Hey everyone, burning question as I’ve been told conflicting things - can you feign a tackle?

As in can you extend your arm as if you’re going to make a touch and then last second withdraw it? This can fool the attacking player into putting the ball down without having been touched

I play in the UK - thanks a lot!

Hi

I am playing touch rugby and want to get some boots/trainers with more grip. It looks like we will be usually playing on an outdoor 4g pitch. I currently only have running shoes which I used last week but found that I couldn't achieve quick turns and steps in those.

I was going to buy some Adidas Astro turf trainers.

Wondering if anyone had any recommendations there? It's not a super serious club or anything so I didn't really want to spend lots on special Astro turf stud shoes. These ones I'm looking at, Copa Sense .3 Astro Turf Trainers, are inexpensive and have moulded studs but seem to be marketed for football

I suspect touch rugby has a slight more emphasis on things like side steps and quick footing and really requires those quick changes. Wondering if anyone could give any advice here please?

These Astro truf trainers I am looking at seem fine, especially in dry weather, just worried about wetter conditions and whether they can maintain stability and control.

I like the price tag, and also they are quite lightweight which is an advantage. I don't think I need actual rugby Astro turf boots for casual touch rugby?

Thanks

Ex-union rugger. Played 2nd row. 6’ and currently sitting around 215. About to turn 40 and while I’ve kept up with weight training, my cardio fitness has taken a back seat. It’s been about 15 years since I last played and probably the last time I did any significant amount of running.

Recently I’ve been getting the itch to lace up the boots again but the idea of getting punched in the face for fun is less appealing at 40 when everything already hurts. Enter touch rugby. We used to do this in offseason practice but never knew it was organized.

So, what’s a good fitness level or benchmark to hit before reaching out to my local club? I know just getting out there will help but personally I would like to feel confident I can at least play a half without wanting to die.

What are the rules on if attacking player gets touched, hold possession for a few seconds and then drops the ball? Is there a roll ball or a change in possession to defending team? Same principle if attacking player gets touched and then runs into touch (into the sidelines)

I get on the roll ball, if attacking player rolls an incorrect roll ball (either dropping it during the act), over a metre of rolling or is not rolled in a parallel way to the sidelines. However, question above is attacking player gets touched and then accidentally drops the ball.

Recently received private message from a respected player within a regular social, rock up and play, no score recorded game. Basically, stop trying to play 'unstructured.' Stay in your channel and let unnamed peps run their plays.. dump and go...etc..Generally get at least 10 players show over summer, over winter up to 25 with the comps not running. I dont play comps, mid 40s, just like spinning the ball trying to razzle. We split into 2 even teams, kick on the last, no ref, lazy 5m on side, honesty calls, play for an hour plus, come and go as you like, have a beer see you next week.....There seems to be a portion of the touch rugby community that cant see another way to play and dont want to entertain anthing outside the dump and go, dump and go...your off side try game plan...is this not boring? Especially within the context of a multi generational social game of Touch? I feel like I want to show up on Monday and turn up the razz....thoughts?

We’re a newish touch team looking to improve the skills of the few players we currently have, and also grow our numbers, so I’ve got a couple of q’s for the touch community here!

I’ve noticed that once we driven the defence all the way back to their tryline we lack imagination and ideas to create a scoring opportunity. What are some good, easy-to-learn beginner plays we can be trying out that might spark inspiration?

We get around 8 players who regularly turn up at the moment, but want to increase this so we can eventually put out a competitive team. This is a long term aim, but for now we’d simply love to get more people (particularly women) coming and trying out touch, and building the social side of things around the sport.

What approaches have worked for your team/club to draw in new players from your community?

A while ago we held a bake off competition after one of our sessions which was an unexpected success! If/when we do start getting more people coming, I’d love to hear suggestions of other social events we could try out that have worked at your team/club, please share!

Many thanks for your help touchers!

I watched some touch online, it seems most of the team are happy to do one pass and run straight to a defender and get a touch, they only try to make the ball live when they reach the goal area.

So many plays I was thinking that one more pass couldn't hurt, it would have at least won more meters and at best create an opening. I wanna like the game but most of it looks like league without the physicality.

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edit: thanks for the explanations. It makes sense and is what I was suspecting, but it still feels like bad design to me. I fail to see what's interesting about the running straight part, I wish the sport would play more like 7.

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This guy makes the best explanation videos https://youtube.com/@touch.screen?si=vcslLs8l5s-UHX1K

From talking about how ML's work, to how to defend in the channel. It is ideal watching for any coaching, showing and explaining examples, with top quality analysis.

HE strikes again, his 7th transgression overall (https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/10hluxj/only_1_match_ban_for_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)

This happened in a touch rugby match in Singapore. This individual has a history of violent conduct, even in touch rugby games. The victim in Incident 9 was immediately sent to the hospital. He is still representing Singapore in overseas competition and Touch World Cup 2024.

https://reddit.com/link/1agc5nu/video/wxjsy5i7hzfc1/player

https://reddit.com/link/1agc5nu/video/husmcg8srjgc1/player

Anyone have any tips on how to get more distance on their long ball?

I can pass about 20 meters reliably on my long passes but I’m looking to improve and be able to hit the 30 meter mark. Please help me become the next Dylan Hennessey lol

Any drills, technique cues, exercises, etc. you’ve picked up along your own training would be greatly appreciated!

We organise a weekly touch game, however a lot of players have been missing out to recover niggling injuries. Does anyone have any tips to make games with less players better? We play minimum 4v4.

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But I find with the dummy half removed from that initial play (DH touch is a turnover), the attacking team is then pretty much 2v4. And our group doesn't have the agility for the touched player to always get behind the DH to make it 3v4.

Ex union prop. Trying to get back into rugby but also middle aged unfit and now doing an office job. It has always felt like touch is played at a million mph is there really a place for me in an inclusive mixed touch team or am I just setting myself up for future disappointment by getting involved.

I've been out of touch (heh) with touch for a while and I'm trying to refamiliarise myself with the rules. Can someone please help me out - has everything that was 5m now been changed to 7m?

I'm reading the FIT rules: https://cdn.internationaltouch.org/public/FIT%205th%20Edition%20Rulebook.pdf and it seems like

• The first line in-field from the try line, isn't that 5m from the try line? Now it's 7m.
• The defence now has to retire from the rollball 7m instead of 5m?
• If the ball or a player goes into touch on the sideline, the opposing team takes a rollball 7m infield, instead of 5m?

Was it always like this and I'm just going crazy? Are these new rules?

Hi my whole group is new to touch and we have had some discussions at our Saturday meet ups that the laws don’t really clear up.

1. If a player claims touch at the same time as the ball leaves the ball carrier’s hands, what supersedes? The touch or the pass? Essentially, who does the tie go to?

2. If a defensive player is behind an onside offensive player who is not the ball carrier, is that defensive player offside or can they play the ball/ball carrier?

Thanks!

We’re starting a team in my city. I have a bunch of size 5 tackle rugby balls (Rhino and Gilbert brand). Are there specific touch balls and if so, what is the difference?

To be sure, it's not the entire group. There's a lot of good people who come out. The problem is that there's 4-5 members who are sure to show up for every game, who simply cannot control their temper, and feel absolutely free to shower anyone who isn't playing up to their standards with verbal abuse. Some of them are misogynistic and simply will not pass the ball to female players regardless of their position, and of course they feel the need to mansplain even very basic concepts to women who have been playing sevens for years. Anyway their awful.

What can I do about this? I love the game, but I just don't need this kind of energy on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I approached leadership about the issue, but they told me it's just something I have to get used to. I have confronted the men in question, but they are the type of people who cannot see anything wrong about their own behavior. We have new players show up all the time for one day who disappear never to be seen again, I can't help but attribute this to the unacceptable behavior they encounter in our group.

Is this sort of thing common? I've been playing with this group for 6 years now, and I feel like I've had enough. Should I just take up tennis? Or start a competing group with the word 'Social" somewhere in the title?

Any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone! I'm Nad, a representative from a local Touch Rugby club in Singapore called Bedok Kings. Our club is currently recruiting players, and I'm just here to gather people's interest! If you have no experience and would like to try out a new sport, or if you're itching to play social touch with people then you should definitely join! You can check out our Instagram page as well for more information! Thaaaaanks a bunch!

Link to sign up: https://forms.gle/9ug6mfKWN2zxnUTY7

Instagram: @/bedokkingstouch

As a long time soccer player who's been kicking a ball since I was 4 and I am currently playing for a local no-name team, I am very curious about this. Would someone with powerful long-range shooting like Andrea Pirlo do well in Penalty Kicks? How transferable is long anger kicking power from soccer to rugby?