Minimal contact
Players stop the ball carrier with a touch rather than a tackle.
What's Touch Rugby?
Touch Rugby is a fast, minimal contact sport that emphasizes speed, agility, and teamwork.
Instead of tackles, players stop the ball carrier by making a light "touch", where the defender makes contact with the attacker (body, clothing, or the ball) and the play is restarted with a "rollball". This keeps the game flowing with fewer long stoppages and lowers the risk of injury, making touch rugby welcoming for players of all ages and abilities.
Key features
Team size
Commonly played with 6 players per side on the field.
Positions
3 main positions: middles, links, and wingers, each with specific roles on attack and defence.
Skill-focused
Emphasis on passing, speed and positioning rather than physical contact. With teams focusing on advancing the ball up field using running, passing, and coordinated attacking moves.
Strategic
Touch Rugby is very much like a game of chess, where each move you make is designed to keep you one step ahead of the defence’s reactions.
Inclusive
It’s easy to learn, safe, and highly inclusive, Touch Rugby is played by people of all ages and skill levels-from social beginners to competitive athletes.
Basic rules
- 6 touches then turnover
- Rollball / restart after touch
- No kicking of the ball in most social formats
- The roll-ball (or 'dump') is where the touch is made and the ball is placed down
- Games last from 6-20 minutes per half depending on competition
- Dummy-Half: the player who picks up the ball from the rollball; if they are touched it becomes a turnover
- Substitutions on-the-fly are allowed
- Quick-Tap is given at a penalty; the player who quick-taps is not considered the Dummy-Half