Drop goal the original penalty. The team could then opt to attempt a penalty goal, giving them a second opportunity to score the three points. A drop goal is worth three points, and before 1948 it was worth four points. From time to time suggestions have been made by some rugby commentators to reduce the value of a drop goal, or to limit or discourage them in other ways. It is sometimes also referred to as a field goal; however the use of this term in rugby union is erroneous, and instead describes an archaic form of scoring a goal. A field
England national rugby union team two tries to one drop goal. In those early days there was no points system, it was only after 1890 that a format allowing the introduction of a points system was provided. Up until 1875 international rugby matches were decided by the number of goals scored (conversions and dropped goals), but from 1876 the number of tries scored could be used to decide a match if teams were level on goals. In 1875, England played their first game against the Irish at the Oval, winning by one goal, one drop goal and one try to nil; the match was Ireland's