Point Scoring

Points are scored by:

• Touching the ball down over the opponents' goal line. The ball must be placed on the ground within the in-goal area using positive downward pressure by the hand or forearm carrying the ball, and before the momentum of any tackle by an opposing player ends. The player must be inside the field of play at the moment the ball is grounded. This is called a try and is worth four points. Prior to 1983, it was only worth three points. The value was increased to encourage a more attacking style of play.
• Penalty try, where a try would have certainly been scored but for the illegal actions of the defending team. A penalty try is awarded directly under the goal posts no matter where the offence took place.
• Kicking the ball above the crossbar and between the uprights of a large 'H' shaped set of posts. This may either be done from a place kick following a rule infringement (a penalty goal) or kicked from the hand, providing the ball strikes the ground before being kicked (a drop goal or field goal). A penalty goal is worth 2 points and a drop goal is worth 1.
• A conversion, which is attempted after a try has been scored, from in line with where the try was scored along the axis of the goal line. A conversion is worth 2 points.

When a team scores, the opposing team restarts play by kicking the ball (from a place kick) back into play from the half way line.