Rugby League like other sports has its own "jargon" used to describe certain aspects of playing the game. Here we have gathered together a collection of the most commonly used terms in the game as well as some less well known terms and their meanings.
A to E
Above the horizontal: This is where a defender lifts an attacking player off the ground to the point when their feet are higher than their head. Lifting a player this way can be a precursor to the outlawed spear tackle.
Advantage: The Advantage Law allows the game to flow more freely, and not stop for every minor infringement. "Advantage" is the period of time after an infringement, in which the non-offending side have the opportunity to gain sufficient territory or tactical opportunity to negate the need to stop the game due to the infringement. The referee will signal advantage with their arm out horizontally, toward the non-infringing team. If no tactical or territorial advantage is gained, the referee will whistle, and give the decision that had been delayed. If sufficient advantage is gained, the referee will call "advantage over” and play will continue.
The Advantage line: It is an imaginary line across the pitch when there is a breakdown in open play, i.e. a play-the-ball or scrum. Advancing across the advantage line represents a gain in territory. Also called the "gain line".
The Ankle tap: An ankle tap is also referred to as a tap-tackle, this may be used as a last resort by a defender chasing the attacking player carrying the ball if that player is about to evade them and a conventional tackle is not possible. If the defender is not able to get close enough to the ball-carrier to wrap their arms around them in a conventional tackle, they may still be able to dive at the other player's feet and, with outstretched arm, deliver a tap or hook to the player's foot (or feet) causing the player to stumble. At speed, this will often be sufficient to bring the ball-carrier down and may sufficiently delay the attacker for a defender to complete the tackle or for the defending team to organise their defence.
Ball and all: This is a type of tackle that prevents the player being tackled being able to offload the ball to a team mate for them to carry on the attack before the tackle has been completed. This type of tackle involves preventing the player being tackled from being able to move their arms effectively.
Ball-carrier: The player in possession of the ball.
Ball-carrying arm: An instance in which a tackle can be judged to be complete is when the attacking player's ball-carrying arm is touching the ground at the same time that a defending player is in contact with the attacker.
Ball back: If the ball enters touch, then play is restarted by a scrum at the point where the ball left the field of play. However, if the ball is kicked into touch without first bouncing inside the field of play (on the full), the scrum is taken from level with the place from where the ball was kicked from. The ball is given back to the team who did not kick it out of bounds; ball back is waived in certain circumstances:
- If a side elects to kick a penalty into touch
- If the kick took place from behind the 40m line and cleared the 20m line before going out of play (the 40/20 rule).
Banana kick: This is a medium-range kick performed in general play that goes to off to the side of the kicker rather than in front, for chasers further afield. The aim of the banana kick is to be less predictable than conventional kicks and is named such thus as the rise and fall of the ball is in a curve like that of a banana.
Biff: Fighting.
Black dot: The underside of the crossbar connecting the goal posts will have a marking on it in the centre, usually black in colour that is referred to as the "black dot". The black dot can be used as an aid to kickers with their aiming. A player scoring a try in the centre of the goal line or in goal beneath the posts might be said to have scored "under the black dot".
Blindside: This is the narrow side of the pitch in relation to a scrum or a play the ball.
Break: A breach of the line of defenders by the player in possession of the ball on the attacking team.
Bust: A bust, or tackle bust, is when a player breaks through an attempted tackle.
Caution: A player who deliberately or repeatedly infringes the laws is cautioned, and shown a yellow card. A cautioned player is suspended from playing for ten minutes.
Centre: The centres, or 'centre three-quarters', (numbered 3 and 4) are positioned one in from the wings and together complete what is known as the three-quarter line. They are divided into left and right centres. Usually the best mixture of power and vision, their main role is to try and create attacking opportunities for their team and defend those of the opposition. Along with the wingers, the centres score plenty of tries throughout a season.
Charge-down: The blocking of an attacker's kick as it rises from the foot. Done with outstretched arms and hands, this is not a knock-on.
Chicken-wing: This is a shoulder lock wrestling technique often used to slow down the play-the-ball; it places "undue pressure" on joints of players. It is punishable under Section 15, Law 1 (i) of the Laws of the Game as it is deemed "contrary to the true spirit of the game".
Club Call: A feature of the Super League play-offs in which the highest ranked team from the regular season table to win their match in the first week of the play-offs will be able to select their opponents for their next game, a qualifying semi-final in week three, from the teams that won their preliminary semi-final in week two. First used in 2009 for Super League XIV.
Completion rate: This is the percentage of times in possession that a team holds the ball for a full set of six tackles.
Conversion: If a team scores a try, they have an opportunity to "convert" it for two further points by kicking the ball between the posts and above the crossbar - that is, through the goal. The kick is taken at any point on the field of play in line with the point that the ball was grounded for the try parallel to the touch-lines. So it is advantageous to score a try nearer to the posts as it is easier to convert it. The kick can be either a drop kick or a place kick.
Cover defence: The attempt to tackle an attacker who has breached the main line of defenders.
Crash ball: It is an attacking tactic where a player receives a pass at pace and runs directly at the opposition's defensive line. The crash ball runner attempts to commit two or more opposing players to the tackle, and then attempts to make the ball available to team-mates by off-loading in the tackle or recycling the ball quickly from the ruck. By committing players to the tackle, the crash ball runner creates holes in the opposition's defence, thereby creating attacking opportunities for team-mates.
Cut out pass: Sometimes referred to as a "cut out ball", "face ball", or "face pass", the ball is passed by an attacking player across the front of one of their team mates and caught by a team mate positioned further away. This pass may be used to move the ball more speedily away from defenders who are closing in and likely to be focussing on the player who is "cut out".
Dead: The ball is deemed to be dead if it goes out of play beyond the dead ball line.
Dead ball line: A boundary located at each end of the playing field. The dead ball line is out of play.
Dominant tackle: A referee may call "Dominant!" as a player is tackled to indicate the dominance of the defender over the attacking player in possession during the contact between them at the tackle. A dominant tackle is judged to be when the defender makes contact and drives the attacker back in one movement. The dominant tackle call rewards good technique and allows the defender extra time before the attacker must be released to be allowed to play-the-ball.
Double movement: An illegal movement in the attempt to score a try. An attacking player whose momentum does not allow the ball to reach the try-line or in-goal after their ball-carrying arm touches the ground may not reach out to score if a defender is in contact with them; this is disallowed by interpretation as a "double movement".
Downward pressure: Downward pressure is one of the several criteria that need to be met for a try to be awarded by the referee.
Drop goal: A drop goal is scored when a player kicks the ball from hand through the opposition's goal, but the ball must touch the ground between being dropped and kicked. It is worth one point. The team awarded a free kick cannot score a dropped goal until the ball next becomes dead, or until an opponent has played or touched it, or has tackled the ball carrier.
Drop kick: A drop kick is when a player kicks the ball from hand and the ball touches the ground between being dropped and kicked. If a drop kick goes through a goal then it results in a drop goal.
Drop out: Drop out could refer to the following ways of bringing the ball back into play:
- Goal line drop-out, from the goal line.
- A drop out from the 20 metre line.
Dummy pass: An offensive ruse, where the ball carrier moves as if to pass the ball to a team-mate, but then continues to run with the ball himself; the objective is to trick defenders into marking the would-be pass receiver, creating a gap for the ball carrier to run into.
Dummy runner: Another offensive tactic; a player on the attacking team runs towards the opposition as if running onto a pass, only for the ball to be passed to another player, carried on by the ball carrier or kicked forwards. As with a dummy pass, this tactic draws defenders away from the ball and creates space for the attacking team.
Dump tackle: It is a tackling technique. The tackler wraps his arms around the ball carrier's thighs and lifts him a short distance in the air before forcibly driving him to the ground. The tackler must go to ground with the ball carrier for the tackle to be legal. This technique is useful to completely stop the opponent in his tracks. A dump tackle which drops the ball carrier on his head or neck is known as a spear tackle, and will almost invariably concede a penalty and possibly result in a caution for the tackler.
Eighteenth man: This is a player who is selected as a back-up to the official 17 man squad for a game. The 18th man may be called in to the team if one of the 17 players is injured or ill prior to the start of the match.
Engage: An attacking player engages, or attracts, a defender or defenders with the aim of manipulating their defensive position to the advantage of the attacking team. Markers are required to "engage" at the play-the-ball, meaning they must be in an appropriate proximity to it.
