Player Eligibility & Competition Rules

Tag League — Player Eligibility & Competition Rules

Purpose: Keep Tag League safe, fair, and consistent across all venues and divisions.
Applies to: All senior Tag League competitions, trainings, tournaments, and sanctioned events.

1) Player Eligibility & Registration

• Age: Senior comps are 16+ in the calendar year of competition. Junior players must be not turning the age in the year of the competition. EG: U10 a player can not turn 10 in the calendar year.
• Membership & rego: Players must hold a current Tag League membership and be registered to the team (visible on the digital roster) before kick-off. No rego = no play.
• Financial / disciplinary status: Unfinancial or suspended players cannot take the field.
• Team size: Teams require a minimum of 10 registered players to compete across the season.
• ID & sign-on: Photo ID must be presented and players must sign on at the desk before each game (late arrivals must sign on at half-time).
• Finals eligibility: Each player must have played 5+ games for their team in the season to qualify for finals.
• Fill-ins:
  
  • Must be from the same or lower division (e.g., Div 1 cannot fill in for Div 3).
  • Must be registered, sign in, and wear the official fill-in shirt.
  • Max 2 fill-ins per game; max 3 games as a fill-in per player per season.
  • No fill-ins in finals under any circumstances.
• Breaches: Using unregistered/ineligible players or breaching eligibility rules may result in match penalties, suspensions, or disqualification. Repeat breaches can lead to multi-game suspension or removal from the competition.

2) Medical Conditions & Safety

• Disclosure: Pre-existing medical conditions should be disclosed at registration (or when known). We may request a short fitness-to-play form.
• Pregnancy: Participation is a personal decision. Pregnant players should consult their clinician and consider risks.
• Inherent risk: Tag League is low-contact, non-tackling, but injuries can occur (e.g., heat illness, sprains/tears, fractures, concussion; rare but serious outcomes are possible). Protective gear can reduce risk.

3) Uniform & Equipment

• Shorts/tights: Official Tag League-branded shorts or tights only. Belts are not permitted.
• Footwear: No screw-in or metal studs. Plastic moulded studs/blades or runners are required. No barefoot.
• Team shirts: From Round 2, shirts must be:
  
  • Uniform colour, clearly numbered (min 25 cm height / 25 mm line thickness), unique (max two digits), and able to be tucked in.
  • No taped numbers. Hand-painted is acceptable if clearly visible from across the field.
  • Penalty: For each non-compliant player beyond Week 2, the opposition starts +2 match points.
• Sharing shirts: Not permitted during a game.
• Match kit: Match ball and tags are supplied for each game and remain league property. Fines apply for missing equipment.

4) Weather & Ground Closures

• Council decisions: Council determines ground status after wet weather; closures can extend to allow recovery.
• Notifications: Updates posted by 4:00 pm on the Wet Weather page and sent by email/app where possible.
• Washouts: One washout round only, then schedule push-back as needed.
• On-night decisions: The GDM may continue, suspend, or abandon play for heavy rain/standing water, high wind, or lightning.
  
  • Complete first half: result stands (half-time score recorded).
  • Before half-time: game is rescheduled where possible.

5) Game Start, Lateness & Forfeits

• Readiness: Collect tags and be ready before scheduled start. The referee’s whistle controls the game (central horn is a time guide).
• Minimum on-field: A team may start short if registered players are en route. Minimum 5 of your own on the field to start; Mixed requires at least 1 female.
• Late sign-on: Late players must sign on at half-time or a match point penalty applies per player (or forfeit if not rectified).
• Lateness penalties: 3-minute grace; at 4th minute −1 point, then −1 every 2 minutes to 10th minute (max −4).
• Forfeit: At 10 minutes, recorded 5–0, no competition points to the forfeiting team.

• Notice: If you’ll be late or short, contact Tag League.

  a) Notice periods and consequences

  Tag League applies different outcomes depending on when the forfeit is confirmed. The below forfeit rules apply to our Open Age and Mixed competitions.

  i. Forfeit within 5 days of the scheduled match

  • A formal warning will be issued.

  • Only one (1) warning will be issued per team
    for the season.

  ii. Forfeit within 24 hours of the scheduled match

  • A $50 team fine will be added to the team statement.

  • The fine must be paid before the team’s next scheduled game.

  iii. Second forfeit (or forfeit on the day/evening of the match)

  • A $100 team fine will be added to the team statement.

  • The fine must be paid before the team’s next scheduled game.

  • A deduction of 3 competition points will be applied to the team ladder position.

  b) Repeat forfeits and removal from the competition

  If a team forfeits two (2) or more matches in a season, the team’s position in the competition will be formally reviewed by Tag League management. Following review, and where deemed necessary, the team may be removed from the competition.

  c) Payment and eligibility to play

  • Any fine issued under this policy is payable by the team (team organiser is responsible for ensuring payment is made).

  • Teams with outstanding forfeit fines are not eligible to play until payment has been received.

  d) Communication expectations (on the night)

  For any match impacted within 48 hours of kick-off:

  • The team organiser must email Tag League and follow up with a call or text message.

  • It is the organiser’s responsibility to ensure the communication has been received and acknowledged by Tag League.

6) Bonus Tag (Season Feature)

• Designation: Each team designates one Bonus Tag wearer before kick-off (recorded at check-in).

• Scoring: The wearer’s tries are double points.

• Fixed: No swaps during the game.

• Limits: A player may wear the Bonus Tag max 3 times per season, and only once in finals.

7) Conduct & Discipline

• Standards: Play with fun and fair play. Zero tolerance for violence, abuse, intimidation, discrimination, bullying, or harassment (on or off field, including online).
• Alcohol/drugs: Players under the influence will be directed to leave.
• Jewellery & clothing: No jewellery (except plain bands taped if necessary). No hoodies/jackets on field. Hats allowed backwards; hats with drawstrings removed. Fingernails trimmed to fingertip length.
• Respect officials: Follow Referee/GDM directions. Off-field participants and supporters must also behave appropriately; officials may stop play or sanction teams for supporter misconduct.
• Sin Bin / Send Off:
  
  • Sin Bin: temporary removal; no replacement during bin time.
  • Send Off: remainder of match; no replacement. Automatic 1-week suspension plus review.
• Indicative penalties (may increase for repeat/serious conduct):
  
  • Foul play (Send Off): 1 week + review; extra weeks for repeats.
  • Referee abuse (Send Off): 2 weeks + review; extra weeks for repeats.
  • Throwing a punch (instigator or retaliation): 4 weeks + review; repeat = disqualification.
  • Threats to officials: 4 weeks + review; repeat = disqualification.
  • Team discipline: 3 send-offs in a season = −2 competition points (and potential termination).
  • Game called off for incident: team at fault may forfeit/match penalty; in physical altercations, the league may stand down both teams for 1 week.
• Appeals: Local convenor is first arbiter. Reviews by Tag League Association are available with a $200 fee (refunded if upheld).
• Records: Conduct records are kept; repeat offenders receive higher penalties.

8) Injury Reporting

• Immediate: Inform the referee and GDM at the time of injury.
• Documentation: GDM completes an injury report on the night.

9) Player Additions / Replacements

• In-season injuries: Players that are injured during season are not eligible for a refund of league fees. A new player may be added to the team at any point in the season to replace an injured player. This replacement player must purchase their own Tag League Membership and League Fee.  
• Late-season special case: Within 3 games of finals, a player who has played ≥3 games for the team may be approved as a replacement for a seriously injured player (requires GM approval and medical certificate).
• Cut-off: After Round 5, no new players can be added.

10) Prizes

• All competitions offer season prizes (may vary by venue/season).

Questions? admin@TagLeague.com.au

Remember: No rego = no play. Play fair, have fun, and respect the game.