Penalties and free-kicks give sevens teams fast choices, not time to reset.

Penalty vs free-kick

A penalty is awarded for more serious infringements, such as offside, foul play, dangerous contact, not releasing at the tackle, illegal breakdown play, collapsing a contest, or repeated offences. A free-kick is usually used for less serious technical breaches, such as certain scrum, lineout, restart, or time-wasting offences, and for a correctly claimed mark.

The two restarts can look similar when a player taps quickly, but they are not the same. A penalty can produce three points or a strong territorial lineout. A free-kick mainly gives possession, tempo, and space.

No place-kick restart

The main sevens-specific change to Law 20 is the kicking method. In 15-a-side rugby, a penalty or free-kick may be punted, drop-kicked, or place-kicked when the law allows it. In sevens, the kicker may punt or drop-kick the ball, but may not place-kick it.

That matters most for shots at goal. Penalty goals still exist in sevens and are still worth 3 points, but the penalty goal must be taken as a drop kick under the sevens scoring variation. A free-kick still cannot be kicked directly for goal.

What a team can do from a penalty

• Tap and go: the kicker makes the ball visibly move, then plays on immediately.
• Kick to touch: the team gains territory and normally throws into the lineout where the ball reaches touch.
• Kick at goal: the team may attempt a drop-kicked penalty goal for 3 points after indicating that choice without delay.
• Choose a scrum: the team awarded the penalty may instead take a scrum at the relevant mark.
• At a lineout: a penalty for a lineout infringement may also be turned into another lineout or a scrum at the same mark.

What a free-kick allows

A free-kick gives the non-offending team a restart, but not the full attacking value of a penalty. It can be tapped quickly or kicked, and at a lineout it may allow the team to choose another lineout at the same mark.

• A free-kick cannot be kicked directly for goal.
• A team cannot use a free-kick to set up an immediate dropped goal unless the ball has first become dead, an opponent has played or touched it, or an opponent has tackled the ball-carrier.
• If a free-kick is kicked to touch, the kicking team usually does not get the throw simply because it was awarded the free-kick.
• Opponents may charge a free-kick once the kicker starts the kicking movement.

Where the kick is taken

The referee marks the place for the penalty or free-kick. The mark must be in the field of play and no closer than five metres from the try line. The kick may be taken at the mark, or anywhere behind it on a line through the mark and parallel to the touchlines.

If a quick tap is taken from the wrong place, the kick must be retaken. That is why a referee may stop a promising quick restart even when the attacking team seems ready: the location is part of the restart.

The ball must clearly be kicked

A penalty or free-kick is not taken just because a player touches the ball with a foot. The ball must be kicked a visible distance. If the player is holding the ball, it must clearly leave the hands. If it is on the ground, it must clearly leave the mark.

Once the kick has been successfully taken, the kicker may play the ball again. Team-mates must stay behind the ball until it is kicked. In sevens, the no-place-kick variation keeps penalty and free-kick restarts simple: the restart is a punt, a drop kick, or a tap-style kick that visibly moves the ball.

What defenders must do

When a penalty or free-kick is awarded, opponents must immediately retreat 10 metres towards their own try line, or to the try line if it is closer. They cannot delay the kick, block the kicker, throw the ball away, or otherwise prevent the non-offending team from restarting.

If the kick is taken so quickly that nearby defenders had no opportunity to retreat, those defenders are not automatically penalised for still being inside 10 metres. They still must not take part until they have retreated the required distance or been put onside by a team-mate who was already 10 metres back.

Kicking to touch is the big split

A penalty kick to touch is a major attacking tool. Whether it goes directly into touch, bounces first, or reaches touch after contact with an opponent or the referee, the kicking team normally throws into the lineout at the mark of touch.

A free-kick does not give the same reward. If a free-kick is kicked directly into touch from outside the 22, there is no gain in ground and the opposition throws in. If it is kicked from inside the 22 or reaches touch indirectly, the mark may move upfield, but the opposition usually still throws in.

Only penalties can become three points

A penalty goal is worth 3 points, and sevens does allow penalty goals. The team must indicate the intention to kick at goal without delay, and once that choice is made, it must kick at goal. In sevens, the kick must be a drop kick and must be taken within 30 seconds of the team indicating its intention.

Because sevens matches are short and tries are common, teams often prefer a quick tap or kick to touch unless the score, clock, or field position makes three points valuable. That is tactical choice, not a different law.

Why free-kicks can be pressured

At a free-kick, once the kicker initiates the movement to kick, opponents may charge and try to stop it by tackling the kicker or blocking the kick. If they charge fairly and prevent the free-kick being taken, the kick is disallowed and play restarts with a scrum at the mark, with the charging team throwing in.

This does not turn a free-kick into open permission to interfere early. Opponents still have retreat duties and cannot delay the restart before the kicker begins the kicking movement.

Why sevens penalties feel urgent

Referees may play advantage after a penalty or free-kick offence if the non-offending team has a clear and real chance to gain more by playing on. In sevens, that advantage can be decided quickly because one pass or one missed tackle can create a scoring chance.

When the referee does stop for the sanction, attacking teams often restart immediately. Defences have fewer players to cover a full-size field, so a legal quick tap can punish players who are retreating, disorganised, or still looking to the referee instead of getting onside.

Where people get caught

• "A free-kick is just a smaller penalty": no. The tap may look similar, but goal attempts, touch outcomes, and charging rules differ.
• "Sevens has no penalty goals": no. Penalty goals exist, but they must be drop-kicked in sevens.
• "A quick tap is legal from anywhere nearby": no. It must be taken from the mark or legally behind it.
• "Defenders inside 10 metres can always tackle": no. If they have not retreated or been put onside, they must not take part.
• "A penalty kick to touch gives possession away": generally no. From a penalty, the kicking team normally throws into the lineout.
• "Place-kicks are available for penalty restarts in sevens": no. Sevens allows a punt or drop-kick, not a place-kick.

How referees manage it

1. Identify the offence and whether the sanction is a penalty, free-kick, scrum, lineout option, or another restart.
2. Set the correct mark, adjusting if needed so it is in the field of play and at least five metres from the try line.
3. Check that the kick is taken from the mark or legally behind it.
4. Confirm that the ball is actually kicked a visible distance before the kicker plays it again.
5. Manage defenders: immediate retreat, no delay, no obstruction, and no participation before they are legally back in play.
6. Apply the correct outcome for the team's choice: tap, touch, drop-kicked penalty goal, scrum option, lineout option, or free-kick charge result.

Source material

• World Rugby Law 20: Penalty and free-kick
• World Rugby Sevens variation: Penalty and free-kick
• World Rugby Law 8: Scoring
• World Rugby Sevens variation: Scoring
• World Rugby Law 18: Touch, quick throw and lineout
• World Rugby Laws of the Game