- Rugby league nines
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Not to be confused with Nine-a-side footy.
Rugby league nines Highest governing body Rugby League International Federation Nickname(s) Nines, Football, Footy, League, Rugby Characteristics Contact Full Team members 15 (9 on field + 6 interchange) Mixed gender Single Categorization Outdoor Equipment Football Venue Rugby league playing field Rugby league nines (or simply nines) is a version of rugby league football played with nine players on each side. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some differences in rules and shorter games. Nines is usually played in festivals, as its shorter game play allows for a tournament to be completed in a day or over a single weekend. It has become more popular than the similar rugby league sevens (rugby league with seven players to a side), with many tournaments using nines to distinguish it from rugby union sevens.
Contents
Laws
The laws of the game are the same as standard rugby league laws with the following exceptions.
- Each team is allowed a squad of up to fifteen players, with no more than nine players on the field at any time. Unlimited substitutions are allowed from a named bench of four players.
- The match lasts for 15 minutes, divided into two halves of 7 minutes 30 seconds. There is no half time interval but teams are allowed a maximum of 1 minute to change ends. Each half starts with a place kick.
- Scrums consist of no more than 5 forwards, with a maximum 3 in the front row and 2 in the second row. When the ball is in the scrum no more than 4 players from each team shall act as backs. The ball must emerge from behind the feet of the second row.
- Conversions after a successful try take the form of drop kicks. Players from the team that has conceded the score do not have to retire behind the try line but must not interfere with any conversion attempt.
- When points have been scored the team against which points have been scored will restart the game with a tap restart from the centre of the half-way line.
- When a team is awarded a penalty then play must proceed by way of a tap 10-metres in advance of where the infringement took place.
- In the event of misconduct by a player the referee can suspend for 5 minutes. In the Carnegie Floodlit Nines, a major nines competition, this has been reduced to 2 minutes.[1]
Buderus blueprint
Danny Buderus, an Australian rugby league player (currently playing for English Super League team Leeds Rhinos) has prepared a blueprint for a new rugby league nines format, with the intention of taking rugby league to a more global market,
- Each team would consist of nine on-field players plus five interchange players.
- Games would be played in two 20 minute halves.
- Scrums would be replaced by turnovers.
- Teams would be allowed an unlimited number of interchanges.
- A team would surrender possession if the dummy-half is tackled.
Major nines festivals
England
- Carnegie Floodlit Nines
- Northern Rail Nines
- York International 9s
- Middlesex 9s
- Bristol 9s
- South West 9s (Current Champions Exeter University Rugby League Team; EURL)
- Cheltenham Rugby Festival
- Scarborough Rugby League Festival
- Scunthorpe 9s
- Midlands 9s
- Southern Nines [1]
- Warwick University Rugby League 9s
Continental Europe
- Heidelberg 9s
- Kilkenny 9s
- Lezignan 9s
- Malta Rugby League Nines
- NNRLB 9s
- Portadown 9s
- Scandinavian 9s
- Veneto 9s
See also
References
- ^ Super League (2009-08-04). "Officials look forward to Carnegie Floodlit 9s". Super League. http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=14906. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
Categories:- Rugby league nines
- Variations of rugby league
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