How scoring works in rugby league

A converted try (try + conversion) = 6 points total. This is the most common scoring sequence.

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The main way to score. A player grounds the ball with downward pressure on or over the opposition's try line. The entire ball must cross the line, and the grounding must be deliberate. The ball can be held in the hands, arms, or chest — it doesn't need to touch the ground, just be pressed down.

Tries at the corners are harder to convert because the angle is steep. Tries under the posts are easy to convert. Kickers generally decide to attempt the conversion regardless of angle unless time is very tight.

In rugby union, a try is worth 5 points — one more than rugby league. This is a common source of confusion for cross-code viewers.

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After a try is scored, the scoring team gets a conversion attempt: a kick from in line with where the try was scored. The kicker can place the ball on a tee and take a run-up (a place kick) or drop it and kick it on the bounce (a drop kick).

The angle is determined by the position of the try, not the kicker's preference. Corner tries produce very wide angles — skilled kickers still convert around 50–60% of these in the NRL.

A converted try is worth 6 points and is far and away the most common multi-point scoring event in a match.

When a penalty is awarded, the attacking team can choose to take a kick at goal. If the kick goes through the posts, 2 points are scored. Penalty goals are usually taken from within 40 metres and close to the centre of the field.

Teams sometimes prefer to run the penalty to maintain possession and pressure. The decision depends on field position, the score, and the quality of the kicker. In the NRL, penalty goals are taken far less often than in rugby union.

Worth just 1 point but often decisive. A drop goal is scored by dropping the ball from the hands, letting it bounce once, and kicking it through the posts as it rises. The ball must be dropped from the hands — it cannot bounce before being dropped.

Drop goals are almost exclusively used in the closing minutes of a match that is level or within one point. Teams set up attacking plays specifically to create a drop goal opportunity — typically the halfback (7) or five-eighth (6) attempts it from around 20–30 metres directly in front of the posts.

A drop goal attempt can be charged down by defenders, and the defensive team will rush up to close the angle whenever they expect one. In the NRL, a match going to golden point (extra time) is decided by the first drop goal.