Beach rugby is a sport that can be based on either of the rugby football codes, league or union. There is no centralized regulation of the sport as in beach soccer or beach volleyball, but leagues are common across Europe^{[citation needed]}, and the sport is particularly popular in Italy^{[citation needed]}. Casual games are played across the world using different sets of rules, but organized leagues use a field that is a fraction of the size of a standard rugby field, far fewer players on each team, shorter matches, and a simplified scoring system. A popular tournament in the United States is 7's By The Sea is hosted in Corpus Christi, Texas each summer.

The size of a beach rugby field depends on the decision of the league. The field is between 30–50 metres long, 20–35 metres, wide, and the in-goals are 3–7 metres deep. There are no goalposts on the field, and the lines are usually marked with some sort of tape or rope.

Depending on the league and the field size, either 4 or 7 players are allowed on the field for one team at once. Between 3 and 7 reserves are allowed, again, depending on the league. Substitutions are often done "on-the-fly," similar to ice hockey or futsal.