While at first glance rugby appears to be a chaotic cluster of wild, screaming bodies, it is in fact a fairly simple and very beautiful game. In fact, some reckon it's the game they play in heaven! Anyhow, for those new to the sport or unfamiliar with how it's played, we're here to give a brief, simplistic rundown on the basic tenants of the sport.

Next up on our Rugby Rules 101 we'll look at the laws around passing, kicking, and tackling. These are the primary actions you'll see on a rugby field, and understanding what you can and can't do with these is very important. 

Without any more deliberation, here we go:

Passing

The laws about passing are very straight forward. Well, in actuality, they're quite the opposite of straight forward, but ultimately pretty simple. In rugby, you can pass the ball any way you like, in any manner, so long as it does not go forward  out of your hand. 

The law, according to World Rugby, says that a pass is deemed forward if the hands are moving forward when the ball is released. 

The penalty for a forward pass is a turnover of possession and a "scrum" awarded to the other team. We will go into detail about the scrum in the next segment of Rugby Rules 101! 

Kicking (when the ball is in play)

When the ball is in play, any player on the field can choose to punt it whenever he/she wants to. Now whether they should kick it is a different story, but theoretically everyone can kick the ball. 

There are, however, a few stipulations when it comes to kicking the ball in open play. First and foremost is the "offsides" rule. This states that any player on the kicking team that is in front of the kicker at the time of the kick must not chase down the field to follow the kick until someone who was behind the kicker at the time of the kick gets to where they are on the field. This is called "getting put onside."

If you chase after a kick and you haven't been put onside, it is a penalty awarded to the other team at the spot of the kick. This can be detrimental to your team and cost you vital territory. 

The second stipulation of kicking when the ball is in play is when and where you can kick the ball out of bounds on the fly. In rugby, there are two solid lines 22 meters away from the two goal lines. These are called "The 22", and play a significant role in the rules of kicking. 

A player can only kick the ball out of bounds on the fly if they receive and kick the ball from inside of their own 22. Should a player choose to kick the ball out from behind their own his/her own 22, the opposing team will get a line-out throw in at the spot where the ball went out of bounds. 

However, if the ball is kicked straight out of bounds on the fly and the kicker was not behind his/her 22, then the opposing team gets a line-out throw in from where the kicker kicked the ball. 

Tackling

Rugby is a heavy contact sport, which means naturally there is a risk of danger. Therefore, there are a number of laws in place to ensure that tackles are made with safety in mind. 

First up, a tackler making a tackle must attempt to wrap his/her arms around the ballcarrier on the hit. This means you cannot shoulder charge someone when you're tackling. The punishment for a tackle with no attempted wrap is a penalty awarded to the other team and likely a yellow card for the offender. 

Second, a tackler must not make contact with the ballcarrier anywhere in the shoulder or head/neck region. This is called a "high tackle" and constitutes a penalty. If the hit is dangerous enough possibly a yellow or a red card could be issued to the tackler. 

Finally, a player may not enact what is called a "tip tackle". This occurs when the tackler lifts the carrier's legs up in the air and the the carrier lands on his head or shoulder area before his legs hit the ground. This is a severe penalty, as it puts the player in serious jeopardy of a major injury. As such it is always penalized with a yellow or a red card.