WHAT IS TAG RUGBY?

Tag Rugby is a non-contact version of Rugby League. Each player wears shorts with two Velcro patches on either side of the hip. Attached to the Velcro patches are two coloured flags or tags. Each tag measures 38cm by 6cm and are usually brightly coloured. In Tag Rugby points are scored by carrying the ball and touching it to the ground in a controlled manner beyond the opposing team's goal line. This is called a try. Diving over the try line is not allowed. Tries are worth one point and there are no conversions. The aim of Tag Rugby is to score more points through tries than the opposition.

Attacking in Tag Rugby

The team in possession of the ball are the attacking team. Attacking players attempt to run past and evade defenders or pass the ball around the defending team to get to the goal line. The rugby ball always gets passed backwards. You must try to stay behind the ball at all times.

Defending in Tag Rugby

The defending team attempts to prevent them from scoring by pulling the tags from the Velcro patches of the person carrying the ball. When a player is tackled or “tagged” the player in possession on the ball must stop immediately. When tackled, the player must stop, put the ball on the ground between their feet and roll the ball backwards gently. This is called a ruck ball.

The attacking team has six plays or tags to try to score a try. If no try is scored after the sixth ‘tag’, the opposition gain possession of the ball and restart with a tap kick. No contact with any other player is allowed.

A summary of Tag Rugby

Tag is a brilliant sport, suitable for all fitness levels, ages, and sporting abilities. Guys and girls play together in a competitive environment. Tag is a great way to keep healthy and have fun whilst doing it.

TAG RUGBY VS TOUCH RUGBY

There are many differences in the rules of Tag and Touch Rugby. The main difference is a tag needing to be removed to constitute a tackle, as opposed to making touch with Touch Rugby. The other main features of Tag that are different to Touch include:

• kicking is allowed,

• the ball is allowed to touch the ground and;

• a marker being allowed to stand in the ruck.

Rucking - the roll ball

The ruck (or roll ball) is a vital tag rugby skill. A team that can catch, pass and roll effectively will be able to offer a challenge to most sides they encounter. However, as with basic passing and catching, the roll ball is often overlooked as players look to develop more complicated (but less important or effective) ways of playing. The primary aim of rucking is to advance the ball up the field as quickly as possible while using the fewest number of tags. If executed correctly it is the simplest way to catch a defence offside which in turn creates opportunities to score. 

When to roll the ball back

After you have been tagged your forward momentum might have taken you forwards a couple of steps, or you might not have realised you have been tagged until the referee made you aware. Either way, it’s imperative you get back to the mark you were tagged as quickly as possible. This will usually be just in front of the defender who has tagged you. This is where you will execute the roll ball. 

How to roll the ball back

To execute a roll ball with the greatest efficiency place the ball on the ground between your feet lengthways so that the points of the ball are facing left and right as you see it.

With either foot, roll the ball back with the sole of your foot. However, not too fast as to make it difficult for the dummy half to pick up. 

HOW TO LOB PASS

The lob pass is handy in rugby games. Valuable when you're surrounded by defenders who are running in passing lanes between you and your support. A lob pass is a high, looping pass that goes just over the outstretched arms of the opposition. 

When to lob pass.

You should only use a lob pass in very special circumstances. You need at least one supporting player fairly close and there is an opposition player in the way. 

The lob pass used end-over-end pass, but with more upward momentum. You can throw a longer distance but the further you throw the riskier it becomes getting caught from an opponent. Weigh up the benefits of the pass and the potential consequences.

Lobbing the ball to your only supporter when close to their try-line is probably worth the risk. You may get a try.

It`s very different from attempting it to one of several supporters near your own try-line - you risk giving away a try!

How to make a lob pass

You usually use two hands to execute the lob pass, but it can be performed one-handed if needed.

Use the same technique as the end-over-end pass, but let go of the ball later. Your fingers should be facing the head (or higher) of the  Use a combination of arms wrists and fingers to move the ball the required distance with a lob.

Main points

• short to medium pass

• ball passed over your shoulder

• a gentle lob to fall into path of supporter(s)

• great awareness of target needed

• wrists and fingers only propel the ball

HOW TO ONE HANDED PASS

If you have an opposition player who is about to tackle you, but they are blocking the passing lane to your teammate, you can use a one-handed pass to throw the ball over the tackling players head to your teammate. 

From the grip, transfer the ball to one hand and hold it high above the players head. Draw your elbow back and then push the ball to your teammate, following through with your wrist. 

HOW TO REVERSE FLICK - OFFLOAD

If you need to offload the ball quickly when you are about to get tackled

From the grip, shift the ball to one hand - the opposite side you are about to be tackled.

Draw your elbow up, so that it’s in line with your shoulder. Your forearm should be pointing down with the ball in your hand. Flick the ball back with your wrist to your teammate out the back of your hand.

A very instinctive pass which can be devastating when used because it is so unexpected. 

HOW TO DIVE PASS

If you are dummy half and find yourself under pressure from the defence and need to get the ball away very quickly. 

Dive forwards and throw the ball at the same time. Grip the ball in both hands and throw from below the waist, through the length of your body in a scooping motion and released when your arms are fully stretched.

HOW TO HOLD A RUGBY BALL

It's important to start with a good grip. You must spread out your fingers and use your fingertips to grip the ball. Create a cage-like structure from which the rugby ball cannot escape. Avoid touching the ball with the palms of your hands. You don’t want the ball stuck in your palms when you want to make a pass. Put each thumb on a seam and have each set of fingers along the other seams. Your elbows should be bent and the tip-off the ball should be facing up.  

It’s important to hold the ball in two hands in front of you, instead of tucked under one arm. No one can knock the ball out of your hands in Tag Rugby so there is less need to protect the ball from defenders. Also, having the ball in front gives you the option the pass the ball quicker. There is less chance of a knock-on if you hold the ball in two hands as well.

THE HISTORY OF TAG RUGBY

Tag Rugby’s origins can be traced back to 1983 in Gibraltar. Sportswriter Terry Godwin described seeing the game being played by Navy serviceman and locals. A lack of grass pitches meant an alternative variant to rugby was developed to play whilst on board ships or hard grounds. A 25cm belt was tucked into the waistband, and its removal by an opponent with a shout of ‘tag’, was classed as a ‘tackle’. If the attacking team failed to score by the fourth ‘tackle’, the defending team was given possession of the ball.

From the decks of Navy ships and the shores of Gibraltar, the game made its way to Plymouth, England via former serviceman called Barry Johns. In 1990 the modified version of tag rugby was created and pioneered by PE teacher Nick Leonard. He was also introduced to Velcro tags by a South African called Robert Macdonald. He explained the tags were being used in America to play a non-contact version of American Football. Leonard recognised the use they could have for a non-tackle form of Rugby. Leonard devised a set of rules suitable for children using belts and ribbons. He organised the first ever schools Tag Rugby festival at UCP Marjon, Plymouth in 1991, attracting 8 schools. The following year 20 schools participated and now over 250 primary schools in Devon annually compete in mixed Tag Rugby Festivals.

Meanwhile, in 1992 Sydney, Australia. Former St George Dragons halfback Perry Haddock founded the non-contact sport of OzTag while coaching a Rugby League junior team. He developed tag rugby initially as an aid to develop passing and running skills in his young players.

By 1993, the game had caught on as a separate sport in it’s own right. Played at first in the Sydney area, with 28 tag rugby teams playing in a local league, tag rugby quickly caught on and spread across Australia.

Tag rugby soon spread to New Zealand where the game became known as Kiwi tag, and after a few years of informal play, was organised by the governing body Auckland Kiwi tag Inc in 2005.

Tag rugby was introduced to Ireland in 2000 by the Irish Tag Rugby Association ITRA working in tandem with the Irish Rugby Football Union. Tag rugby had taken off in the republic of Ireland and has approximately 30,000 people playing tag rugby - a number that has been increasing since 2007.

The company Try Tag rugby began running autumn and winter tag rugby competitions in 2009 throughout London which are proving to be popular. Many Australian and Kiwi players currently living in London play.

Australia and Ireland can be seen as being the centres of tag rugby but the game is spreading and has recently begun to be played in South Africa. There is also some interest in tag rugby in the USA where it is known as flag football, but the game has a way to go yet before it is recognised in Europe and at the moment remains a niche sport. Tag rugby is still a very new sport but perhaps it will be played on a global level in the not so distant future.

Tag rugby comes in several forms with OzTag and Mini Tag being some of the better known variations. Tag rugby has the highest participation levels in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

HOW TO MAKE A SPIRAL PASS OR SPIN PASS

Spin passes are generally used for longer passes in tag rugby because they are faster and more accurate over long distances than the end-over-end pass. A spin pass can also be used for short passes as well for when you want it to be delivered quicker. The spin you create reduces the air resistance so that the ball travels quicker and straighter.

However, the spin pass should not be overused. When your target receives this pass the ball is spinning rapidly and is much more difficult to catch than other passes. It is also worth remembering that wet and windy playing conditions can make the spin pass difficult to execute and to catch. In these conditions passes should be shorter and more care should be taken with accuracy.  

Note: This article is for right-handed players making a pass to the left. For left-handed passes, simply flip the instructions.

The ball is horizontal in front of you. Place your right hand, palm facing down on the back of the ball. Your fingers should be on the seam of the ball. This will help with the spin. The arc between your thumb and first finger should point at your desired target. 

Place your left hand underneath the ball at the top of the ball. The left hand is a guiding hand, meaning it doesn't have to grip tightly. Simply place it underneath the ball, palm up, so that your thumb is near the left-most point (nose) of the ball.
Pull the ball back to your right hip. While you use your right arm for most of the power on a right-handed throw, you want to get your body as involved as possible for maximum strength. Pull the ball back to your hip, leaving it roughly horizontal as you do.

Try and keep the ball pointing the right way as you bring it down -- you don't want to try rotating it into the right alignment as you throw it.
Turn your upper body to face the target. With the ball still down at your hips, rotate your shoulders to your teammate. The better your shoulders are squared up to them, the more accurate your throw will be.

Toss your arms at the target, keeping the ball low and horizontal. Keep the ball at roughly the same level, roughly hip/belly height, throughout the throwing motion. Your right arm will give most of the power, so focus on pushing from the right on a right-handed throw. Use your left hand to guide the throw to its target.

• Your inside arm will stay relatively in place, elbow slightly bent.

• Your outside arm should curve a bit outside, with the elbow pointing out.

Follow through with both arms extended at your target. Keep your hands moving until both arms are fully extended. They should point at your target. In general, your left palm will face up from guiding the ball and your right palm will face down from the wrist snap.

Adding extra spin.

Once you’ve mastered the wind up and follow through to make the ball spin you can use your fingers to add extra spin on the ball.

Snap the fingers on your right hand back towards your body. As you finish the throw, slide your right hand down and towards your chest, "pulling" the skin of the ball down and into a spin. This is the hardest part of the motion, but is easy to learn with some practice. 

You can also work on snapping your right thumb forward, spinning the ball clockwise as you release.

DEFENDING AS A TEAM

Great teams are built on defence. Although Tag Rugby can be a high scoring game, the match is won by the tries that the opposition does NOT score - in other words, by the defence.

The defence is much tougher than attack and is built on individuals working hard, keeping the defensive patterns, making their tackles and competing aggressively for the ball. 

The first rule of defence is to deny the opposition possession of the ball. The second rule of defence is when the opposition has the ball, deny them and space.

There are two basic patterns of defence

1) man-on-man

2) zone defence

Man-on-man

In a Man-on man, the defenders line up opposite the attackers, one defender for one attacker. Each player identifies the opposition whom it is their responsibility to tackle. 

Zone defence

In a zone defence, the defenders don’t line up against an opposing player is responsible for one of six or seven lanes (zones) across the width of the field. The players are in a line facing the opposition, with the players at each end of the line slightly set back ready for kicks and to adopt the sweeper role as necessary. Those on the ends come forward as the ball approaches their zone.

When the ball carrier enters a defender's lane it is their responsibility to tackle the ball carrier. The defender stays in their lane. The principle is that no player follows the ball or an opposition player out of their zone. The defender holds their own space and the defensive line as a whole holds its formation. Once play moves out of a defender's lane, the lanes realign slightly to the other lanes, as the lanes will become narrower or wider, depending on how play develops. Once again good judgement is required here on the part of the defender.

What is inside out defending?

Defend inside-out The defender takes a position to tackle the ball carrier inside-out. This means from the inside forcing the attackers out in the direction of the sideline. In theory, continually forced in this direction, the attackers will run out of space. In practice, the advantage of inside-out defence is that the attacker has only one option -to pass the ball outwards- as the tackler is blocking the inside pass. All players must be well drilled in the inside-out pattern of defence. 

Awareness & peripheral vision

Defenders must have dual awareness- of what is happening with the ball, and what is happening with the player they are marking. The player they are marking is more important to watch, so players have to develop peripheral vision to watch the ball out of the corner of their eye at the same time. The better a defender's peripheral vision, the closer they can stand towards the attack. Otherwise they might have to stand further back  but making sure to align with the other defenders when the ball approaches their zone. 

Keeping the line steady 

The line advances towards the opposition in formation. The fact that the line is united is more important than the speed of advance towards the attackers, individual players coming forward too quickly will create gaps in the line. 

Cutting down space

The first stage of defence is to compete aggressively with the opposition for the ball  so that even if they win it, they are only getting scraps of time and space to use it.

Stifle the opposition. Instead of giving them the whole field, try and make them play in a telephone box. Crowd and compete with them at every opportunity. 

Allow them no opportunity to have players hitting the ball at pace (thus gaining an advantage over static defenders)

Be very alert to what the attacking team is doing and mirror them.Track them, keep your attention on them and stay balanced on your feet. The fact that no gaps are opening up will cast doubt in the attackers' minds. This will force them to become desperate and make mistakes. See diagram opposite. 

Rush defence The speed at which the defence moves forward can also disrupt the opposition. Sometimes a rush defence is used, but the speed of advance of the defence should be varied to upset the rhythms of opposition. 

EVADING A TACKLE

Sidestep.

A side step occurs when a ball carrier heading in one direction suddenly changes course and heads off on a different path. This move is one of the easiest and most effective ways of getting past an opponent. A good time to use a side step is when you’re running with the ball and a defender lines you up for a one-on-one tackle. 

To set up the side step, run directly at a would-be defender, which will cause the player to slow down while preparing to make a tackle. Just before the defender makes a move for your tag, slow down a bit. If you want to sidestep to your right, drop your body weight onto your bent left leg, planting the foot firmly on the ground. Drop your shoulder to your left and then drive off your left leg and push away is a sideways direction to your right. 

When you’ve sidestepped around your opponent, accelerate to full speed and continue your run. The key is to slightly reduce your pace before you make your move and to explode off the driving leg to create as much distance possible between you and the defender.

Adding deception:

Before you push off to the right, feint with your body to make your opponent think you’re about to go left

Although the side step may sound like a bit like a fancy move from a 70’s disco movie, it’s a great skill in rugby because if it's done well the defender in front of you looks pretty foolish grabbing thin air as you cruise by.

Do the spin

In the spin move, the ball carrier makes the defender commit by running into space and as the defender's arm is stretched out to grab a tag you do a pirouette. The spin is made by quickly twisting, swivelling your hips, and turning your back on the tackler.

Throwing the dummy

A dummy is a simple fake pass. By throwing a dummy, you lead your opponent to believe you’re going to pass the ball to a teammate, but at the last minute (just as your opponent changes direction to follow the ball) you pull it back and continue running.

The move involves faking the pass with your eyes, arms, and body while maintaining awareness to see if the defender bites on the misdirection. When the tackler takes the bait and commits towards the receiver, pull back the ball and cut upfield. If you don’t do a good enough job of selling the dummy, you will be an easy target for a tackle.

(a) If the ball carrier comes into contact with the referee whilst trying to evade a tackle, a tackle will be called at the previous tackle count and a ruck ball shall take place at the position where the ball carrier came into contact with the referee. 

(b) Where a referee interferes with play and, in their opinion, has prevented a tackle, the referee shall award a ruck ball to the team in possession at the previous tackle count. 

(c) If the ball carrier falls or dives to the ground the tackle will be counted. The ball carrier shall be asked to conduct a ruck ball no less than five metres out from the goal line and the tackle count will continue. If this occurs on the last tackle a ruck ball to the opposition (changeover) will occur

(d) All players must stay on their feet. A player must not dive to the ground.