"Once more to the Breach"

Rugby Schools Quadrangle "Old Quad" has stood still through the passage of time. It is a wonderful reflection of a bygone age.




The Boys of Rugby School made the origins of the rules of rugby football not the Masters. As each years new intake of Boys arrived the rules changed yet again.

With Quadrugger the same applies. The description below gives you some direction of how to play but it is every boys prerogative to "add to" and "take from" in order to tailor the game to how he feels he'll get the most enjoyment. Quadrugger is a puntabout game whose rules, like rugby, were never intended to be carved in stone. Quadrugger is used at international level rugby coaching, modified by each coach - naturally, to sharpen the players instincts, reactions, spacial & strategic awareness and mind.

QUADRUGGER (born in the Old Quad, Rugby School)

Origin. Well.... what's your ball-based team sport? Rugby? American Football? Australian Rules Football (all invented by a former Rugby School pupils), Soccer? Netball? Basketball? Baseball? Well you'll find elements of all in this game. As the interest in particular facets of Quadrugger styled games became more interesting to individuals those same players branched off and defined their own rules. Thus, very loosely, kicking only = Soccer. Passing backwards = Rugby. Passing forwards = American football. Full contact on a more solid surface = Australian Rules Football. Hitting a base or target to eliminate a player= baseball. Splitting a playing area into specific nominated player roles = netball and so on. Quadrugger is not the Genesis to all games. Evolution of the games we recognise today has come from the seeds of young players imaginations...

Object of the Game. Is simple.. to eliminate all of your opponents "Targets" until a winner is declared. The Quadrugger "Puntabout" button-ball can be thrown, kicked or passed in any direction in order to achieve a "Hit". A player can run with the ball in-hand so long as it leaves his/her contact within each 3 strides, ie run 3 strides then bounce the ball continue for a further 3 strides and bounce it again and so on. You can distribute the ball, by throwing, passing or kicking (it must leave your contact before it is received by another), in any direction. If you allow the ball to bounce more than once on the ground, after leaving your hand or foot then you cannot be the next person to touch the ball. Simple.

Targets. A playing area is agreed and the "Toss Up" determines ends. Players of team A place their Targets, one for each player (eg school bag) in a line, with a small gap between each Target, along their defending goal line. Team B do the same along the opposite playing area goal line. These two lines dictate the length playing area a width boundary must also be agreed.

Number of Teams. Two teams... but no reason why more teams couldn't play simultaneously in the same yard, court or pitch as boys do with a tennis ball playing soccer.

Picking the Team. Usually the player who owns the ball decides he's Captain and "Centre". He nominates an opposing Captain. The rest of the players line up with a Target available. The two Captains take turns to choose from the available players until all have been allocated.

Toss Up. A coin is produced from a lad who doesn't expect to see it again because someone always pockets it!. On the flip of the coin the successful guesser chooses either which end to defend OR whether he's taking "Centre".

Players. Teams are split into "Blockers", "Fielders", a "Centre" and "Strikers".

Blockers are the Goalies and defenders of their Targets. It is their job to stop the Target from receiving a "Hit" by the ball, which has been thrown or kicked by an opposing player. You can have as many or no Blockers, depending on number playing, you can re-adjust the distribution in defence, midfield and attack at any stage during the game but determine numbers prior to commencement. The Blocker protects a zone of 5 meters depth from the Targets. ie the Block zone could be the area between the try-line and the deadball-line if played on a rugby field (the targets being along the deadball-line). No opposing player can enter their counterparts Block Zone. Blockers can go into the field of play but are the only players able to enter the Block Zone.

Fielders are the most energetic. They run with, kick and pass the ball in any direction, hopefully to their fellow players, in order to get within striking distance of a "Hit" on a "Target".

Strikers are usually the ones who get girlfriends first. They hang around their opponents Target line waiting for the opportunistic pass from their Fielders in order to make a Hit on a Target. Usually by a kicked volley in order to achieve some showboating opportunity if the girls are watching visa versa if were talking about girls , visa-visa versa I suppose to be politically correct about other denominations.

Centre is typically the owner of the ball. The two teams Centres do not place a Target down for themselves thus ensuring they stay for the commencement of the entire game. At the start of play the Centre starts in the middle of the playing area and is given a minimum of 4-strides space in all directions to start. He places the ball on the ground. Game commences when it leaves his contact either by kicking, throwing, passing or running with the ball (in any direction).

The Hit. If any player manages to hit one of his opponents Targets a Hit is declared. The player attempting a Hit must recieve the ball without it touching the ground before he receives it from his teammate. He can volley the ball by foot or throw it. The pass to the player making the attempt can be thrown or kicked so long as it doesn't touch the ground once it has left the passers contact. If any defending player touches the ball then the Hit is disallowed. On declaring a "Hit" the owner of that particular Target removes his Target and sits out the rest of play, he is eliminated. The defending teams "Centre" re-commence play from the middle of the playing area given a 4-stride area in all directions to start.

Chuck in. if the ball goes outside the recognised area, either behind the Target lines or off the sides. The opposing team makes a "Chuck in" from the point where the ball exited the area of play. The Chucker gets the same 4-stride area to action his Chuck in.

Travel. if a player exceeds 3-strides whilst holding the ball then the ball is handed to the opposition at the point of the infirngement. The opponant is given a 4-stride area to re-commence play. If the player has not exceeded 3-strides BUT the ball has touched the ground more than once then the Ball, rather than the player, has Travelled. The player who last touched it has to move away from others attempting to reach the ball. Which ever team touches the ball first gains posession and re-commences the game from that spot given the usual 4-stride advantage. In this instance the ball can be kicked by anyone, other than the person who allowed the ball to travel, but posession is not gained until any player "grounds" the ball by hand.

Winning. when all targets are eliminated from a Target line. The final Hit dictates the winners. Or if time runs out, the Hit count from both sides determines the winning team with greatest number of hits. Or.... remember who was still in the game and identify which team he was in and re-commence at the next break.

Number of Players:

1 v 1 played like curb ball or a Target based penalty shoot out with kicking or throwing from a designated point by a Striker against a Blocker. Then swap round.

2 v 2 Blocker & Striker versus Block & Striker

3 v 3 Blocker, Fielder & Striker etc

4 v 4 Blocker, Fielder, Centre & Striker

5 v 5 Same as 5-aside soccer but also allow throwing, catching and running with the ball in-hand. (Origin of the game of Rugby)

7 v 7 Same as rugby sevens but allow the ball to be thrown forwards and remove full-contact. Netball teams too !!!

11 v 11 Soccer teams.

15 v 15 1st XV versus 2nd XV  you choose ....... you make the rules for you.

Age range Quadrugger is not full contact. Many celebrated Internationals practice and are coached with a Quadrugger ball. The ball is smaller and lighter than a soccer or rugby ball. As such the passing, either by foot or hand has to be better co-ordinated, more accurate and more powerful. The target area for passing to and receiving has to be better considered. When the ball is therefore is replaced by a larger match ball the ability to control it is far more defined. Its like playing Cricket using a stump as a Cricket Bat and a Golf Ball to replace a Cricket Ball. If one perfected the art of playing with a small target area for a bat to hit a small target area , the ball, then the proper equipment seems easy in comparison. There are therefore benefits for any/all age ranges. Whether your outcome is to sharpen reactions, become more spacially aware, become more strategic, involve children in a team sport or simply to have fun over your break-time.