Touch Football Rules

- The overall aim in a game of Touch Football is for your team to score more touchdowns than your
opponents. This is achieved by placing the ball in your opponents `Touchdown Zone’.
- Touch is played on a rectangular field 70 metres long by 50 metres wide, a game of Touch Football is
played over 45 minutes, divided into two 20 minute periods with a five-minute halftime break.
- Teams can be made up of up to 14 players with a maximum of six players on the field at any one
time; however, some competitions do allow 7, so be sure to check before starting. Teams must
move the ball down the field toward their `touchdown zone’, without passing the ball forward,
dropping the ball on the ground or kicking it. Each team has six `touches’ before they need to
handover the ball to their opponents.
- When touched an attacker must stop and `roll the ball’, unless it is the sixth touch. Defenders are
required to be back a minimum of five metres when an attacker rolls the ball or risk being called
`offside’ by the referee. Any infringements will result in either a resent of the ‘count’ or a turnover.

Playing positions
Middle (Threes): Name of the position and the two players occupying the ‘middle’ positions of the
field. Middles are the play-makers of their team and are the most consistent and fittest players in
the team. Middles usually work the hardest both on offence and defence.
Link (Twos): Name of the position and each player positioned between Middle and Winger. They
support the Middles particularly on offensive plays and are the most deceptive runners and the best
ball handlers.
Wings (Ones): Name of the position and players occupying the side part of the field. They are usually
the fastest players in the team, as they have to cover a large part of the width of the field.

Key terms
The Roll-ball - Following a touch, the player in possession of the ball has to return to the ‘mark’ (the
mark is the position on the field in which the touch took place) and roll the ball backwards between
their legs to a player designated as the ‘half’. All of the players in the opposing team must retreat
back at least five (5) metres from the mark of the rollball and cannot move forward until the half has
touched the ball. A rollball is also used following a change of possession.
The Half – The half is any person on the attacking team who picks the ball up after a rollball. The half
can then do one of two things; either pass the ball to a team member or run with the ball. It is
important to note that if the half is touched while still in possession of the ball, it is a turn over to
the defending team. It is also important to note that the half cannot score a touchdown; the ball
must be passed to a team member before a touchdown can be scored.
The Ruck - The area directly concerning and surrounding the rollball.
The Tap - A tap is the only form of kick in the game. It is used to start the game and the second half,
recommence after a touchdown, and when a penalty is awarded. A tap is taken by placing the ball
on the ground on or behind the location of the mark (given by the referee) and releasing it from the
hands, tapping the ball with either foot and retrieving the ball cleanly from the ground. The person
who performs the tap is able to score a touchdown without having to pass the ball.
Penalties - Penalties are awarded for infringements of the rules and can be taken as a tap or rollball
with the acting half being able to be caught in possession of the ball. Defending players must move
back ten metres for a penalty. The penalty is awarded to the non-offending team when:
• A defender has not retreated five metres from a rollball (offside) 

• A defender has not retreated ten metres from a penalty (offside) 

• Passing the ball after being touched 

• A rollball off the mark (generally further forward from where you were touched) 

• Passing the ball forward (towards your own score-line) 

• Rough play (using more than minimum force) 

• Obstruction – When the player with the ball uses a team mate as a shield to avoid a touch 

• Intentionally hitting the ball out of an attacking players’ hand 

• Rollball before being touched 

• Running on after being touched or throwing the ball away (delaying play) 

• Disputing a referee’s decision 

• Seven players on the field (incorrect substituting with players not waiting for a team member to
come off the field before going on) 

‘Change of Possession’ or ‘Turn Over’ - This is the situation in which the attacking team becomes the
defending team and vice versa. There are a number of instances throughout the game that this will
occur and will be done for various reasons. These include:
• Six (6) touches have been made without the attacking team scoring a touchdown 

• The attacking team makes a mistake, for instance, a dropped ball or a ball carrier running 
out of
the field of play 

• The attacking team breaches the rules of the game and gives away a penalty, such as a 
forward
pass or the obstruction of a defender. 

Scoring a Touchdown - A player scores a touchdown by placing the ball on or over the defending
team’s score-line. Players must place the ball on the ground in a controlled manner in order to score
a touchdown. The aim of the game is to score more touchdowns that the opposing team. Each
touchdown is worth one point. 

Effecting the Touch - A touch is any contact between any body part of an attacking player and a
defending player. A touch includes contact on the ball, hair or clothing and may be made by either
the attacking player or defensive player.
‘Onside’ and ‘Offside’ - This refers to a player’s position on the field and affects both attackers and
defenders. A player who is offside cannot directly involve themselves the play until they have moved
to an onside position. If they involve themselves in the play while in an offside position, they will be
penalised. For an attacker to be in an onside position, they must be ‘behind the ball’ relative to the
direction in which their team is running. For a defender to move to an onside position, they must
retreat to a point that is in line with the referee (approximately five metres from the rollball or ten
metres from a tap) after every touch.
The Advantage Line - An imaginary line running from side-line to side-line that passes through the
ruck. At a minimum, the aim of the attacking team is to progress the ball forward of the advantage
line after each rollball.
Intercept - This occurs when the ball handler attempts to pass the ball to a team member but the
ball is caught by a defender while it is still in the air. The defender is now the attacker and is entitled
to continue running providing they are neither touched or they drop the ball in the process of
intercepting it. If they are touched, they perform a rollball and the game continues; however, if they
drop the ball it is returned to the opposition and they receive an additional six touches.

(Touch football Australia, 2016: Toronto touch rugby, n.d)