SCRUM 
When is a scrum formed?..

A scrum is a way of re-starting play after:

The ball has been knocked on

The ball has gone forward

Accidental offside

The ball has not come out from a ruck or maul

Not everyone can join a scrum

Only eight players from each team can take part.

They are almost always the eight forwards in the side.

The scrum is formed at the place where the infringement happened.

All scrums must take place at least five metres from the touch or trylines.

Forming a scrum... The eight forwards are the players who form the scrum. The hooker, two props, two second rows, two flankers and the number eight all bind together in a 3-4-1 formation, ready to lock heads with the opposition. The hooker is the all important player in the scrum - it is their job to get the ball out for the scrum-half. To make the hooker's life that bit easier are the two props. They bind on tightly on both sides of the hooker, leaving no gaps between them. Next comes the two second row forwards. They bind tightly together and pack down behind the front row, putting their heads in the gaps between the hooker and the props. Then come the two flankers, who bind on to both the props and second rows on either side of the scrum. The last, but by no means least, of this exclusive gang is the number eight. They pack down behind the second row forwards, putting their head in-between the two second rows. And there you have the scrum - one of the most spectacular sites in rugby union.

Feeding the scrum... The scrum-half is the player who gets things going in the scrum. It's their job to feed the ball into the scrum for the hooker to strike back to the number eight. The scrum-half must roll the ball in from left-hand side, or the loosehead side as it is called. From there, the scrum-half cannot handle the ball until it has come out of scrum. The six other backs must be at least five metres behind the last forward of their team. If they are not, the referee will penalise the offending team.

Hooking the ball... When it comes to scrums, the hooker is the player with all the responsibility and pressure. Their job is to strike the ball back to the number eight once the scrum-half has feed the ball into the scrum. But this is not as easy as it sounds. Why? Because the opposition's hooker is trying to steal the ball from you. Plus you've got eight huge forwards on the other side trying to push you off the ball. The hooker is the only player in the scrum who can raise their feet - otherwise they would never be able to strike the ball. However, no other player in the scrum is allowed to handle the ball until the ball is free - not even the hooker

.When is a scrum finished?... A scrum is finished once the ball has come out of the scrum. Once it has, then the opposition scrum-half can tackle their opposite number for the ball. But in some situations the number eight may dribble with the ball, keeping it in the scrum. This means the opposing scrum-half cannot get their hands on the ball because it's still in the scrum. This often happens when the team in possession have an attacking scrum near their opponent's tryline.

When is a scrum re-taken again?... The referee is the man in charge on the pitch and if he's not happy with a scrum, he can order it to be re-taken again when:

The scrum has rotated 90 degrees

The scrum has collapsed before the ball has been fed or before the ball

Click on one of the links below for more information about the game of rugby.

The Basics
The Laws
The Positions
The Lineout
The Ruck / Maul
Equipment
Common Mistakes