Professional foul stop the clock and get the ball back, rather than allow the opponent to run out the clock. In addition, there are specific rules governing obvious goal scoring opportunities called clear path fouls. The professional foul in rugby league embodies a similar concept to other sports, a deliberate breach of the rules in order to prevent a scoring opportunity. The penalty for this offence is 10 minutes in the sin bin. The majority of professional fouls are either holding down the tackled player after a break has been made in order to allow his teammates to reform in defence, interfering
Professional foul constitutes an obvious goalscoring opportunity is left to the discretion of the referee; however, several factors are given to help referees decide. These are: the distance between the offence and the goal, the likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball, the direction of the play, the location and number of defenders. The offence is informally known as DOGSO, an acronym for "Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity". Even if a foul unambiguously prevents a goal, the Laws of football have no provision for awarding the score (there is no equivalent of the penalty try seen in rugby). Thus,