Rugby term
Drop kick
Definition
A kick made by dropping the ball and kicking it as it rises from its first bounce.
Used for drop goals, kick-offs, restart kicks and drop-outs.
Related laws
Law 8ScoringDefines how points are scored: tries (5pts), conversions (2pts), penalty goals (3pts), drop goals (3pts), and penalty tries (7pts).Law 12Kick-off and Restart KicksSpecifies how the game is started and restarted after scoring. Kick-offs are drop kicks from the centre; restart kicks follow scoring or the ball going dead.Law 21In-GoalThe in-goal area is behind each goal-line. Scoring a try requires grounding the ball in the opposition in-goal. This law defines grounding, touch-in-goal, the dead-ball line, and what happens in various situations.
Related terms
Charge-downA charge-down is when a player blocks an opponent's kick with their hands, arms or body just as it is kicked, and it is not penalised as a knock-on.ConversionA conversion is the kick at goal a team gets after scoring a try, worth 2 points if the ball goes between the posts and over the crossbar.Corner postA flag post at each corner where the try line meets the touch-in-goal line.Dead ballThe ball is dead when play has stopped, after the ball crosses the dead-ball line, goes into touch, or when the referee blows the whistle.Dead-ball lineThe line at each end of the playing area, beyond the in-goal.Deliberate knock-onA deliberate knock-on is when a player knocks the ball forward on purpose with the hand or arm, and it is penalised with a penalty kick rather than a scrum.Drop goalA goal scored by drop-kicking the ball through the opponent's uprights during open play.DropoutA drop kick that restarts play after the ball is made dead in in-goal without a score.