How To Play Backline In Rugby Video

Playing backline is a key position for rugby players on the field. Learn how to play rugby, including rules and skills, in this video rugby lesson.

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The backline gets over the advantage line
Have an equal amount of defenders
Get the ball out quickly

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Mark is the coach of the Austin Rugby club. He plays out in Burr Field in Austin, TX.

MARK BREWERTON: Mark Brewerton here for Austin Rugby again. What we are about to show you right now is an example of the ball going through the backline. To my left, [PH] Cole is going to pass the ball out. It is going to get through the hands and we are going to head on the other side of the defending backline. Cole is going through the first five. He is running onto a boom, we have got hands, boom! Cole is right there. The whole principle of the backline is to get over the advantage line. As you saw on our left-hand side, we have defense set up and we have offense set up. Generally speaking, we want to get the ball out quickly and have my offense hitting the ball relatively flat and try to get over the advantage line. If this defensive backline gets up before they get over the advantage line, it is generally what you probably commonly refer to in America as a loss of yards. You have not go over the gain line so then as you will see in the other phases later in the show that when you do not go over the gain line, a lot of that forwards have to then to go back backwards to go forwards. One more example of the ball through the hands, Cole is passing it out to [PH] Dylan coming forward, ball is in front, [INDISCERNIBLE], pushing out, and we have hands. Again, defense comes up to meet them. We have lots of variations on how to back play can play. What we would do is we will do one more and we are going to have a guy looping which will create maybe an extra man in the line which may create maybe a clean line break. This time the ball is going to come out like it is released now. We are going to try and create some space and create some numbers, overlap when the ball loops the man and then he has obviously created a space out wide because of the play of that extra man in the line. You should always have an equal amount of defenders on defense and attack. While looping that outside guy, you should try to create an extra man which gives you some space to open it up.

How to Play Backline in Rugby Video

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