What is Not Allowed in Rugby? Key Rules Every Player Should Know

Ever seen a rugby match come to a sudden stop, everyone groaning, and a ref waving a yellow card? There’s a reason for that. Rugby isn’t just rough-and-tumble chaos—there’s a clear set of things you flat-out can’t do. Break those, and you’re in trouble fast, whether you’re benched for ten minutes or sent packing for the day.

If you’re new, some of the rules seem tricky, but really, it boils down to protecting players and keeping the game moving fair for both teams. You won’t last long if you don’t know what counts as illegal–blunders like a high tackle or tackling a player in the air aren’t just frowned on, they can get you sidelined or burn your team with penalties.

Know the basics (like what you can and can’t do with your hands, how tackles actually work, and where you’re allowed to stand) and you’ll have a way smoother time on the pitch. It saves you from those awkward chats with the ref—and those ‘what were you thinking?’ looks from your teammates. Let’s clear up the main things you need to avoid and why it makes all the difference.

• Hands and Tackling: What’s Legal, What’s Not
• Offside and Obstruction Explained
• High Tackles and Dangerous Play
• What Happens When You Break the Rules?
• The Sin Bin and Red Card Offenses
• Tips to Stay Within the Lines

Hands and Tackling: What’s Legal, What’s Not

Let’s get straight to the stuff that can get you into trouble faster than a ref whistle—using your hands the wrong way or making dodgy tackles. Rugby is full-contact, but not all hits are okay. The big rule? You can’t pass the ball forward—only backward or sideways. A forward pass means a penalty, even if it’s just a matter of centimeters.

When it comes to tackling, players can only tackle the person with the ball. If you take out someone not involved in the play (“tackling off the ball”), the ref won’t hesitate to punish that. Tackles must be made below shoulder height. Anything above the shoulders is risky and is called a “high tackle”—definitely not allowed. Aim for the waist to be safe.

Stick to grabbing with arms and shoulders when you tackle. No swinging the arm or “clotheslining” a runner. No tripping with feet, and never use your hands to grab someone around the neck. Trying any of those will probably get you a penalty or worse.

Rugby rules also say you’re not allowed to tackle a player if their feet have left the ground—like when they’re jumping to catch a ball. That’s dangerous and usually gets a straight yellow card. Keep an eye on the breakdown (where players contest possession): you can’t use hands in the ruck unless you’re standing on your feet and entering from behind your own team. Any sneaky handwork while lying on the floor or coming in from the side? Penalty city.

• Only tackle the player with the ball, and stay below their shoulders.
• No tripping, no swinging arms, and never grab around the neck or head.
• No forward passes—ball must only go backward or sideways.
• Don’t touch the ball at the ruck unless you’re on your feet and entering legally.
• Tackling in the air is a big no-go.

Staying sharp on these rugby rules not only saves you from penalties but keeps the game safe for everyone on the pitch. And that means more game time and less explaining yourself in the clubhouse after.

Offside and Obstruction Explained

This is where a lot of folks mess up in rugby, even those who claim to know the rugby rules inside and out. Offside is one of the most common reasons the ref brings out the whistle, and obstruction can frustrate both teams if you’re not careful.

Let’s break it down. In simple terms, you’re offside if you’re not behind the relevant line of play or not where you’re supposed to be according to the phase. For example, in open play, any player in front of a teammate who last played the ball is offside and can’t jump into the action until they get back onside. During a ruck or maul, you have to stay behind your own side’s hindmost foot — step past that, you’re fair game for a penalty.

• If you’re offside and interfere — say, tackle someone or scoop up the ball — the ref will instantly award a penalty to the other team.
• Not all offside actions are deliberate, but you get penalized either way. It doesn’t matter if you just wandered a step too far or charged ahead on purpose.

Now, obstruction is about fair play. You can’t block or get in the way of opponents who are trying to tackle, run, or claim the ball. Ever seen someone running a “blocking line” like in American football? That’s a big no-go, and refs will shut it down quick. If you screen, shepherd, or grab onto someone who’s chasing a kick, you’re looking at a penalty.

Here’s a cheat sheet for what you can and can’t do:

• Don’t block: Always avoid getting between an opponent and the ball. Move out of their path instead.
• Kick chasers beware: If you’re chasing your own team’s kick, stay behind the kicker or make sure you’re put onside by teammates before playing the ball.
• Stay alert: The offside line shifts constantly during open play, rucks, and mauls. Watch where the action is and stay behind your team’s line.

Rugby actually tracks a lot of rugby penalties due to offside. In the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stages, refs called more than 60 offside penalties, according to World Rugby stats. That’s a lot of free kicks (and lost territory) just from players drifting the wrong side.

If you keep running into offside or obstruction calls, ask your coach or a senior player to walk you through positioning. It’s one of the quickest ways to stop giving away easy possession and keep your head in the game.

High Tackles and Dangerous Play

If you go for a tackle and your arm or shoulder ends up above someone’s shoulders, you're stepping into what's called a high tackle. In rugby rules, this is a definite no-go. The reason? It’s all about safety. Tackling above the line of the shoulders risks head and neck injuries, and refs have gotten extra strict since World Rugby updated its policies over the last few years.

High tackles happen more than you might expect, especially when both players are moving fast. If your tackle slips up or you catch someone around the head, expect at least a penalty—some cases mean a yellow or even a red card. For example, in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, high-tackle penalties shot up by 80% compared to the previous tournament, thanks mostly to tighter guidelines.

But it isn’t just about where you tackle. You can’t swing your arm (that’s called a swinging arm tackle), dive into rucks head-first, or try to trip someone. Lifting a player and dumping them on their head or neck—sometimes called spear tackles—is treated super seriously. Any of these moves will get you flagged for dangerous play and could result in a serious ban, not just a few minutes in the sin bin.

So how do you avoid all this? Focus your tackles below the shoulders, wrap your arms (never just use your shoulder), and never mess with someone in the air. These habits keep the game safe and keep you out of penalty trouble. Plus, nothing gets a crowd on your side like a perfect, clean tackle that stops a breakaway cold.

What Happens When You Break the Rules?

So, you’ve messed up on the pitch—now what? In rugby rules, breaking the rules gets you more than just a dirty look from the ref. The consequences depend on what you did, but here’s a straight-up breakdown.

The moment a ref spots something illegal, like a high tackle or an offside move, they’ll blow the whistle and stop play. The usual response is to give the other team a penalty or a free kick, depending on how serious the foul was. Penalties can shift the whole game. Teams often go for goal kicks (which net you 3 points) or look for quick tap penalties to keep momentum going.

• Minor Infractions: Things like a forward pass or accidental offside get you a scrum, which restarts play but doesn’t put your team in immediate danger.
• Penalty Offenses: Stuff like a high tackle, obstruction, or hands in the ruck means your opponents get a penalty kick from the spot of the offense. If they’re close enough, they might take a shot at goal. If not, they’ll often kick for touch to gain ground.
• Repeat Offenses or Dangerous Play: Do it again, or do something reckless, and you’ll see cards—yellow (sin bin, 10 minutes off) or red (sent off, you’re done for the match).

The whole idea behind this system is to keep the game safe and fair. Referees aren’t just being picky; certain rugby penalties exist because bad tackles or unsportsmanlike behavior can seriously hurt someone or turn a match ugly fast. According to World Rugby stats, about 68% of penalties in professional matches come from offside or breakdown infringements—so it’s easy to slip up if you’re not paying attention.

If you’re ever unsure, listen for the ref’s call. They’ll often explain what went wrong—take the advice, fix it next time, and you’re golden. Staying clued in on rugby fixtures rules isn’t just about avoiding hassle, it’s about having your team’s back.

The Sin Bin and Red Card Offenses

Here’s the deal: step over certain lines in rugby rules and you won’t just give away a penalty—you might be sitting out for a chunk of the game, or gone for good. Two things to watch out for: the sin bin (yellow card) and the dreaded red card.

The sin bin is rugby’s way of telling players, “Take a time-out and think about what you did.” If you get a yellow card, you’re off the pitch for ten minutes. Your team’s down a player, which can change a match fast. This usually happens for stuff like repeated fouls, cynical play (think intentionally breaking the rules to stop the other team), or dangerous plays that aren’t quite bad enough for a sending-off.

• Repeated infringements: Keep making the same mistakes—offside, hands in the ruck—and you’ll end up in the sin bin.
• Deliberate foul play: This means things like killing the ball on purpose or slowing down play when the other team is on a roll.
• Minor dangerous tackles: If it’s not quite a full red, like a borderline high tackle, you’ll get yellow.

Get a red card and you’re done for the day, no coming back on. Your side plays the rest of the game down a player, which is almost a guaranteed nightmare at any level. You can land a red card for serious rugby fouls—high tackles with force, striking another player, tip tackling (lifting and dumping a player head-first) or anything that endangers someone’s safety.

Here’s a tip: referees keep a close eye on patterns. If you see the ref warning your team about repeated rugby penalties, it’s time to clean up your act. Don’t be the one who leaves your squad a man down. One well-timed legal hit feels way better than a ten-minute shame-walk to the sideline or a straight red.

Tips to Stay Within the Lines

If you want to avoid nodding along in the sin bin or costing your team the game, it helps to play smart. Some stuff is obvious—don’t hit above the shoulders, don’t trip people—but plenty of experienced players still slip up on the little things. Here’s what you really need to lock down if you want to stay on the ref’s good side and get the most out of every match.

• Know the breakdown rules: One of the top things refs love to call is an illegal move at the breakdown. Once a tackle’s made, stay on your feet, come through the “gate” (straight from your side), and never play the ball from the ground. If you’re not sure you’ve released the tackled player or the ball, just let go and reset instead of risking a penalty.
• Stay onside: Rugby rules on offside catch a lot of folks. Always check where the back foot of the ruck, maul, or scrum is—that’s your offside line. If you’re ahead of it when the ball’s in play, don’t even think about making a move. Hang back, stay legal, and you won’t cost your team ten meters or worse.
• Watch your tackles: This one’s all about safety. Never tackle above the shoulders, never lift a player and tip them dangerously, and definitely don’t tackle someone who’s in the air. World Rugby tracks this stuff—there’s been a 60% drop in high tackles since stricter enforcement, probably because everyone’s sick of bans and cards.
• Mind your mouth: Arguing with the ref or getting mouthy with other players is a shortcut to yellow or red cards. If you disagree, let your captain handle it—the refs don’t turn calls around just because you whine. Plus, good sportsmanship gets noticed.
• Train discipline like you’d train fitness: It’s not just about knowing rugby rules—it’s about turning them into habits. Coaches often review video clips of matches, breaking down every penalty. If you’re new, ask your coach for feedback and make it a goal to cut your penalties in half by next month.

One stat worth remembering: Top professional teams that give away fewer than 10 penalties per game win 70% of their matches, according to data from recent Super Rugby seasons. So if you really want to win, make discipline your superpower—it’s not just about staying out of trouble, it’s about winning games.