What are the late tag, mid-air tag and stripping rules?
Rule- Australia
- NRL
- League Tag
- Ages 13+
- 2018
- Players
- 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.
Updated 24 Oct 2026