Rugby League Nines
Rugby League Nines is a variation of Rugby league football but as the name suggests, it has nine players in each team instead of the 13 in the traditional rugby league game (there is also a Rugby League Sevens variant). The match duration is 15 minutes with two halves of 7 minutes 30 seconds. As the game duration is short, it is commonly played in festivals. The game is popular in Australia, New Zealand and England. Only nine players from each team are allowed in the field at any time.
The game allows unlimited substitutions. Scrums comprise of 3 forwards in the front row and 2 forwards in the second row making a total of five forwards. After a point has been scored by a team, the opposing team restarts the game. If there is any misconduct, the referee suspends the game for two minutes.
There has been a recent addition of Powerplay to the game. The team may go for a Powerplay after scoring a try. Try is worth four points and so is the Powerplay. This game has no half time interval. The teams get one minute so that they can change ends.
kids playing rugby leagueRugby League Nines is also sometimes called Nines, Footy, Football or League. Rugby League International Federation governs Rugby League Nines.
The inaugural Rugby League World Cup 9s was held in 2019, and is scheduled to be held every four years.
Rules in place for the 2019 World Cup 9s
- Nine players per side, nine minutes per half
- Unlimited interchange
- Five tackles per set, rather than six
- Sin bins: three minutes rather than 10
- Conversions are drop kicks, with a 25-second shot clock
- 20/40 kicks introduced, as well as 40/20s
- Five points, rather than four, awarded for a try scored in the Telstra Bonus Zone between the goalposts
- Drawn matches decided by a golden try.
Similar Sports
- Rugby League — a rough game involving tackling the players in a bid to get the ball, with each team attempting to carry it over the end line.
- Rugby League Sevens — a variant of rugby league, with only seven players instead of 13.
- Wheelchair Rugby League — a version of rugby league football but played using a wheelchair.
- Rugby Union — a football code played on a grass field by two opposing teams with two H-shaped goalposts at opposite ends.
- 9-Man Football — a small team version of American Football
- Nine-a-side Footy — a mini version of Australian Rules Football, with 3 players each designated as forwards, centers and backs.
Related Pages
- Rugby League Events Calendar
- Rugby League has been played at the Commonwealth Games
- Football Decoder — what is called football around the world?
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
- Complete list of sports
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