Referee's Guide to World Rugby Laws for Community Rugby All Ages 2026

Under Law 6.8 you blow the whistle:

• To start and end each half.
• To stop play (you can do so at any time).
• To indicate a score or a touch down.
• To caution or send off an offender, and a second time when the penalty or penalty try is awarded.
• When the ball becomes dead, other than after a failed conversion kick.
• When the ball becomes unplayable.
• When a penalty, free-kick or scrum is awarded.
• When it would be dangerous to let play continue, or when you suspect a player is seriously injured.

You deem the ball dead (Law 6.9) when it is in touch or touch in-goal (but not when a quick throw is permissible), is grounded in in-goal, a conversion has been attempted, a try, penalty or dropped goal has been scored, the ball or ball-carrier touches the dead-ball line or anything beyond it, or the ball hits anything above the playing area.

If the ball or ball-carrier touches you and neither team gains an advantage, play continues. If either team gains an advantage in the field of play, a scrum is awarded to the team that last played the ball.

Under Law 5:

• A match lasts no longer than 80 minutes, split into two halves of not more than 40 minutes plus time lost, unless the organiser has authorised extra-time in a drawn knock-out match.
• Half-time is an interval not exceeding 15 minutes, as decided by the match organiser.
• In non-international matches the organiser may shorten the match. If the organiser does not decide, the teams agree, and if they cannot agree you decide. (The Game-On variation says games should last a minimum of 40 minutes and can be split into equal halves, quarters or thirds.)
• You keep the time, but may delegate it to either or both assistant referees or an official time-keeper, in which case you signal any stoppage to them. If there is no official time-keeper and you are in doubt, you consult either or both assistant referees.
• You may stop play and allow time for a player injury of up to one minute (more at your discretion if a player is seriously injured), and for consultation with other officials.

Law 14.1 says tacklers must tackle below the relevant high tackle sanction line: the shoulder line in elite rugby, or the waist/base of the sternum in community rugby. Law 9.13 makes it dangerous tackling to tackle or attempt to tackle above the relevant sanction line while either player is in open field play, or to make a tackle that leads to head contact.

The Game-On variation lets community match organisers choose whether to set the tackle height at the waist or at the base of the sternum. Organisers may also:

• Sanction ball-carriers who drop their body height into a tackle: a ball carrier in open play must not lower their height significantly before making dangerous contact with a tackler (penalty).
• Restrict double tackles. Where two or more players make a simultaneous tackle, only the primary tackler must meet the relevant sanction line, and any additional tackler must be no higher than the line of the shoulder (penalty).

Under Law 9, a player who commits foul play must be cautioned, shown a yellow card or sent off.

• Yellow card: the player is cautioned and suspended for 10 minutes. If that player later commits another yellow-card offence, the player must be sent off. Play restarts with a penalty.
• Red card: the player takes no further part in the match and may not be replaced.
• The 20-minute replacement for some red cards is for elite rugby only. Law 9.30 applies it only to elite rugby, where a player sent off for other than intentional and highly dangerous actions may be replaced after 20 minutes of playing time.
• Repeated team offences: when different players of the same team repeatedly commit the same offence, you give the team a general caution, and if they repeat the offence you show a yellow card to the guilty player(s).
• You blow the whistle to caution or send off an offender, and a second time when the penalty or penalty try is awarded.

Under Law 3, scrums become uncontested if either team cannot field a suitably trained front row or if you order it. A match organiser may stipulate the conditions under which a game may start with uncontested scrums (under the Game-On variation, uncontested scrums are required from the start of the match if either team has no suitably trained front row or you so order).

• Before the match, each team must tell you its front-row players, possible front-row replacements and the positions each can play. Only those players may play in the front row when the scrum is contested, and only in their designated positions.
• Uncontested scrums caused by a sending off, yellow card or injury must be played with eight players per side.
• When a front-row player leaves the playing area (injury, yellow or red card), you ask at the next scrum whether the team can continue with contested scrums. If not, you order uncontested scrums. If the player returns or another front-row player comes on, contested scrums may resume.
• If a front-row player is yellow carded and the team cannot continue contested, the team nominates another player to leave so an available front-row player can come on. That nominated player cannot return until the suspension ends, or as a replacement.
• Only when no replacement front-row player is available may any other player play in the front row.
• In elite rugby, or at the match organiser's discretion, a player whose departure caused uncontested scrums cannot be replaced.

The World Rugby Game-On variations are aimed at the lower end of the community game, and a union decides what counts as community within its jurisdiction. Organisers may select them individually. They include:

• Pitch size: adaptable, for example 10-a-side on half a pitch.
• Ball: community adult players may use size 4, 4.5 or 5 balls.
• Team size: fewer than 15 a side, with a minimum of 10, and teams must be equal in number.
• Scrums: uncontested from the start if either team cannot field a suitably trained front row or if you order it; the organiser may also allow reduced numbers in the scrum, uncontested scrums or the under-19 1.5 metre maximum push.
• Replacements: rolling replacements where players can return as long as they are not injured, with no limit on interchanges.
• Half-game rule: all players must play at least half a match.
• Time: games last a minimum of 40 minutes, and can be split into halves, quarters or thirds.
• Conversions: if stipulated, taken in front of the posts.
• Penalties and free-kicks: in the team's own half the kicker may punt, drop-kick or place-kick; in the opponents' half it must be tapped and played immediately.
• Marks: not allowed from an attacking kick from within the 22.
• Lineouts: organisers may decide teams should not lift or contest.

After the match, under Law 6 you:

• Communicate the score to the teams and to the match organiser.
• If a player was sent off, give the match organiser a written report on the foul play as soon as possible.
• If an assistant referee's verbal report led to a send-off, the assistant referee submits a written report to you as soon as possible after the match, and you provide it to the match organiser.

If you believe a touch judge is guilty of misconduct, you have the power to send the touch judge off and make a report to the match organiser.