Players Guidelines

Last updated 13th January 2025 

Player Eligibility

  • All participants in Senior Competitions must be at least 15 years of age in the calendar year of the competition.
  • All participants must be a registered & paid team member of the Local Tag League Competition.
  • For local competitions, each team must have a minimum of 10 players to be eligible to compete, 12 or more is recommended. Team registrations will replace all individual player registration. Team fees are subject to location and length of compettion. Ie an 8 week competitition is $800 with no maximum number of players to be paid for a team fee – a team of 8 and a team of 15 are both $800 for this competition.
  • Teams must be completed in full by each participant at time of registration into our Spawtz online system.
  • All participants must sign on with Photo ID prior to taking the field for each game. Each player needs to sign on at the desk to take the field.
  • Every player in a team must play a minimum of 3 games to be eligible to play in the semi finals and grand final games. Players who have not played in a minimum of 3 games will not be eligible to play finals regardless if they are a fully paid player in the team.
  • We encourage teams play all their games, but there are occasions where a team may be short of players due to unforseen circumstances. To avoid a forfeit which would cause both teams to miss a round, we allow the use of “Fill In” players on a limited basis.
  • “Fill In” Players must be from the same or lower division. Eg. Division 1 players cannot Fill In for a Division 3 side.
  • Teams can use unregistered players otherwise known as “Ring In’s” to play in their team. They must be registered online in Spawtz to be able to play and take the field. A “Ring In” is a player not currently registered and playing in Tag League competitions.
  • Teams need to advise the competition convenor or supervisor that they propose to use a “Fill In” so they can be added onto their list. Any player used as a “Fill In” must sign on for that team for that game.
  • A Fill In is not entitled to participate in any prize should the team they Filled In for win a prize.
  • Teams who are in breach of guidelines on more than 1 occasion will be suspended for 1 or more games, with teams who are found to be repeat offenders being suspended or disqualified from the competition.
  • “Fill In’s” CANNOT be used in Finals Series Games under ANY circumstances. This includes players who have not played in the team for more than 3 games. Where a team is short and do not have a bench, no Fill In’s or Ring In’s can assist as a Sub role.

Medical Conditions

  • The safety of participants is paramount. Pre-existing medical conditions need not be an impediment to playing, but must be reported at time of registration or when the participant becomes aware of such condition. For people with pre-existing conditions, a form needs to be completed with questions answered that allow the determination of whether someone is fit to play.
  • Female participants who are pregnant can play if they so choose in their first trimester & depending on their circumstance into their second trimester. The decision to play is a personal choice & participants who are pregnant should consult their physician as to whether they should play.
  • Whilst Tag League is a low contact non-tackling sport, participants understand that playing any sport can result in injuries. Whilst every precaution is taken in the administration of games to prevent injury, circumstances can occur where injuries are sustained. These include but are not limited to heat stroke, bruising, muscle sprains & tears, joint dislocations, broken bones, concussion & in rare cases death. Participants can reduce the risk of injury by the use of protective equipment.

Personal Injury Protection

  • Tag League is a non-tackling sport. However, injuries do occur from time to time. The following will assist in the prevention of injury;
    • Mouthguards – Mouthguards help prevent tooth damage or loss, reduce cuts to the lip, mouth & tongue & decrease susceptibility to jaw fractures & risk of concussion.
    • Bracing/Strapping – Preventative taping has been found to:
      • Reduce severity of injury to ligaments
      • Lower recurrence of injury by as much as 75%
  • Supporting garments such as “Skins” are considered useful, as they can provide support & reduce risk of abrasion.
  • Players are not permitted to take the field in a metal brace, casts or using any supporting appliance that may cause another player injury.
  • Warm Up/Stretch & Warm Down. Cold muscles, tendons & ligaments are more vulnerable to injury. Stretching improves flexibility, which allows you to move your joints through their full range of motion.

Equipment

  • Official Tag League shorts or tights must be worn, some alternative Tag Sports Shorts may be worn. Please check with the competition supervisor if yours are suitable. Home made shorts or official shorts that have been modified in any way are not permitted. We do not permit the use of belts in any games.
  • No screw in studded footwear can be worn, nor can any metal studded boots. Boots with plastic moulded studs, Blades or Runners are required. You cannot play bare footed.
  • Team shirts must be worn from at latest round 3, be clearly numbered (to a minimum height of 25cm & 25mm in thickness) with unique numbers (maximum 2 digits), uniform in colour, & must be of a length that can be tucked into shorts or tights. Teams beyond week 3 who have members without compliant shirts will mean the opposition may start with 3 match points on their scorecard.
  • Shirts with temporary numbers such as tape are not permitted. Shirts with hand painted numbers are permitted but MUST be clearly marked (to a minimum height of 25cm & 25mm in thickness) such that they are clearly visible from across a field.
  • Players may NOT share / swap shirts with another player/s during a game.
  • An official Tag League match ball & tags will be provided for the use of players in their game, but remains the property of the association & must be left on the field following their game.
  • Practice balls & tags can be loaned for the purposes of warm up by teams. A deposit or surety may be required & given back when equipment is returned.

Fees

  • All participants must be paid in full under the competition Team Fee. The team fee is a fixed amount and is not based on the number of players in a team.
  • The delegate or team captain is responsible for ensuring the full team fee is paid prior to the commencement of the competition. Delegates must ensure that all fees are collected and paid in full before any team members can participate. It is the responsibility of the delegate to cover any outstanding fees before players take the field.
  • Each team must have a minimum of 10 fully paid players to be eligible to compete.
  • Fees vary by competition area & are set based on the relative costs of the competition which are influenced by length of season, field hire charges & other factors. Fees contribute to covering the costs of running the competition, which include administration, staff and referee wages, ground hire, line marking, equipment, prizes, and subsidies for representative teams in local tournaments.
  • All Fee’s are payable prior to the start of the competition, must be paid prior to taking the field for Round 1 by all participants.
  • People who play or attempt to play without paying in full are considered not registered & will have competition points removed and allocated as a forfeit until payment has been received. Teams will face penalties ranging from loss of competition points, suspension from or disqualification from the competition for non payment.
  • When registering, teams & individuals must pay in full or leave a non refundable deposit to confirm their registration.
  • Refunds are only available in the following circumstances;
    • Withdrawal prior Competition Draw developed – Credit
    • Withdrawal prior Competition Start once draw developed – Credit
    • Withdrawal once the Competition Starts – No Refund
    • Withdrawal due to Injury – No Refund
    • Suspension or Disqualification from Competition – No Refund
    • Discretionary Grounds – will vary by circumstance, deposits are non refundable. Tag League will charge a $150 administration fee where there are refunds requested.

Weather

  • If wet weather is experienced, the Local Council generally will determine if grounds are open for use or not. This can at times extend for a period following wet weather to allow time for grounds to dry for the purpose of avoiding damage.
  • In the event that grounds are closed, an update will be posted on the Wet Weather page on Tag League’s website. The Facebook Group page may also be updated. Team delegates will be called within an hour of the game commencing and email sent thtough spawtz for all players. 
  • It is the policy of the Tag League Association that all rounds of a competition should be played in full.
  • Provision for a number of wet weather replay rounds will be scheduled every season, up to 3 for a 12 week season can be used as a guide. Where additional access to fields during a season is possible, all wet weather affected rounds will be rescheduled, or as many as can be accommodated.
  • If foul weather is experienced during play, it will at the discretion of the competition supervisor to continue, suspend or abandon play. As a general rule, play will continue in Drizzle Rain, but if rain is heavy & standing water is apparent on the fields, play will be abandoned. In the event of stormy conditions such as high wind or lightning, play will be suspended until conditions ease, with any incomplete games concluded where possible. Any unplayed games will be rescheduled.
  • Where play is abandoned, games that have played a full first half will be considered complete, with the half time score being recorded for that round. Games abandoned before half time will be rescheduled. 

Team Names & Individual Privacy

  • Teams are required to nominate a name that participating players are known as collectively.
  • Team names should be short, less than 20 characters, comprehensible & easily pronounced.
  • Competitions are social, so pop culture names that are fun & inoffensive will be permitted.
  • Team names cannot be overtly sexist, racist, religious or politically oriented.
  • Teams who nominate a name that does not comply with guidelines will be asked to change their name. Refusing to do so will be grounds for exclusion from competition.
  • Team names are used in Competition Draws, Results & Tables.
  • No details of individual players will be made public or displayed on Tag League web sites.
  • Details of players will also not be shared with any person for any reason unless approved by the player in question, in compliance with Australian Privacy Laws.
  • Player details may however be shared with Law Enforcement Authorities if demands are made through proper channels for legitimate reasons.

Game Start

  • Teams are to collect their tags from the referee & be ready for play before the scheduled start time.
  • All games should start at their scheduled time. This will be brought to the teams attention by the sounding of the referee’s whistle.
  • Timing of games is usually by the sounding of a horn, but players must play to the referee’s whistle. The horn is a guide to the referee to indicate that centralised time is being called.
  • Teams may start short of players if they have registered players who are running late. A team must have a minimum of 5 players of their own on the field for them to be eligible to play, 1 of which must be female for Mixed competitions.
  • Teams may use Fill Ins/Ring Ins if they are short players, refer to player eligibility rules.
  • Teams arriving late can take the field without signing on, but MUST sign on at the half time break or will be penalised a match point for each person not signed on.
  • Teams who are late to arrive will be given 3 minutes grace. At the 4th minute a one point penalty will be awarded against the late team. A further point will be awarded every two minutes up to the tenth minute (4 point penalty).
  • The game will be called a forfeit at the tenth minute, with a 5-0 score line recorded & no competition points awarded against the forfeiting team.
  • If the game starts late, the first half will be shortened by that amount of time.
  • Teams who know they will run late or are running late should contact the local competition supervisor & advise them of the circumstances.
  • Teams who know they will not be able to participate on any given night should call the local competition supervisor & advise them that the team will forfeit. This should be done by 12pm on the scheduled day of play. This is a sign of courtesy to the local competition & the opposing team. Teams who do so will receive 1 match point & 1 competition point.
  • Teams who forfeit without notice will receive a Forfeit Penalty which means they get Zero Competition points for that round and -1 competition point & 0 Match Points.

Team Conduct & Responsibilities

  • Participants are to play with a spirit of Fun & Fair Play at all times.
  • No player is to take the field under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Referee’s or supervisors will instruct players suspected of being intoxicated to leave, exercising their duty of care in the process.
  • No jewellery is to be worn, including but not limited to neck laces, watches or bracelets, piercing rings or studs & rings (other than simple bands). Security of items that need to be removed is the responsibility of the player. Items that cannot be removed will need to be taped for the protection of participants. Hoodies/Jackets can be worn with the hood and draw strings tucked away. Hats can be worn, but peaks must be facing backwards. Hats with drawstrings must be removed. 
  • Players should trim finger nails to not extend beyond the length of the finger. This is for the protection of the player from injury as well as the other participants from scratching.
  • Participants should familiarise themselves with the rules & play in accordance with rules.
  • Participants must conduct themselves in a civil manner, & not engage in anti-social behaviour such as intimidating behaviour, sledging, swearing, spitting, fighting.
  • Participants are reminded that Australian law specifically prohibits behaviours such as;

Bullying, which is unwelcome & offensive behaviour that intimidates, humiliates &/or undermines a person or group. Bullying involves a persistent pattern of behaviour over a period of time & may include verbal abuse, physical assault, unjustified criticism, sarcasm, insult, spreading false or malicious rumours about someone, isolating or ignoring a person, & sabotaging someone’s efforts or their ability to contribute.

Discrimination,which is treating someone unfairly or unequally simply because they belong to a group or category of people. Equal opportunity laws prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, pregnancy, family responsibility, family status, race, religious beliefs, political conviction, gender history, impairment, age or sexual orientation.

Harassment,which is any unwelcome & uninvited comment or action that results in a person being intimidated, offended, humiliated or embarrassed. Equal opportunity laws prohibit harassment on the grounds of sex & race.

Racial Harassment,whichoccurs when a person is threatened, abused, insulted or taunted in relation to their race, descent or nationality, colour, language or ethnic origin, or a racial characteristic. It may include derogatory remarks, innuendo & slur, intolerance, mimicry or mockery, displays of material prejudicial to a particular race, racial jokes, or singling someone out for unfair treatment.

Sexual Harassment, which is any verbal or physical sexual conduct that is unwelcome & uninvited. It may include kissing, embracing, patting, pinching, touching, leering or gestures, questions about a person’s private or sexual life, requests for sexual favours, smutty jokes, phone calls, emails, or messages, offensive noises or displays of sexually graphic or suggestive material.

Assault,which is a person who strikes, touches, or moves, or otherwise applies force of any kind to another person, either directly or indirectly, without the other person’s consent, or with the other person’s consent if the consent is obtained by fraud, or who by any bodily act or gesture attempts or threatens to apply similar force under such circumstances that the person making the attempt or threat has actually or apparently a present ability to effect the threat, is said to assault that other person.

  • Coaches, supporters & participants who attend a game but are off field must conduct themselves in an equally civil manner or will be asked to leave. The referee can stop a game & / or sanction a team based on the behaviour of team members & supporters off field.
  • All participants, supporters & coaches should show respect to the supervisors & referee’s who are there for the sole purpose of facilitating games for the benefit participants.
  • Supervisors & Referee’s will show respect & care for all participants & spectators.
  • All coaches, supporters & participants must follow the direction of supervisors & referee’s.
  • The Referee can issue penalties on field in accordance with rules & with the conduct of players. Players may be asked to leave the field for a period of time nominated by the Referee, known commonly as the Sin Bin, allowing the offending player time to cool off. If the offence warrants further action, the player may be Sent Off. In both cases a replacement cannot take the field & the team must continue short that player for either the period of time the player is in the Sin Bin or for the balance of the match if Sent Off.
  • All players Sent Off face an automatic 1 week suspension & the incident will be placed on review by the convenor with an incident report completed by the Referee. If the offence is found to warrant further action, the player may face additional penalties including but not limited to further suspension & disqualification.
  • Individuals will be advised of any disciplinary action via their team delegate & must comply or the team will face disqualification from the competition.
  • Players will not be victimised by the convenor as a result of disciplinary action. Once a penalty has been served the matter will be deemed concluded with no further consequences.
  • A record of a person or teams behaviours will be kept & will be referenced in the event of any further incident. Repeat offenders can expect higher penalties.

 Penalties

  • Penalties can be awarded against players & teams for their behaviour on & off the field. This can be in the form of match points, competition points, suspension for a period, or disqualification from the competition.
  • Individuals or teams who are disqualified are not eligible for refund of any fees paid.
  • Teams who are disqualified forfeit all opportunity to any potential prizes.
  • The convenor of the local competition is the arbitrator in penalty decisions. Individuals & teams can request a review by the Tag League Association if they feel they have been unfairly treated. The Tag League Association charges a $200 fee to review a penalty. This fee is refundable should the review find in favour of the complainant.
  • In an attempt to bring some uniformity to decisions, the following benchmarks can be used, but may be varied up or down based on the nature of specific incidents & the attitude of teams or individuals;
    •  Send Off for foul play – Automatic 1 week plus further review based on referee’s report. Additional week for each repeat offence.
    • Send Off for Referee Abuse – Automatic 2 week plus further review based on referee’s report. Additional week for each repeat offence.
    • Throwing of a punch either instigated or in retaliation – Automatic 4 weeks plus further review based on the referee or officials report. Automatic disqualification for repeat offenders.
    • Threat to a Referee or Official – Automatic 4 weeks plus further review based on the referee or officials report. Automatic disqualification for repeat offenders.
    • Any team which incurs 3 send offs in a season will automatically incur a penalty of 2 Competition points in addition to any penalties or suspensions issues. The teams participation in the competition may also be terminated depending on circumstances. Any additional send offs are also grounds for disqualification from the competition.
    • If a game is called off due to an incident, the team who is judged to have caused the incident may be deemed to have forfeit or may be imposed a match penalty depending on the circumstances. Additionally, where a game is called early due to a physical altercation, Tag League has the right to stand down both teams for a 1-week period.

Report All Injuries

  • If a player sustains an injury, this must be brought to the attention of the match referee & reported to the local competition supervisor as the injury occurs.
  • The local competition supervisor will complete an incident report.

Addition or Replacement of Players

  • Teams have until Round 5 of the competition to complete their team registrations online. During this time they can Add, Remove, Swap players.
  • Where a player is withdrawn through injury, the injured player is not entitled to a refund. If a player is withdrawn through injury during the season, that player may be replaced by the addition of a player. In the event a serious injury occurs and is within 2 games of finals, a special provision may be made where a player who has played at least 2 games for a team can replace this player.
  • A medical certificate needs to be produced as evidence of the injury.
  • After Round 10, no replacements will be allowed.

Best & Fairest

  • During the season, there may be an award nomination conducted to select the Best & Fairest player in each division.
  • This award is open to all registered players during the duration of the normal season (excluding finals), with nominations accepted from Round 5 onwards.
  • It is a condition of registration that ALL players wear numbered shirts.
  • The referee will take note of nominations based on the shirt number of the person nominated.
  • Nominations;
    • At the conclusion of each game, players will be nominated as follows:
    • Each captain will select a player from the opposing team.
    • The match referee will select one player from either team.
    • This will total 3 nominations per game.
    • Should a captain not wish to make a nomination, the referee will nominate on their behalf.
    • A player may receive more than one nomination per game.
    • The player with the most nominations at the end of the season will be declared the winner.
    • In the event of a draw, the player with the most nominations from the referees will be declared the winner.
  • Selection Criteria. A player may be nominated based on their;
    • Level of Sportsmanship
    • Spirit of participation
    • Contribution to the result of the game
  • Ineligibility;
    • In the event that a game is prematurely ended (called off), neither captain will be required to nominate a player.
    • The referee, at his discretion, may nominate a player from a game that has been called off.
    • A player, who has been sent from the field, may not receive a nomination for his or her participation during that game.

Prizes

  • Most competitions have prizes for both winners & runners up in each division;
    • Winning teams receive $250 Voucher redeemable through tag league. 
    • Teams running up receive $150 voucher redeemable through tag league
    • Best & Fairest award nominees may also receive weekly prizes.
  • Check the Competition Information for each competition for details of Prizes.
  • Cash prizes are usually presented at a catered end of season grand finals function following the grand final games for each location / game night.
  • Garments are made to order & can take an extended time deliver once details are confirmed.

If you have any questions related to Local Senior Competition Guidelines, please send an email to: Manager@TagLeague.com.au

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