Tag rugby, the questions that come up
Tags, the three second count plus the six tag turnover. U7 and U8 only.
Free to read with no account. They work at a pitch with no signal too.
The answers
What happens when a player is tagged?
They've three seconds to pass and about three strides to stop in, so the ball can go while they're still slowing down. Then they collect their tag off the tagger, put it back on the belt and rejoin. Playing on without both tags is a free pass against them.
U7 to U8
Can a tagged player still score?
One step, no more. If they're tagged a stride out they can take that step and ground it. Anything past that and the referee brings it back, so the try doesn't stand.
U7 to U8
What is the six tag turnover?
A team may be tagged six times while they've the ball. On the seventh the referee stops play and gives a free pass to the other side where that tag happened. Both coaches can agree a lower number before kick off to stretch a strong squad. If you can't agree, it's seven.
U8 only
Where do the tags go on the belt?
One over each hip, Velcroed on, with the belt outside the shirt so nobody has to dig for them. Any spare length of belt gets tucked away where it can't be grabbed. They also have to stand out against the kit, so no red tags over a red shirt.
U7 to U8
Can a defender pull the ball out of somebody's hands?
No. Taking a tag off the belt is the only contact there is between the two teams. Shirt pulling, barging, running in front of the carrier or shepherding them into touch are all a free pass against you, the same as a hand off is.
U7 to U8
Can a U7 dive over the line to score?
No. A dive is disallowed at U7 and the defending team gets a free pass 3 metres out. Grounding it on their knees does count, though it's worth a word afterwards about staying on their feet. Going to ground to score is one of the things U8 adds.
U7 only
Is a knock on an offence in tag rugby?
It depends which year you're in, which is the one that surprises people. At U7 an accidental knock forward is simply played on. At U8 it becomes an offence and the other side gets a free pass.
U7 to U8
Equal Play is not affiliated with the RFU. Regulation 15 is theirs. These answers put it in our own words, so they are a summary rather than the thing itself. It is reissued every summer as well, so read this season's there rather than trusting a copy on somebody else's website. Ours included. If a referee on match day says something different to this page, they are right.
Read against the RFU's 2026/27 appendices in August 2026.
What your grade is allowed to do
The answers above say what the rule is. The rules guides say what a whole grade may do, which is the thing to read in August rather than in a car park.
- What U7 rugby looks like
- What U8 rugby looks like
- What U9 rugby looks like
- What U10 rugby looks like
- What U11 rugby looks like
- What U12 rugby looks like
The other questions
- The tackle. How high, what counts as held plus what the tackler has to do next.
- Ruck and maul. Who may join, what "Use it" means plus where the offside line sits.
- The scrum. Three players at U10, five at U12, nobody pushing at either.
- Restarts and touch. Free passes, free kicks plus why there is no lineout anywhere in minis.
- Kicking. What the boot is allowed to do from U11, plus the U11 rule that looks wrong.
- Match day. The Half Game Rule, rolling subs plus what to do about uneven squads.
- The referee. Who referees, what they can give plus why there is no sin bin.
- Safety and welfare. Head knocks, mouthguards, hard ground plus mixed rugby.
- Running a session. How long, how many helpers plus what to do if you never played.
Every topic in one place is the way in. The app searches the answers themselves, which is what you want when you know what you saw rather than what it is called.