SUMMER 7S TOUCH FOOTBALL RULES
Updated: September 2020
THE BALL
Recommended use of: -
Size 3 Rugby Ball for Under 11 and below; and
Size 4/5 Rugby Ball for all older age groups
NUMBER OF PLAYERS PER TEAM
7 players per team
A team may have up to 3 substitutes.
If you are a player being substituted, you must run across the sideline or try line before your replacement can run on the field. You must also engage in some form of physical contact with the replacement player to signal to officials whom is replacing you.
If a player is injured and cannot continue play, the referee must stop the game to replace the injured player and then restart the game..
If there is a serious injury, the referee should immediately stop play.
TIME OF GAMES
2 x 14 minute halves, 2 min half time.
There is no overtime for play stopped due to injury.
In the case of the finals where the match is drawn, the team that scores first will be awarded the winner.
SCORING
A try is awarded 1 point. The managers of each team records scores and at the conclusion of the game confirms the scores with the opposing manager. In the event of a dispute, the referees decision will be final.
KICK-OFF & RESTARTS
All kick-offs are punt kicks (kicked from hands to foot without the ball touching the ground). After a try, the scoring team kicks off from the centre of the half-way line.
The receiving team at a kick-off must be at least 10m back from half-way.
If a kick-off doesn’t go 10m, goes dead over dead ball line or over the sideline on the full, the Ball Place is awarded to the receiving team at the half way line in centre of the field.
The kick must not be contested until it is either caught, played at, dropped or hit the ground. Only once one of these has happened can the kicking team attempt to regather the ball.
THE TOUCH
A touch is when the player with the ball is touched by an opposing player with a minimum of one hand.
A player making a touch has the option to call “Touch!” as they make a successful touch if they think the touch may not be recognised.
Touches are not permitted above the shoulders. Touches with force are not accepted. If a Referee observes a touch with excessive force, the player can removed from the game without replacement.
When a player is touched, the player has two options: to Pass or Play Ball.
The referee will keep a count of how many times a team has been touched.
If the ball or the ball-carrier touches the referee and either team gains an advantage, the referee adds one to the touch count and the game is restarted with a Play Ball.
THE PASS
After a player has been touched, they can pass the ball to a teammate.
This must happen within 2 seconds of the touch.
The player can take a maximum of 2 steps before passing from the position they were touched.
If the player passes the ball, there is no offside line for defending players and general play continues.
If a player takes longer than 2 seconds or runs further than 2 steps, the referee will stop play and ask the player to return to the original location of the touch and Play the Ball.
The third time the referee needs to intervene to order a Play the Ball because the player has over run the touch position, the referee can immediately award a turnover of the ball the defending team.
If a player is touched within 2 metres of their opponent’s try line, the referee must request the player recommences play 5 metres back from the try line.
THE PLAY THE BALL
After a player has been touched, the touched player must face forward and place the ball between legs with one foot touching the ball as the ball moves/rolls between the player’s legs in a backward motion.
The Play The Ball must take place at or directly behind the mark where the touch occurred.
A supporting team player then collects the ball and plays on. If a supporting attacking player doesn’t immediately collect the ball, an opposing team after retiring 5 metres can run and collect the ball.
If a touched player opts to Play The Ball, defending players must move back behind an offside line 5 metres from the mark of the Ball Place.
Defending players can move forward when the ball is played on the ground by the touched player.
A defending player who is offside at the Play The Ball can only take part in play after retreating behind the 5 metres line from the previous Play the Ball.
THE TURNOVER
Once a team has been “touched” seven times, the referee should immediately award a Turnover to the other team. The touch count restarts at zero.
That team restarts play with a Play the Ball at the place of the seventh touch. The opposing team must stand 5 metres back from this Play the Ball.
TOUCHED IN GOAL
KNOCK ON AND FORWARD PASS
A knock-on or forward pass by either team results in a Turnover.
Any intentional contact with the ball from the defending team where the ball is re-gathered by the attacking team results in the touch count being reset to zero
Non-intentional touches do not restart the touch count.
BALLS OUT OF PLAY
When the ball or a player with the ball goes into touch, play is restarted by a Play the Ball at the location the ball left play.
The team who did not last touch the ball before it went into touch will Play the Ball.
KICKING
Players can kick the ball at anytime during the game.
Heavy contact is not allowed when trying to regather the ball after a kick.
If a player from the kicking team re-gathers the ball, the touch count is not reset and continues. If an opponent first plays the ball following a kick and it is regathered by the kicking team, the touch count is reset to zero.
Any player in front of a teammate kicking the ball is considered off side and cannot attempt to regather the ball. Similarly the teammate in front of the kicker must be at least 5 metres from the opposing player gathering the ball.
If an opponent charges a kick down, or the ball is touched in flight by an opponent after being kicked, all players are onside.
PENALTIES & ADVANTAGE
If the referee stops play for a Penalty infringement, play restarts with a Play the Ball by the non-infringing team. The infringing team must stand back 5m from this Offload. The touch count is reset to zero.
All players must adhere to the Lane Cove Summer 7′s Code of Conduct during play. The Referee can incur a 10 metre penalty, remove players from the game without replacement, or turnover possession for any breach in the code of conduct witnessed.
When a Penalty infringement occurs, and the referee judges that a team may gain an advantage from play continuing, the referee should allow play to continue, but call out the infringement and reset the touch count to zero as play continues.
IN GOAL
If the ball becomes dead in in-goal (except when kicked dead from in the field of play), play restarts with a Play the Ball to the defending team, 5m out from their goal line.
If a team kicks the ball through their opponents’ in-goal and it goes dead, the defending team chooses to have a Play the Ball either 5m from the defending team’s goal line, or at the place where the ball was kicked.
If a player is touched inside their own in-goal, play restarts with a Ball Place to the team in possession, 5m out from their try line
DANGEROUS OR FOUL PLAY
Tackling is not permitted under any circumstances. Any action intended to bring an opponent to ground is considered dangerous play and the Referee should immediately remove the player from the game without replacement.
When the ball is loose on the ground and being contested, there is to be no heavy contact. This includes bumping, pushing or driving another player from the ball. The primary responsibility for this is with the team who last played the ball.
Yellow Cards (2 mins temporary suspension) and Red Cards (Send Off) may be used. There is no replacement of a player who receives a card.
Dangerous play such as throwing a ball at opposing players, intimidation, poor sportsmanship is not permitted. Such behaviour should be issued with a Yellow Card.
Time wasting and back chatting referees decisions is considered foul play. Only the captain of each team should speak with the referee.
If a Player is issued a Yellow or Red card, a committee made up of 3 executives from Lane Cove Junior Rugby Club reserve the right to review the incident along with supporting evidence from the player in question and referee. This committee reserves the right to BAN the player from further involvement with the competition if the committee believes the incident is not in the best interests of the Lane Cove Summer 7s competition, players, referees or the Lane Cove Junior Rugby Club.
