Scope and date
Which scoring rules this page applies
This page applies the World Rugby Laws of the Game 2026, principally Laws 8 and 21 together with the Sevens variations to Laws 8, 12 and 21. World Rugby updated its law assets on 1 July 2026. The July amendments apply to new competitions or events starting after 1 July; a league already in progress may use a later implementation date chosen by its union.
The scope is standard seven-a-side rugby union. It is not rugby league sevens or a modified youth, school, beach or Game On format. A union's variations, a tournament handbook and any authorised trial can supplement this baseline, so the appointed competition rules control if they state something different.
Score values
The complete scoreboard
- Try — 5 points: an attacking player is first to ground the ball legally in the opponents' in-goal.
- Conversion — 2 points: a successful drop kick after a try.
- Penalty try — 7 points: awarded for foul play that prevents a probable try, or prevents it being scored in a more advantageous position; there is no conversion.
- Penalty goal — 3 points: a successful drop kick at goal from a penalty.
- Dropped goal — 3 points: a successful drop kick at goal in open play.
These values come from World Rugby Law 8.1. There is no separate “field goal” category in World Rugby terminology.
Try test
What must happen for five points
Law 8.2 requires an attacking player to be first to ground the ball in the opponents' in-goal. The in-goal includes the try line, so the ball may be grounded on the line; it does not include the touch-in-goal lines or dead-ball line. The player's whole body does not have to cross.
The law also covers a scrum, ruck or maul reaching the try line, a tackled ball-carrier whose momentum takes them into in-goal in one continuous movement, and a player tackled near the line who immediately reaches out and grounds the ball. Those are defined routes to a grounding, not permission to crawl or make a second movement after the tackle.
Grounding
Holding the ball and pressing a loose ball are different
World Rugby Law 21.1 gives two methods. A player holding the ball grounds it by touching the ground with it. For a loose ball on the ground, a player grounds it by pressing down with a hand, arm or the front of the body from waist to neck.
That is more exact than saying the scorer must show “downward pressure and control” in every case. A ball-carrier who is holding the ball does not need a separate downward-pressure action. Picking up a loose ball in in-goal is not itself a grounding, although the player may then ground it elsewhere in in-goal.
Boundaries
Touch and the dead-ball line can defeat the score
A ball-carrier who grounds the ball while simultaneously contacting touch-in-goal, the dead-ball line or the ground beyond either has not scored. If the ball-carrier grounds in in-goal while simultaneously contacting the touchline or ground beyond it, the ball is in touch in the field of play. The relevant restart then depends on how the ball entered in-goal and the applicable sevens variation.
There is a useful exception: under Laws 8.2(e) and 21.9, an attacking player who is already outside the playing area may press down a ball lying in the opponents' in-goal and score, provided that player is not holding the ball. A player carrying the ball cannot use that exception.
No grounding
Held up is not a try in sevens
If a carrier is held up in in-goal and cannot ground or play the ball, World Rugby Sevens Law 21.16 makes the ball dead. Play restarts with a five-metre scrum in line with the place where the player was held up, and the attacking team throws in.
If the officials cannot determine which team grounded a loose ball first, general Law 21.17 also gives a five-metre scrum to the attacking team. This is different from evidence proving simultaneous grounding: Law 8.2 requires the attacker to ground first, so simultaneous contact does not establish a try.
Conversions
Two points, from the try's line, within 30 seconds
After an ordinary try, the scoring team may attempt a conversion or tell the referee “no kick” to decline it. Sevens Law 8.7 requires a drop kick; a place kick or tee is not a sevens conversion. The kick is taken in the field of play on a line through the place where the try was awarded, parallel to the touchlines. Grounding nearer the posts therefore improves the angle.
Under Sevens Law 8.8(c), the ball must be kicked within 30 seconds of the try being awarded. The limit is playing time, meaning time formally lost for a stoppage is excluded. A late conversion is disallowed. If the team declines, Law 5.8 requires the decision to be relayed to the referee.
Opponents
Defenders assemble at their 10-metre line
Sevens Law 8.14 replaces the ordinary conversion setup: all opponents immediately assemble close to their own 10-metre line. The scoring team still has to comply with the conversion line and the kicker's team must stay behind the ball when it is kicked.
If the opponents infringe and the conversion succeeds, the goal stands. If it misses, the kicker retakes it and the opponents may not charge. The 30-second format explains the speed of the sequence, but it does not relax the requirement that the kick be a lawful drop kick from the correct line.
Penalty try
Seven points require prevented probable scoring
World Rugby Law 8.3 asks a counterfactual question: without the opponents' foul play, would a try probably have been scored, or probably have been scored in a more advantageous position? If yes, the referee awards a penalty try between the posts. It is worth seven points and no conversion is attempted.
A penalty near the line is not automatically a penalty try. Probability and prevention both matter. If a try is still scored but the foul forced it into a less advantageous position, the second part of Law 8.3 may still matter. A player guilty of the foul play must be cautioned and shown a yellow card or sent off; the law does not make every penalty-try offence an automatic red card.
Penalty goal
Three points, a declared choice and a drop kick
A penalty goal can be scored only from a penalty. The team must indicate its intention without delay and, once it has indicated that choice, must kick at goal. Under Sevens Laws 8.21 and 8.24, the kick must be a drop kick and must be taken within 30 seconds of indicating the intention.
If the deadline is missed, the kick is disallowed and a scrum is awarded. A place-kick also results in a scrum. One less obvious rule remains: Law 8.23 says that if a player has not indicated an intention to kick at goal but takes a drop kick and scores, the goal stands.
Dropped goal
Three points from open play
A dropped goal is scored by kicking a goal from a drop kick in open play. World Rugby defines a drop kick as intentionally dropping the ball from the hands and kicking it as it rises from its first bounce. A punt before the bounce is not a dropped-goal attempt.
Law 8.29 creates an important restriction after a free-kick: the awarded team cannot score a dropped goal until the ball next becomes dead, an opponent plays or touches the ball, or an opponent tackles the ball-carrier. A prohibited attempt is simply unsuccessful and play continues.
Goal line
How a kick at goal becomes a score
For a conversion, penalty goal or dropped goal to succeed, Law 8.4 requires the ball to be kicked over the crossbar and between the posts without first touching a team-mate or the ground. Contact with an opponent does not by itself invalidate a goal.
Above the height of the posts, officials judge whether the ball would have passed between them had the posts extended higher. Once the ball has crossed the crossbar correctly, wind blowing it back into the field does not cancel the score.
After the score
The scoring team kicks the sevens restart
World Rugby Sevens Law 12.4 reverses the ordinary rugby-union restart: after a score, the same team that scored takes a drop kick on or behind the centre of halfway. That possession contest is a major sevens consequence of scoring.
The restart must be taken within 30 seconds after a conversion is taken or declined, or after a penalty goal or dropped goal is kicked. If the scoring team misses the restart deadline, the opponents receive a free-kick. A tournament clock or end-of-half situation can affect whether another restart is due, so late-score questions should also be checked under Law 5.
Extra time
Any score can be golden point
If the competition requires a drawn match to continue into extra time, Sevens Law 8.30 declares the first team to score any points the winner immediately. A try, penalty goal or dropped goal can therefore end the match; play does not continue for a conversion after the winning try.
Not every tied sevens match goes to extra time. Pool formats often allow draws, while knockout regulations require a winner. The competition format decides whether extra time is played; World Rugby's golden-point law controls once it is.
Officials and review
Video review is available only when appointed
The match officials judge grounding, touch and the success of kicks. Sevens Law 6 provides for two in-goal judges, who can assist with tries, touch downs, touch-in-goal and kicks; they are not required when a television match official is present.
Under general Law 6.15, a match organiser may appoint a TMO to clarify grounding, touch in the act of grounding, doubtful kicks at goal, relevant infringements leading to or preventing a try, and foul play. That makes review competition-dependent, not a right available in every sevens match, and the applicable TMO protocol limits what can be reviewed.
Worked case 1
The ball reaches the painted try line
Situation: Blue is holding the ball and touches it to the try line before any part of the ball or player reaches touch-in-goal.
Ruling: five points under World Rugby 2026 Laws 8.2 and 21. The try line is part of in-goal, and holding the ball while touching the ground with it is a legal grounding.
Worked case 2
A player in touch presses a loose ball
Situation: Gold has a foot in touch-in-goal but is not carrying the ball. The ball is loose in the opponents' in-goal, and Gold is first to press down on it with a hand.
Ruling: try under World Rugby 2026 Laws 8.2(e) and 21.9. The decisive fact is that Gold was not in possession before grounding the loose ball.
Worked case 3
The carrier is held above the ground
Situation: Red carries into in-goal but defenders prevent any legal grounding and the carrier cannot play the ball.
Ruling: no try. Under the 2026 Sevens variation to Law 21.16, the referee awards a five-metre scrum in line with the hold-up, with Red throwing in.
Worked case 4
A penalty-goal attempt is late
Situation: Green indicates a kick at goal and takes an otherwise successful drop kick after 31 seconds of playing time.
Ruling: no points. Sevens Law 8.21 disallows the late kick and awards a scrum. The fact that the ball crossed between the posts cannot cure the missed time limit.
Worked case 5
A drop kick follows a free-kick
Situation: Black takes a free-kick, passes twice and then drop-kicks through the posts. No opponent has played or touched the ball, no tackle has occurred and the ball has not become dead.
Ruling: no dropped goal under World Rugby Law 8.29. Passing alone does not remove the restriction; the attempt is treated as unsuccessful and play continues.