Player's Guide to Touch Football Australia Rules of Touch All ages 2020

• A touch is any contact between the player in possession and a defending player, including contact on the ball, hair or clothing. It can be made by the defender or by the player in possession.
• A team is entitled to six touches before a change of possession. After the sixth touch the ball goes to the other team, which restarts with a rollball at the mark.
• After a change of possession the ball must be returned to the mark without delay. A deliberate delay gives the other team a penalty ten metres forward of the mark.
• After an intercept, the first touch for the new attacking team is zero touch.
• Both attackers and defenders must use the minimum force necessary to make a touch and must not pose an unnecessary risk to player safety. The penalty is to the non-offending team at the point of the infringement.
• A defender may not claim a touch when no contact was made. The rule's listed ruling is a penalty to the attacking team and the offending player sent to the sin bin.
• A defender must not deliberately knock the ball from the hands of the player in possession during a touch. If the ball is accidentally knocked out during a touch, the touch counts and the attacking team keeps possession.
• A touch made on a player in possession while they are on or behind their own try line counts, and the rollball is seven metres forward of the contact point.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rules 9 and 10.

The attacking player positions on the mark, faces the opponent's try line, makes a genuine attempt to stand parallel to the sidelines, places the ball on the ground between the feet in a controlled manner and then does one of:

• steps forward over the ball;
• rolls the ball back between the feet no more than one metre; or
• passes a foot over the ball.

Breaking that procedure is a change of possession to the defending team at the point of the infringement.

Other points:

• The rollball must be on the mark and without delay (penalty to the defending team). A voluntary rollball, done before a touch is made, is also a penalty.
• Another attacker, called the half, receives the ball without delay. The half may control the ball with a foot before picking it up, and stops being the half once the ball is passed on.
• The half may pass or run with the ball but cannot be touched while in possession. If they are, there is a change of possession.
• A rollball is taken seven metres in-field when a player in possession steps on or outside the sideline before a touch, or when a loose ball hits the sideline or ground outside the field.
• A tap cannot replace a rollball.
• Defenders must not interfere with the rollball or the half. The penalty is ten metres forward of the infringement.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 10.7, 13.

• A player in possession may not kick, pass, flick, knock, throw, hand off or otherwise propel the ball forward to another player, intentionally or not. The penalty goes to the defending team at the mark where the ball was propelled forward, unless advantage is applied.
• A player may not intentionally propel the ball forward over an opposition player and regain possession (penalty to the defending team).
• A pass is a lateral or backward delivery between attacking players and can include a flick, knock or throw.
• If the ball is dropped or passed and goes to ground during play, there is a change of possession at the spot where the ball first hit the ground.
• If a player mishandles the ball and it is accidentally knocked forward into any other player, there is a change of possession.
• An attacker cannot pass the ball into a defender seeking a rebound or a restart of the touch count (penalty to the defending team).
• A player must not pass or deliver the ball after a touch has been made (penalty to the defending team at the point of the infringement).

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rules 9.4, 9.6, 10.6, 11 and 12.7.

Attackers: an attacking player in a position forward of the ball is offside. A tap cannot be taken until all attacking players are onside.

Defenders:

• At a rollball, all defenders must retire seven metres, or to the defending try line as the referee indicates. The penalty goes to the attacking team at the point of the infringement or on the seven metre line directly forward of it.
• At a tap, defenders must retire ten metres from the mark, or to the defending try line as the referee indicates.
• At a rollball or tap, defenders must not retire an unreasonable distance beyond their try line.
• After making a touch, the defender must retire the required seven metres (or to the try line) without interfering with the attack. The penalty is ten metres forward of the infringement.
• Defenders must not move forward of the onside position until the half has made contact with the ball, unless the referee directs it. If the half is not within one metre of the rollball, onside defenders may move forward as soon as the player performing the rollball releases the ball.
• A tap cannot be taken until at least four defending players are onside, unless the referee directs otherwise.

If an attacker intentionally touches an offside defender who is making every effort to retire and stay out of play, the touch counts.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rules 7.5, 7.6, 10.10, 13.12 and 15.

• A try is worth one point. It is scored when a player other than the half places the ball on or over the try line without being touched, with control of the ball before placing it.
• If a player puts the ball down short of the try line and releases it, they must perform a rollball and a touch is counted. If they do not release the ball from their hands, play continues and no touch is counted.
• At the end of play the team with the most tries wins. If neither team scores, or both score the same number, it is a draw.
• Drop-off (when a winner is required): each team reduces to four players within 60 seconds and restarts from the halfway line. The team that did not start the match with possession takes the tap. There is a two minute period of extra time, and a team leading at the end of it wins. If neither team leads, each team removes another player at the next touch or dead ball and play continues until a try is scored. There is no time off during the drop-off, and normal interchange rules apply.
• In a mixed drop-off, no more than two males may be on the field for a team.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 14 and 24.

• Players may interchange at any time, and there is no limit to how many times a player can interchange.
• Off-field players must stay in their team's interchange area for the whole match. It is a marked rectangle on each side of the field, usually 20 metres long and no more than five metres wide, extending ten metres either side of the halfway line and at least one metre from the sideline.
• An interchange can only happen after the player leaving the field has entered the interchange area.
• Players leaving or entering must not hinder or obstruct play. Players entering must take an onside position before becoming involved in play. The penalty for either is awarded to the non-offending team at the point of the infringement.
• After an intercept or a line break, no interchange is allowed until the next touch or the ball is dead. If a player enters the field in that time and prevents a try, a penalty try is awarded and the player goes to the sin bin. If they do not impede a try, the player still goes to the sin bin.
• After a try, players may interchange at will without waiting for the leaving player to enter the interchange area, but must do so before the tap is taken to restart play.
• A team has a maximum of eight substitute players.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rule 17.

In mixed gender competitions, the rules set:

• a maximum of three males on the field at any time;
• a minimum of one male; and
• a minimum of one female.

During a drop-off in a mixed gender match, a team may have no more than two males on the field. If a male player is serving time in the sin bin when the drop-off starts, or has been dismissed for the rest of the match, that team may have no more than one male on the field.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 5.4 and 24.2.

• The seven metre zone is the area between the seven metre line and the try line.
• When a defending player enters their own seven metre zone, the defending team must move forward at a reasonable pace until a touch is imminent or made. The penalty is awarded to the attacking team at the point of the infringement.
• When the player in possession enters the defending team's seven metre zone, the defenders are not obliged to move forward but cannot retire back towards their try line until a touch is imminent or made. The penalty is on the seven metre line in line with the infringement.
• When a rollball is in the defending team's seven metre zone, or a penalty tap is within ten metres of their try line, all defenders must have both feet on or behind their try line and no other body part on the ground forward of it. The penalty is on the seven metre line directly forward of the infringement.
• If the defending team is penalised three times on entering their seven metre zone during one possession, the last offending player is excluded until the end of that possession.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 10.13, 10.14, 15.4 and 18.8.

• Misconduct that can bring a penalty, forced interchange, sin bin or dismissal includes: continuous or regular breaches of the rules, swearing towards a player, referee, spectator or official, disputing decisions, using more than the necessary force to make a touch, poor sportsmanship, tripping, striking or assaulting someone, and any other action against the spirit of the game.
• Forced interchange: the referee stops the match, tells the player why, sends them to the interchange area and awards a penalty to the other team.
• Sin bin: a player sent to the sin bin stands in the sin bin area at the opposition's end, on the same side as their interchange area, for four completed possessions. They count as a player on the field and cannot be replaced or interchanged. They must return to the interchange area before re-entering the field.
• Exclusion: if the defending team is penalised three times on entering their seven metre zone in one possession, the last offending player is excluded until the end of that possession.
• Dismissal: the player takes no further part in the match, must stay outside the perimeter, cannot be replaced, and under the national body's disciplinary regulations receives an automatic two match suspension.
• Only team captains may ask the referee about a decision, during a break in play or at the referee's discretion.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rules 20 to 23 and 25.2.

• Players wear matching team uniforms: a shirt, singlet or other item approved by the competition, shorts and/or tights, and socks.
• Every player has a unique number at least 16 cm high on the back of the playing top, with no more than two digits.
• Hats or caps are allowed if they are safe and meet the national body's regulations.
• Safe footwear is required. Light leather or synthetic boots with soft moulded soles are allowed. Shoes with screw-in studs are not to be worn by any player or referee.
• No jewellery, chains, identification bands or similar items that may be dangerous. Anything that cannot be removed is taped to the referee's satisfaction.
• Long (beyond the finger flesh when viewed from the palm) or sharp fingernails are not allowed.
• Spectacles or sunglasses are allowed if safe and securely attached. Sport monitoring equipment and medical supports such as knee or ankle braces are allowed if the competition's controlling body considers them not dangerous.
• The ball must not be hidden under player attire.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 3 and 4.