Glossary of Rugby Union Terms - R

R

Red card

In International matches, Red cards are shown to players who have been ordered off, which results in the player being removed from the game without being replaced. Players are usually ordered off for serious foul play, for violent conduct or for committing two offences resulting in cautions (yellow cards).

Red cards are also commonly used in non-international matches in precisely the same manner as in International matches but there is no regulation requiring their use. (i.e. in a domestic match, a referee may dismiss a player without actually displaying a red card.)

Red zone

The red zone is the area of the pitch between the try line and around 22 metres out where it is likely a try will be scored.

Restart

The kick taken from the centre line after the opposition have scored points.

Round the corner kicking

Round the corner kicking is a style of kicking used for kicking penalties and converting tries.

Ruck

A ruck is formed when the ball is on the ground and two opposing players meet over the ball. The offside line becomes the last foot of the last man on each side of the ruck and players compete for the ball by attempting to drive one another from the area and to 'ruck' the ball backwards with their feet.

Rucks commonly form at tackles, but can form anywhere in the field of play where the ball is on the ground.

Handling the ball while it is in the vicinity of a ruck is a penalty offence. (Though modern practice allows a player on the ground to support the ball with his/her hands and for the player who is acting as scrum half to 'dig' for the ball once possession has been secured.)

If the ball does not come out of a ruck after about five seconds, the referee will award a scrum to the team he considers to have been moving forward in the ruck.