Rugby coupons look strange if you know only football. The scores are bigger, and many markets are built on points and tries. This guide explains the common terms in plain words, with a made-up match "Team A vs Team B" for each one. It is general education, not a tip and not a promise of any result. Rugby union is the main sport here, and the big events are the Six Nations and the World Cup.
How rugby union scores points
#Every market below depends on these values:
- Try: 5 points. A player grounds the ball over the opponents' line.
- Conversion: 2 points. A kick at goal after a try. Only the team that scored the try can take it.
- Penalty kick: 3 points. A kick at goal after a penalty.
- Drop goal: 3 points. A kick from open play, after the ball bounces.
A match has two halves of 40 minutes. Stoppages for injuries do not count, so a game often lasts longer than 80 minutes on the clock. Scores such as 27 to 20 are normal.
Example score used in this guide: Team A 27, Team B 20. Team A scored 3 tries, 3 conversions and 2 penalties (15 + 6 + 6 = 27). Team B scored 2 tries, 2 conversions and 2 penalties (10 + 4 + 6 = 20).
Match result (1X2)
#On the coupon: 1X2, Match Result, or Full Time Result. 1 is Team A, X is a draw, 2 is Team B. You pick the result after 80 minutes.
Draws are possible in rugby union but rare, so the price for X is long. Some bookmakers offer only a two-way market called "Winner" or "To win", with no draw. Check which one you are looking at, because the rules are different.
Example: Final score 27 to 20. "1" wins. "X" and "2" lose.
Handicap or line betting
#On the coupon: Handicap, Line, Spread, or Team A -7.5 / Team B +7.5.
A handicap gives one team a head start in points to make the match more even. The favourite carries a minus number. The underdog carries a plus number. The points are added to the final score before the result is decided.
Example with a half point: The line is Team A -7.5 and Team B +7.5.
- Final 27 to 20: Team A won by 7. 7 is less than 7.5, so Team A -7.5 loses and Team B +7.5 wins.
- Final 30 to 20: Team A won by 10. Team A -7.5 wins and Team B +7.5 loses.
The half-point idea: a line that ends in .5 can never land exactly on the margin, so one side always wins.
Example with a whole number: The line is Team A -7. At 27 to 20 the margin is exactly 7. This is a push, and most bookmakers return the stake. A few treat it differently, so read the rules.
Total points (over and under)
#On the coupon: Total Points, Over/Under 44.5.
You bet on whether the points of both teams added together finish above (over) or below (under) the line.
Example: The line is 44.5. Final 27 to 20 gives 47 points. Over 44.5 wins and Under 44.5 loses. If the line were 47 exactly, it would be a push.
Half-time/full-time
#On the coupon: HT/FT, Half Time / Full Time Double.
You pick the leader at half-time and the winner at full time. There are nine combinations, such as A/A, A/X, A/B, X/A and so on.
Example: Team A leads 12 to 10 at half-time, and the final is 20 to 25. The result is Team A / Team B (A/B). The bet "A/A" loses.
Winning margin bands
#On the coupon: Winning Margin, Winner and Margin, Win by 1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15.
You pick which team wins and by how many points. Bands are often five points wide (1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15, and so on up to a last band such as 26 or more), but the width varies. Always read the bands printed on your coupon.
Example: Final 27 to 20, margin 7. The winning pick is "Team A by 6 to 10". "Team A by 1 to 5" loses. A draw is usually its own option.
Try markets
#A try is worth 5 points plus a possible conversion, so try markets are popular. Check the rules for each one.
- First try scorer: the player who scores the first try of the match. If nobody scores a try, bets usually lose. Example: Team A's winger scores first, so a bet on him wins.
- Anytime try scorer: the player scores at least one try at any time. Example: the same winger scores twice. A bet on him wins once, not twice. Penalty tries are usually not given to a player, so check the rules.
- Total tries over/under: the number of tries by both teams. Example: the line is 4.5. In our match there were 5 tries (3 + 2), so Over 4.5 wins and Under 4.5 loses.
- Team to score first: which team gets the first points. Check whether it means the first points of any kind (a penalty counts) or the first try only. They are different markets. Example: Team B kicks a penalty after 4 minutes. If the market is "first points", Team B wins. If it is "first try", it is not decided yet.
Extra time and knockout games
#In a normal league or Six Nations game the usual rule is that bets are settled on the 80 minutes, plus stoppage time the referee adds. Extra time normally does not count unless the coupon says so. In knockout games the rules differ. World Cup knockout games use two 10-minute extra periods, then sudden death, then a kicking contest. Some bookmakers settle markets on 80 minutes only. Others count extra time for "to qualify" or "to win" markets. Read the bookmaker's rules before you bet.
Player markets and risk
#Player markets (try scorer and similar) carry an extra risk. If your player is not in the starting team, the rules differ. At some bookmakers the bet is void. At others it stands if he comes on as a replacement, and loses if he never plays. Team news is often published a day or two before the match, so check it first. A player can also be injured early.
If a match is postponed
#If a match is postponed or abandoned, bets are usually void and the stake is returned, but only if the match does not take place within a time set in the rules. Some bookmakers settle bets after a certain time has played in an abandoned match. Check the rules of your bookmaker.
A word on rugby league
#Rugby league is a different sport with 13 players and its own scoring. The market names are similar, but the numbers are not, so do not copy lines between the two sports.
In short
#- Learn the scoring first: try 5, conversion 2, penalty kick 3, drop goal 3.
- 1X2 includes a draw. A "Winner" market may not. Check which one you see.
- A handicap adds points to one team. A .5 line cannot be a push.
- Totals are the points of both teams added together, over or under the line.
- Margin bands, such as 1 to 5 and 6 to 10, differ by bookmaker. Read them.
- Check "first points" against "first try", and read the rules for extra time.
- Player markets and postponed matches have their own settlement rules.
Play with care
#Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over. It is entertainment, not a way to earn money, and it can be addictive. Play only with money you can afford to lose. Set a deposit limit and a time limit before you start, and stop when you reach them. If gambling stops being fun, talk to someone you trust. Gambling rules and what is allowed differ by country. Check the law where you live before you play. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
