The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn rugby league matches in the National Rugby League, Australasia's top competition in the sport. The term is borrowed from the golden goal system formerly employed in association football (soccer). The golden point is used to determine a winner when scores are level at the end of regular time. Prior to its introduction into the National Rugby League competition at the beginning of the 2003 season, normal season games were left as draws; in finals matches, 20 minutes extra time ensued (10 minutes each way), with a replay in the event of a draw. If the scores are level at the end of 80 minutes, 5 minutes are played, the teams swap ends with no break, and a further 5 minutes are played. Any score (try, penalty goal, or field goal) in this 10-minute period secures a win for the scoring team, and the game ends at that point. If the scoring event is a try, no conversion is attempted. If no further scoring occurs, the game is drawn and each team receives one competition point.
As of March 11, 2017, 107 golden point games have been played, with 14 remaining a draw after the ten minutes of golden point extra-time. Johnathan Thurston has scored the winning points on four occasions, more than anyone in the NRL. Clinton Schifcofske, Chris Sandow, Trent Hodkinson, Cooper Cronk and Josh Reynolds have each scored the winning points on three occasions. Todd Carney, Jarrod Sammut, Luke Burt, Luke Walsh, Darren Lockyer and Stacey Jones have also achieved the feat more than once. The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Wests Tigers have played the most golden point games with 16 in total, and Manly-Warringah have the least with six. The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are the most successful team under the format, having won eight of their eleven golden point matches (including a draw), whilst the Wests Tigers have lost twelve of their sixteen matches. The St. George Illawarra Dragons were the final club to win their first golden point match, after five previous failed attempts. The South Sydney Rabbitohs have featured in the most drawn matches with four, followed by the New Zealand Warriors with three drawn matches.
The North Queensland Cowboys vs. Penrith Panthers have had the most match-ups decided by golden point, with the three matches between these two teams decided by golden point. Penrith won two of those matches with North Queensland's win coming in 2007. On two occasions, the Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers have had their match-ups decided by golden point with the Roosters emerging victorious on both occasions. Other teams to contest at least two golden point matches between each other include the Raiders and Wests Tigers (with Canberra emerging victors on both occasions), the Parramatta Eels and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (with Cronulla emerging victors on both occasions), the North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights (with North Queensland emerging victors on both occasions), the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans (with Brisbane emerging victors on both occasions) and the Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Warriors (with a draw and the Warriors emerging victors in the latter match).
The first golden point game in a grand final occurred in 2015, between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys, which was won 17-16 by the Cowboys after a Johnathan Thurston field goal sealed the win and the first premiership for the Cowboys.