Home > Rugby League > Glossary

Rugby League – Glossary

Here are a list of popular rugby league terms detailing the various methods of betting on rugby league and the rules of play.

Ante-Post Betting: See Futures.

Australian National Rugby League: The Australian equivalent of the Super League. It is regarded as second only to Australian Rules Football as a popular winter sport.

Challenge Cup: Annual tournament in which rugby league teams from the Super League, European sides and amateur teams all take part.

Conversion: A kick at goal is taken after a try is scored for an extra two points. The ball must go over the bar and stay between the two posts for it to be counted.

Drop Goal: When the ball is drop-kicked between the posts and over the bar during play. A drop goal is worth one point.

First Try Scorer: Odds are given in a rugby league match or competition for the player to score the first try.

Futures: A bet placed on the outcome of a rugby league match at least a day before match takes place. The odds are usually higher the day before, but the risks are also greater, as players may not take part or weakened rugby league teams could be fielded. Also known as Ante-Post Betting.

Full Time: End of the rugby league match. A typical game lasts for eighty minutes.

Half Time: Halfway rest period for the players, held after forty minutes of play.

Half Time/Full Time Betting: Online bookmakers give odds on predicting the match score at half time and full time.

Handicap Betting: One side (usually the away rugby league team) gets a head start in score by the bookmaker. Bets can then be placed either for or against the rugby league team with the head start. Also know as Line Betting or the Spread.

Head-to-head Betting: Where two teams or players are up against each other in a final of a rugby league competition. As a result, this type is used in big tournaments such as The Super League Grand Final and the World Cup.

Highest Scoring Team / Player Betting: You can bet on the highest scoring rugby league team or player in the tournament.

Line Betting: See Handicap.

Man of the Match: Awarded to the player who is judged to have performed the best during the match. You can place bets on which player will be awarded the Man of the Match award by the judging panel.

Penalty Kick: This is awarded when a player acts improperly (i.e. makes a forward pass, illegal tackle etc). The other side is then given a free kick, ten metres from the touch line opposite where the offence occurred.

Scrum: A means of restarting play. Three forwards from each side interlock with arms and heads. A second row then forms on each side and links onto the front row. The ball is then put into the scrum and the forwards push against the opposing side to knock the ball behind them.

State of Origin: Annual three match rugby league competition between the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland.

Spread: See Handicap Betting.

Super League (Europe): The top British rugby league club league, regarded as the most competitive in the northern hemisphere. In the 2006 season, a French rugby league team, Les Catalans have been introduced.

Tri-Nations: Annual end-of-season rugby league competition between Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Try: A team scores a try when a player crosses the opposing teams try line with the ball in hand. A try is worth 4 points.

Winning Margin: Bets are placed on the winning margin that a team makes during a rugby league match. For example, if a team wins 10 - 8, then they have won by a margin of 2 points.

Add to del.icio.us