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Mode of play and duration of play may very form association to association, but in general these rules apply:
Object: The object of the game of Touch is for each team to score touchdowns/trys and to prevent the opposition from scoring.
Mode of Play: The ball may be passed, knocked, flick, thrown or handed between onside players of the attacking team who may in turn run or otherwise move with the ball in an attempt to gain territorial advantage and score. Defending players prevents the attacking team from gaining a territorial advantage by touching/tagging the ball carrier. Either defending or attacking players may initiate touches upon which, play stops and is restarted with a rollball.
Field of Play: The field of play is rectangular in shape and usually measures seventy (70) metres in length by fifty (50) metres in width.
See Diagram for standard field marking:
Number of Players: A team is made up of six (at higher grades and representative levels) or seven (at lower and social levels) on-field players. Teams can have up to eight interchange players, and there is no limit to the number of substitutions which can be made.
Mixed Team: Mixed is a very popular form of the game, especially at social levels. It involves three male and three female players on the field at the same time in the six-a-side version, of four male and three female in seven-a-side. There are no other rule changes, but different tactics and strategy can make it a quite distinct form of the game. (In a seven-a-side mixed team) A maximum of four (4) male players on the field at any time. Female players in mixed competition may play in any team positions. Male players may interchange with female players providing the maximum male players is not exceeded.
Team positions: Touch do not have specialised position as such but each player on the field can be designated a position depending on were they're located on the field.
The three positions are as follows:
Middle [2 or 3 players]
Link [2 players]
Wing [2 Players]
All players in both teams stand in a single line across the field facing their
direction of attack. There is no fullback position or other defensive sweepers.
Any breaks by the opposition can therefore be caught by any cover defence.
Roles of the various positions:
Middles are positioned in the centre of the field, between the two links. These players must be fit with excellent communication and ball skills. They give the team their "go-forward" to create opportunities for the outside players.
Links are positioned between the middles and wings, one on each side of the field. They are often the most attacking players, with good anticipation, acceleration and evasive skills.
One winger is positioned on each side of the field, outside the link and near the touchline. They are generally the main try-scorers with sustained speed, and good anticipation and support skills.
See Diagram for position setup from tapoff
Of course a player may end up in any position at various stages of a game, so skills in all areas are most important.
Duration: The game is of fifty (50) minutes duration, consisting of two (2) twenty-five (25) minute halves. There is a five (5) minute halftime break.
Possession: in general the team with the ball is entitled to six (6) touches prior to changing possession with the opposing team. Following the sixth touch or the loss of possession due to any other means, players of the team losing possession hands or pass the ball to the nearest opposition player, or place the ball on the ground at the mark.
Passing: in general a player in possession may pass, flick, knock, throw or otherwise deliver the ball to any other onside player in the attacking team.
Forward pass: a player in possession is not to pass, flick, knock, throw or otherwise propel the ball in a forward direction.
End of Play: When time expires play is to continue until the ball next becomes dead. Should a penalty be awarded during this period the penalty is to be taken.
Scoring: A touchdown/try is awarded when a player other than the acting half places the ball on the ground on or over the team's attacking score line and within the boundaries of the extended sidelines. A touchdown is worth one (1) point.
The Winner: The team who at the end of play has scored the most touchdowns/trys is declared the winner. In the event of neither team scoring, or in the event of both teams scoring the same number of touchdowns, a draw is declared.
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Penalties which incur a 10 metre advantage to the non offending team are: