Tail along for tag-rugby

You are hereby invited to sign up a team to play in Malalane’s first tag rugby league. What is tag rugby you ask? Well it’s simple, it’s the same as touch rugby with a few slight differences.

You need seven players with a minimum of two women per team. The rest will be supplied to you by the club.

Format of the league is as follows: eight rounds will be played over the next eight weeks on Thursday nights from 18:00, after which play-offs will be held for the cup, plate and shield trophies.

Now you want to know what all this fun will cost? Well, the answer is “nothing”, yes, zero. We as Malalane Rugby Club want to build community spirit for our club and town and would like to help get those bodies back in shape for the summer.

The object of the game is to score tries. This is achieved by holding the ball and touching it down on the ground on, or over, the opponents’ try line.

The player in possession of the ball (attacker) may run or pass the ball to achieve this but is not allowed to kick it. The ball may only be passed either sideways or backwards but not forward towards the opponents’ try line. It is the object of the team without the ball (defensive team) to prevent progress of the attacking team by removing a tag (ribbon) from the ball carrier.

The attacking team has four “tags” or “plays” to score. If a fifth tag is made, a changeover occurs and the defending team is given possession of the ball and becomes the attacking team.

A 20-step guide to the rules:

• How many players in a team? There is a maximum of seven players per team on the field at any one time from a squad of twelve. In mixed or social games there must be a minimum of three players of the opposite sex (subject to local rules) on the pitch at all times. Rolling subs are allowed at any time during the game but in mixed/social games the appropriate number of each sex must be maintained.

• How long do matches last? This is subject to local rules but the normal duration is two halves of 20 minutes each, with a five minute interval for half-time. For festival-type events, matches normally consist of two seven-minute halves with one minute for half time.

• Players’ clothing – they all players wear either the official tag shorts or, a tag rugby belt. Shirts should be tucked in at all times. The tags (ribbons) must be properly positioned on either side of the hips. No player can participate in the game without both tags being properly in place.

Players are not allowed to wear anything that might prove dangerous to other players, like jewellery and watches.

• How do players score? There is only one way and that is by scoring tries. A try is awarded to the attacking team when they touch the ball down on the ground on, or over, the try line. A try is worth one point but to encourage more team play in mixed games, it is two points if scored by a female.

• Are there any scrums or line-outs? No.

• Is there any kicking? No kicking is allowed, except for a modified one at kick-offs (see below for further details).

• Can you bash into other players? There is strictly no contact allowed between players; both attackers and defenders have a responsibility to avoid one another at all times. The ball carrier is not allowed to run directly into defenders and defenders are not allowed to block the progress of the ball carrier. No hand-offs, or using your hand, elbow or ball to block or shield your tags (ribbons) of any nature are allowed. No pulling of clothing or pulling/knocking the ball out of the carrier’s hand is permitted. Any player that initiates contact should be penalised.“Run at spaces not faces,”

• How do you ‘tackle’ (tag)? Only the ball carrier can be tagged and a ‘tackle’ (‘tag’) is simply the removal by a defender of one of the two tags (ribbons) from the ball carrier. The defender then holds the tag above his/her head and shouts “tag” for all to hear. An attacking team has foour “tags” or “plays” to score. If a 5th tag is made a changeover occurs and the defending team is given possession of the ball and restarts play with a tap-and-go.

• What happens after a ‘tackle’ (tag)? The game comes to a temporary halt; the defender drops the tag on the ground, marking the position where the actual tag took place, and the game restarts with the attacker who was tagged taking a roll-the-ball from this mark.

• What is a roll-the-ball? It takes place after a tag has been made. At a roll-the-ball the tagged ball carrier must return to the location where the actual tag took place. Play restarts when this player rolls the ball straight back between his/her legs, using his/her hand, to a team-mate standing directly behind him/her, the scrum-half. Only after rolling the ball back, should the attacker pick up and re-attach his/her tag and he/she is then able to rejoin the game.

A roll-the-ball cannot be taken any closer than five metres from the try-line.

• At a roll-the-ball the defensive team must retire back a minimum of seven metres, or until they have reached their own try-line if this is nearer. One defender may choose to act as a ‘marker’, which is optional. The ‘marker’ must stand directly in front of a roll-the-ball and cannot move or interfere with play until the ball is back in play.

• What is the rule about carrying the ball in both hands? To encourage more passing and to avoid the ball carrier deliberately, or instinctively, trying to protect his/her tags, the ball carrier must, when within three metres of defenders, hold the ball in both hands.

• What is a tap-and-go? This is used to start the game or restart it at the place the ball went out of play or an infringement or changeover took place. The ball may be placed on the ground or held in the hand and on the instruction “play” by the referee, and not before, the attacker must tap the ball with the foot, or lower leg, to restart play. Opposition players must retire back seven metres towards their own try line, or until they have reached their own try line if this is nearer.

A tap-and-go cannot be taken any closer than five metres from the try line.

• What happens to the tag count at a tap-and-go? When a tap-and-go is awarded the number of tags (tag count) goes back to zero. This is a good incentive for the defensive team not to infringe deliberately.

• What is off-side? Defending players are only off-side if they have not moved back the required seven metres to the defensive line, or until they have reached their own try line if this is nearer, at a roll-the–ball or tap-and-go situation.

Attacking players are only off-side if they are in front of the ball at a tap & go or roll-the-ball situation. There is no off-side in open play.

16. When should players be penalised for being off-side? – Players should only ever be penalised for off-side if they are off-side and interfering with play.If players find themselves accidentally off-side they must make every effort to get back on side; but if they are in no way interfering with play, then they should not be penalised and play should be allowed to continue. Players who are off-side are temporarily out of the game.

• How quickly can a tap-and-go and roll-the-ball be taken? A tap-and-go cannot be taken quickly but only after the referee has given the defensive team time (about five seconds) to retire the required seven metres and given the instruction ‘play’. A roll-the-ball can be taken quickly and as soon as the ball carrier is on the mark of the tag and ready to do so.

• Can players dive to score? No player can deliberately dive to score a try or secure a loose ball on the floor; instead, players must remain on their feet to play the ball.

• How do you kick off? A modified place kick is used to start each half and restart play after a try is scored. The team that has scored kicks off. The ball must be placed flat on the ground at the centre of the half-way line. Kicking tees are not permitted and no player may hold the ball upright. The ball, when kicked, must travel a minimum of seven metres forward but not above the referee’s waist height. Defending players must retire back seven metres while players of the team kicking off must be behind the ball when it is kicked. The ball must not be kicked so it travels over the try line, or goes directly into touch without bouncing.

Note: If playing on soft sand where it would be difficult to execute this type of place kick properly, then the kick-offs and restarts are replaced by a punt kick which the defending team must be allowed to catch uncontested.

• What happens when somebody does something wrong? Whenever the TAG Rugby rules are broken, a tap-and-go is awarded to the non-offending team at the place the infringement took place and the number of tags (tag count) starts back to zero. If the infringement took place over the try line, or within five metres of it, the tap-and-go is awarded five metres out from the try line to create some space.

Note: If an infringement took place by the attacking team at a kick off then the defending team are awarded a tap-and-go at the centre of the half-way line.

Code of conduct:

All players and coaches will be expected to abide by the rules of the tournament and decisions made by the officials and referees. They will be expected to play fairly and demonstrate good sportsmanship both on and off the pitch. In the event of misconduct and/or repeated and deliberate breaking of the rules or dangerous play, then the referee/tournament officials shall, at their discretion, issue players with a yellow or red card.