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Touch has a number of advantages over the traditional game, including the ease of learning and the ability to play it without fear of injury. As a result it is a popular social game among men, women and children with mixed-sex games also played. The game helps to develop essential skills and fitness for use both in the rugby codes and other sports. School s have used touch as part of their curriculum to avoid the inevitable injuries that can stem from the full contact version. Touch also scores in the lack of required equipment department. As kicking is not part of touch, posts are not required, and the game can be played with minimal facilities (a ball and a rectangular playing area). There is also no special clothing required and it can often be played Barefoot . The game has a number of variations including Beach Touch where the defence has one less player than the attack. HISTORY Touch Football started in Australia as a social "park game" and as a training technique for rugby league teams during the 1950s and 60s.The two persons accreditted with "Starting it all" and known as the "Founder/Life Members" were Robert(Bob)Dyke and Ray Vawdon both members of South Sydney Junior League's Club. On July 13th 1968 the Secretary/Manager of South Sydney League's Club handed over the Official letter to signify the formation of "The South Sydney Touch Football Club", and "Touch Football was born". The first official game of "Touch" was played in late 1968 and the first "Official Touch Football Competition" organised by Bob Dyke & Ray Vawdon was held at Snape Park,Kingsford,Sydney,Australia in 1969, from these beginnings the game became a fully regulated and codified interstate sport in Australia in the early 1970s and an International Sport in the Mid-70s. The "Bob Dyke Shield" and the "Vawdon Cup" are the two Premier Trophies still played for in its 'State of Origin'(QLD V NSW)competition in Australia. The establishment of the national body, "The Australian Touch Football Association" was in 1976. The "Shining Moment" in Touch came after the drawn Sydney Rugby League Grand Final of 1977, the rematch needed a curtain-rasier and Rugby League officials asked the newly formed "Touch Football Association" to provide the prelude game, and with a crowd of 40,000+ this game helped to rasied the profile of "Touch Football" and was nothing short of spectacular said Bob Dyke in the book "The Story of Touch". Another 'Profile Raiser' was in 1978, when the Sydney Metropolitan Touch Football side played the Touring Great Britain Rugby League Team, an excellent try-scoring spectacle, withthe local team winning with a disputed try 'on the Bell' As more people began to play Touch, organised competitions developed. Very soon other associations emerged and representative matches have been played since 1978. The new sport quickly took hold in the rugby league strongholds of Queensland , New South Wales and the ACT , but is now played Australia-wide. There are currently over 270,000 registered Touch players in Australia with approximately 500,000 schoolchildren also playing the sport. Touch is also very popular in New Zealand, and these two countries dominate international competition. The game has also expanded rapidly in recent years, especially in the South Pacific and United Kingdom. The 1999 World Cup in Sydney attracting teams from over 20 nations including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, USA, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, England, Italy, Cook Islands, Fiji, Ireland, Malaysia,kenya,Singapore, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Scotland, Wales, China and Chile. One of the best aspects of the sport of Touch is its broad appeal. It is played by both sexes, and in age divisions from primary school children to over-50 masters. The mixed version of the game (where both male and female players are on the field at the same time) is particularly popular with social players. RULES These rules discuss the most common form of touch as governed by the Federation of International Touch but minor local variations are common. For the full set of rules see http://www.qldtouch.com.au/pdf_files/ata_rules.pdf Scoring The goal is to score the more tries than the other team. A try is scored by placing the ball in the opponent's in-goal area, and is worth one point. There are no other methods of scoring. Definitions ;The Touch: The main defensive tactic in the game of touch, similar to a tackle in other codes of football. It forces the attacking team to stop and restart play (see roll ball).
;Roll ball: The ball carrier must perform the ''roll ball'' when he has been touched by the opposition. The roll ball is performed by placing the ball on the mark, and either rolling the ball backwards, or stepping forward over it. The ball is picked up by another player on the attacking team, who is known as the half or dummy half for that play. ;Dummy half (aka Acting Half): Dummy half is the player who takes possession of the ball during the ''roll ball''. The role of ends when the Dummy half passes the ball, so that none of the restrictions of the position apply if the player receives the ball again during the play.
;The Tap ball: Play is started from the tap ball because it is either, the start of the game, the second half or the resumption of play after a touchdown or penalty.
;The penalty: On being awarded a penalty, the resultant ball carrier must perform a ''tap ball''. The referee announces the resumption of the play with the blow of a whistle. A temporary exclusion (2 minutes) or final could be sanctioned if the referee estimates that a player behaves in an aggressive way in his connection or with regard to other players. A penalty is granted to an opponent team if:
Equipment ;The field :
;The ball :
;Clothing :
;Footwear :
Composition of the teams and replacements
Mode of play, duration and scoring ;Mode of play
;Duration :
;Scoring:
Possession The ball is returned to the opposing team :
COMPETITIONS Touch is considered a friendly community-based game where a competitions are usually undertaken in large parks close to residential areas. In Australia, a Touch Association is responsible for running many competitions. There are usual several competitions for each division of men's, women's and mixed which are further divided into competitions based on participating teams skill levels. Touch, whilst not professional, does offer serious competitions in various countries including a World Cup. International Competitions World Cup World Cup Main Page Trans-Tasman Tests
Masters Games
National Competitions Australia
New Zealand
Scotland
Switzerland
GLOSSARY OF TOUCH TERMS Touch shares many terms in common with rugby league (eg cover-defence, offside, intercept). Below are some Touch-specific terms. The list is not meant to be comprehensive, and there are some regional variations.
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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