What happens when the ball goes into the in-goal area but no try is scored?
A · Advanced · Set pieces and discipline · 1 of 1It depends on who put the ball there. If the attacking team took or played it into in-goal and failed to score, the defenders restart with a try-line drop-out. If the defending team took it in and made it dead, the attackers have a five-metre scrum. A kick at goal that misses and is made dead brings a 22-metre drop-out.
How it works
- Grounding: holding the ball and touching the ground with it, or pressing down on it with the hands, arms or front of the body from waist to neck.
- A try or a touch down: an attacker grounding the ball scores a try. A defender grounding it makes a touch down.
- Held up: a ball-carrier held up in in-goal who cannot ground the ball makes it dead. The restart depends on how the ball entered in-goal.
- Attackers brought it in: a try-line drop-out to the defending team.
- Defenders took it in: a five-metre scrum, and the attacking team throws in.
- Kicked through: a kick from the field of play that goes dead through in-goal lets the defenders choose a 22-metre drop-out or a scrum where it was kicked.
- A missed kick at goal: a 22-metre drop-out.
- On the line: an attacker who grounds the ball while touching the touch-in-goal line or dead-ball line makes it dead.
- Reaching out: defenders may knock the ball backwards or pull it from a player reaching to score, but must not kick it.
- Doubt: if it is unclear which team grounded the ball first, a five-metre scrum to the attacking team.
- Offences in in-goal: a penalty or free-kick is taken five metres out from the try line.
The glossary has the in-goal area, the try line, the dead-ball line, the drop-out, the touch down entry and the grounding the ball entry.
Tricky cases
A defender catches a kick in the field of play, runs back over their own try line and touches down. What happens?
A five-metre scrum to the attacking team, because the defenders took the ball into in-goal.
An attacker grabs the corner flag while grounding the ball. Try?
It can be. Touching the corner flag or its post does not put the ball dead, so the try stands if the attacker is not otherwise in touch-in-goal. The law makes one exception: a ball grounded against the post.
A drop goal attempt misses and goes over the dead-ball line. What is the restart?
A 22-metre drop-out by the defending team.
An attacker knocks the ball forward in the opponents' in-goal. What is the restart?
A try-line drop-out.
Why the rule exists
The in-goal restarts follow one idea: the team that put the ball into in-goal bears the result. An attack that fails gives the defence a drop-out from its own line, which is a gentler outcome for the attack than a long clearance. A defence that carries the ball back and touches it down concedes a scrum on its own line.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Attackers took the ball in, no score | Try-line drop-out | WR Law 12.12; 21.16 |
| Defenders took the ball in and made it dead | Five-metre scrum, attackers throw in | WR Law 19.1 |
| Kick dead through in-goal | 22-metre drop-out or scrum where kicked | WR Law 21.11 |
| Sevens, held up | Five-metre scrum, attacking team throws in | WR Sevens Law 21.16 |
From the rule book
World Rugby, Laws of the Game: Rugby Union 2026, Laws 12, 19 and 21. Checked 21 October 2026. Official document: Laws of the Game, Rugby Union 2026 (PDF).