reasons because if a scrum is not conducted properly there is a greater chance of injury. Much of the rules regard behaviour of the front row. Front rowers must engage square on, rather then ''bore'' in on an angle. The tight-head prop doing this limits the movement of the opposing hooker. As well, a loose-head prop pushing into the opposition tight-head prop's chest causing their body to pop out of the scrum. Both infringements are punished with penalties.^[6] Front rowers are also banned from twisting their bodies, pulling opponents, or doing anything that may collapse the scrum. They must not push an opponent in the air. Finally, the back row must remain bound until the ball has left the scrum. For flankers, this means keeping one arm, up to the shoulder, in contact with the scrum. The no. 8 must have both hands touching the scrum until the scrum has ended.
Other rules regard the scrum-half and how they throw in the ball. The scrum must be stable, stationary, and parallel to the goal-lines when they ''feed'' the ball; otherwise a free kick is awarded to the non-offending team. If the scrum is acceptable then the scrum-half must ''feed'' the ball into the the scrum without delay. The referee will often warn a a team, and if they do not the opposition is awarded a free kick. The ball must be feed into the middle of the tunnel with its major axis parallel to the ground and touchline. The ball must be thrown in quickly and in a single movement — this means they cannot fake a feed. Once the ball has left the hands of the scrum-half the scrum has begun.

Players

The front row are usually the stockiest members of the scrum. Hookers are normally smaller than props so they may maneuver their lower bodies within the tight confines of the front row and tunnel. Props and locks both need to be strong, but the positions differ in their main criteria for selection. Since props are more directly involved in wrestling for position and channelling the drive forward, strength and weight are of prime importance for them. Strength is also important for locks, since they also push; however, height is more important for them than it is for front-row players. Locks are virtually always the tallest players on the team; they are used as the primary contestants for possession in another phase of the game, the line-out. Flankers and the number 8 do less of the pushing in the scrum, and need more speed, because their task is to quickly tackle or cover the opposing half-backs if the opposition wins the scrum. Approximately 40% of the power of the scrum is produced in the front row itself. In most professional teams the forward pack weighs at least 800 kgs (1764 lbs).

Awarding

A scrum is awarded in a number of situations. The most common is in the ball has been knocked on (knocked forward) or passed forward. The two other major times when a scrum is for when someone is accidentally offside,^[7] or when the ball is trapped in a ruck or maul with no realistic chance of it being retrieved. In all cases the scrum feed goes to the team that did not offend except in the case of the ball being trapped in a ruck or maul. In this situation the feed is awarded to the team that was "going forward" — that is they had the forward momentum at the ruck. If the ball is ''held up'' at a maul, the scrum is awarded to the defending team.
If a penalty is awarded for a more serious offence, the team to which it is awarded may elect to have a scrum rather than take a penalty kick or free kick. This is usually happens when the attacking team is close to the opposition's goal-line, and want to occupy all the opposition's forwards in one area to give the backs more space. They may also think they can force the scrum over the goal-line and score a "pushover" try. This occurs when the ball gets picked up by the number 8 or scrum half at the back of the scrum and they can place the ball straight down in their opposition's in-goal area.
Pushover tries are rare however due to scrums being awarded a minimum of five metres (16.4 ft)from either goal-line, and either touchline. This means for a pushover try to occur the scrum must be forced several metres in one direction without collapsing.

Safety

Scrums are the most dangerous phase in rugby, since a collapse or improper engage can lead to a front row player damaging or even breaking his neck. For this reason, only trained players may play in the front row to help avoid injuries. If a team is without sufficient specialist props, for example due to injury or sin-binning, all scrums may be "uncontested scrums". In this situation, the packs engage, but do not push, and the team that still puts the ball into the scrum must win it without effort.
Recently, a leading consultant surgeon in the UK has called for the ban of contested scrums, for the main reason that they are too dangerous.^[8] There is very significant support for contested scrums however — former England hooker Brian Moore argued that "You would change the whole nature of the game and it would no longer be a game for all shapes and sizes as it is, uniquely, today."^[9]

Rugby league

A rugby league forward pack consists of six players: the loose-head prop, tight-head prop, hooker, two second row forwards, and the lock or loose forward. The scrum looks basically like a union scrum with the two flankers removed.
The main purpose of the scrum in rugby league is simply to remove the forwards from the play for a period, thus creating more space for back play. This is intended to give advantage to the side that is awarded the scrum. Thus scrums in rugby league differ from those in rugby union, being simpler and less time consuming. It is very rare (but not completely unknown) for a team to win possession against the head.
There is almost always no pushing from either forward pack, and therefore no need for a referee to spend time ensuring that the scrum comes together properly: the two forward packs will usually bind together on their own and lean against each other, forming the tunnel of the scrum.
The ball is then rolled between the legs of the loose-head prop by his scrum-half directly to the back of the scrum: the scrum-half either then runs around and collects the ball himself, or the loose forward detaches from the back of the scrum to collect the ball.
Previously, rugby league scrummages were competitive, as in rugby union. The main reason for the change to uncontested scrums was that during the 1970s scrum penalties for feeding the second row, packs moving off the "mark" or collapsing the scrum were seen as a major factor behind falling attendances. The ability of teams to win a game purely on goals from scrum penalties was also seen as unfair . In an effort to reverse falling attendances and improve the game's finances, rule changes were made that greatly reduced the number of scrums (through the introduction of the "turnover" after six tackles and after kicking into touch on the full) and authorities ceased enforcing rules about feeding the scrum and halfbacks could thus feed the second row unpunished.
Prior to 1983, the loose forward would very frequently stand out of the scrum, leaving a ''five-man scrum''. In an effort to provide more space for backline play, it was decreed that loose forwards must always bind into the scrum. If a back is sent off, five-man scrums still occur as the loose forward will typically play in the backline.
The provision that scrums must be competitive still remains in the laws of the game, but it is usually ignored with the blessing of the authorities. Occasionally, it is suggested that the law be applied again, or that the scrum should be abolished altogether and replaced with a tap kick, but so far these suggestions have carried no weight with the various governing bodies.

See also

★ Offside (rugby)

★ Ruck

★ Playing rugby union

★ Line of scrimmage

★ Scrum (in management)

References and notes

1. Forming a scrum
2. Law 20 - Scrum
3. Scrum Law changes
4. Feeding the scrum
5. Hooking the ball
6. The laws of scrummaging
7. This is when a player who is offside cannot prevent themselves being touched by a team mate or the ball — for example when retreating onside following another phase of play.
8. Hampson injury prompts move towards uncontested scrums Paul Rees
9. Is this the final collapse for the rugby scrum? Ben Fenton

External links

★ BBC Sports Academy - The Scrum

★ New scrummaging law takes force

★ Is this the final collapse for the rugby scrum? Ben Fenton

★ Forming a scrum

★ The laws of scrummaging

★ Scrum Law changes

★ Law 20 - Scrum