Fun With Touch (FWT) // Touch Rugby, Tokyo, Japan

Start Off

The game starts with a tap at the halfway line. The defence must be onside on or behind their own ten metre line.They may only move forward after the tap has been made.

The attack moves forwards and may pass the ball backwards between players them in an attempt to score a try.

Once a touch has been made on the ball carrier, the attack must immediately perform a rollball at the mark, and the defence must retreat five metres to an onside position. Only once the defence has reached an onside position may it advance again to affect a touch. The attacking player who has performed the rollball may not then pick up the ball.That must be done by the dummy half.

You may not pass the ball once you’ve been touched. After six touches possession changes, and the defending team now attacks.

After a try has been scored, possession changes and the game is restarted with a tap at the halfway line. If a penalty is given the nonoffending
team gains possession, and a penalty is taken at the mark. The defending team must mone back 10 meters to be onside at a penalty.

The Tap

The Tap is taken by placing the ball on the ground at the mark, releasing the ball from both hands, tapping the ball with either foot a distance of not more than one metre and picking up the ball cleanly. Any player from the attacking team may take the tap.

A player taking the tap may face any direction to take the tap and may be forward of the halfway line. The player taking the tap is to wait until the referee indicates the mark prior to tapping the ball.

The Mark

The mark is where the ball is placed to perform a rollball or penalty tap. For a rollball it is the position where the attacker was when he was touched, not the possistion of the defender. The mark for a penalty is where the infringment took place.

Players may take the ball behind the mark for a tap up to a maximum of ten (10) metres. No sideways movement from the mark is allowed.

Offside and Onside

After a touch has been made all defending players must retire five metres from the mark. Defending players cannot move forward until the Dummy Half has touched the ball. When a penalty has been awarded all defending players must retire ten metres from the mark.

Attacking players who are offside are non-effective and should return to an onside position as soon as possible.
Offside defending players must at all times make an effort to retire to an onside position.
Once a defender has started to move backwards, he must do so in a straight line and not zig-zag nor extend his arms to obstruct an attacker.

Passing

A player may pass, knock, throw or otherwise deliver the ball to any onside player in the attacking team. Passing forward is NOT permitted. The ball is not to be kicked.

A player who, in attempting to control the ball, juggles or knocks the ball forward, is not to be penalised, provided the player regathers the ball.

A Touch

Players from both teams are permitted to affect the touch. A touch is contact with any part of the body, ball, clothing or hair. Minimum force is to be used at all times when affecting a touch. The team in possession is entitled to six touches.

Should a touch be affected on a player in possession while the ball may not be physically in the hands (e.g. while juggling or trying to maintain control), the touch is to count.
Providing the same player retrieves the ball prior to it going to ground, any knock forward resultant from an intercept is allowed.
If a touch is affected on or over the scoreline before the ball is grounded, no touchdown results.
The player in pos session is to move from that point to a position five (5) metres from the scoreline to Rollball, provided it is not the sixth (6th) touch.

The Rollball

Players must perform the rollball on the mark while facing their opponent’s defending scoreline and either rolling the ball backwards between their legs a distance of not more than one metre, stepping over the ball, or pushing the ball backwards with one foot. Players must not delay performing the rollball. The player who performs the roll ball is not permitted to pick the ball up.

If in doubt as to the location of the mark for the rollball, the player in possession should check with the referee.
Attacking players cannot delay the rollball while waiting for a half to be in position.
Rollballs between the 5 metre and scoreline may be bought back to the 5 metre line.
If there is no Dummy half at the rollball, any onside defender can immediately go forwards to claim the ball.To do so he must simply touch the ball with his hand or foot and then perform a rollball.

The Dummy Half

The Dummy Half is the person who picks up the ball after a teammate has performed a rollball. If touched, the attacking team loses possession.A dummy half cannot score.

A Try

A try will be awarded when a player places the ball on or over the scoreline prior to being touched. A try is worth one point.

If a player places the ball on the ground and releases it short of the scoreline while attempting to score a touchdown, a touch is counted and the player is required to rollball to restart play at the position of contact with the ground. However, a touchdown results if an untouched player (other than the half) slides the ball along the ground to or beyond the scoreline. If a player does not release the ball from their hands, no touch is counted and the match continues.

The Sideline

If the player with the ball touches or crosses the sideline s/he is deemed to be out of play and a change of possession occurs. Play restarts with a rollball 5 metres in from where the player went out. If a touch is made before the player goes out, the touch counts.

If, in attempting to score, a player either makes contact with the corner marker or crosses the extended sideline, no touchdown is awarded and the match is recommenced by the opposition with a rollball 5 metres from the scoreline and 5 metres in from the sideline.