Beach rugby is a sports team game with an oval ball , which the players of each team pass each other with their hands and feet, and pass their hands only backwards, they try to land in the test field, unlike the classic rugby goal in the game, usually not used. The main differences include a smaller size of the playing field, fewer players, simplified scoring.
Unlike other beach game types ( beach soccer , beach volleyball ), beach rugby does not have a single governing body and, accordingly, unified rules of the game, however, the International Rugby Council takes steps in this direction, and the first championship is scheduled for 2013 of the world in this sport, Italy was chosen as the venue for the tournament [1] . With the participation of the European Rugby Association, the European Beach Rugby Championship has been held annually since 2017 [2] .
Common Game Rules
Field Size
The size of the field is determined directly by the organizers of the competition, and as a rule varies from 30-50 meters in length and 25-30 meters in width. More often, gates in beach rugby are not used, the boundaries of the playing field are marked with plastic tape or a bright rope.
Number of Players
Depending on leagues and tournaments, the number of players in the field varies from 4 to 7, the number of substitutes from 3 to 7, the number of substitutions during the game is unlimited, substitutions are made on the fly, according to the same principle as in hockey.
Ball
The game uses standard rugby balls of the 4th and 5th size.
Scoring
The system of scoring in beach rugby is simplified, since there are no gates on the playing field, for each attempt the team receives one point. Sometimes in the event of a tie, the game is played until the first point scored at extra time.
Game Time
As a rule, the game is divided into two halves of 5-7 minutes with a break between halves of 1-3 minutes, in cases of a tie, extra time is sometimes played at the discretion of the organizers.