Penalty Tries Adds To The Total Rugby Result

Watching rugby makes much more sense and becomes far more fun when you can follow the rugby scoring system. Once explained it is quite easy to follow and once you understand the points value for each activity you will find the game more stimulating.

There are a few basic ways to put points on the rugby scoreboard. They are the try, penalty try, conversion, penalty goal and the drop goal (also known as field goal or drop kick).

Drop Kicks

The conversion and the penalty goal require a specialist kicker to place the ball and kick it between the vertical goal posts and over the crossbar of the goal posts. The kicker may select between using a kicking tee, pile of sand or sawdust to kick the ball from. He steps back and then runs up to the ball before kicking between the posts.

A drop goal is different to a conversion in that the player drops the ball from his hands and tries to kick the ball over the crossbar and between the vertical goal posts during the run of play. It is a specific skill, and field goals are rare - they take perfect timing and lots of practice to master.

A referee can grant a penalty try if he believes the defending team purposely fouled the attacking team in an attempt to prevent them completing a move that would have resulted in a try being scored. The official phrase is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.

To indicate this the referee runs to a central point under the crossbar of the goalposts, raises his arm and blows his whistle. The attacking team gets the opportunity of a conversion kick with the opportunity to add points to the score.

Scoring Tries

Touching down a try is the best way to rack up points in rugby. A try is recorded when the attacking team crosses the defending teams goal-line and places the ball on the ground in their in-goal area. Once a try is scored the referee lifts his arm and blows his whistle. Both the try and the penalty try are worth 5 points each.

When a try is scored the referee stands at the point where the try was scored and points in a line back up the pitch parallel to the sidelines. The goal kicker can take the conversion attempt at any point along that line.

Usually the goal kicker takes the conversion attempt at a point where he/she feels comfortable around 20 - 30 metres from the goalposts. Converting the try adds 2 points to the try scoring side. When a team successfully kicks a penalty goal they are awarded 3 points.

When a team is making a conversion attempt, the defending team must stand on or behind the goal-line. As the kicker prepares to take the conversion, the players are allowed to rush the kicker as he starts his run at the ball.

The tally for a converted try is a total of 7 points (5 for the try and 2 for the conversion).

Rugby Result

For any team to reach the top there is a requirement for an outstanding goal kicker to be in their team. Goal kickers are extremely valuable as there are many indiscretions in the play of an average rugby game.

One of these indiscretions being made in a teams defensive area of the game gives an opportunity for their opponents to score precious points against them. A kicker who can victoriously kick a goal from any area of the field immediately puts incredible pressure on the opposing team.

An outstanding goal kicker in your team, with a specialist field goal kicker or two, most certainly makes a great basis for any team to get their highest rugby score. It also puts pressure on any team they play.