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
History of rugby union to 1890, games were won by goals scored. A goal was awarded for a successful conversion after a try, a drop goal or from a goal from mark. If the game was drawn, then unconverted tries were tallied to give a winner. This system led to score lines more akin to association football with far more games resulting in draws than are experienced in the modern game. One of the first tasks undertaken by the International Rugby Football Board, formed in 1886, was to introduce a standard point scoring system. One point was awarded for a try, two points for