The players can touch the ball with any part of their body, but can only carry the ball for four steps before having to bounce it or pass it. Once a player has advanced the ball 10 meters in this way, he can no longer bounce it and must throw it or drop it on the ground. Forward throwing is allowed, but the ball is turned over if it contacts the ground from a forward pass. Players may kick the ball without any restriction, but players who are ahead of the ball when it is kicked (offside) may not catch the ball, but can still legally play the ball. The ball can not be touched with the hands if it is in contact with the ground outside of the try areas.
The methods of scoring are 'tries', where the ball is touched to the ground in the try area, 'scores', where the ball is kicked between the goal posts and under the crossbar, 'points', where the ball is kicked between the goalposts and over the crossbar and 'penalty scores', where an act of foul play has prevented the opposing team from scoring.
The kick-off is taken from the middle of the centre line, except after a score or point, then it is taken from the middle of the goal line. A 10-meter restart is awarded when the ball goes over the back line off the attacking team. A kick-at-goal is awarded if it comes off the defending team.
If a player commits a foul, a penalty kick is awarded. This may be advanced up to 15 meters up the field depending on the severity of the foul. A bad foul will be punished by a yellow card, which means the player has to sit out for 10 minutes without replacement. A red card means the player is out for the rest of the game, but can be replaced after 10 minutes. For the worst fouls, a black card can be awarded, which means the player is out for the rest of the game and can't be replaced at any point.