Touch (sport) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the formal competitive sport. For a general article on touch games, see Touch . For other types, see Touch football (disambiguation).

Touch, also called touch football or touch rugby league, is an exciting team sport similar to rugby league. The main difference is that instead of tackling, players simply 'touch' their opponents to stop them. This makes Touch a limited-contact sport, meaning it's much safer and less physical than traditional rugby.

Touch is managed by the Federation of International Touch (FIT). It's a sport that's easy to learn and doesn't need a lot of special gear. Many people enjoy playing it because it's fun, active, and has a low risk of serious injury. It's also very popular for boys and girls to play together on the same team.

Teams usually have six players on the field at a time. People of all ages play Touch, from young kids in primary school to adults over 60! The mixed-gender version, where boys and girls play together, is especially popular for casual games and even in international tournaments.

History of Touch

How Touch Began

Touch started as a fun, less physical way to play rugby. Some people say it began in Australia in 1963. It was a casual game played in parks or used as a training method for rugby league. However, a similar game called "touch and pass" was played in schools in England as early as 1956. This was because asphalt playgrounds made regular rugby league too risky.

The sport of Touch was officially created by Bob Dyke and Ray Vawdon in Australia. They were part of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club. On July 13, 1968, they formed the South Sydney Touch Football Club. The first official Touch game and competition happened in Sydney later that year.

Growing the Sport

After 1968, Touch quickly became a proper sport in Australia with its own rules. At first, it used slightly changed rugby league rules to avoid hard contact. Over time, its rules became unique and different from rugby league. Making the field half the size of a rugby league field helped the sport grow quickly.

Touch spread to Brisbane, Australia in 1972. By 1973, teams from Queensland and New South Wales were playing against each other. It reached New Zealand by 1975. In 1978, the first national organization, the Australian Touch Football Association (ATFA), was formed. This group is now known as Touch Football Australia (TFA). The first national championship was held in Gold Coast, Queensland in 1980.

In 1981, the ATFA changed its name to the Australian Touch Association (ATA) and the sport became known simply as Touch. That same year, the ATA published the first official rulebook for the game.

The first international game of Touch was played between Australia and New Zealand in Melbourne in 1985. This led to the creation of the Federation of International Touch (FIT). FIT then created the first worldwide rules for the sport.

How to Play Touch: Rules and Equipment

Understanding the Rules

The rules of Touch are set by the FIT. Many terms, like "offside" and "try," are similar to those used in rugby league.

The Playing Field

Touch is played on a rectangular grass field. It measures 70 meters long and 50 meters wide. This is about half the size of a regular rugby league field. Since kicking isn't allowed, you won't see any goal posts on a Touch field.

The Ball

The ball used in Touch is oval-shaped. It's a bit smaller than a rugby league ball, usually about 36 cm long and 55 cm around. This is often called a rugby size 4 ball.

What Players Wear

Players wear comfortable, light clothes like T-shirts or polo shirts and shorts. All shirts need to have numbers on them. Many players also wear head caps or visors to protect from the sun.

Shoes for the Game

You'll need soft rubber cleated shoes, similar to those worn in sports like cricket or field hockey. Shoes with screw-in cleats are not allowed. However, football boots with molded soles are fine.

The Referee's Role

Every Touch game needs at least one referee to make sure everyone follows the rules. For bigger games, there might be a team of three referees. One controls the game on the field, and two others help from the sidelines.

Player Positions

Teams usually have six players on the field. They are often divided into three main positions:

Wings: Two players on the outer edges of the field (right wing and left wing).
Middles: Two players in the center of the field.
Links: Two players who play between the wings and middles (right link and left link).

The "Half" Player

One special position is the "Half." This player has a few extra rules:

If the Half is touched while holding the ball, their team loses possession.
The Half cannot score a try. If they try to, the ball goes to the other team.

These rules don't apply if the Half passes the ball to a teammate and then gets it back.

How the Game is Played

Players (called Attackers) pass the ball sideways or backwards to their teammates. Kicking the ball is not allowed. The goal is to run with the ball and avoid the other team's players (called Defenders) to score a Try.

Keeping Possession

A team usually gets six chances (or "touches") to score. If they are touched six times, or if they drop the ball, or break a rule, the other team gets possession. This is called a Change of Possession or Turnover.

Scoring a Try

A Try is scored when an attacking player, who is not the Half, places the ball on or over the opposition's try line. Each Try is worth one point. In some mixed games, female players might score two points for a try to encourage everyone to share the ball.

Player Changes (Interchanges)

Teams can swap players on and off the field as many times as they want during a game.
The game doesn't stop for these changes.
A player coming onto the field must wait until the player they are replacing has left the field and entered a special Interchange Area. If they don't, the referee might give a penalty.
Players waiting to come on must stay in their Interchange Area (also called a substitution box).

Team Makeup

Teams can be all boys (Men's or Boys competitions), all girls (Women's or Girls competitions), or a mix of both (Mixed competitions).
Under standard FIT rules, a team can have up to 14 players, but only six can be on the field at one time.
In mixed teams, there are usually three boys and three girls on the field. There must be at least one boy and one girl, and no more than three boys on the field at any time.

Game Length

A standard Touch game lasts 40 minutes. This is split into two 20-minute halves, with a 5-minute break in the middle. Sometimes, game times are changed for different competitions.

Touch Around the World: Competitions and Growth

International Competitions

Touch World Cup

The first Touch World Cup was held in Gold Coast, Australia in 1988. Since then, it has been hosted in many countries, including Auckland, New Zealand (1991), Waikiki Beach, Hawaii (1995), Sydney, Australia (1999), Kumagaya, Japan (2003), Stellenbosch, South Africa (2007), Edinburgh, Scotland (2011), Coffs Harbour, Australia (2015), and Putrajaya, Malaysia (2019). The most recent World Cup was held in Nottingham, England, from July 15-21, 2024. The next World Cup in 2028 will be held in New Zealand.

Youth World Cup

The first Youth Touch World Cup for younger players was held in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001. The second was in Sunshine Coast, Australia in 2005. After a break, the event returned in 2018 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The fourth Youth Touch World Cup was planned for 2021 in Manchester, England but was moved to 2023 due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

Trans-Tasman Tests

Australia and New Zealand regularly play against each other in special games called Trans-Tasman Tests. These tests are held for different age groups, including Open (any age), Youth (Under 21), and Senior or Masters (Over 30).

Pacific Games

Touch has been a sport at the Pacific Games since 2003. It's an optional sport and includes competitions for men, women, and mixed teams.

European Championships

The Federation of International Touch (FIT) organizes the European Touch Championships, also known as "The Euros," every two years. The first Euros took place in Bristol, UK in 2010. The most recent Euros were played in Nottingham from August 2-6, 2022, with many teams from different countries competing.

Other Major Events

Touch is also a popular sport at various Masters Games events for older players. The World All Schools event brings together hundreds of school teams from around the globe every two years.

Touch in Australia

Touch is very popular across Australia, especially in areas known for rugby league and rugby union like Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT. There are over 700,000 registered players, plus many school children and casual players. The national governing body is Touch Football Australia (TFA).

From 1997 to 2018, Australia's main national competition was the National Touch League (NTL). In 2018, the NRL Touch Premiership was launched, where teams linked to NRL clubs play games before major rugby league matches. This partnership between TFA and the National Rugby League (NRL) has helped Touch grow even more in Australia.

Touch in New Zealand

Touch New Zealand is the official organization that helps develop and grow the game in New Zealand. Touch is one of the country's most popular summer sports, with over 100,000 registered players. New Zealand sent 11 teams to compete in the 2024 World Cup in Nottingham, England.

Touch in England

The England Touch Association (ETA) was formed in 1995 and has grown to over 100 clubs and 2,000 members. The ETA organizes national competitions for different age groups and genders. England also has national teams that compete internationally.

Touch in Other Countries

Touch is played in many other countries around the world, showing how popular and global the sport has become.

In Austria, the Touch Austria Association became a member of FIT in 2009.
Chile has played Touch since 1998, with leagues in Santiago and other cities. Chile even participated in the 2015 Touch World Cup.
France has a national association, Touch France, and their Men's Over 30s team won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Cup.
Germany has about 500 active players, and their national body, Touch Deutschland Sportverein, sends teams to European and World Championships.
Italy (Italia Touch) and Japan (Japan Touch Association) also have official bodies and active clubs.
In Malaysia, Touch Malaysia is the official body, with teams like the Penang Panthers.
Scotland has had leagues since 1991, and the Scottish Touch Association (STA) was formed in 2005.
Singapore has over 5,000 players and has won bronze medals at the Touch World Cups in 2011 and 2015.
South Africa has over 6,000 registered players and has sent teams to all Touch World Cups since 1995.
Switzerland (Touch Switzerland) competes in European Championships and World Cups.
The United States has growing Touch communities in many cities, including Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
Thailand also has regular Touch games, especially in Phuket and Bangkok.