Drop goal

A drop goal, field goal,dropped goal, or pot is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league and also, rarely, in American football and Canadian football. A drop goal is scored by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the goalposts. After the kick, the ball must not touch the ground before it goes over and through, although it may touch the crossbar. If the drop goal attempt is successful, play stops and the non-scoring team (the scoring team in rugby union sevens) restarts play with a kick from halfway. If the kick is unsuccessful, the offside rules for a kick apply and play continues until a normal stoppage occurs. Because of the scoring attempt this is usually from the kicked ball going dead or into touch. Defenders may tackle the kicker while he is in possession of the ball, or attempt to charge down or block the kick.

World Rugby, the international governing body of rugby union, refers to this method of scoring in its publications as a "dropped goal", but this is commonly abbreviated to "drop goal".

The drop goal is a relatively valuable method of scoring in rugby union, being worth three points, compared to the other methods of scoring: a try (worth five points, with the opportunity to kick a two-point conversion kick), and penalty kick (three points). Because of its value, teams may opt for a drop kick at any point of a match. A converted try, being worth seven points (five for the try, two for the conversion), is still the most attractive means of scoring, especially if a team believes they have the ability to score one.

Teams with a narrow lead often use the drop goal to maintain a margin over the opposition of more than seven points (the value of a converted try).

Some teams play a strategy of ensuring that they score points every time they get close to their opponents' 22-metre line. If they do not score a try within a certain period of getting close, and if their opponents are disciplined and not giving away penalties, they may attempt a drop goal.

Sometimes a team defending their try line makes a hurried clearing kick or hack at a loose ball which goes down the centre of the field. In these circumstances the attacking team may attempt an opportunistic long-range drop goal from wherever they receive the ball.

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