Differences Between Rugby and Soccer

Despite certain similarities between the sports of soccer and rugby, the two are highly distinct entities. Many credit a man named William Webb Ellis with the invention of rugby in 1823, in protest to the strict rules of soccer. While it is difficult to prove the validity of this claim, it is accepted that rugby did evolve from the sport of soccer, accounting for the similarities that exist between the two.

  1. Ball Variations

    • Neither sport involves much equipment; the main item needed for both is a ball made of leather or synthetic, waterproof material, but that is where the similarities end. In rugby, the ball is oval-shaped and made up of four panels of material. The oval shape is thought to stem from earlier forms of game play when inflated pigs' bladders were used as the ball. Meanwhile, a soccer ball is made up of a whopping 32 panels of stitched fabric: 20 hexagonal shaped and 12 pentagonal.

    Use of Hands

    • Perhaps the most commonly visible difference between soccer and rugby is the use of hands during game play. Both sports allow for a variety of different ball-moving techniques, but whereas rugby rules allow for players to pick the ball up with their hands and run it down the field, the use of hands is strictly forbidden in soccer. There are exceptions to the no-hands rule in soccer, however. For instance, the goalie is always permitted to use his hands during game play, while the other players may use their hands to throw the ball back onto the field following an out-of-bounds kick.

    Scoring Goals

    • The object of both sports is to score as many points as possible before the end of the game, but the way goals are scored differs for each one. In soccer, a goal is simply scored by kicking the ball into the net behind the goal posts. In rugby, though, a goal is scored by kicking the ball over the top of the goal bar, and points are awarded for getting the ball into the end zone.

    Contact

    • Both sports are quite rough and tumble, especially if it's a heated match -- but there are many more rules against the use of forceful contact in the sport of soccer than there are in rugby. That doesn't imply that soccer isn't dangerous in its own right. Because soccer players stand more risk of being penalized for violating the rules against the use of excessive force, they tend to be more in check to avoid potentially getting benched for the duration of the game. Not so in rugby, where players are ready and willing to get the ball down the field using brute force.