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Try (5 points)
This is a "touchdown," literally. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opponent's in-goal area. Grounding the ball can be accomplished by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, pressing down on the ball when it is on the ground, or falling on the ball so that it is under the front of the body anywhere for the waist to neck. Five points are awarded for a try. Trys can also be prevented by the defense, by placing their body (or body part) between the ball and the ground when the other team is going for the try.
Conversion Kick (2 points)
When a player scores a try, it gives their team the right to score a goal by taking a kick at goal. The kick is a conversion kick. It can be a place kick or a drop kick. The conversion kick must be taken on a line through the place where the try was scored but parallel to the touchline. This means that the kick may be taken from the sideline if that is where the try was scored in the endzone.
Penalty Kick (3 points)
When a team is awarded a penalty, it gives that team the right to attempt a penalty kick at goal. It can be a place kick or a drop kick. The kick must be taken on a line through the place where the penalty was awarded, no closer to the try line, and parallel to the touch line. If the kick misses, the ball is live and play continues as usual.
Drop Goal (3 points)
A drop goal is scored by kicking a goal from a drop kick in open play. As with the penalty kick, the ball is live.
This is how we setup to start the game, and to start play after each try is scored. The kicking team (yellow) lines up right behind the kicker, who stands on the 50m line. The opposing team sets up to receive the ball, by spreading their players out strategically.
Unlike football, the play does not stop at the tackle. The tackled player must release the ball, and then each team tries to gain possession of the ball. If there is clear space or a hole in the defense, a player can pick up the ball and run. If there is a lot of traffic, the teams can ruck (if the player is on the ground) or maul (if the player has been held up with the ball).
When the ball goes out of bounds, it is said that the ball "goes into touch." A lineout happens where the balls goes into touch (with one exception, explained in the section on lineouts) and the ball in thrown in to put it back into play.
There are three types of kicks that are used in rugby. As mentioned above, some kicks can earn points. Here is a little animation of kicking.
The animation shows a regular kick, or punt. The other types of kicks are drop kicks, where the ball has to hit the ground before kicking, and place kicks, where the ball is stood on a tee or on the ground, and then kicked. Once a ball is kicked, all players are offsides until they retreat behind the kicker, or are passed by someone who is onsides.
There are a limited number of substitutions in rugby. As of the last update to this site, seven substitutions were allowed in each game (2 front row and 5 anywhere else). Temporary "blood" substitutions are allowed to give players time to tape up an injury.
A player can, however, call a "minute" anytime if they are injured or winded. The referee will take note of the time, and give one minute for the player/coach/trainer to evaluate the injury and determine if the player can continue playing or must leave the field. This gives the player a chance to catch her breath, and return to the field, or decide if she wants to leave the game.Minutes do not interfere with continuing play, as long as the player who is down is not endangered by the other players. They can be called at any time, but the referee will not stop for the minute until the next stop in play (for example, an infraction, or the ball goes out of bounds). The referee's clock does not stop; instead, the extra minute is then added to the end of the game.