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

• Procedure: the attacker faces the opponent's try line on the mark, makes a genuine attempt to stand parallel to the sidelines, places the ball between the feet in a controlled manner, then steps forward over it, rolls it back no more than one metre, or passes a foot over it. A breach is a change of possession at the point of the infringement.
• Mark and timing: the rollball must be on the mark and without delay, and must not be voluntary (before a touch). Each of these is a penalty to the defending team at the point of the infringement. A tap cannot replace a rollball: the team returns to the mark.
• When a rollball is allowed: after a touch, after a change of possession (sixth touch, dropped or grounded ball, attacking infringement at a penalty, tap or rollball, half touched or placing the ball on the try line), in place of a penalty tap, or when the referee directs.
• Seven metres in-field: when the player in possession or the loose ball contacts the sideline or ground outside the field, or the attacker does so while performing the rollball.
• Touch in the in-goal area before grounding: the rollball is seven metres from the attacking try line, unless it is the sixth touch or the player is the half.
• Touch between the dead ball line and the seven metre line: the attackers may rollball on the seven metre line directly in line with the touch.
• Touch while on or behind the defending try line: the touch counts, and you set the mark seven metres directly forward of the contact point.
• Defenders: they must not interfere with the rollball or the half (penalty ten metres directly forward of the infringement) and cannot move forward of the onside position until the half touches the ball, unless you direct it.
• You maintain the touch count throughout each possession.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 10 and 13 and 25.1.5.

Change of possession occurs when:

• the sixth touch is made;
• the ball is dropped or passed and goes to ground (the mark is where it first hits the ground);
• a player mishandles the ball and it is accidentally knocked forward into any other player;
• the half is touched while in possession, at the point of the touch (in-goal, the nearest point on the seven metre line);
• the ball in the half's control contacts the ground in the in-goal area (rollball at the nearest point on the seven metre line);
• the rollball procedure is broken (at the point of the infringement);
• a player in possession steps on or outside the sideline, or the loose ball hits it, before a touch (rollball seven metres in-field).

Ball touched in flight by a defender:

• Deliberate contact, ball goes to ground: attacking team keeps the ball and the touch count restarts at zero.
• Deliberate contact, ball retrieved by an attacker without touching the ground: play continues and the next touch is zero touch.
• Deliberate contact propelling it forward and an attacker drops it while trying to regain it: attacking team keeps possession, count restarts at zero.
• Deliberate contact propelling it towards the defenders' dead ball line and an attacker drops it: change of possession.
• Unintentional contact, ball goes to ground: change of possession. If an attacker retrieves it, play and the count continue.

If the referee causes an obstruction (including the ball hitting the referee), play pauses and restarts with a rollball at the mark with the touch count unchanged.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 9, 10.7, 12, 13 and 16.6.

• The referee must indicate the mark before a penalty tap is taken, and the tap must be taken without delay after the mark is indicated (delay is a penalty to the non-offending team at the point of infringement).
• Infringements between the seven metre lines: the mark is the point of infringement unless the referee indicates otherwise.
• Infringements within the seven metre zone: the tap is taken at the nearest seven metre line.
• Infringements beyond the field of play or in the in-goal area: the mark is seven metres infield from the sideline, directly forward of the infringement on the nearest seven metre line, or a position the referee indicates.
• The tap must follow the definition: ball on the ground at or behind the mark, both hands released, gently tapped with either foot (or foot touched on the ball), moving no more than one metre and retrieved cleanly. Otherwise the referee instructs the team to return to the mark and tap again.
• A player may perform a rollball instead of a penalty tap, and the player receiving the ball does not become the half.
• Defenders at a penalty tap must retire ten metres from the mark or to the defending try line.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rules 15.2 and 18.

• Advantage is the period after an infringement in which the non-offending side has the opportunity to gain territorial or tactical advantage, or a try.
• Where a defender is offside at a tap or rollball and attempts to interfere with play, the referee allows advantage or awards a penalty, whichever is of greater advantage to the attacking team.
• If the attacking team, while taking the advantage, then infringes, the ruling on the initial infringement applies.
• For a forward pass, the penalty goes to the defending team at the mark where the ball was propelled forward, unless advantage is applied.
• Penalty try: awarded if any action by a player, team official or spectator, deemed by the referee to be contrary to the rules or spirit of the game, clearly prevents the attacking team from scoring a try. A penalty try is also awarded if a player enters the field during a restricted interchange (after an intercept or line break) and prevents a try, and that player goes to the sin bin.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rules 11.1, 17.7, 18.9 and 19.

• Misconduct warranting a penalty, forced interchange, sin bin or dismissal includes continuous or regular breaches, swearing towards a player, referee, spectator or official, disputing decisions, more than the necessary force to make a touch, poor sportsmanship, tripping, striking or assaulting someone, and any other action contrary to the spirit of the game.
• Forced interchange: stop the match, direct the ball to be placed on the mark, tell the player the reason, direct them to the interchange area, display the relevant signal and award a penalty to the non-offending team.
• Sin bin: the on-field referee indicates the start and end of the sin bin time. The player stands in the sin bin area at the opposition's end on the same side as their interchange area, for four completed possessions, and must return to the interchange area before re-entering. Any action that restarts the touch count (such as a defender knocking the ball down or giving away a penalty) continues that possession rather than completing it.
• Exclusion: three penalties against the defending team on entering their seven metre zone in one possession means the last offending player is sent to the nearest sin bin area until the end of that possession. They cannot be replaced or interchanged.
• Dismissal: the player or official takes no further part, stays outside the perimeter and cannot be replaced. Under national disciplinary regulations the player receives an automatic two match suspension.
• Report any sin bins, dismissals or injuries to the competition administration.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, definitions and rules 20 to 23 and 25.1.7.

Drop-off (when a winner is required in a drawn match):

• Each team reduces to four players and, within 60 seconds, takes position to restart from the halfway line, defending the same end as at the end of play.
• The team that did not commence the match with possession takes the tap from the centre of the halfway line.
• The drop-off starts with two minutes of extra time. A team leading at the end of the two minutes wins.
• If neither team leads, a signal is given and the match pauses at the next touch or dead ball. Each team removes another player, and play restarts at the same place with the same touch count, continuing until a try is scored.
• No time off, and the clock does not stop at the two minute mark. Interchange follows the normal rules.
• A player serving sin bin time at the start leaves their team one fewer than the opposition until the time is done. A team with a dismissed player plays one fewer than the opposition for the whole drop-off. The non-offending team keeps the numerical advantage.
• In mixed teams, no more than two males per team on the field (one male if a male is in the sin bin or dismissed).

Abandoned matches: if a team falls below four players on the field (sin-binned players excepted), the match is abandoned and the other team is the winner. For a match abandoned in any other circumstances (other than during a drop-off), the national body or competition provider decides the result at its sole discretion.

Source: FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 5.3, 8.4 and 24.

Touch Football Australia's Referee Education and Development Framework (announced 8 April 2025, in effect from 1 May 2025) has four levels, down from six, with names replacing numbers:

1. Affiliate Referee: the entry level for local competitions. The Affiliate Referee Course is delivered face-to-face over three hours and replaces the old Level 1 course.
2. Representative Graded Referee: needs the Representative Referee Theory Course (online, in TFA's learning system) and grading at State/Territory designated events.
3. State Graded Referee: graded once a year at the flagship State/Territory event, unless the home entity endorses otherwise.
4. National Graded Referee: graded at The Championships, held annually in March.

Other points from TFA:

• Grading sheets focus on achieving game outcomes relative to the referee's environment.
• An annual update module is released each June, covering trends in the game.
• Individual referee development modules and referee workshops are free for all referees.
• Referees in Affiliate competitions face no restrictions.
• TFA says it retained the State (Blue badge) and National (Black badge) standards.

Sources: https://touchfootball.com.au/news/2025/04/07/tfa-releases-referee-education-and-development-framework/ and https://touchfootball.com.au/referee/new-referee-framework-faqs/

• Training is online through the NRL Learning Centre, which also offers coaching and other courses. Touch Football Australia says to start by becoming a referee at the entry level, then continue through the higher levels.
• Register through MySideline: https://profile.mysideline.com.au/register?source=touch-football
• Education enquiries: education@touchfootball.com.au
• Local park competitions: an NRL Touch Football kit (at least a shirt and shorts or skirt) and a whistle.
• State and national events: the official TFA referee on-field uniform, which is a pink TFA shirt, black TFA shorts or skirt, and black socks (knee-length, crew or ankle).
• Under the playing rules, shoes with screw-in studs are not to be worn by any referee, and referees may wear spectacles or sunglasses if safe and securely attached.

Sources: https://touchfootball.com.au/referee/ and https://touchfootball.com.au/referee/referee-faq/, plus FIT Playing Rules 5th Edition, rules 4.6.1 and 4.9.