For those in the club, American soccer and rugby are absolutely different sports but for the unpractised beholder, the 2 sports can look rather similar. So what are the differences? To start, there are 2 different variants of rugby : league and union. This tract refers back to the Rugby League, as the union type is very different. Union rugby is rougher and the guidelines are looser, implying the game can turn violent on occasion. American soccer and rugby nonetheless, share some common rules which make both sports somehow similar. For a start, both sports are played on a field that’s approximately 120 yards ( 110 meters ) long and 54-60 yards ( 51-55 meters ) wide, with the rugby field being a touch broader. Across the field, there are lines painted to show the different sections. These lines are about 10 yards aside from one another. In American soccer, there’s a line to mark the goal sector, which starts close to the goal posts. In rugby, this is named the “try-line.” An further sector, called the end section, extends ten yards ( nine meters ) behind the goal line. In rugby, the scoring section ends at the goal posts. If the player goes past, the ball is out. [Read more...]