The evolution of the pass
The pass – how the ellipsoid makes it easier to pass and how it has evolved through time.
The game of the oval ball has been evolving ever since 16 year old William Webb Ellis reputedly picked up a ball at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England and began to run with it during a school football match in 1823.
What started as a little more than a playground prank became a recognized sport in 1845 when the first official code of rules was written.
The humble rugby ball, formerly known as a ‘quanco’, is iconic in the game for its odd shape, completely different to almost every other sport. Whilst cricket, football, tennis and more use traditional spheres for their playing equipment, the rugby ball is an ‘elongated ellipsoid’ or basically oval.
In order for the game of rugby to develop, the presence of a ball was essential. The history of the rugby ball goes back to some of the first games in the sport at Rugby School, where Richard Lindon and Bernardo Solano used pigs’ bladders and leather casings. The original rugby balls were more plum shaped than oval. The pig’s bladder was inflated by mouth via the stem of a clay pipe then surrounded by panels of stitched leather, and the ball was not of a uniform size due to the variations in pig bladders used.
The Rugby School wanted an oval ball produced to further distinguish their game from that of soccer football, so Lindon designed a more egg-shaped buttonless ball to be manufactured. This was the first specifically designed four-panel rugby ball and the start of sizes being standardised. In 1892 the RFU made it compulsory for all rugby balls to be oval in shape.
At the same time as all this was happening, Gilbert were manufacturing rugby balls to be used at Rugby School and by 1877 the family business was hand-stitching over 2,800 balls a year. ‘Gilberts’ then began exporting their balls to Australia as the sport itself was growing.
The Gilbert ‘Match’ ball soon became the preferred choice of most international teams and by 1970 the company began to manufacture the balls in white as well as the traditional leather colour previously used.
In 1980 leather casings were replaced with synthetic materials in times of poor weather conditions, including the new Gilbert ‘Barbarian’ ball. However, all leather balls were later phased out.
The ellipsoid shape makes it easier to pass with. Having said that, some of the world’s best players have made it seem like a doddle to kick such a bizarrely crafted ball.
During its history, rugby evolved enormously. Rule changes have made the game safer and more flowing with fewer stoppages. This makes the game more enjoyable for players and spectators alike.
However, the most apparent changes in rugby are not the rules or the equipment, but the size and shape of the players. Modern-day ruggers are giants compared to the payers of old.
We have been blessed to watch some miraculous moments in rugby and this is not just limited to stunningly impressive tries, dives and tackles, but also some pretty awesome passes.
Throwing a great pass can carve up a defense unlike any other facet of the game in rugby. A well-timed, well-placed ball puts a defense under enormous pressure and causes fractures in the defensive line. As long as the ball is placed accurately, on time, and in a position that the receiver can catch the ball on the move without breaking stride, it doesn’t matter what it looks like.
The early games did not really see players pass the ball to each other while running at top speed. They basically stood still when they received the ball, passed to a team mate and then started running.
These days rugby players are so skilled, they can basically pass the ball from any position, be it at full speed, in the air, on the ground, in a tackle.
The most common types of passing in rugby include spin, pop, cut out, flick, diving, lateral, inside, outside, tap. They all have their benefits and disadvantages. When you use them depends on the situation.
Players who can pass correctly will cause their opponents defensive concerns, as accurate passing prevents the defence from dominating the team with the ball.
Through the years, the pass has evolved into a multitude of different styles and currently there are a plethora of passes that have been developed and perfected by players. The following list isn’t exhaustive, it’s just a common group of passes that players need to refine:
Basic pass
Receiving pass
Draw and pass
Dive pass
Off-ground pass
Pop pass
Spiral pass
Lob pass
Pass through the tackle
On back pass
Cut out pass
Switch/scissors pass
Dummy pass
Rugby is built on the basic principle that a team must work to move the ball up the field without deliberately passing it toward the opponent’s goal line. This means teams must use speed, strength, and strategy to score tries. This strategy includes performing different types of passes, depending on the scenario.
While the majority of passing during the game mostly entails the basic pass between players running side by side, some of the passes are very spectacular, like the dive pass mostly used by the scrumhalf.
Interestingly, Danie Craven, former South African rugby union football player, coach, and administrator who was one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of the sport, was credited with perfecting the dive pass, which more rapidly delivered the ball from the scrum to the backs.
The dive pass is widely regarded as one of rugby’s great aesthetic glories.
It is amazing how much rugby has changed over the years. Every year the game gets a little more technical and a little more structured, so much so that the game we know today is a vastly different one to that played in the early years.
It is amazing how much rugby has changed over the past 15 years. Every year the game gets a little more technical and a little more structured, so much so that the game we know today is a vastly different one to that played in the early years.
Most rugby players have the strength to get the ball where it needs to go but what most players don’t have are the hands to get the ball there as accurately or as fast as possible. A great pass starts from how it lands in your hands which is why we’re going to discuss the foundations of catching first and foremost.
As a worldwide phenomenon, the game has only taken off since it became professional in the early 1990s. Over the past 20 years, rugby has evolved dramatically. Defensive structures have gotten much better, set pieces faster, tactics far more complex.
Rugby players’ physiques have changed astonishingly. In 1974, the average male rugby player was about 178 cms tall and 84 kgs on the scales. By 2014 the average had jumped as high as 188 cms and 98 kgs. At the same time, rugby players have gotten considerably leaner and more athletic.
Skills and skill-sets have also evolved over time.
Rugby’s evolution has created unique players in the forward pack whose skills have morphed over time. Yet the scrumhalf is probably one of the few positions that have remained relatively similar over the years. The scrumhalf is still able to get away with being one of the smaller players on the field. Their main role is to move the ball from the ruck to open play. Of course, as the first player at a stationary ball, their decision-making needs to be impeccable. In combination with the flyhalf, the scrumhalf is the core of the on-field tactical team. The speed and delivery of the scrumhalf’s pass need to be exceptional. But it is to who, or where, they pass that is so much more important.
The best passers in rugby recognise that they need to use a range of passes to best unlock a defence, and to give their teammates the greatest chance of doing damage when they receive the ball. Often we see a spin pass used over short distances, when a more standard pass would work better and be easier to catch.
There is no doubt that the game with the oval ball will still evolve and excite future generations to come. Rules will most possibly change for the safety of the players.
But passing the ball from one player to another, will never ever be replaced or removed from rugby. It is as old as the game itself.
