RU pitch dimensions and the importance of the in-goal area

Why do so many rugby games have such tiny in-goal areas?.

Clearly many matches take part on football-owned pitches which have priority of rights to the ground. And so they may justifiably have objections to have rugby goal post holes to be dug into their normal in-play area.

Is there a minimum ru in-goal area irrespective of the pitch size?

And what is the smallest in-goal depth in rugby?

Portnoy, from memory I think there is a law stating the minimum size is 5m deep.

red_stag wrote:Portnoy, from memory I think there is a law stating the minimum size is 5m deep.

What's the minimum length of a pitch Staggy?

5m seems too short in pro rugby,

From what I remember the in goal is now supposed to be a minimum of 10 metres deep, but a number of stadiums are grandfathered since they are simply out of room. But I can't remember where I heard it. My law book is upstairs, but is too far for me to walk at the moment.

Once again I take personal action I go to the IRB Laws - which are quite rightly set to allow any rugby game to take place.

But gives no guidance (quite rightly) for elite games.

http://www.irblaws.com/downloads/EN/Law_1_EN.pdf

Maybe there should be competition regulations, but the Law indicates a 10m indicates a minimum in-goal depth.

And I suspect that there are many TVed games less than that.

"The distance from the goal line to the dead ball line should be not less than 10 metres where practicable."

In many cases it is not practicable (is that a word?) to have 10m in goal and the 100m pitch length that they desire.
In goal areas have become smaller as:

a) More matches are played at football pitches
b) Clubs build bigger stands. They rarely have extra land to go backwards, so instead they go forwards.


I notice there are no formal minimums in the laws, only maximums.

I've always wondered about those pitches with the short in goal areas, the kick into the in goal area is surely not a viable option if you can't kick accurately enough to gather before the ball is out of play.


Running around to the posts is also limited.

The size of the in goal is very important,bigger ingoals give a bugger area that has to be defended,especially making kicks an extra opportunity to score from.
I must say I think it is the ground that bath plays on is miniscule,They brought Eden Parks back from 22metres to 18metres.

Clearly the obvious answer is that the area of the in-goal area as a proportion of the playing area should be defined in the laws.

But once again that might/will cause terrible consternation and possibly retribution from stadia where footy holds the primacy of the rights.

A rugby request to stick its posts infield of the footy playing area (and the bumps, hollows and faults which would inevitably be created) would be met with short shrift.

Portnoy
Isnt the maximum stated in the Laws?...22 metres.

aucklandlaurie wrote: Portnoy
Isnt the maximum stated in the Laws?...22 metres.

I can't find a Law defining max/min depth of the in-goal area.

Clearly competition rules may define certain locally acceptable preferences which override the deliberately vague Law 1 - and Law 22 doesn't help
http://www.irblaws.com/EN/downloads/

"Dimensions.
The field of play does not exceed 100 metres in length and 70 metres in
width. Each in-goal does not exceed 22 metres in length and 70 metres in width."


It clearly defines the maximum in the link you provided yesterday.

The minimum is only a recommendation (10m).


This all makes sense as a maximum is easy to work with - whereas a minimum depends on the space available.

Well then the width might also only be a recommendation.

We should make narrower pitches then even less tries can be scored.

biltongbek wrote:Well then the width might also only be a recommendation.

We should make narrower pitches then even less tries can be scored.

Pretty sure Sa were accused of doing just that in the not too distant past.

We did?

I know we made our players wider, but even then they only make up 45 meters width, which still leaves 23 meters space.