For assistant referees and club touch judges in Australian community rugby union, of all age groups, under the World Rugby Laws of the Game 2026. Covers touch and touch-in-goal, kicks at goal, foul play reporting, signals and positioning.
Under Law 6, every match has two assistant referees or two touch judges, one on each side of the ground, alongside the referee. Assistant referees and touch judges are responsible for signalling touch, touch in-goal and the success or otherwise of kicks at goal. In addition, assistant referees provide assistance as the referee directs, including the reporting of foul play.
The referee controls you: the referee tells you your duties and may overrule your decisions. Unless the match organiser appoints them, each team provides a touch judge.
Under Law 6.26:
You do not lower the flag when:
It is for the referee, not you, to decide whether the ball was thrown in from the correct place.
One assistant referee or touch judge stands at or behind each goal post. If the ball goes over the crossbar and between the posts, you raise the flags to indicate a goal (Law 6.25). While judging a kick at goal you stand in in-goal, behind the goal posts (Law 6.22).
The match official signals describe the same signal as "Kick at goal successful": raise the flag to indicate that the ball has gone over the crossbar and between the posts.
If the match organiser has given assistant referees authority to signal foul play, you signal that foul play or misconduct has been seen by holding the flag horizontally and pointing infield at right angles to the touchline (Law 6.27 and the match official signals).
Then:
The Definitions in the Laws of the Game 2026 say:
For foul play, a match organiser may give authority to the assistant referee to signal it (Law 6.27a). Unless the match organiser appoints them, each team provides a touch judge (Law 6.19).
There is one assistant referee or touch judge on each side of the ground. You remain in touch, except when judging a kick at goal, when you stand in in-goal, behind the goal posts (Law 6.22).
Each assistant referee or touch judge carries a flag or something similar to signal decisions. For a kick at goal, one of you stands at or behind each goal post.
If the match organiser nominates one, a reserve assistant referee or reserve touch judge is situated in the perimeter area.
An assistant referee may enter the playing area to report foul play, but only at the next stoppage in play and when the referee allows (Law 6.23).
After you signal foul play, you stay in touch and continue all your other duties until the next stoppage in play. Then, at the invitation of the referee, you may enter the playing area to report the offence to the referee, and the referee takes appropriate action.
No. Under Law 6 the referee controls the assistant referees or touch judges, may tell them what their duties are and may overrule their decisions. The referee may alter a decision after you have raised the flag to signal touch or touch-in-goal, or after you have signalled foul play. It is also for the referee, not you, to decide whether the ball was thrown in from the correct place.
If a touch judge is unsatisfactory the referee may ask for a replacement, and if the referee believes a touch judge is guilty of misconduct, the referee has the power to send the touch judge off and make a report to the match organiser.
Yes. Under Law 5.4 the referee keeps the time but may delegate it to either or both assistant referees or an official time-keeper, signalling any stoppage to them. In a match without an official time-keeper, if the referee is in doubt about the correct time, the referee consults either or both assistant referees.
Under Law 6.13 the referee may also consult assistant referees about matters relating to their duties, the law relating to foul play and timekeeping, and may request assistance related to other aspects of the referee's duties.
If your verbal report to the referee leads to a player being sent off, you submit a written report about the incident to the referee as soon as possible after the match (Law 6.27e). The referee then provides it to the match organiser.