Try Tag Rugby would like to announce some rule changes ahead of the Autumn 2011 season.

1. The Kick-off rule. Kick offs will now be taken by the team which scored the try, not the team which conceded the try. The change in this rule is designed to stop experienced teams scoring multiple back to back tries against newer teams. It should lead to closer, more exciting games. This rule is not in the Oztag rulebook linked below.
2. Kicking the ball off the ground. A player is allowed to kick a ball which is on the ground. However, any player who kicks at a ball when another player is attempting to pick up the ball will be penalised. If the referee deems this dangerous play, the referee has the full power to sin bin or send off the offending player.
3. Kicking before the first tag – We now play the correct interpretation of this rule according to the Oztag rule book. Kicking is allowed before the first tag is made, however it is not allowed after a changeover i.e. any instance where play starts from a play the ball (roll) or tap kick.
4. Five registered players required on the field to avoid a forfeit – We have updated the forfeit rules so that 7 a side teams now require at least 5 of their own players on the pitch to avoid losing on forfeit. In 6 a side matches, at least 4 registered players are required. Try Tag Rugby aims to avoid forfeits at all costs. Please see section D for an explanation on our forfeit rules.
5. Playing with five guys in a mixed game – From Autumn 2011, no more than 5 male players per team will be allowed on the pitch in a mixed game. The correct mixed team format is 4 male and 3 female players on the pitch. For further details, see section f) on mixed scoring rules.

Rules

Try Tag Rugby London use the Oztag rules of Tag Rugby. The only major difference is that most competitions are played in the 7 a side format, rather than 8 a side. In Try Tag Rugby mixed competitions, teams must have at least three females on the pitch at any time.

The above is a Try Tag Rugby rule and is not in the Oztag rulebook. Below are the Oztag rules at a glance. Please download the full Oztag rule book for a more detailed explanation of the rules.

At a glance

a) The Basics

• Tag Rugby is a minimal contact version of rugby.
• Teams are generally 7 a side, though certain venues may have different team numbers depending on the size of the available pitch.
• A try is awarded to the attacking team when they ground the ball on or over the try line.
• A try is worth one point. In a mixed game, female tries are worth two points. Please see section f) for more details on the mixed scoring rules. There are no conversions in Tag Rugby.
• Defenders must remove one or both tags to stop the ball carrier’s progress. The defender then holds up the tag and drops it to the ground marking where the play the ball should occur.
• After a tag is made, play resumes by the attacker placing the ball on the ground and rolling it backwards with his foot. This is called a play the ball.
• The defensive side is allowed one marker at the play the ball. That being, one defender who is allowed to stand opposite the attacker during the play the ball.
• The remainder of the defending team must be back seven metres from the attacking player during the play the ball.
• A dummy half is the attacking player who picks the ball up and distributes it after the play the ball. The only person able to promote the ball with one tag on is the dummy half or an equivalent player taking a tap restart (as long as they do not take more than one step with the ball)
• The defensive line can only move forward only when the dummy half touches the ball. The dummy half can run and be tagged with the ball.
• The dummy half has three seconds to pick up the ball after the play the ball. If after three seconds the ball has not been picked up, a turnover shall be awarded to the defending team. In NO instance is the marker allowed to dive on or pick up the ball during the play the ball process. If this occurs, a penalty will be awarded to the attacking team. The referee may opt to start the 3 second count before the play the ball if the player who is playing the ball doesn't play the ball immediately when returning to the mark.
• Each team has six tags / plays to promote the ball before a changeover occurs.
• An attacker must stop and play the ball if he is caught in possession with only one tag on.
• The ball is allowed to touch the ground as long as it is not propelled in a forward motion.
• The game is minimal contact; an attacker cannot deliberately bump into a defender. A defender cannot change direction and move into an attacker’s path. Whoever initiates contact will be penalised. The onus is on the attacking player to avoid the defender.
• The ball carrier is not allowed to protect his tag or fend off defenders.
• If an attacker is tagged simultaneously to releasing the ball, the referee will call play on. (If the referee is unable to decide, the pass is allowed - play on. The advantage goes to attacking team.)
• Players can dive to score a try provided no defending player is within tagging distance (1m). If a defender is nearby, the try will be disallowed. Note this is a Try Tag Rugby rule and is slightly different to the rule within the Oztag rulebook.
• A player can go down on their knees to score a try over the try line.

b) Kicking

• A team may kick the ball before the initial tag is made. (e.g. a team picks up the ball in general play from a kickoff, knock on, loose ball etc may kick the ball before being tagged.) Once a tag has been made, the ball may not be kicked again till after the fourth tag. Kicks are not allowed after a changeover i.e. any instance where play starts from a play the ball (roll) or tap kick.
• Kicks in general play cannot be above the shoulder height of the referee. The attacking team cannot dive on a kicked ball in any situation
• The try line is the dead ball line for all kicks. There are no in goal areas in Tag Rugby.
• A kick off is taken as a place kick from the centre of the halfway line. If the ball lands in the field of play and then rolls across the try line whether touched or not a line drop out occurs. As of Autumn 2011 the scoring team kicks off.
• A line drop out is a drop kick taken from the centre of the defending team’s try line.

c) Misconduct

• Abuse of referees or officials will not be tolerated. Referees have the full power to sin bin, send off and suspend players from Try Tag Rugby competitions.
• Try Tag Rugby will hand out lengthy penalties for violent or unsporting behaviour.

d) Forfeits & Match Results

In the case where a match needs to be abandoned due to factors other than what have occurred on the pitch (e.g weather, flood light failure etc) a result stands if half-time has been reached in a regular 40 minute match. In a shortened or twenty minute match, at least 75% of match time needs to have been played for a result to stand. The team leading at this point in time will be declared the winner.

A team needs 5 registered players on the pitch at kick-off time for a result to stand in an official 7-a-side match. At 6-a-side venues, you require 4 registered squad members present. Even if your team is struggling to raise a full squad, you should always make an effort to get all available players to show up. If less than the required number of players show up, a social match can still be run. If your team must forfeit, please notify Try Tag Rugby at least 24 hours prior to kick-off so that your opposition can be informed. Teams that forfeit on late notice will be heavily penalised.

• greater than 24 hours notice, 10-0 loss awarded

• less than 24 hours, 10-0 loss awarded and 1 competition point deducted

• After 4pm on match day or complete no show, 10-0 loss awarded and 2 competition points deducted

• Any of the above but 2, 3 or 4 players show up to help organise a social match, 10-0 loss awarded but no points deducted

If your team is struggling to raise a squad, please notify us and we will spread the word to find you fill in players for the night. Many players are happy to play two games in one night, so there is no excuse for not showing up! Please see below for further details on recruiting fill in players.

e) Players Filling in For Other Teams

Try Tag Rugby is striving to create even standard leagues where players can take part against teams or similar standard players. “A grade” standard leagues are ideal for more experienced players, whilst social standard leagues are ideal for beginner to intermediate standard players. Try Tag Rugby is fairly flexible regarding borrowing players from other teams within your own league if you’re team is short. Our main aim is to make sure every game goes ahead (see forfeit rules above). However quite often there is a vast difference in standard between “A grade” and “Social grade” players. Team captains must first check with the venue supervisor if they wish to borrow a player from an “A grade” league to play in a social standard league. This should only be a last resort, as there are many other options for finding extra players. Try Tag Rugby recommends the following:

• Team captains should use the “find ringers” option whilst logged into the Try Tag Rugby dashboard. However, when contact is made please check that the player is not registered in a higher grade team.

• If your team is generally struggling for players try placing a free advert on the Gumtree website or signing up for a sports partners website such as Totally Sporty. You could also put a message on the wall of our Facebook group.

• If you’re still struggling on match day, contact your venue supervisor who with notice can quickly send an email to teams from your grade playing in a different time slot. If you are generally struggling week to week for players, contact your venue supervisor who may be able to add individual registered players to your squad.

• If it’s nearly kick-off and you are still short, try and find players from other teams in your grade or a lower grade who may be hanging around.

• As a last resort, ask the competition supervisor whether you can borrow players from a higher grade team.

Players shall not take it upon themselves to sub on for a team in a lower grade unless approved by the team captain who has first checked with the competition supervisor. In a case where a team has illegally used players from a higher grade, then two competition points will be deducted and awarded to your opposition with a 10-0 loss allocated to your team. If a higher grade player has subbed on uninvited in a lower grade match, then action will be taken against that player. The team should report this to the venue supervisor asap!

f) Mixed Scoring Rules

In the instance of a team being short of the required three females, if the referee allows this team to play with an extra male player, the opposing team shall be awarded an extra point for all female tries scored. At no time shall a team take it upon themselves to play with more than four male players, without first checking with the referee.

The following are some examples of the scoring rules in certain situations:

1. Team A (4 guys, 3 girls) vs Team B (4 guys, 3 girls) - Regular scoring rules apply. Note this also applies if any teams decide to play with less than 4 guys and hence more than 3 girls.

2. Team A (5 guys, 2 girls) vs Team B (4 guys, 3 girls) - Team B receives 3 points for girl tries. Team A receives regular scoring rules.

3. Team A (5 guys, 2 girls) vs Team B (5 guys, 2 girls) - Both teams are equal in make up so regular scoring rules apply.

4. Team A (4 guys, 2 girls) vs Team B (4 guys, 3 girls) - In this case normal scoring rules would apply, as team A is not playing with an extra guy despite being short on females.

All mixed teams should try their best to field the required number of female players. In the case where a team doesn't have the necessary number of female players, please advise the referee who will decide whether it's ok to play with an extra male player. The referee can then make the necessary adjustments to the scoring rules. In no circumstances shall a mixed team play with more than 5 male players on the pitch.