Over the last while I’ve compiled a list of interpretations and vaguely common things that happen on a tag rugby pitch but that aren’t covered well in the laws of the game. I’m sharing this list to give readers some suggestions of how to handle these occurrences, and hopefully to provide some element of consistency in how things are handled at different leagues.
This, like all my other posts, does not claim to be an official or authoritative Try Tag Rugby document, but I have shared a draft with the referees’ committee to obtain feedback.
This post is classed as “advanced”.
Knock-on
- If a player with the ball knocks-on and is tagged before the ball touches the ground or another player, this is a knock-on. Advantage cannot be played – as the tag has been taken when the player was no longer in possession. Both teams have infringed, so the referee awards the first infringement, namely the knock-on.
- If a player takes a drop kick in open play (drop the ball and kick it after it rebounds off the ground) this is a knock-on.
Offside
- If a player kicks, knocks, touches, or is hit by the ball, whether it is played at or not, any team-mate in front of that player is offside. The offside player must take no part in play until they have retreated behind an onside team-mate or an onside team-mate has advanced in front of them.
- This can happen notably just after a kick-off.
- A player who is offside is only subject to penalty if they play at the ball or otherwise interfere with play.
- An offside player who is hit by the ball but does not play at it concedes a changeover.
Open play
- A player touching the ball is deemed to play at the ball intentionally unless the ball has rebounded or ricocheted off the player.
- Even in the case of a rebound or ricochet, the referee may still deem the touch to be intentional if the player has reached towards the ball or widened their body in a way that made the ball more likely to hit them.
- A defending player who plays at the ball intentionally makes their team the attacking team. This means that the tag count is reset and the next tag will be tag 1 (or tag 0 in case of a knock-on), regardless of which team ends up with the ball.
- This may also determine which team will receive a changeover should the ball go into touch.
- A player receiving the ball in open play without both tags properly affixed is deemed to be tagged (unless a pre-tag or late-tag has been called). They cannot pass the ball/take 1 step; this option is only open to the dummy-half at the play-the-ball or someone taking a tap penalty.
Dead in goal
- If an attacking player knocks-on and the ball lands or rolls on or over the other team’s try line, the ball is dead in goal and the restart is a 10m tap to the other team.
- If a defending player loses control of the ball, or passes or knocks it, and it lands on or over their own try line, the restart is a goal-line drop-out.
Back to 6
- The tag count is reset to zero when a player knocks-on or throws a forward pass.
- A knock back or kick (by the defending team) resets the tag count to 1.
- A penalty offence does not reset the tag count. If a player is tagged whilst penalty advantage is being played, the referee’s only options are to go back to the penalty or to take the tag, continuing the tag count. They cannot call tag zero.
Fending
- A player who has crossed the goal line making a natural movement to ground the ball to score does not commit fending. An unnatural movement or intentional fend will still be penalised.
Play-the-ball
- The ball at the play-the-ball (roll ball) should travel back no more than about 1 metre. If it is accidentally played back too far the referee should call for it to be taken again. If it is done intentionally the referee may penalise as against the spirit of the game.
If you have anything to add or discuss, please feel free to use the comments or the referee Facebook group.