{{Short description|Half back position in rugby league}} {{About|the rugby league position|the rugby union positions|First five-eighths|and|Second five-eighths|other uses|5/8 (disambiguation){{!}}5/8}} [[File:Thomas Bosc.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Stand-offs such as France's Thomas Bosc require good passing skills.]] '''Five-eighth''' or '''stand-off''' is one of the positions in a rugby league football team. Wearing jersey number 6, this player is one of the two half-backs in a team, partnering the {{rlp|sh}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=The NRL's 10 best halves combos|url=http://www.nrl.com/the-nrls-10-best-halves-combos/tabid/10874/newsid/70978/default.aspx|work=NRL.com|date=6 March 2013 |publisher=National Rugby League|access-date=4 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=McDonald|first=Margie|title=Finch to be five-eighth|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/finch-to-be-five-eighth/story-e6frf3ou-1111112503273#.UiZ6FjZmiSo|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=11 November 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Jancetic|first=Steve|title=Lyon backs away from five-eighth role|url=http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1051684|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=Wide World of Sports|date=12 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016153826/http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1051684|archive-date=16 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> As the name suggests, the five-eighth is the go between the half-back and the threequarters ({{frac|5|8}} is between {{frac|1|2}} and {{frac|3|4}}), moving the ball from the contested middle to the outside backs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yatras |first=Michael |date=8 Aug 2022 |title=The forgotten art of the five-eighth |url=https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/08/09/the-forgotten-art-of-the-five-eighth/ |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=The Roar}}</ref> In a traditional 'back-line' attack (No. 1-7),<ref>{{cite book |last=Hickey |first=Julia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GU3ezfInjVwC |title=Understanding Rugby League |publisher=Coachwise |year=2006 |isbn=9781905540105 |location=UK}}</ref> the five-eighth, sometimes known as the pivot or second receiver,<ref>{{cite news|last=Dillon|first=Robert|title=Mullen finds a home in pivotal role for Knights|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/114901/mullen-finds-a-home-in-pivotal-role-for-knights/|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=The Newcastle Herald|date=1 April 2012}}</ref> receives the ball from the half-back,<ref>{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Michael|title=Thompson now calling the shots|url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2011/07/21/250061_sport.html|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=Townsville Bulletin|date=21 July 2011}}</ref> who is the first receiver of the ball from the dummy-half or {{rlp|hk}} following a tackle.
The role of the five-eighth is often to pass the ball away from the congested area around the tackle, further out along the 'back-line' to the outside backs (the centres and wingers) who have more space to run with.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gould|first=Phil|title=Why is their number up?|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/21/1077072893307.html|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=The Sun-Herald|date=22 February 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hickie|first=David|title=The Trend toward Robot League|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sCtWAAAAIBAJ&pg=2240,246054|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=The Sun-Herald|date=1 March 1987}}</ref> Furthermore, players in this position typically assume responsibility for kicking the ball for field position in general play.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ryan|first=Nathan|title=James Maloney backed for NSW five-eighth based on his kicking game says Nathan Hindmarsh|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/james-maloney-backed-for-nsw-five-eighth-based-on-his-kicking-game-says-nathan-hindmarsh/story-e6frg6n6-1226637897412|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=8 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ritchie|first=Dean|title=NSW five-eighth Jamie Soward vows dominant kicking game in State of Origin II|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/soward-set-me-free/story-e6frfghx-1226071994111|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=9 June 2011}}</ref> The five-eighth is therefore considered one of the most important positions, often referred to as a 'play maker', assuming a decision-making role on the field.<ref>{{cite news|title=Positions guide: Stand-off|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/rules_and_equipment/4215818.stm|work=Rugby league: Laws & Equipment|date=12 September 2005 |publisher=BBC News|access-date=4 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Gardini|first=Adam|title=Rogers eager to play five-eighth|url=http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/01/08/6612_gold-coast-titans.html|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=goldcoast.com.au|date=8 January 2008}}</ref> Over time, however, as the game has evolved, the roles of the two halves have grown more aligned and difficult to distinguish.<ref>{{cite news|last=Knox|first=Ron|title=The Role of half backs: Where we are strongest|url=http://www.rugbynetwork.net/main/s98/st89643.htm|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=comeallwithin.co.uk|date=20 February 2006}}</ref> Along with other key positions – fullback, hooker and half-back – the five-eighth makes up what is known as a team's spine.<ref>{{cite news|last=Badel|first=Peter|title=Darren Lockyer urges Anthony Griffin to stop tinkering with the spine of the Brisbane Broncos|url=http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/darren-lockyer-urges-anthony-griffin-to-stop-tinkering-with-the-spine-of-the-brisbane-broncos/story-fndv2w3r-1226708284068|access-date=4 September 2013|newspaper=The Courier-Mail|date=1 September 2013}}</ref>
One book published in 1996 stated that in senior rugby league, the five-eighth and hooker handled the ball more often than any other positions.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tim Rogers and Richard Beesley|title=Fitness for Rugby League|year=2006|publisher=coachrugbyleague.com.au|location=Australia|url=http://coachrugbyleague.com.au/Documents/International/Fitness%20for%20Rugby%20League.pdf|access-date=2013-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021064758/http://coachrugbyleague.com.au/Documents/International/Fitness%20for%20Rugby%20League.pdf|archive-date=2012-10-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The Rugby League International Federation's Laws of the Game state that the "Stand-off half or Five-eighth" is to be numbered 6.<ref>{{cite book|title=The International Laws of the Game and Notes of the Laws|year=2007|publisher=RLIF|pages=9|url=http://rlifmedia.dyndns.org/docs/rugby_laws_book_2007_%20(2).pdf|archive-date=2012-11-14|access-date=2013-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114194715/http://rlifmedia.dyndns.org/docs/rugby_laws_book_2007_%20(2).pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, traditionally players' jersey numbers have varied, and in the modern Super League, each squad's players are assigned individual numbers regardless of position.
==Etymology== [[File:Wally Lewis (29 April 2004, Brisbane).jpg|thumb|right|150px|Wally Lewis was voted Australia's greatest ever five-eighth in 2008.]] Traditionally in rugby football, there have always been two half-backs as well as scrums involving the forwards. Of the two half-backs, the name "scrum half" was given to the one who was involved in the scrum by feeding the ball into it; and the name "stand-off half" was given to the one who stood off to the side of the scrum.<ref>{{cite book|last=Crego|first=Robert|title=Sports and Games of the 18th and 19th Centuries|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=USA|isbn=978-0-313-31610-4|pages=101–104|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7w-IdhWKi_oC}}</ref> In Britain, where rugby league originated, this terminology has been retained.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hickey|first=Julia|title=Understanding Rugby League|year=2006|publisher=Coachwise|location=UK|isbn=978-1-905540-10-5|page=17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GU3ezfInjVwC}}</ref> In Australian English, however, "five-eighth" is the term used for the number 6, to differentiate from the "half-back" which is the name commonly given to the number 7.<ref>{{cite book|title=Australian Language & Culture|year=2007|publisher=Lonely Planet|location=Australia|isbn=978-1-74059-099-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/australianlangua0000unse/page/83 83]|url=https://archive.org/details/australianlangua0000unse|url-access=registration}}</ref> In New Zealand, both terms appear to be used interchangeably.
==Notable Five-eighths== Five-eighths that feature in their respective nations' rugby league halls of fame are England's Roger Millward, Australia's Wally Lewis, Bob Fulton, Brett Kenny, Albert Rosenfeld and Vic Hey, and New Zealand's George Menzies.
Rugby league's first known black player, Lucius Banks, played in the position for Hunslet R.L.F.C. in 1912-13.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1080/02619288.1998.9974933|title = Racial minorities in a marginalized sport: Race, discrimination and integration in British rugby league football|journal = Immigrants & Minorities|volume = 17|pages = 151–169|year = 1998|last1 = Collins|first1 = Tony}}</ref>
==See also== *Rugby league positions *Rugby league gameplay
==References== {{reflist|3}}
Category:Rugby league positions Category:Rugby league terminology