The
golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn
rugby leagueRugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a prolate spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union...
matches. The term is borrowed from
soccer'sAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
now defunct
golden goalThe golden goal is a method used to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during extra time to be declared the winner. The game finishes when a golden goal is scored. The...
.
The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see below) when scores are level at the end of regular time. Before its introduction in Australasia's
National Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL competition is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition, normal season games were left as draws; in finals matches, 20 minutes extra time ensued (10 minutes each way), with a replay in the event of a draw.
If the scores are level at the end of 80 minutes, 5 minutes are played, the teams swap ends with no break, and a further 5 minutes are played.
The
golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn
rugby leagueRugby league football is a full-contact form of football, played with a prolate spheroid ball by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. Rugby league is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union...
matches. The term is borrowed from
soccer'sAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
now defunct
golden goalThe golden goal is a method used to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during extra time to be declared the winner. The game finishes when a golden goal is scored. The...
.
Australasia
The golden point is used to determine a winner (where applicable, see below) when scores are level at the end of regular time. Before its introduction in Australasia's
National Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL competition is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition, normal season games were left as draws; in finals matches, 20 minutes extra time ensued (10 minutes each way), with a replay in the event of a draw.
If the scores are level at the end of 80 minutes, 5 minutes are played, the teams swap ends with no break, and a further 5 minutes are played. Any score (
tryA try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
,
penalty goalIn rugby football, the penalty is the main disciplinary sanction available to the referee to penalise players who commit deliberate infringements. The team who did not commit the infringement are given possession of the ball and may either kick it towards touch , attempt a place kick at goal, or...
, or
field goalA drop goal, also referred to as a dropped goal or field goal, is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league. A drop goal is scored in open play by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the uprights. After the kick, the ball may touch the crossbar or goalposts, but not...
) in this 10 minute period secures a win for the scoring team, and the game ends at that point. If the scoring event is a try, no conversion is attempted. If no further scoring occurs, the game is drawn and each team receives one competition point.
However, during the
finalsThe playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. The term and concept are most widespread in North America.In the U.S...
series, where a winner must be found on the day, play continues in the second period of extra time until either team scores.
The golden point was later adopted by the
ARLThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
for
State of OriginState of Origin is an Australian best-of-three series of rugby league football matches between the Maroons, representing the state of Queensland and the Blues, representing the state of New South Wales...
games; indeed, it was the catalyst for the golden point being implemented, as 1-all draws in
1999The 1999 State of Origin series was the 20th annual 'series contested between New South Wales and Queensland. The series was drawn and the shield retained by the previous year's victors, Queensland. Each team claimed victory in a game and the deciding fixture finished at 10-all...
and again in
2002The 2002 State of Origin series was the 23rd annual 'series contested between New South Wales and Queensland. It was the second drawn series in four years and being the second default title retention by Queensland it ignited protests from the New South Wales camp eventually accepted by the NRL, for...
, left no clear winner of the series. It had been used previously in
Super League's Tri-SeriesThe Super League Tri-series was a rugby league competition contested in 1997 between representative teams from Queensland, New South Wales and New Zealand. It was held as an alternative to the Rugby League State of Origin that was contested in the same year between players from the Australian Rugby...
in 1997.
Golden point was first implemented in State of Origin in the 2004 series, when
Shaun TimminsShaun Timmins is a former Australian and State representative rugby league player who played for the Illawarra Steelers and the St George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League competition from 1994 to 2006....
kicked a field goal for NSW to win the opening match of that series 9-8. In the opening match of the 2005 State of Origin series, a
Brett KimmorleyBrett Kimmorley is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Bulldogs club of the NRL. He has previously played for five other clubs and has also represented his country and state on several occasions...
(NSW) pass was intercepted by Matthew Bowen (QLD) in the 83rd minute to give Queensland Game One. NSW won the series 2-1.
Internationals
Golden point is also applied to the
Tri-NationsThe Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
final. The format follows that of the NRL finals series: a five minute period of play followed by a brief pause and then if no points have been scored a second period that continues until points are scored.
In the
2006The 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations was hosted for the second time by Australia and New Zealand. Sponsored by Gillette the tournament followed the same format as in 2004 and 2005, with each team meeting the other two teams twice, and the top two teams at the end of the group stages proceeding to the...
series, Australia and New Zealand were locked 12-12 at fulltime.
Darren LockyerDarren Lockyer is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his NRL club, the Brisbane Broncos...
scored a try in the 87th minute to win the title for Australia.
Europe
The
Challenge CupThe Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs in Europe, organised by the Rugby Football League...
, Europe's most prestigious knock-out tournament, operates under the golden point rule and also follows the NRL Finals system. One extra half of five minutes is played, and should neither team have scored any more points in that time, a second period commences until one of the teams scores again, thus winning the game. This was first applied in
2009The 2009 Carnegie Challenge Cup began in January 2009. The Challenge Cup is the most prestigious knock-out competition in European rugby league. Teams from England, Scotland, Wales, France and Russia are included in the tournament....
, when the
Castleford TigersCastleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas' 'Cas Tigers' or 'Classy Cas'...
defeated
Halifax RLFCHalifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, hence the former nickname: The Blue Sox. They share The Shay stadium with football club...
in extra time during the fifth round of the competition.
Brent SherwinBrent Sherwin is an Australian professional rugby league player. He currently plays for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League. He was the co-captain of Castleford for the 2008 ESL season. His position of choice is at half-back...
kicked a drop goal in the 82nd minute to advance Castleford to the quarterfinals. The second being Warringtons stand off Lee Briers kicking a drop goal to see them through to the Semi Finals against Hull KR.
The golden point rule is not applied to the Super League. If two teams are drawing at the end of eighty minutes, the match is declared a draw, and the two sides
share a point each.
FriendliesAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
may apply the golden point rule, depending on the format of the tie.
External links