Recent years have seen the issue of what a penalty and a drop goal should be worth argued about. The move to increase the value of a try (years before I started following rugby) to four, and then five points, clearly placed more of a premium on scoring tries (as I think everyone would agree it should be).
But some critics have suggested penalties and drop goals be dropped to two or even one point to reduce their role, and attractiveness in the sport.
We haven’t exactly seen AFL style popping of drop goals willy nilly in recent years, or along the lines the Springboks did at the 1999 RWC, but with the removal of the short arm (at least in the southern hemisphere where it was trialled as an ELV), the value of a penalty goal may soon again raise its ugly head as an issue.
Ruggamatrix recently had a discussion about the issue of drop goals, which included a discussion about the various skills and strengths important in the game and how they should be rewarded, and this got me thinking. What about different values depending on where they were scored? Stick with me here.
The point of a penalty is to both punish the offending team, and reward the offended team for losing an advantage and chance to score. However, in these days of professionalism, light weight balls and obsessive compulsives like Wilkinson practising on Christmas day, they seem to be able to often pot them from over the halfway line without breaking a sweat.
But is a penalty on the halfway line the same as a penalty on the 5m line? Surely a penalty closer to the line is more likely to have prevented a try, and be worth more as a result.
As such, an idea may be to make a penalty inside the 22 worth 3 points, between the 22 and either 40 or halfway 2 points, and beyond the halfway 1 point.
This does raise issues like the place of the penalty suddenly becoming more important, and putting pressure on the referee to get it right and be argued with, but it would reduce the incentive to take long penalty shots, and also retain the value for more crucial penalties closer to the line.
Something similar might be done with drop goals, although I can see the attraction of retaining the 3 points, as it is a skill worth rewarding. If this were also to be changed, then the reverse of the penalty goal system above would apply. Those potted from right in front aren’t as hard, or valuable, as 30 metres out. As such, perhaps 1-2 points within the 10 or 22, 2-3 points from 10 or 22 to 40, and certainly 3 points beyond the 40.
This would put a burden on the referee and touchies for correctly assessing where it was kicked from, but that would probably be more a problem for the amateur level (without TMOs) than the professional level.
Something to think about, and to start a discussion with.
Rowdy
Guest
All way, way too complicated. Look, I've said it before and I'll say it again - make the ball heavier ! The whole thing becomes self-policing.
nswbrother
Guest
why should it be a greater penalty for being offside infront of the posts 10 meters out as opposed to 50 meters out on the touchline why should it be harder to gain 3 points from a penalty given further out or on an angle? and shouldnt conversions be from infront 35 meters out, why is it harder to score 7 points for a try in the corner than infront? i mean scoring a try is such a hard thing to do in comparison to kicking a penalty so why dont we give the team the best possible chance to scoring 7 points just thoughts
sheek
Guest
I think the correct weighting of points would be: try - 5 points. conversion - 2 points. penalties - 2 points. drops - 2 points. I know a lot of people argue drops should only be one point, but I think they have their place in the game. I also think having different values for penalties is far too messy. I like Peter K's ideas on grading penalties, however. However, here is one of those ticklish imponderables. Would reducing the value of penalty goals only encourage offending teams to be even more offending in their behaviour? Which in turn means more penalties being conceded. We all know how irritating human nature can be!
mitzter
Guest
I like the distance - can't have a place kick idea. Maybe not the 22 but 40. If you elect to take a kick from a penalty outside 40m it must be a drop kick. Faster than place kicks if they elect to do it and should make them less deciding in matches. I like that idea alot
Peter K
Guest
There is a 1 minute time limit for penalties and conversions but it starts from when the tee arrives not from the signal. I do not agree re making the distance of the penalty be the deciding factor, instead it should be the seriousness of the offence. I would have 3 classes of penalties instead of 2. The free kick, the penalty where you CANNOT kick for goal and the penalty where you can. Basically the technical penalties from scrum , ruck, lineout and maul could not be kicks for goal. The ones that illegally slow the attacking team down or dangerous play or foul play or offside would be kickable. I too would make drop goals only 1 point.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
Pash, of there isn't a time limit on penalty kicks already, like WCR says, then I completey agree. The place vs drop kick is an interesting idea. Would definitely discourage them, and make successful kicks a bigger spectacle.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
I am.
Justin
Guest
WCR - I cant tell by the tone if you are joking. Interesting point re the time limit though. Its done in the AFL now.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
I thought there was a 60 kick limit already. They should reduce the value of Drop kicks and penalyies to 1 point. So there practically worthless. High kicks outside either 22 should be illegal. Tactical kicks if done correctly they keep be great to watch so they should stay.
Pash
Guest
I hate how kicks slow the game down, I was thinking maybe if some rule chages were brought in, it would speed things up, for example: * If a penalty if given inside the 22 then a place kick is given, but if a penalty is given outside of the 22 then only the option of a drop kick is given, this is so the likeliness of scoring is reduced and maybe more teams would use the kick to touch option with a throw in to a line out. * A penalty is always worth 2 points. * A drop-kick is worth 2 points within the 22, and 1 point outside of the 22. and for a kick outside of the 50m line, the kicker should be slapped in the face by the biggest prop on the opposing team. (Some South Africans would be playing with hand prints on the side of their faces). *All penalty kicks are given a strict 1min time limit with a count down shown on the big screen for the spectators, if the kick is not taken within the time limit a scrum is given to the opposing team. the count down should start from the time the ref does the double hand point to the sticks (indicating a penalty kick is to be taken). So Pablo, what do you think? I really like the 1 min kick option, some guys take an age to kick.