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Summer Touch Beach Football Competition
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SUMMER TOUCH Rules of Play

SUMMER TOUCH Festival is about fun! SUMMER TOUCH gives very small prizes to emphasise it’s commitment to fun.

WARM UP Please ensure you warm up to avoid injuries.

FIRST AID Personnel will be on-hand in the case of any unforseen circumstances. Please report any injuries to officials.

LATE ARRIVAL To ensure that the competition runs to the scheduled time teams arriving more than 3 mins late will be penalized one point for every minute thereafter e.g., a team arriving at 12.04 for a 12 noon match will start the game with minus one (1) point. If you arrive more than ten (10) mins late it is an automatic forfeit

!! NEVER... NEVER... question the referee!! The referee’s decision is final!!

The referee’s No. 1 priority is player safety. If the teams are unequal, teams must tone down play accordingly. A referee may call a game off if they feel someone could get hurt.

Games are played with maximum of 6 players (any combination of males and females) on the field. Teams may have up to two reserves per team. Reserves may sub-on and sub-off as many or few times as they please. Teams may play with as few players as they please. The total number of teams is capped at 100.

Matches are all run based on time. The games will run from 8-14 minutes long with 1 minute halves depending on the size of the festival. Finals will be 14 minute games with 7 minute halves. Teams score as many points as they can. If the ball is in play when the horn goes, continue playing the point. If the two teams are tied, the game will be won by the team that scores first. THERE ARE NO DRAWS.

If a team deliberately stalls the game it’s at the referee’s discretion to award 1 point to the opposing team.

SUMMER TOUCH Festival is about fun! Teams are required to call their own violations, and are expected to be honest and foster a high level of sportsmanship at all times.


Mode of Play

  • Team captains do rock-paper-scissors and the winner must choose to either attack or defend as well as choose ends. The opposition and defending teams start the game from their try lines.
  • The game is commenced and/or recommenced after a point is scored by placing the ball anywhere along the score line by either the team commencing play or the team who were scored against. The referee will blow the whistle to commence and /or recommence play. The ball is then picked up by an attacking player and must be passed immediately – the player picking up the ball cannot take a step before passing unless that step is part of the passing action.
  • Any infringement by the attacking team at the commencement or recommencement of the game is a change of possession and the ball is taken from that position by the non offending team.
  • The player in possession of the ball may run or pass the ball in an attempt to negotiate the opposition. To retain possession, the attacking team must not allow the ball to touch the ground (unless after a touch to bring it back into play) – this applies even when the defending team may cause the ball to go to ground. The ball cannot be kicked.
  • If a touch is effected on a player in possession, that player must return to the mark and play the ball, (i.e. touch the ground with the ball), then immediately effect a pass, again without taking a step before passing, unless that step is part of the passing action.
  • The ball must be allowed to be cleared after a touch is affected. Any infringement at the play of the ball will result in the infringing player taking a position five (5) meters from the mark.
  • A team retains possession of the ball until FOUR (4) touches have been affected or an infringement causes the ball to be handed over to the opposition. Play is recommenced by touching the ground with the ball and affecting a pass.

TOUCH any contact on any part of the body, hair, clothing or ball and can only be made by a defending player. A minimum force is to be used at all times. The team in possession is entitled to FOUR (4) touches. Following a touch a player has a maximum of five (5) seconds to perform a “Rollball”. Failure to complete a Rollball within the time allotted will result in a penalty and turn over of possession.

ROLLBALL A means of restarting play. Players must perform the “Rollball” on the mark while facing their try line and rolling the ball backwards between their legs a distance of not more than one meter. Players must not delay performing the “Rollball” or a penalty will be awarded. Defending players must retreat five (5) meters for the “Rollball”. Try (point) – is scored when the player in possession places the ball on or over their opponent’s defending score line. One point is awarded for a try; however, women receive 2 points for a try.