Player's Guide to Touch Football Australia The Championships 2026

The 2026 Event Conditions list these divisions and age restrictions (by year of birth):

• Open (born in or before 2010): Men's Open, Men's Open B, Women's Open, Women's Open B, Mixed Open, Mixed Open B.
• 20s (born 1/1/2006 to 31/12/2010): Men's 20s, Women's 20s.
• Seniors: Women's 27s (born 1999 or before), Men's 30s and Senior Mixed (1996 or before).
• Masters: Women's 35s (1991 or before); Men's 40s, Women's 40s and Master's Mixed (1986 or before); Men's 45s and Women's 45s (1981 or before); Men's 50s and Women's 50s (1976 or before); Men's 55s and Women's 55s (1971 or before); Men's 60s (1966 or before); Men's 65s (1961 or before).
• All Abilities T1, T2 and T3: born in or before 2010.

Each division needs at least four teams to be viable. If teams withdraw after nominations close and fewer than four remain, TFA may modify or combine the division with another.

All Abilities has two kinds of player: Certified Athletes (athletes with a disability) and Non-Certified Athletes (without a disability). Tier 1 teams cannot have any Non-Certified Athletes and follow the 8th Edition Rules. Tier 2 and 3 teams are limited to two Non-Certified Athletes on the field and six in the squad. All Abilities divisions played on the first three days of the 2026 event.

Source: The Championships 2026 Event Conditions, Divisions and All Abilities Divisions (touchfootball.com.au/media/17920/the-championships-2026-event-conditions-v2.pdf).

From the 2026 Event Conditions, every player must:

• Be a financial member of TFA with no outstanding debts (international players: a financial member of their National Touch Organisation).
• Have played at least five games in the one team, in the one division, in the one competition (minimum 7-week competition plus finals), in the same season (Season 1 or 2, 2025), with an Affiliate within the boundaries of the entity they want to play for. Dispensation may be granted for a Season 1 2025 competition shorter than seven weeks plus finals.
• Not count knockouts, tournaments or events held over one or more consecutive days towards qualification.
• Gain eligibility from only one round per week.
• Play in only one team. Female players can only play in female and mixed divisions, and male players only in male and mixed divisions.
• Have no unresolved judicial matter, unless TFA approves otherwise.

A team that plays an ineligible or unregistered player forfeits all matches that player took part in. If a valid eligibility protest is lodged, the entity must provide proof, such as a statutory declaration, evidence of registration and sign-on sheets.

Source: The Championships 2026 Event Conditions (touchfootball.com.au/media/17920/the-championships-2026-event-conditions-v2.pdf) and 2026 General Conditions.

From the 2026 Event Conditions:

• Expressing interest: a player must express interest, through a formal expression of interest process or by attending a selection trial, to be selected into a squad or team.
• Offer and acceptance: the entity must offer a position in writing and the player must accept in writing before they are part of that entity's team. Players may choose to play for any team they are eligible for.
• Switching: a player who has accepted a position and wants to withdraw to play for another entity must apply for a clearance from the original entity. It may approve or deny, and the clearance should not be unreasonably withheld. A player denied a clearance may appeal in writing to TFA, which may approve or deny the release in its sole discretion.
• Affiliate teams: players must trial for their Regional or State team first, or be endorsed by their Region to trial for an Affiliate team. If not selected for the Region or State, they may trial for an Affiliate team. Players selected in a Regional or State team cannot decline selection to represent an Affiliate. Players eligible for multiple States or Regions need endorsement from only one.
• Home grown status: recognised for players who meet all the eligibility requirements and want to represent the Home Region where they first represented at a National Touch League or The Championships. TFA decides disputes, and its decision is final.

Source: The Championships 2026 Event Conditions, Player Eligibility (touchfootball.com.au/media/17920/the-championships-2026-event-conditions-v2.pdf).

From the 2026 Event Conditions:

• The entity (not the player) applies in writing on the Player Loan Application Form. Forms were due at least two weeks before the event (18 February 2026).
• A team may have up to four loan players.
• Entities must first source players from within their own state (NSW entities from NSW, Queensland entities from Queensland, and Alliance States and ADF teams from within the Alliance States) before asking for a player from interstate.
• The player on loan must meet all eligibility requirements, must have trialled or made themselves available for their home entity and been unsuccessful (or the home entity has not nominated a team in their division), and must have written approval from the releasing entity, which must not be unreasonably withheld. They must not register for the team before the loan is approved.
• TFA is the sole approver of all loans, including state-based loan systems. Preference is given to loans between neighbouring affiliates or entities.
• Loan players cannot qualify for home-grown status through a loan, and their loan status expires at the end of the tournament.

Source: The Championships 2026 Event Conditions, Player Loan System (touchfootball.com.au/media/17920/the-championships-2026-event-conditions-v2.pdf).

From the 2026 Event Conditions:

• Squad size: teams may register a maximum of 16 players. In Opens, 20s, Women's 27s, Men's 30s and Senior Mixed only 14 can play in each game. In the Masters divisions (Women's 35s up to Men's 65s) and All Abilities, all 16 can play.
• Minimum: teams with fewer than 10 players registered in MySideline at 5pm AEDT on Wednesday 25 February 2026 may be withdrawn from the tournament.
• Fees: $125 per player in all divisions except All Abilities, $110 per player in All Abilities, and $155 per international player. Players who are not active national members for the 25/26 reporting period also pay the TFA National Membership Fee.
• Registering: each player (or their guardian) registers individually through MySideline by 5pm AEDT on Wednesday 25 February 2026. Later registrations pay a $40 late fee.
• Refunds: a paid player who withdraws before 9:00am AEDT on Monday 2 March 2026 due to injury or illness (with a valid medical certificate) or for compassionate reasons receives a refund. Withdrawals for other reasons are not eligible.
• Proof of identity: a birth certificate, current passport or current driver's licence may be required to prove eligibility.

Source: The Championships 2026 Event Conditions (touchfootball.com.au/media/17920/the-championships-2026-event-conditions-v2.pdf). Conditions for 2027 had not been published in the sources checked.

Under the 2026 Event Conditions:

• Players in the Opens and 20s divisions must play a minimum of 50 per cent of round games to be eligible for finals.
• Players in all other divisions must play a minimum of one game to be eligible for finals.

A team found playing an ineligible or unregistered player forfeits every match that player took part in. Eligibility protests must be lodged before the final whistle of the final game of the tournament.

Sources: The Championships 2026 Event Conditions, Player Eligibility and Registration Process (touchfootball.com.au/media/17920/the-championships-2026-event-conditions-v2.pdf), and 2026 General Conditions.

From the 2026 General Conditions:

• Match length: 20 minute halves, a 5 minute halftime and 5 minutes between matches. Tournament management can alter game durations to complete the event. The Championships FAQ page, which describes the redesigned event from 2024, mentions 15 minute halves, so the 2026 General Conditions are the figure to use for 2026.
• Rules: the 8th Edition of the TFA Playing Rules applies. All teams must use the official Steeden match ball.
• Points: win 4, draw 2, loss 0, forfeit minus 1 for the offending team.
• Finals: every finals game must produce an outright winner. A drawn match goes to a drop-off: three minutes of extra time, and if neither team leads, each team removes another player from the field and play restarts until a try is scored.
• Being late: teams must be at their field at least 5 minutes before the match, and the captain reports to the referees 2 minutes before for the coin toss. A team not ready within 5 minutes of the start forfeits, the other team is awarded a 5-0 win, and the late team is penalised one try after the first minute and one for every minute after, up to five.
• Scorecards: each team provides an official score person. If you disagree with the scorecard, do not sign it and tell your tour leader, who must lodge the protest within 60 minutes of the match ending.

Source: The Championships 2026 General Conditions (touchfootball.com.au/media/17888/2026-championships-general-conditions.pdf).

Under the 2026 General Conditions:

• A player dismissed for the remainder of a game receives an automatic two-match suspension, unless the Disciplinary Tribunal considers further action is warranted.
• A player who receives three separate sin bins over the tournament receives an automatic two-match suspension.
• The suspension applies to the next two matches the team plays in the event. It does not include byes or matches the player's team forfeits, but games forfeited against the suspended player's team count.
• Automatic two-match suspensions apply and cease at this event and do not carry over into future events.

Only the team captain can communicate with a referee during a match. Under the 8th Edition Playing Rules a sin bin is four completed possessions.

Sources: The Championships 2026 General Conditions (touchfootball.com.au/media/17888/2026-championships-general-conditions.pdf) and TFA Playing Rules 8th Edition.

The 2026 General Conditions say the event is used as part of the continuous talent identification process for selecting national squads. Players do not need to nominate: all players will be assessed unless they notify TFA that they are unavailable for selection.

• Individuals from TFA-affiliated entities who are not eligible to represent Australia but are eligible for other countries must notify tournament management.
• Any participant with dual eligibility must notify TFA of their preferred country of representation.
• Changes to player numbers or uniform issues must be communicated to tournament management promptly, because that is essential for the selection process.

Source: The Championships 2026 General Conditions, National Team Talent Identification (touchfootball.com.au/media/17888/2026-championships-general-conditions.pdf).