Sevens uses familiar rugby points at a much faster pace.

The basic point system

• Try: 5 points for legally grounding the ball in the opponents' in-goal.
• Conversion: 2 points after a try, if the drop kick at goal is successful.
• Penalty try: 7 points when foul play prevents a probable try, with no conversion attempted.
• Penalty goal: 3 points from a successful penalty kick at goal.
• Dropped goal: 3 points from a drop kick in open play.

The numbers match rugby union. The sevens differences are mainly in the method and timing of kicks: conversions are not place kicks, and kicks at goal have a shorter time limit.

What counts as a try

A try is scored when an attacking player is first to ground the ball in the opponents' in-goal. The try line is part of in-goal, so grounding the ball on the line is enough. The whole player does not need to cross the line; the ball must be legally grounded.

A player can score by carrying the ball and grounding it, by reaching out immediately after being tackled near the line, or by being carried by momentum into in-goal in one continuous movement and then grounding the ball. If a scrum, ruck, or maul reaches the try line, the attacking player still has to be first to ground the ball.

Why close tries are checked carefully

Officials first look for legal grounding in the scoring area. If the attacker loses control before grounding, knocks the ball on, steps into touch, or grounds the ball after it is dead, the try cannot be awarded.

Sevens makes those decisions look dramatic because defenders often arrive in open space and attackers dive from distance. The legal question is still precise: did the attacking player ground the ball in the opponents' in-goal before touch, touch-in-goal, dead ball, or another infringement stopped the score?

The kick after a try

After a try, the scoring team has the right to attempt a conversion for 2 extra points. In sevens, the conversion must be a drop kick. The kicker cannot use a tee, sand, or a place-kick setup.

The kick is taken in the field of play on a line through the place where the try was awarded, parallel to the touchlines. A try near the corner therefore creates a difficult angle. The kicker must take the attempt within 30 seconds of the try being awarded, or the kick is disallowed.

What opponents do at a conversion

In 15-a-side rugby, opponents usually retire to their goal line and may charge when the kicker begins the approach. Sevens uses a different conversion rhythm. Opposing players immediately assemble close to their own 10-metre line while the scoring team takes the quick drop-kick attempt.

That keeps the match moving and rewards teams that can score, reset, and kick quickly. A conversion may still be declined under the general scoring law, but if the team takes the attempt in sevens it must follow the sevens drop-kick and timing requirements.

When seven points are automatic

A penalty try is awarded if foul play by the defending team prevents a probable try, or prevents a probable try from being scored in a more advantageous position. It is awarded between the posts and is worth 7 points.

No conversion is attempted after a penalty try. The points already include the value that a converted try would normally carry. The player who committed the foul play must also be cautioned and shown a yellow card or sent off, depending on the offence.

Kicking three points from a penalty

A team awarded a penalty may choose to kick at goal. A successful penalty goal is worth 3 points, but in sevens the kick must be a drop kick and must be taken within 30 seconds from the time the team indicates the intention to kick at goal.

Penalty goals are legal in sevens, but they are less common than tries because match time is short and possession is valuable. Teams usually weigh the three points against field position, restarts, and whether a quick tap or kick to touch creates a better chance of a try.

What a dropped goal is

A dropped goal is scored when a player drop-kicks the ball over the crossbar and between the goal posts from open play. It is worth 3 points. The ball must be dropped from the hands and kicked after it rebounds from the ground.

A dropped goal is different from a conversion or penalty goal because it comes from open play. It cannot be scored straight after a free-kick option until the ball has next become dead, an opponent has played or touched the ball, or an opponent has tackled the ball-carrier.

How officials judge kicks at goal

For a conversion, penalty goal, or dropped goal to count, the ball must pass over the crossbar and between the goal posts without first touching a team-mate or the ground. If the ball goes above the height of the posts, officials judge whether it would have passed between the posts if they extended higher.

If the ball crosses the crossbar and is then blown back into the field of play, the score still stands. If a sevens conversion or penalty-goal attempt is taken with the wrong type of kick or outside the time limit, officials apply the law's sanction and the score does not count.

First score can end the match

In sevens extra time, the first team to score points is immediately declared the winner. That makes every scoring method more urgent: a try, penalty goal, or dropped goal can all end the match if competition rules require extra time.

The exact tournament format still matters, so officials apply the event's match-management rules alongside the World Rugby sevens variations. The scoring values do not change just because the score is sudden-death; the match ends because points have been scored.

Where fans get caught

• "Sevens tries are worth less because the game is shorter": no. A try is still worth 5 points.
• "Conversions are place kicks like 15s": no. Sevens conversions must be drop kicks.
• "The kicker has plenty of setup time": no. The sevens conversion time limit is 30 seconds from the try being awarded.
• "A penalty try needs a conversion": no. A penalty try is worth 7 points and no conversion is attempted.
• "Drop goals are not part of sevens": they are legal, but they are uncommon because possession and time are so precious.
• "A field goal is a separate sevens score": in rugby union language, the scoring term is a dropped goal. It is worth 3 points.

How scoring decisions are sorted

1. Identify the claimed score: try, conversion, penalty try, penalty goal, dropped goal, or no score.
2. For a try, confirm legal grounding in the opponents' in-goal and check touch, dead-ball, knock-on, obstruction, and foul-play issues.
3. For a penalty try, decide whether foul play prevented a probable try or a more advantageous scoring position.
4. For sevens conversions and penalty goals, confirm the kick is a drop kick and has been taken within the 30-second limit.
5. For any goal, judge whether the ball passed over the crossbar and between the posts in the required way.
6. Apply the correct restart, including sevens tournament procedures if the score happens in extra time.

Source material

• World Rugby Law 8: Scoring
• World Rugby Sevens variation: Scoring
• World Rugby Sevens variation: Penalty and free-kick
• World Rugby Laws of the Game