FANTASY RUGBY EXPLAINED

Glossary of Fantasy Rugby Terms…

ADP (Average Draft Position)
Draft-Style Game term. The average spot in the draft where a player is being drafted. An ADP of 12.0 means that player is being drafted on average 12th overall.
 
Assist      
Usually the last pass or kick to set up the try scorer
 
Bench players
Players on your team who are not in your starting lineup for a given week. Their production will generally not count toward your total score.
 
Breakdown
The breakdown is a colloquial term for the short period of open play immediately after a tackle and before and during the ensuing ruck. During this time teams compete for possession of the ball, initially with their hands and then using feet in the ruck. Most referees will call “ruck” or “hands away” as soon as the ruck is formed. Most infringements take place at the breakdown, owing to the greater variety of possible offences at a breakdown, for example handling in the ruck, killing the ball, offside at the ruck and so on.
 
Breakout
A player who has made a significant leap in production compared to what he had done previously in his career.
 
Bust
A player who has not lived up to your expectations. A player can be a bust in a given week or for the season as a whole.
 
Bye week
A week that a certain team is not playing during the season
 
Captain
In games with a “Captain” rule, this is the player selected by the fantasy manager to receive double points for their performance. This should be the player that you have most confidence in to score big.
 
Collusion
Draft-style Game term. Two coaches working together to win a league. Very poor form and frowned upon in most circles.
 
Conversion
If a team scores a try, they have an opportunity to “convert” it for two further points by kicking the ball between the posts and above the crossbar – that is, through the goal. The kick is taken at any point on the field of play in line with the point that the ball was grounded for the try, parallel to the touch-lines. So it is advantageous to score a try nearer to the posts as it is easier to convert it.
 
Cut, drop, release, transfer    
Each can be used interchangeably to refer to a player who you no longer want on your team. You cut/drop/release/transfer the player for another player (Or in draft style games for a free agent, trade or via waivers).
 
Deadline
The last moment that you can make transfers or changes to your team.
 
DFS
Abbreviation for Daily Fantasy Sports. DFS is a game where entrants draft a team for one day (or weekend) of games only using a salary cap format and compete for real cash prizes.
 
Differential
A word used to describe a player that is selected by a low percentage of fantasy managers or perhaps your fiercest rival in your mini-league. This tactic is often used when a fantasy manager is trying to catch-up in a mini-league.
 
Draft-Style Game
A game set between a limited amount of players that involves drafting a set of players that can only be owned by one team in the league. Matches are played between the members of the league in a league format, culminating in play-offs and a final to determine the overall winner. Rugby examples include Fantasy Rugby Draft.
 
Drop goal
A drop goal is scored when a player kicks the ball from hand through the opposition’s goal, but the ball must touch the ground between being dropped and kicked. It is worth three points.
 
Enabler
A player in any position that is very cheap, often at bargain basement price, but consistently scores points—the more the better. Having such a player ‘enables’ you to spend the saved cash on top dollar players.
 
Fantasy worthy
The player plays enough to make a fantasy impact.
 
Free agent
Draft-Style Game term. A player who is not currently owned by a team in your league.
 
Gain line
The gain line is an imaginary line drawn across the centre of the pitch when there is a breakdown in open play, such as a ruck, maul or scrum. Advancing across the gain line represents a gain in territory.
 
Handcuffing
Owning the primary backup to one of your better players. It’s a protection policy that allows you to replace your star player with the player most likely to step into the vacated role should an injury/suspension occur.
 
Hit
As in ‘taking a hit’. Any additional transfers over the standard free ones are at the expense of a point deduction, or ‘hit’ for each extra transfer
 
International Break
A period of time where international matches are being played and so some clubs may temporarily lose some of their best players.
 
Knock-on
Also called knock-forward. A knock-on is when the ball unintentionally moves forward after coming into contact with a player above the waist then hits either the ground or another player. It results in a scrum with the put-in to the opposition. If the ball is intentionally knocked forward it is deemed a deliberate knock-on; the opposition is rewarded with a penalty and the offending player is given a yellow card and sent to the sin bin.
 
Line break
Action by which the player with the ball gets through the opponent’s defensive line without being tackled. If there is insufficient cover, or the player has support, line breaks can often lead to tries.
 
Line-out
A maximum of seven and a minimum of two forwards line up parallel with each other two metres apart between the five-metre and 15-metre lines. The hooker of the team in possession throws the ball in while his opposite number [may] stand in between the touchline and the five-metre line.
 
Maul
When a ball carrier is held up (without being tackled) by both an opposing player and a player from his own team, a maul is then considered formed. The offside line becomes the last foot of the last man on each side of the maul. Players can join in only from behind that team-mate. Anyone who comes in from the sides will be penalised by the referee. Hands are allowed to be used in the maul. If either team deliberately collapses the maul then that side will be penalised by the referee. (Note that from August 1, 2008, the IRB is conducting a global trial of a modification of this Law which will allow players to deliberately collapse a maul providing the collapse is achieved by pulling from above the waist.). If the ball does not come out in a timely fashion, the referee will award a scrum to the team that did not take the ball into the maul. Mauls can only exist in the field of play. Play that looks like a maul can exist within the in-goal but restrictions on entry to the maul and the need to bind on to a team member do not apply.
 
Mock draft
Draft-Style Game term. A practice draft. Helpful for trying alternate strategies and preparing yourself for different circumstances that arise, including draft slots.
 
Nominated Kicker
In games with a “Nominated Kicker” rule, this is the player selected by the fantasy manager to receive points for scoring place kicks and drop goals.
 
Offload pass
A short pass made by a player being tackled before he reaches the ground, usually by turning to face a team-mate and tossing the ball into the air for a team-mate to catch.
 
OOP
Out Of Position. A player who is fielded out of their regular position
 
Penalty
Penalties are awarded for serious infringements like dangerous play, offside and handling the ball on the ground in a ruck. Penalties are signalled by the referee with a straight arm raised in the air. Players can also receive red and yellow cards, as in Association football. The offending team must retire 10 metres (or to their goal line if closer) for both penalties and free kicks. A team can either kick for goal, tap and run the ball, take a scrum or kick directly into touch with the resulting line-out awarded to them.
 
Penalty kick
If a side commits a penalty infringement the opposition can take the option of a place kick at goal from where the infringement occurred (or, if the offence occurred when a player was in the process of kicking the ball, the non-offending team can opt to take the kick from where the ball landed which may be more advantageous). This is called a penalty kick. If successful, it is worth three points.
 
Penalty try
A penalty try awarded if the referee believes a team illegally prevented a try from probably being scored. As of 2018, penalty tries score an immediate seven points, with no conversion having to be taken. Generally a penalty try is awarded when the try-preventing offence cannot be easily attributed to a single individual, such as when a team repeatedly deliberately collapses a scrum near its own tryline. When the prevention of the try is due to an individual, a yellow card is a more common punishment.
 
Pickup
Draft-Style Game term. A player you add from the free-agent pool or via waivers.
 
Private league
A league you can join by invitation only
 
Projections
Educated guesses as to what stats a player should produce in a given week or season.
 
Public league  
A league where anyone can sign up and play.
 
Rankings
Draft-style Game term. How players are rated before the draft.
 
Red card
Red cards are shown by the referee to players who have been ordered off the pitch, which results in the player being removed from the game without being replaced. This usually occurs when a player is guilty of serious foul play, or violent conduct or for committing two offences resulting in cautions (yellow cards).
 
Ruck
A ruck is formed when the ball is on the ground and two opposing players meet over the ball. The offside line becomes the last foot of the last man on each side of the ruck and players compete for the ball by attempting to drive one another from the area and to ‘ruck’ the ball backwards with their feet. Rucks commonly form soon after tackles, but can form anywhere in the field of play where the ball is on the ground. Handling the ball while it is in the vicinity of a ruck is a penalty offence. (Though modern practice allows a player on the ground to support the ball with his/her hands and for the player who is acting as scrum half to ‘dig’ for the ball once possession has been secured.). If the ball remains contested and does not come out of a ruck after about five seconds, the referee will award a scrum to the team he considers to have been moving forward in the ruck.
 
Salary Cap-style Game
A game where the player competes against all the other players in the world (or in private leagues), and is given a limited budget (aka Salary Cap) to pick the best scoring team that they can. Rugby examples include ESPN Scrum, The Rugby Magazine, Rugby Pass and Fox Sports.
 
Scrum     
The eight forwards from each team bind together and push against each other. The scrum-half from the team that has been awarded possession feeds the ball into the centre of the scrum from the side most advantageous for his hooker (which is typically the side of loose head prop). The ball must be fed straight down the middle of the tunnel and the hookers must not contest for the ball until it is put in. If they do, a free-kick is awarded for “”foot up””. The scrum is taken again if the ball comes straight out of the tunnel or if it collapses. If the scrum wheels (rotates) due to pushing more than 90 degrees the scrum is reformed and awarded to the other side. Pulling in an attempt to unbalance the other side or to assist in rotating the scrum is a Penalty Offence.
 
Sleeper
Draft-Style Game term. A player who you think will exceed his draft spot.
 
Tackle
A tackle takes place when one or more opposition players [tackler(s)] grasp onto the ball carrier and succeed in bringing/pulling him/her to ground and holding them there. Once briefly held, the tackler(s) must release the tackled player who must then him/herself immediately release or attempt to pass the ball so that play can continue.
 
Trade
Draft-Style Game term. A swap of players between two teams.
 
Try
This is the primary method of scoring. A try is worth five points. It is scored when a player places the ball on the ground with downward pressure in the in-goal area between (and including) the goal-line and up to but not including dead ball line of the opposition’s half. (As the goal posts and post protectors are also part of the goal-line, touching the ball down against the base of these is also a try.)
 
Turnover
When a team concedes possession of the ball, particularly at the breakdown, they are said to have turned the ball over to the other team. This can happen due to defending players stealing the ball from an isolated attacker, counter rucking, a knock on, an intercepted pass or the ball not emerging from a maul (wherein the referee awards the scrum feed to the opposing team).
 
Waiver order  
Draft-Style Game term. The order in which your league’s free-agent waivers are processed.
 
Waivers
Draft-Style Game term. A player is on waivers after being dropped by another team. When on waivers, the waiver order of the interested teams determines which roster he joins. Should the player clear waivers (that is, no manager labels him as worth their spot in the waiver line), he is added to the free-agency pool and, thus, available for the first team that wants his services.