Rugby clubs: rugby jargon-buster

Blitz defence
When the defensive line all bears down as one on a single player.

Conversion
When a team scores a try, they then have the opportunity to score more points by place-kicking the ball between the opposition's goalposts.

Drop-goal
A kick from open play—the player must time his kick to just let the ball bounce up off the ground, after dropping it himself, before kicking it through the opposing team's posts.

Fly half
Your rugby club fly half will always wear the number 10 shirt. They are a tactical player and goal-kicker.

Forwards
The forwards at your rugby club form the scrums and line-outs in order to gain possession of the ball.

Forward pass
Deliberate forward passing in a match at your local rugby club will result in a penalty; accidental forward passing will result in a scrum, with the put-in going to the other side.

Grubber
A kick that causes the ball to bounce along the ground, making it hard to pick up.

Hooker
The job of a rugby club's hooker is to "hook" the ball from the scrum put-in back into his half of the scrum.

Line-out
A way of restarting play. Each team forms a line and attempts to catch the ball thrown down the middle from the side of the pitch.

Maul
At least three players from each rugby club team attempt to move the ball towards, or away from, a goal line. The players remain on their feet, the ball off the ground (compare ruck).

Number Eight
The only rugby club team position known by shirt number, the mobile Number Eight coordinates scrums.

Prolate spheroid
Impress your friends in the rugby club bar by knowing the technical term for the shape of a rugby ball.

Penalty try
A penalty try is awarded if a team in possession of the ball is denied a try-scoring opportunity because of foul play by the opposition.

Props
Big and strong, props provide the manpower to try and drive the scrum forward into opposition territory.

Ruck
A ruck of players forms over the ball when it goes to ground beneath a player (as opposed to a maul).

Scrum
Two sets of forwards lock together and the ball is thrown into the space between them. Each half of the scrum drives against the other in a fight for territorial advantage.

Scrum half
A rugby club scrum half links the forwards and the backs by distributing the ball around the pitch.

Sevens
Some rugby clubs often host sevens tournaments—games are played with seven players per team.

Sin bin
Each rugby club has a sin bin where players on a yellow card are sent for 10 minutes.

Spear tackle
Rugby clubs take a dim view of illegal spear tackling, where a player is turned upside down and dropped.

Try
A try is scored when a team carries the ball over an opponent's goal line.

Up and under
An up and under is where you kick high and short, to give your team time to get among the opposing players and gather the ball.

Wings
The fastest players at a rugby club, they pass and receive the ball quickly.