Rugby vs. Football: Complete Guide

From a distance, rugby and American football don’t seem similar. Football players are swaddled up in protective gear that covers their whole body while rugby players often wear shorts, socks, shirts, and shoes. Football, however, was derived from rugby and soccer. Walter Camp, a rugby player at Yale and the football coach at the University of Chicago, was called the “Father of Football.” Many of the modern football rules were created by Camp in the late 1800s. Football, a distinctly American sport, was formed at the college level. One reason Camp wanted a new version of “rugby” was because he didn’t like some of its rules that “negated outstanding plays.” Over time, American football created its own distinct identity. Below is a look at some of the differences and similarities between rugby and football. 

Rugby vs. Football: Side-by-Side

One of the fundamental principles of rugby is that the ball can only be tossed backward, not forward. The primary method of moving the ball in college and professional football is through the forward pass.

One other significant difference is penalties. In rugby, teams can score on a penalty kick by kicking the ball through the uprights of 2 goal posts. Examples of penalties include dangerous tackles, foul play, and offsides. A successful penalty kick is worth 3 points. Penalties in football typically result in a team losing yardage or moving backward if the offense is penalized, and forward if the defense is penalized. In football, teams can score a field goal, which is also 3 points, by moving the ball into a position where a kicker can attempt to kick the ball through the goalpost upright. From a style standpoint, the plays in rugby are less choreographed than football, where offensive plays are often called by a sideline coach.

Below is a chart listing some of the differences between rugby and football. 

You can only score a try in rugby by running the football over the goal line. In football, teams can score a TD by running or passing the football over the goal line.

What’s a Scrum?

In rugby, a scrum occurs after a stoppage in the game. Each team has 8 players—3 in the front, 4 in the middle, and 1 in the back. The hooker is a player designated to pick up the ball, and the No. 8 player, who's in the back, can advance the ball while the No. 9 player is the scrum half, who drops the ball.

Players bind together or lock arms with each other at the start of a scrum and try to get possession of the ball. The scrum half is generally from the team that last had possession before the previous play. Typically, the scrum half will drop the ball closer to their team, making it easier for the hooker to get the football once the scrum starts. Once the hooker picks up the ball, they can toss it backward to the No. 8 player, who can then advance the ball forward by running. The team that doesn’t get the ball has to play defense, trying to stop the other team. Often, teams have designed offensive plays in a scrum.

Cultural Popularity & Growth

Football is the most popular viewing sport in America with 41% of Americans saying it's their favorite sport to watch. However, football doesn’t make the top 10 in the world in terms of fan popularity. Rugby is ranked ninth globally with an estimated fan base of 475 million while football has around 410 million fans. Football’s fan base mostly comes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The NFL (National Football League) has started to play regularly in London to try to expand global interest in the sport. Rugby has its own World Cup, which is held every four years. It’s popular in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Rugby’s faster pace, longer history, and fewer equipment requirements help it appeal to a larger audience.

Skill Considerations

Rugby and football both require similar skills, but the way they’re used in each sport is different. Below is a description of important skills for each sport, and how they’re implemented. 

• Tackling: Both sports require tackling. The impact of tackling is typically greater in football because players wear protective gear, which gives them the freedom to hit harder. 

• Speed: Speed is important in both rugby and football, but it’s more position specific in football since only designated players, usually running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers, can carry the football. In rugby, any player can move the football forward. 

• Kicking: In rugby, teams have open kicks. That means they can drop back and kick the ball any time using any player. While football allows a punt on any down, teams typically only punt on a change of possession with a designated kicker. 

• Endurance: Rugby requires far more endurance than football. Players run around 6 miles in a rugby match, and they’re active for 80 minutes. Meanwhile, there’s only 11 minutes of play in a 60-minute football game and about 1 mile of running.  

• Size: There’s more variance in size in football, with some offensive and defensive linemen weighing well over 300 pounds. The average size of a rugby player is around 220 pounds while the average size of an NFL player is 245 pounds. 

While strength, speed, endurance, and quick decision-making skills are important for both rugby and football players, the 2 sports have evolved into games that only resemble each other at a very basic level.