RUCKS AND MALLS Grr!!!!!

Once the ball carrier is tackled and on the ground, they must immediately release the ball and make an effort to get away from it. The ball then becomes fair game for either team, just as it is in football when someone fumbles. But rather than scramble madly after the loose ball, the players must try to win possession by pushing the other team away from the ball. This is where it's good to have strong forwards to push the opposing team away from the ball so your team can have a chance to ruck the ball as outlined below.

THE RUCK AND THE MALL

The mass of shoving bodies that forms around the ball is known as a ruck. During a ruck, players cannot reach down and pick the ball up off the ground. Like angry bulls pawing at the ground, the players must use their feet to move the ball back to their own scrumhalf. If players put their hands down there to get the ball, they either risk getting a penalty against them or their fingers trampled.

Sometimes the ball carrier manages to stay on their feet after being stopped by an opponent. In this case, both teams again try to gain possession of the ball. The ball carrier's teammates will try to protect the ball and get it to their own scrum half, while the opposing team tries to wrestle the ball away from the ball carrier. The formation which results is known as a 'maul' - it differs from a ruck in that the ball is up off the ground, and players can use their hands in trying to win possession of the ball. If you are doing it correctly, these two things should happen in succession. The first few games our team played,(of which over half were rookies) none of us rucked or malled, we were just trying to kill the opposing players. We didn't win many games that season. The second season we had learned our lesson and remained undefeated that year.

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