Try
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- This article refers to the use of the word try in rugby football terminology.
A try (at goal) is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union. A try is scored when a player grounds the ball in the opposition's in-goal area (on or behind the try line), or alternatively touching the goalposts and ground at the same time. The scoring player must be holding on to the ball and using downward pressure when it is grounded.
A try is analogous to a touchdown in American and Canadian football with the major difference being that a try requires the player to touch the ball against the ground. In both forms of rugby the term touchdown refers only to the physical act of touching the ball down behind the goal line, but this is more commonly referred to as 'grounding' the ball.
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[edit] Point value
In rugby league, a try is worth four points, having been this case since 1983. Prior to this, a try was worth three points. In rugby union, a try is worth five points; this point value having varied over time. Although a try is worth less in rugby league, it is more often the main method of scoring, as opposed to rugby union where there is heavy reliance placed on goals to accumulate points.
[edit] Penalty try
In both rugby league and in rugby union, if the referee believes that a try has been prevented by the defending team's misconduct, he may award the attacking team a penalty try. Penalty tries are always awarded under the posts regardless of where the offence took place. In rugby union, the standard applied by the referee is that a try "probably" would have been scored. The referee does not have to be certain a try would have been scored. In rugby league, the referee must be left in no reasonable doubt that a try would otherwise have been scored before a penalty try can be awarded.
[edit] Conversion
In both codes when a try is scored, the scoring team gets to attempt a conversion, which is a kick at goal to convert the try from one set of points into another larger set of points. The kick is taken at any point on the field of play in line with the point that the ball was grounded for the try, and parallel to the touch-lines. This is so the kicker can position the ball in a more advantageous position to increase the chance of scoring. If successful, additional points are scored. For the conversion to be successful the ball must pass over the crossbar and between the uprights. This kick at conversion in rugby union may take place as either a place kick (from the ground) or a drop kick whereas in rugby league, a conversion may only take place as a place kick. Note, however, that in both rugby sevens (usually, but not always, played under union rules) and rugby league nines, conversions may only take place as drop kicks.
To make the conversion easier, attacking players will try to ground the ball as close to the centre of the in goal area as possible. The attacking player will however ground the ball when confronted by a defender rather than risk losing the ball by being tackled or passing it to a teammate.
In both rugby union and rugby league a conversion is worth two points; a successful kick at goal thus converts a five-point try to seven for rugby union, and a four-point try to six for rugby league.
[edit] Past to present
In early forms of rugby football the point of the game was to score goals. A try was awarded for a touch down behind the posts; It had zero value itself, but allowed the team that touched down to try to kick at goal without interference from the other team. This kick, if successful, would convert a try into a goal.
Modern rugby and all derived forms now favour the try or touch down in place of goals and thus the try has a definite value, which has increased over time and now eclipses the value of a goal. In rugby league and rugby union, a conversion attempt is still given, but is simply seen as adding extra 'bonus' points. These points however can mean the difference between winning or losing a match, so thought is given to fielding players with good goal-kicking skill.
