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The laws provide players of different physiques, skills, genders and ages with the opportunity to participate at their levels of ability in a controlled, competitive and enjoyable environment. It is incumbent upon all who play rugby to have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Laws of the game.
The laws ensure that rugby’s distinctive features are maintained through scrums, line outs, mauls, rucks, kick offs and re-starts. Also the key features relating to contest and continuity - the backward pass, and the offensive tackle.
The laws provide the framework for a game that is both enjoyable to play and entertaining to watch. If, on occasions, these objectives appear to be incompatible, enjoyment and entertainment are enhanced by enabling the players to give full rein to their skills. To achieve the correct balance, the laws are constantly under review.
The Laws of Rugby may be found on the website of the International Rugby Board (IRB), the world governing body of rugby, at:
The Laws may be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat "pdf" file. The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to download and read and/or print the file.
At the U-19 and Youth levels, there are some variations to the Laws of Rugby that recognize the youth and inexperience of young players.
Download IRB Under 19 Variations - Standard set of Variations Appropriate to the Under 19 Game:-
A set of thirteen temporary variations to the established Laws of Rugby. In the main, the intent of the ELVs is to encourage continuity of play and clarify the rules governing the contest for possession. First trialled by the Southern hemisphere unions, the global trial of the IRB Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) started on 1 August 2008.
The IRB Guide to Experimental Law Variations August 2008 may be downloaded at:-
There are two major exceptions to the ELVs as aplied to the U-19 and Youth games.
Laws of the Game Download Laws of Rugby from International Rugby Board (IRB)
IRB Guide toExperimental Law Variations (ELVs) August 2008
U-19 Variations Download Laws of Rugby "U-19 Variations" from IRB
In this website:-
Laws for Youth Rugby Rugby Virginia Summer Youth Rugby PowerPoint Presentation: "Laws for Youth Rugby....Touch & Tackle"