Sevens Laws

There are some differences between the Laws for Sevens rugby and the ordinary 15-man game. We note some in brief.

Time: 7 minutes each half with a break of a minute of less between halves. The final in the IRB Sevens will be 10 minutes beach way. The time is playing time and down not include stoppages.

If there is extra time, the teams again toss for end and kick-off. The first to score in extra time wins.

Officials: There are in-goal judges, one at each end, to help with tries and kicks at goal.

Kicks at goal: The conversion and the penalty kick at goal are taken with a drop.

The time allowed for a conversion is 40 seconds, for a penalty kick at goal 30 seconds.

Sin bin: two minutes.

Kick-offs: After a score, the team that scored kicks off.

If there is something wrong with the kick-off, the non-kicking team gets a free kick.

Scrum: three on each side, each trio bound together.

A team may not intentionally kick the ball out of the scrum, whether out of the tunnel or out through the scrum. It's a penalty offence.




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Balie Swart, the former Springbok scrumming coach and a World Cup winner as a player in 1995, is to join SA referees as a selector and adviser.
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