Rugby Score
Following the Game and Keeping Track of the Rugby Score
Learning how to keep track of a rugby score is not very difficult because there are only four ways to score in the game of rugby. It’s the rest of the laws of rugby that can make this game a little confusing. Scoring is pretty straightforward.
Rugby Score – Try
A try is worth 5 points, the most points that can be earned in one shot during a rugby game. It is similar to a touchdown in American football.
A team scores a try when one of their players gets inside the opposing team’s in-goal area and touches the ball down. The in-goal area is the space on the field between the try line and the dead ball line.
Rugby Score – Conversion
The conversion is awarded to a team after they score a successful try. A good conversion is worth 2 points. The conversion is most like the extra point in American football, where the ball is kicked through the goal posts after a touchdown.
In rugby, the kicking player attempts the conversion from any point on the line where the ball touched down for the try. Once on the line, the kicker can choose how far from the goal-line they will stand for the kick. In order to be successful, the conversion must pass above the cross bar and completely through the goal posts.
Rugby Score – Penalty Kick
A good penalty kick scores 3 points for the kicking team. The penalty kick is awarded by the referee after one team commits a major law violation or foul and the other team is in range. The penalty kick must be taken from the spot where the infraction happened and the kicking team can choose whether to kick for goal, where they must get the ball through the goal posts, or kick for touch to keep the throw at the lineout. If the penalty kick is not good, the ball can return to play.
Rugby Score – Drop Goal or Drop Kick
A successful drop goal is worth 3 points, and it is similar to the field goal in American football. The drop kick is a bit trickier, however, and it is usually undertaken by a player who specializes in drop kicking. This special kicking technique involves dropping the ball and then kicking it at the exact moment after it bounces off of the ground.
A team can take a drop kick from anyplace on the field, and it can be done whenever a team chooses during game play. Unlike the field goal, a drop goal can be made during normal game play. Should the drop kick miss, the ball stays in play. This point getter is especially effective toward the end of a tight-scoring game.