Conversion
A points-scoring attempt taken after a try or touchdown, with the exact form depending on the sport.
Definition
In rugby union and rugby league, a conversion is a kick at goal awarded after a team scores a try; success adds two points, and the kick is taken from a line in front of where the try was grounded, so scoring nearer the posts makes the conversion easier. Missing the conversion still leaves the try's points on the board.
In American and Canadian football, the equivalent play after a touchdown is the point-after attempt: a kick worth one point, or a "two-point conversion" run or pass from close range worth two. Although the mechanics differ between rugby and gridiron, in each case a conversion is a bonus scoring attempt that follows an earlier score rather than a standalone one.
Meaning by sport
This term is used differently across sports:
- Rugby
- A kick at goal after a try, worth two points, taken in line with where the try was scored.
- American football
- The point-after-touchdown attempt: a one-point kick or a two-point run or pass from short range.
Where you’ll hear “conversion”
Sports that use this term:
How it connects
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Commonly confused with
Close enough to be mixed up — the distinction is worth knowing.
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Scoring systems
- Basketball scoringBasketball is scored by shooting the ball through the hoop, with baskets worth one, two or three points depending on where the shot is taken.
- Table tennis scoringTable tennis is scored on every rally to 11 points per game, won by two clear points, over a best-of odd number of games.
- Tennis scoringTennis is scored in points, games and sets, using the distinctive 15–30–40 point sequence and a win-by-two margin at every level.
- Badminton scoringBadminton uses rally scoring to 21 points per game, with matches decided over the best of three games.
- Football (soccer) scoringFootball is scored by goals, with each goal worth one point and the team scoring the most goals winning the match.
Rules
- Direct and indirect free kicksThe two types of free kick awarded in football to restart play after a foul or other stoppage.
- Double dribbleA basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.
- Shot clockA timing rule that requires the attacking basketball team to attempt a shot within a set number of seconds.
- Tennis serving rulesThe rules governing how a tennis point begins, including where the server stands and where the serve must land.
Positions
- Shooting guardThe shooting guard is a perimeter player whose main role is to score, especially from mid-range and beyond the three-point line.
- Outside hitterThe outside hitter attacks from the left side of the net and is often a volleyball team’s main scoring option.
- Point guardThe point guard is basketball’s primary ball-handler and playmaker, running the offence and setting up teammates to score.
Disciplines
- Sparring (Kyorugi)Kyorugi is taekwondo's competitive sparring discipline, where two athletes score points by landing controlled kicks and punches on legal target areas within timed rounds.
- SnatchThe snatch is one of the two Olympic weightlifting lifts, taking the barbell from the platform to overhead in one continuous movement.
- KumiteKumite is the sparring discipline of karate, in which two athletes exchange controlled strikes and kicks under judged rules.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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