Rugby is a full-contact sport that influenced the American style of football. The game is popular in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and other parts of the world. Played in two halves, a typical rugby match is longer in duration than an American football game but shorter than a soccer match. But some variations of rugby involve shorter matches.
Time Frame
According to the International Rugby Board and its "Laws of the Game," a rugby match lasts 80 minutes, divided into two 40-minute halves. A halftime period of no more than 10 minutes separates the halves. An American football game, in contrast to the 80 minutes for a rugby match, lasts 60 minutes, divided into four 15-minute quarters. A soccer match lasts 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves.
Considerations
In noninternational rugby matches, a controlling body or union can decide the length of a match, according to IRB rules. International matches are 80 minutes in duration.
Features
An 80-minute rugby match might have additional time in case of lost time or extra time needed to break a tie such as in the elimination round of a tournament. In rugby, lost time often results from injuries. IRB rules allow the referee to stop time for as long as one minute to allow treatment of an injured player. The referee can allow additional time if an injured player needs help leaving the field. The rules also allow lost time for player substitutions or when a judge reports foul play. Any lost playing time in a rugby match must be made up in the half in which the time loss occurred.
Identification
Rules from the IRB state the referee keeps the time of a match but may assign the task to one of the touch judges or the official timekeeper. If the referee delegates the job of keeping match time, he must signal that person any time lost or time stoppage.
Types
The 80-minute match applies to the traditional rugby match that pits two teams of 15 players each. But rugby has variations in which different match lengths apply. IRB rules state an Under-19 game has two 35-minute halves for a total of 70 minutes. In Rugby 7s, which pits teams of seven players, matches are even shorter. The IRB's rules state these matches last only 14 minutes total, or seven minutes per half. A competition final match in rugby 7s can last no longer than 20 minutes total. Under 19 and rugby 7s allow for additional time lost due to injuries, as well as extra time in an elimination match in which the score is tied.
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