Rugby how long each half

After every try, penalty kick or drop goal, the game restarts at the halfway line with the team that did not score taking a drop kick. Unlike most other ball sports, a rugby ball is oval in shape and traditionally made from hand-stitched leather. However, this meant that during rainy and muddy conditions, the ball was more difficult to handle, as it would get heavier and become more slippery.

Modern technology has seen vast improvements towards high tech synthetic waterproof all-weather rugby balls that make handling easier even in adverse conditions. Most of the time when play stops, the clock keeps ticking.

Because the match is supposed to be continuous, any stoppages in play should be brief. A single referee on the field is in control of the match.

He is aided by two assistant referees called touch judges. In professional rugby, there is also a video referee who looks at TV replays to make calls, if necessary.

The referee acts as timekeeper. He stops the game clock by raising one arm and blowing his whistle. He also does this to restart the clock. When the referee stops play, he will signal to explain why. The whistle signals the end of a half. However, if the ball is still in play, it is allowed to continue until a player is tackled or the ball goes out of bounds.

The length of a rugby match is 80 minutes long with two halves of 40 minutes. For decades, rugby matches have been eighty minutes long in the sport, allowing time for teams to fully get a mantle. The half time interval in a match can be no longer than 15 minutes. At this time, players are allowed to leave the pitch and recover in their respective changing rooms.

In rugby, unlike other sports such as football, once the clock timer hits 80 minutes, the game will stop once plays ends.