Touch rugby explained: rules, tips and how to start

Most people picture rugby as big hits and muddy scrums. Touch rugby is the other side of the game: fast, skillful, social and open to anyone who can run and catch. You can play it in shorts and sneakers on a park field after work, with a mixed team of friends, without ever going to ground.

At Downtown Rugby, touch is part of who we are. Our summer touch sessions and social leagues are where a lot of people pick up an oval ball for the first time. This guide covers what you need to know before your first game.

What is touch rugby?

Touch, also called touch football or just "Touch," is a running and passing game played with an oval ball. It comes from the rugby family, but the tackle is replaced by a touch: a defender makes light contact with the ball carrier, their clothes or the ball, and that counts as a tackle.

The game was formalized in Australia in the 1960s. Members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club set up the South Sydney Touch Football Club in July 1968 and held the first official competition that year in Sydney. There are also reports of "touch and pass" being played in schools in northern England as early as the 1950s. Today the sport is run internationally by the Federation of International Touch (FIT), formed in 1985 after the first international match between Australia and New Zealand. As of March 2022, FIT recognized national governing bodies from 49 countries.

It is big in rugby countries. Australia has over 700,000 registered players and New Zealand just over 100,000. In England, the sport had 106 member clubs and more than 2,000 individual members by the end of 2021.

World Rugby lists touch alongside tag, flag and beach rugby as modified, non-contact forms of the game, and notes that they let people of all ages, sexes and fitness levels play together without fear of injury from contact.

How do you play touch rugby? The basic rules

Exact rules vary a little between competitions, but the core of the game is the same everywhere. Here is how it works under the standard rules used by England Touch and FIT.

1. Starting play: the tap

Games start, and restart after a try, with a tap at the center of the field. The player taps the ball with their foot, picks it up and plays on. Defenders must be at least 10 metres back. Penalties are also taken as taps.

2. Running and passing

As in rugby, you can run forward with the ball but you can only pass sideways or backward. The attacking team tries to get the ball over the defenders' try line.

3. The touch

A defender stops the ball carrier by touching them: light contact with the body, clothing, hair or the ball. No grabbing, no pushing, no tackling. The referee decides whether a touch happened.

4. The rollball

After a touch, the ball carrier goes to the exact spot of the touch, places the ball on the ground and steps over it. The ball should not roll more than a metre. Defenders must retreat 7 metres and cannot move forward until play restarts.

5. The half

The player who picks up the ball after a rollball is called the half (like a scrum-half in rugby). The half can run or pass, but if the half is touched while holding the ball, possession goes to the other team. The half cannot score directly from that position.

6. Six touches and the changeover

Each team gets six touches to score. After the sixth touch, the ball goes to the other team. Possession also changes if the ball is dropped or the ball carrier runs into touch (over the sideline).

7. Scoring a try

A try is scored by grounding the ball on or over the opposition's try line, worth one point. There are no conversions and no kicks at goal, so touch fields have no posts.

Touch rugby rules at a glance

How does mixed touch work?

Touch is one of the few team sports where men and women regularly play on the same team. In mixed competitions teams usually field three women and three men. Under standard FIT rules there must be at least one man and one woman on the field and no more than three men at any time. Some social leagues give women's tries extra points to encourage teams to share the ball.

That makes touch a great option for couples, friends and coworkers who want to play together, and it is a big part of why touch is the most social form of rugby.

What skills do you need for touch rugby?

You do not need to be a rugby player to start. You need to be able to run, catch and pay attention. The skills that make the biggest difference:

• Passing: a flat, accurate spin or pop pass to a teammate running onto the ball. Practice both directions.
• Catching: hands up early, giving your teammate a target, eyes on the ball until it is in your hands.
• Running lines: attacking at angles and changing pace so defenders have to make decisions.
• The rollball: fast and clean. A quick rollball is what keeps your attack moving.
• Defending in a line: moving up together, then retreating the full 7 metres after each touch. Touch defense is a lot of running.
• Talking: calling for the ball, calling the touch count, telling teammates who you are marking.

For one rugby skill broken down every week, subscribe to The Breakdown, the free newsletter from American Pro Rugby, and check out APR's Tuesday Skills series on americanprorugby.com.

Is touch rugby safe for beginners?

Touch is designed to be non-contact, which is why World Rugby describes these modified forms as a way for people of all ages and fitness levels to play together without the risks of tackling. It is still a running sport with quick changes of direction, so the usual sports sense applies:

• Warm up properly before playing and build your running gradually if you are new to sport.
• Wear shoes with good grip for grass: molded cleats or turf shoes are better than smooth sneakers.
• Keep it a touch, not a shove. Grabbing and pushing are penalties.
• Las Vegas heat is real. Play in the evening or early morning, bring water, and take breaks. If you have a health condition, check with your doctor before starting a new sport.

If you later want to move into contact rugby, learn tackling, rucking and scrummaging under a qualified coach, starting slowly and building up. APR's coaching clinic (May 28–31, 2027) is a good place to start.

Touch vs tag vs contact: which should you play?

Rugby has several "entry" versions, and they suit different people:

• Touch: six a side, touch replaces the tackle, rollball restarts. Best for mixed social play and sharpening handling skills.
• Tag: players wear belts with tags. Pulling a tag counts as a tackle, and the ball carrier must pass within three seconds. Popular with kids and schools.
• Sevens and tens: full-contact rugby with fewer players on a full-size field. Fast and open, with real tackles, rucks and scrums.
• Fifteens: the full game. Every position and every skill.

A lot of players start with touch, fall for the game and move into contact rugby later. Others play touch for years. Both are fine. Downtown Rugby has social and competitive squads for exactly that reason.

How can you start playing touch rugby in Las Vegas?

Downtown Rugby runs social leagues, summer touch sessions and competitive squads for every level, from first-timers to experienced players. Here is the simplest way to get involved:

1. Join The Breakdown. Social league dates, touch sessions, training times and events go out first in The Breakdown, the free weekly email from American Pro Rugby.
2. Show up ready to run. Shorts, a T-shirt, grippy shoes and water. No experience needed.
3. Stay for the third half. Rugby's "third half" is the social part after the game. At Downtown it's where strangers become teammates.

Downtown is one of five founding franchises of American Pro Rugby, alongside the Vegas Kings, the Vegas Knights, the Vegas Blackjacks and the Vegas Lions. If you want the story of how rugby grew in this city, the Blackjacks have written up the history of rugby in Las Vegas. To understand the other code, read the Kings' guide to rugby union vs rugby league. Touch grew out of rugby league circles in Sydney.

Planning a team night or celebrating a win? Our partner Luna Appleton covers where to stay, eat and celebrate in Vegas. You can find the full list of APR teams on the APR teams page and team gear in the APR merch store.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

Sources

• England Touch: The rules of Touch (simplified, based on the FIT/ETA 5th edition rulebook)
• Wikipedia: Touch (sport): origins, FIT rules, field size, mixed rules, 2024 Touch World Cup, participation
• Wikipedia: Federation of International Touch (founded 1985; 49 member nations as of March 2022)
• World Rugby: Beginner's guide, modified forms of rugby (tag, touch, beach)
• World Rugby: Get Into Rugby
• American Pro Rugby: APR Games 2027

This guide is general information about touch rugby, not individual coaching or medical advice. Rules vary between competitions: always check your league's rules. If you move into contact rugby, learn contact skills under a qualified coach.