Player's Guide to NRL League Tag Ages 13+ 2018

• Tags: each team uses a maximum of 11 pairs of tags per game, in NRL sanctioned tags of a distinctive colour different to the opposition. Tags are no less than 34cm and no more than 36cm long, and no less than 7cm and no more than 8cm wide. The Velcro tab attached to the shorts is a maximum of 5cm x 5cm. If a player is substituted, the player leaving hands the tags to the player entering.
• Normal gear: a numbered jersey of distinctive colour or pattern, shorts with Velcro tabs attached, football socks of distinctive colour or pattern, and studded boots or shoes.
• Skin tight shorts (bicycle shorts, skins) are not permitted. Skins may be worn under the shorts but must not have the Velcro tab attached. Belts are not permitted. Jerseys must be tucked into shorts so the tags are not obstructed.
• Protective clothing may be worn provided it contains nothing rigid or dangerous. No peaked caps or jewellery may be worn.
• Tags, Velcro and clothing may not be tampered with. Sprays, liquids, creams or similar designed to make hands or tags sticky are strictly prohibited, and offending players or teams are not permitted to take the field.
• The referee orders a player to remove any dangerous or tampered-with equipment and the player cannot take further part until she or he complies. Referees may inspect equipment before the game or delegate it to the touch judges.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws section 3.

• A team in possession has a maximum of six tags. A player in possession is tagged when at least one of their tags is removed by an opposing player, or when a tag is accidentally removed by the player or accidentally falls off.
• A team in possession is allowed five successive play-the-balls. A handover occurs after the 5th play-the-ball if the team is tagged a sixth time (at the point of the 6th tag), if the team commits an accidental breach that changes possession, or if a player is tagged in the opponent's in-goal (the changeover is 10 metres out from the goal line). The play-the-ball after the 6th tag is not counted for the tag count.
• The referee indicates the 5th tag by raising one arm vertically with fingers and thumb outstretched.
• Accidental breach: where an accidental breach such as a knock-on or forward pass changes possession, the following tag is a "zero tag".
• Losing possession: if a tagged player accidentally loses possession, a handover occurs.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws section 7.

The player in possession:

• cannot fend off defenders, or protect the tag by using the arm or ball to fend;
• cannot jump through or at the defensive line to avoid being tagged;
• cannot run directly at a defender, and should be penalised if a collision occurs;
• cannot perform a 360 degree turn through or at the defensive line to avoid being tagged, and is penalised if they do;
• cannot surrender before being tagged; and
• if they drop on a loose ball, cannot stay on the ground waiting to be tagged if they have time to regain their feet and continue play.

Defenders cannot tag unless both of their own tags are attached, and cannot tag or obstruct a player who is not in possession of the ball.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws section 7.

• As soon as a tag has been removed from the ball-carrier, they must play the ball at the point where the tag occurred. They do not have to replace their tag until the play-the-ball is completed, but both tags must be in place before they can take any further active part in play.
• The tagged player faces the opponents' goal line and places the ball on the ground in front of their foremost foot.
• A maximum of two markers may take up the marking position. They must be directly in front of the tagged player and must stay there until the ball is played. A marker is not mandatory.
• The marker cannot play at the ball or reach around to affect a tag on the acting half.
• With the exception of the marker, the defensive line must retire 10 metres at the play-the-ball (5 metres for 13 and 14 years). The team in possession must retire behind the players taking part in the play-the-ball.
• A player in possession must not play the ball before being tagged, and a tagged player must not intentionally part with the ball other than by bringing it into play in the prescribed manner.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws sections 7 and 8.

• A try is scored when a player first grounds the ball in the opponents' in-goal, provided they are not in touch or touch in-goal, or on or over the dead ball line. A try can be scored by grounding the ball on the goal line.
• Two tags must be intact when you score. If the ball is grounded with only one tag (unless the tag came off when you made contact with the ground in the act of scoring), it is a "no try". Play restarts with a play-the-ball to the attacking team 10 metres out from where the ball was grounded, and the tag count continues unless it was after the 5th tag, which results in a handover 10 metres out from where the ball was grounded.
• Diving: you may only dive through a gap in a defensive line, not directly at players, which may cause a collision. The defender must have an opportunity to remove a tag. Attacking players cannot drop to their knees and reach through to try to score.
• Tagged in-goal before grounding: if you are tagged in the opponent's in-goal before grounding the ball, play restarts with a play-the-ball 10 metres out from the point where you were tagged. If it is the 6th tag, a handover occurs 10 metres out from the goal line and no closer than 10 metres from the touch line.
• Once a tag has been legally removed, your momentum cannot be used to progress the ball into the in-goal.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws section 5.

• Kick-off: a place kick from the centre of the halfway line starts the match, restarts it after half time and restarts it after points are scored.
• Kick-off into touch: if the ball goes into touch other than on the full, having travelled the required 10 metres, the game restarts with a handover to the kicking team 10 metres in from where the ball crossed the touch line. A penalty goes to the non-kicking team at the centre of halfway if the ball is kicked out on the full.
• 20 metre restart: an optional kick from the centre of the 20 metre line applies if an attacking player last touches the ball before it goes over the dead ball line or into touch in-goal (other than from a penalty kick or the halfway kick-off), or if a defending player catches the ball on the full from a kick in general play in their own in-goal.
• Goal line drop-out: a defending player drops out from the centre of their goal line if, for example, a defending player last touches the ball before it goes over the dead ball line or into touch in-goal, touches down in-goal, or is tagged in possession in-goal.
• Ball kicked into touch on the full in general play: a play-the-ball occurs where contact with the ball was made, but not nearer than 10 metres from the touch line or the goal line.
• Kicks at the kick-off and drop-out: a player is penalised for wilfully touching the ball before it has travelled 10 metres, running in front of a teammate who is kicking off or dropping out, or approaching within 10 metres of an opponent who is kicking off or dropping out.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws sections 6, 9 and 10.

A player is offside (except in their own in-goal) if the ball touches, is touched, held or kicked by one of their own team behind them. An offside player must not take part in the game or try to influence it, must not encroach within 10 metres of an opponent waiting for the ball, and must retire 10 metres immediately from any opponent who first secures possession.

An offside player is placed onside if:

• an opponent moves 10 metres or more with the ball;
• an opponent touches the ball without retaining it;
• one of their own team in possession of the ball runs in front of them;
• one of their own team kicks the ball forward and takes up a position in front of them in the field of play; or
• they retire behind the point where the ball was last touched by one of their own team.

"Down Town": any player in front of the kicker in general play cannot advance beyond the point of the previous play-the-ball until the ball has gone past the offside players.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws section 11.

The International Laws of Rugby League apply, and further penalties may be awarded for conduct such as:

• avoidable contact
• "Yes/No" calls
• protecting tags
• fending off defenders
• a late tag
• deliberate contact (the instigator of the contact is penalised)
• deliberate grabbing of clothing
• a 360 degree turn through the line
• jumping through a tag

Sin bin: it applies in League Tag and lasts 10 minutes. It may be used when a player deliberately and continuously breaks the laws, uses offensive language, disputes the referee's decision, or deliberately obstructs an opponent who is not in possession. It is also illegal to tag or obstruct a player who is not in possession of the ball.

Penalty kick: it is taken from the mark by punting, drop kicking or place kicking from any point on or behind the mark. Opponents retire to their own goal line or 10 metres or more from the mark. If a player fouls an opponent who is touching down for a try, a penalty kick at goal is taken in front of the posts after the conversion attempt.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws sections 7 and 10.

• Late tag: where a tag is intentionally removed after the ball has been passed or kicked, a penalty goes to the non-offending team unless the advantage law applies. When a tag is removed (intentionally or not) after the ball has been passed or kicked in the course of a try, the advantage rule applies: the referee indicates "late tag" and awards the try.
• Mid-air tag: it is illegal to tag an opposing player who is attempting to field a kick while in mid-air. The catcher must have returned to the ground before being tagged. This applies only when a player on the non-kicking team catches the ball on the full.
• Reaching: the player at marker cannot reach around the body to obtain a tag.
• Stripping: there is no stripping or stealing of the ball in any situation.
• Simultaneous tag: if the referee calls "tagged" and a player simultaneously keeps running or offloads because they did not hear the call, the referee stops play and sends them back to the play-the-ball.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), International League Tag Laws sections 5 and 7.

The 2018 NRL League Tag Laws of the Game have separate modified laws for 10 to 12 years, on top of the International League Tag Laws for 13 years and above. In the 10 to 12 laws:

• A team has a maximum of 8 players on the field (minimum 6), with 8 sets of tags, and unlimited interchange.
• The game is two 20-minute periods with a 3-minute interval.
• The field is 80 metres long and 48 metres wide, and a size 4 ball is used.
• Only one marker is present at the play-the-ball, and the ball must always be played backwards.
• The defensive line retires 5 metres from the play-the-ball.
• Bombs are not allowed.
• The sin bin does not apply. A player whose conduct merits suspension is replaced and takes no further part in the rest of that half or the match.

Players aged 13 and 14 also retire only 5 metres at the play-the-ball, instead of the 10 metres used for older players.

Source: NRL League Tag Laws of the Game (Official 2018), 10 to 12 League Tag Laws and International League Tag Laws section 8.