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Touch Football Overview

Touch Football

Touch Football is now one of the largest sports in Australia and is derived from the two rugby codes (League & Union).

With the skills of kicking and tackling removed, Touch Football is a fast, fluid and exciting game in its own right. Touch Football now boasts in excess of 400,000 members and over 500,000 children playing in school programs across Australia.

SACPSSA conducts a Touch Football Carnival programme each year over four days, usually in Term 3.

A senior age group championship competition (Year 5/6 Boys and Girls) is offered on one of the carnival days (usually the Wednesday). All other competitions are focused on mass participation. The age group sections are Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 on all four days.

Participation Certificates can be downloaded from the SACPSSA website here.

The carnival will be held at Park 17, Touch SA Headquarters located corner of Greenhill Road and Beaumont Road.

The 2024 Boys and Girls Championship Competition winners were Stella Maris, Seacombe Gardens. Congratulations to the teams from Stella, whose photos appear below at the carnival presentation. Stella Maris has gone “back to back” having won both shields in 2023.

IMPORTANT – POSSIBLE CHANGES TO THE 2025 SACPSSA TOUCH FOOTBALL CARNIVAL PROGRAM

  • We have been advised that there are some major works planned for Park 17 in 2025 / 2026.
  • This may lead to the venue not being available in 2025.
  • We won’t know for sure whether the venue is available to us until enquiries are made in the first half of 2025.
  • SACPSSA has therefore needed to investigate an alternative plan for whichever year (2025? 2026?) may render Park 17 unavailable.
  • If Park 17 IS AVAILABLE IN 2025, there will be no change and things will be as normal.
  • If Park 17 IS NOT AVAILABLE, here’s how the program will change:
    • A stand-alone Champ Comp carnival day at the Touch Football SA grounds (just the 5 full sized fields normally used for this competition), involving ONLY those teams competing in the boys’ and girls’ champ comp.
    • A date would need to be negotiated with TFSA separate to the normal four days in early September.
      • No additional “Participation” teams would be at this stand-alone day.
    • 4 x Participation carnivals at Barratt Reserve East, West Beach.
      • (Barratt Reserve West is where there are two days of Lacrosse Carnivals – Barratt Reserve East is the larger area to the east of the access road and car park).
    • Those schools who are involved with the Champ Comp day will be invited to nominate their participation teams on any one of the four available participation days.
    • These four days will be in the usual early September slot.
  • Once the works at Park 17 are complete, the SACPSSA Touch Football Carnival program will return for the long term.
View Touch Football Carnival Risk AssessmentSACPSSA Modified Touch Carnival RulesReferee Modified Rules Instructions Pamphlet

Touch Football Co-ordinators

Darren Elliott

Carnival Co-Ordinator

Contact Darren via email

Lisa Mahoney

Touch Football Executive

Touch Football Events

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Need to fill out a Touch Football Nomination Form?

Touch Nomination Form

Touch Football Information

 

Year Girls Champion Boys Champion
2002 Marymount Semaphore
2003 Marymount Prospect
2004 Prospect St Michael’s
2005 Wynn Vale St Michael’s
2006 Prospect Prospect
2007 Marymount Prospect
2008 Prospect Semaphore
2009 Dominican Cabra
2010 Loreto Lockleys
2011 Loreto Rostrevor
2012 Loreto Rostrevor
2013 Prospect Cabra
2014 Prospect Rostrevor
2015 Marymount Rostrevor
2016 Marymount Lockleys
2017 Marymount Seaford
2018 Cabra Lockleys
2019 Goodwood Goodwood
2020 Goodwood Goodwood
2021 Goodwood Goodwood
2022 Goodwood Goodwood
2023 Stella Maris Stella Maris
2024 Stella Maris Stella Maris
2025

Touch Football Rules

   Schools may nominate in Year 3/4 and/or Year 5/6 competition on each day. Schools nominating for Wednesday’s carnival must be entering a team, or teams, in the Championship Competition, and may also enter teams in the Participation sections.

  Teams will have 6 players take the field at any one time and remaining players can substitute at any time during the game, without impacting the flow of play.

  All teams must be supervised by a teacher or a responsible adult appointed by the school.

   Mixed teams will be considered and catered for at the discretion of the coordinator.

  Rule modifications are outlined in the Association’s Touch Competition Handbook

  EACH SCHOOL MUST PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE REFEREE. This referee will not necessarily be scheduled to referee matches involving your school and therefore must not also be a team supervisor. Your nominated referee will be allocated officiating duties by the carnival organiser on the day.
Ref Instructions Re Modified Rules

Those schools who don’t provide one referee from their school will incur an additional nomination charge of $100 as a reimbursement fee for the cost of a referee. This reimbursement fee will be in addition to the team nomination fees charged for that school’s participation at the carnival.

A Championship Competition runs on one of the carnival days (usually the Wednesday) for Year 5/6 Girls and Year 5/6 Boys only.  This Championship Competition allows for one boys and/or girls team per school.
Teams in the Championship Competition are permitted a maximum of 10 players.

Schools entering a team, or teams, in the Championship Competition may also enter teams in the Participation Sections of Wednesday’s carnival. A school can only nominate for Wednesday’s carnival if they are entering at least one team in the Championship Competition.

  Age group: Year 3 – 6.

  Players: 6 a side extra replacements if available.

  Equipment: 1 touch football

  Area of field depends on space available to carnival coordinator.

  Length of game will vary depending on carnival organisation but will generally be around 15-18 minutes per game.

  EACH SCHOOL IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE REFEREE

Standard ATA Playing Rules with some changes

 If a player drops or loses the ball while passing or attempting to catch the ball then the play is re—commenced with a rollball and a touch counted. If this occurs a second time in the series of 6 touches allowed to the team, then they will lose possession of the ball to the other team.

 Play will be recalled in a similar manner to the above for cases where a player unintentionally passes the ball after they are touched. However, if the ball goes to ground from the pass after the touch has been made or effected then a change of possession will result immediately. (Players should be encouraged not to pass the ball after they are touched.) Note: a team will be allowed only one loss of the ball or an unintentional touch and pass in its 6 allowed touches. (The recommended referee signal is to hold the ball one hand straight above their head before the rollball.)

 There will be a change of possession instead of tap penalties for infringements. A tap will only be taken for starts and re—starts of play at the halfway line.

 For ‘minor’ infringements the referee may allow a replay of the action. Examples include: — not releasing the ball from the hands for a tap, and — not performing the rollball correctly, especially at a change of possession. These may be repeated without a change of possession. (This will be at the discretion of the referee).

 The acting half must pass the ball to another player before they are able to join in further play.

 The attacking team cannot unduly delay the pass or a touch will be counted and they will be required to rollball.

 THE ROLLBALL — Following a touch, the player in possession of the ball has to return to the mark or place of the touch and roll (or place) the ball between the legs to a player designated as the acting half. All the players in the opposing team must be back at least 7 metres from the mark of the rollball and cannot move forward until the acting half has passed the ball. A rollball is also used following a change of possession to bring the ball into play.

SACPSSA Modified Touch Carnival Rules

Promoting the philosophy of good sportsmanship, fostering companionship between competitors and promoting a healthy active lifestyle.