Principles of the Law

The principles upon which the Laws of the Game are based are:

A Sport for All

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.

Maintaining the identity

The Laws ensure that Rugby’s distinctive features are maintained through scrums, lineouts, mauls, rucks, kick-offs and re-starts. Also, the key features relating to contest and continuity - the backward pass, the offensive tackle.

Enjoyment and Entertainment

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.