How is rugby sevens different from fifteen-a-side rugby?
B · Beginner · The sevens game · 1 of 8Seven players a side on the same full-size pitch, for seven minutes a half. The laws of rugby union apply, with a short list of changes: three-player scrums, drop-kicked conversions, the scoring team kicking off, two-minute yellow cards and time limits on almost every restart.
How it works
- The same laws: "The laws of the game apply to sevens, subject to the following variations".
- Seven: "Each team has no more than seven players in the playing area during play."
- Replacements: a team "may nominate and use up to five replacements".
- The same pitch: the variations do not change the ground. The field of play is 94 to 100 metres long and 68 to 70 metres wide.
- Short halves: seven minutes each, with a break of no more than two minutes.
- Scrums: three players from each team.
- Kicks at goal: drop kicks only, within 30 seconds.
- After a score: the team that scored kicks off.
- Yellow card: two minutes off the field.
- Quicker set pieces: 15 seconds to form a scrum or a lineout.
- In-goal judges: one behind each try line, unless there is a television match official.
- Everything else: the tackle, ruck, maul, offside, knock forward and foul play are as in the fifteen-a-side game.
The glossary has sevens, the team, the playing area, the replacement, the scrum and the yellow card.
Tricky cases
Is the pitch smaller for sevens?
No. The sevens variations leave the law on the ground unchanged.
Are there forwards and backs in sevens?
Three players form each scrum, so three play as forwards there. The laws do not name positions, and the terms are common usage.
Do rucks and mauls exist in sevens?
Yes. The laws on the tackle, ruck and maul apply unchanged. With so few players, most rucks involve only two or three.
Can a team play with fewer than seven?
Yes. Seven is the most a team may have on the field. A team with a player in the sin-bin plays with six.
Why the rule exists
Seven players cannot cover a pitch built for fifteen, so the game becomes one of space and running. Nearly every variation serves that: fewer players tied up in scrums, less time standing over kicks and restarts, and a short match that leaves no room to slow down.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sevens | Seven players, up to five replacements | WR Sevens Law 3.1; 3.4 |
| Fifteens | Fifteen players, up to eight replacements | WR Law 3.1; 3.4 |
| 10s | Ten players, a separate set of variations | WR 10s variations |
| Rugby league | A different sport with its own laws | Not in this set |
From the rule book
World Rugby, Laws of the Game: Rugby Union 2026, Law variations: Sevens, and Law 1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Laws of the Game, Rugby Union 2026 (PDF).