GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
How do a Rugby Union penalty try and an ordinary try’s conversion differ?
A penalty try is worth seven points and has no conversion attempt. An ordinary try is worth five points and gives that team the right to attempt a two-point conversion. When the 60-second conversion trial applies, the limit is 60 seconds of playing time from when the try is awarded, even if the ball rolls over and must be placed again.
For Rugby Union viewers trying to understand why a penalty try adds seven points without a kick, while a regular try can lead to a timed conversion. · Updated
A penalty try ends without a conversion
World Rugby awards seven points for a penalty try when opposing foul play prevents a probable try or a try in a more advantageous position. The law says no conversion is attempted. The guilty player must be cautioned and shown a yellow card or sent off.
An ordinary try creates a conversion opportunity
An ordinary try is five points. The team may take or decline a conversion worth two points. Under Law 8.8(c), the global trial gives the kicker 60 seconds of playing time from the award of the try; a ball that rolls over and needs to be placed again does not restart the limit. Missing the deadline disallows the kick.
Check whether the conversion trial applies
World Rugby introduced the 60-second trial for new competitions or leagues starting after 1 January 2025. Its July 2026 update says newer trials remain in play for another season. The law page alone does not prove which edition a named competition is using; check its adoption and start date.
Two fictional scoring decisions
These are hypothetical rule examples. In one fictional goal-line phase, the referee awards a penalty try because foul play prevented a probable try: the award is seven points and there is no conversion kick; the guilty player is cautioned and shown a yellow card or sent off as the law requires. In a separate ordinary-try example, the referee awards the try when the playing clock reads 12:00. The kick must be taken within the next 60 seconds of playing time, no later than 13:00 on the playing clock. If the ball rolls over and is replaced once, the same deadline continues; replacing it does not restart the timer. Time while play is stopped is outside the playing-time limit, so this is not a 60-second wall-clock guarantee.
Related questions
Is a conversion attempted after a penalty try?
No. Law 8.3 says a penalty try is seven points and no conversion is attempted.
Does every competition use the 60-second conversion limit?
No. World Rugby marks the 60-second rule as a Global Law Trial. The announcement describes its start scope for new competitions or leagues after 1 January 2025, and a named competition’s adoption needs checking.
Sources and further reading
- World Rugby Laws of the Game, Law 8.1 and 8.3, current digital text reviewed October 15, 2026
- World Rugby Laws of the Game, Law 8.8(c), marked Global Law Trial, current digital text reviewed October 15, 2026
- World Rugby, 2025-01 Global Law Trials, Council-approved November 14, 2024; applicability notice for new competitions/leagues after January 1, 2025
- World Rugby, 2026-07 Law updates, trial status and effective-date notice, reviewed October 15, 2026