[A38]

Dropped goals seem to be back in fashion - although I'm not sure that they ever went away.

Anyway, there is talk that there should be a differential in points awarded between a penalty and a dropped goal by either giving 4 points for a dropped goal or by reducing a penalty to 2 points.

Fors and againsts?

[poyntonshark]

Dropping a goal is no easy task, but 4 points sounds like too many. Reducing the points for a penalty sounds like a cheat's charter to me. So on balance, leave as is.

[BehindThePosts]

Personally I think the current points system is OK.

Having said that and in the spirit of providing a response to the question, my answer would be to overhaul the whole system as I don't believe there's enough wriggle room to adjust only drop goal or penalty alone for the reasons PointonShark suggests:
Try = 10 points
Conversion = 4 points
Penalty = 6 points
Drop Goal = 7 points

i.e. effectively double the points for everything but rebalance penalty and drop goal points.

/me stands back and waits for alternatives

[patgadd]

Sadly, some of us can remember when a drop goal was only worth one point!

[ageinghoody]

Dropping a goal is no easy task, but 4 points sounds like too many. Reducing the points for a penalty sounds like a cheat's charter to me. So on balance, leave as is.

Yep.

With the possible exception of increasing a conversion to three points so that all the "goals" are consistent. There's the added bonus of increasing the potential value of a try.

Oh, and on the topic of consistency, a missed drop goal that goes dead should result in a scrum restart from where the kick was attempted!

[TeflonTed]

Well, whatever system you wish to choose, just be grateful we’re unlikely to follow the system used in Gaelic Football.

A team's score is given in the form of goals-points, separated by either a hyphen ( - ) or a dash ( – ), for example Kerry 2-10 Cork 1-12.

Maths has to be done!
A goal is worth 3, scored by the ball going between the posts and under the crossbar. There is a net. A point is scored by kicking the ball between the posts & over the crossbar.

And in the example above, where do you suppose the game was played?

[poyntonshark]

Cork


Aussie rules the same score given in form of Goals - Behinds
Goal = 6 pts
Behind = 1 pt

How does anyone have any respect for a sport when they award a point for missing?

(Interestingly (to some perhaps) I did a quick bit of research, the AFL website displays results "properly" i.e. total points scored only)

[TeflonTed]

Cork

It was a bit of a trick question, because you can’t tell by just the score. The winning team is shown first, so in this example it could have been either.

Just occurs to me, I don’t know what they do for a draw

[SimonG]

It always amuses me when I am at my local club watching the first XV players from the second of third team game that has just finished on one of the back pitches often walk by and when questioned as to what the score was almost no one ever knows.