Glossary of rugby union terms player without showing a yellow card. Glossary of rugby union terms Rugby union is a team sport played between two teams of fifteen players. It is known for its rich terminology. This is a general glossary of the terminology used in the sport of rugby union. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics. 22 The 22 m line, marking from the tryline. 89 An "89" or "eight-nine move" is a phase following a "scrum", in which the "number 8" picks up the ball and transfers it to number 9 ("scrum-half"). 99
Scrum (rugby union) Scrum (rugby union) In rugby union a scrum is a means of restarting play after a minor infringement. It involves up to eight players from each team, known as the pack or forward pack, binding together in three rows and interlocking with the free opposing teams forwards. At this point the ball is fed into the gap between the two forward packs and they both compete for the ball to win possession. Teams can be penalised for intentionally causing the scrum to collapse, and for not putting the ball into the scrum correctly. A scrum is most commonly awarded when