Just Touch Rugby FAQ

Q1: What do I need to wear to play touch football with Just Touch Rugby?

A1: The NTRA Laws (Rulebook) covers this in section 3, Player Attire,

In summary,

• All players from an individual team must be wearing identical team shirts. Other clothing that must be worn is shorts (or like for females) socks and shoes. Shoes with screw in tags, studs or cleats cannot be worn.
• Team shirts must be individually numbered.
• All jewellery must be removed or taped over. Long fingernails must be taped or trimmed. For more detail refer to the latest version of the NTRA Laws.

Q2: My team is worried about the condition of the field, or the way the field is marked out.

A2: Ask any one of the Just Touch Rugby organisers for more info why the fields are being used.

The earlier you ask the better. You might have seen something they've missed, or they need to put out extra marker cones to better define the field boundaries. Remember though, after the hooter sounds any time spent dealing with queries comes out of your game time.

Where Just Touch Rugby declares the conditions are safe to play yet your team chooses not to play you will be deemed to have forfeited the game.

Q3: My team is worried about nearby storms.

A3: Just Touch Rugby uses the 30/30 flash-to-bang guideline to decide when it is safe to play. A time gap from the lightning flash to the bang/boom equal to 30seconds means the storm is 10 kilometres away.

When the flash-to-bang of an approaching storm reduces to 30seconds play will be called off and all players, officials and spectators will be directed to a safe location.

Play will not resume until the flash-to-bang exceeds 30seconds again.

Q4: My team is short of players tonight (late or unable to play), can we still play?

A4: The NTRA Laws (Rulebook) allows teams to begin a game with as few as four players. During the game any player sent-off reduces your player count and if this number drops below four your team will automatically forfeit the game. As per the Laws (Rules) Mixed teams still need to field at least one male and no more than three males.

Even if you have less than six players your opposition is still allowed to use six players.

Refer to the NTRA Laws section 4, Team Composition for more details.

Notes:
i) You may also substitute players that are not part of your normal team provided the opposing team captain agrees prior to the start of the game.

• This applies to normal season rounds only. During Finals rounds you may only use players that have signed on at least five (5) times during the season.
• Any team attempting to regularly substitute a player from a higher grade (super-sub) to unfairly boost their game results may be disqualified and lose their competition points and for-against record for tries scored during that game.
• Any team caught signing on players who are not present will forfeit their game and lose their competition points and for-against record for tries scored during that game.

ii) If the substitute player has not borrowed a team shirt the opposition team captain will also need to agree to let them play in a non-uniform shirt.

• During Finals rounds all players must wear your team’s uniform shirt.

Q5: The other team captain is asking us to allow them to make some adjustments to their team, do we have to do something?

A5: Pre-game arrangements between team captains are allowed provided the arrangement,

• Does not break the NTRA Laws (Rules),
• Is not made using bullying or coercion,
• Is fair to both teams and
• Agreement is reached promptly. (Does not delay game start.)

These arrangements are only a request and you do not have to agree if you don't wish to.

However if you do agree the arrangement/s stand for the game and can not be reversed afterwards. You may take back your agreement at half time provided there is no advantage from the arrangements relating to the direction of play.

For example these sort of arrangements might cover matters such as,

• Allowing a player out of team uniform,
• Allowing a substitute player who is not part of the normal team,
• Reducing the number of players on the field, and other similar issues.
• The guiding principle is, if the other team captain doesn't ask you, or if they do ask but you do not agree, then it is NOT allowed. Bring it to the attention of the referee and/or a Just Touch Rugby official.

If you are unsure about a request it is OK to say "no".

If agreement has not been reached when the game start hooter sounds the referee can direct you to begin play - the suggested arrangements do NOT apply.

Q6: The opposing team captain is asking us to let them substitute a junior boy to play instead of one of their female players.

A6: Strictly according to NTRA Laws this is not allowed, however in social grades Just Touch Rugby will allow a local Rule Variation on a case-by-case basis for an individual player. Any team wishing to do this must request an assessment of the playing ability of the junior boy in order to qualify for the local rule variation. The assessment will be performed by an independant, experienced player representative.

Even where the assessment decides that there is no unfair advantage playing a specific individual junior male in this way the team captain from the opposing team must also get agreement from your team captain prior to the game starting.

Where the opposing team captain intends to make this request each week they can make an application to Just Touch Rugby to submit to all other team managers/captains for their permission to play a particular junior boy in lieu of a female for a specified period of time up to but no longer than a single competition season.

Just Touch Rugby reserves the right to rescind the local rule variation at any time by giving notice to the team manager/captain.