What are the tackle height rules, and what techniques are banned?

Tackle height (all age grades, Under 13 to Under 18, boys and girls)

• The tackler must grip and hold the ball carrier below the base of the sternum (the tummy or belly and below). Tackles must use the arms.
• The ball carrier must not go into contact with their shoulders below their hips, dip late and low, or put their head into the opponent's head space.
• Only the ball carrier can be tackled, and support players must not run either side of and close to the ball carrier to shield them.

Sanctions: at Under 13, contact above the base of the sternum is a free kick; at Under 15 to Under 18 the tackle-height variation is sanctioned with a penalty. Dangerous tackles can also be carded as foul play under the Laws.

Hand-offs: at Under 13 the ball carrier must not fend or hand off above the armpits.

Squeezeball is banned at every age from Under 13 to Under 18. Players must not use it, and coaches must not teach or encourage it. (Squeezeball is when the ball carrier goes to ground head first, usually parallel to the touchline, and pushes the ball back between their legs.) Under 13 and Under 14 sanction it with a free kick.

Under 13 and Under 14 also give a free kick when a player voluntarily falls on or over players on the ground with the ball, to keep players on their feet at rucks and mauls.