Section 5: Rules of Play
The mode of play — how the ball may be carried, passed and kicked, and how play proceeds — is governed by Section 5. Match duration and stoppages are governed by timekeeping (Section 7).
The tackle and the play-the-ball are governed by Section 11, which sets out when a tackle is complete and how the ball is returned to play afterwards (Section 11).
Offside is governed by Section 14, which fixes where defending players must be at a play-the-ball and at other restarts, and the consequences of being in front of the ball (Section 14).
The scrum is governed by Section 12, covering its formation and how the ball is fed and won (Section 12).
A knock-on and a forward pass are dealt with together (Section 10), which defines each and prescribes the restart that follows.
When the ball or ball-carrier crosses the touchline, touch and touch in-goal provisions apply (Section 9). Kick-off and drop out restarts are governed by Section 8.