Draw, Results and Ladder
Local Competition
Mudgee Touch Association is played between the months of October and March. Games are played on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
All our competitions are open to all playing abilities and we have players playing as young as five and all the way to beyond their 60s. Our competitions provide a fun, family-based atmosphere on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Junior competition
The Junior Competition is where many of our players are introduced to touch football for the first time and learn the basics of the game. It is open to every boy and girl aged between five and 12 years of age. The Junior Competition is more focused on teamwork, encouragement and developing skills.
Junior players register as a individual player and Mudgee Touch allocates them into a team. The Junior competition runs for approximately 10 weeks during Term 4 of the school year – October to December. Under 5s/6s and Under 7s/8s boys and girls games are played on Tuesday afternoon from 5.30pm, while Under 9s/10s and Under 11s/12s play on Thursday afternoon from 5.00pm.
To play in the Junior Competition for the 2020 season, it will cost $70. Unfortunately registrations are closed, however, some teams may still require players. Please contact mudgeetouch@outlook.com to see if any teams require additional players.
Senior competition
Our senior competitions provide an opportunity for players to play with their family, friends and work mates. We run nine divisions across men, women and mixed competitions. The men’s competition is split up in three divisions; the women’s competition split in two divisions; and the mixed competition is split among four divisions. Players need to be at 12 years of age to participate in our senior divisions. Players can create their own teams and they individually register into those teams. The senior competitions begin in October and run until March – with a month-long break for Christmas and New Year. The men and women’s competitions are played on Tuesday night from 6.30pm, and the mixed competition is played on Thursday night from 6.30pm. All senior games are played under 25-minute touchdown-turnaround format.
To play in our senior competitions you have to be 12 years or older, and must be registered. It costs $90 for players aged 12-18 years and $115 for players 19 years and older.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is Mudgee Touch on?
Mudgee Touch begins their season from mid-October to early March. There is a 4-week break over the Christmas and New Year period. The junior competition is on Tuesday (U5s to U8s) and on Thursday (U9s to U12s). The senior competition is on Tuesday (men and women competitions) and Thursday (mixed competition). The junior competition time slots are 5pm and 5.45pm, while the senior time slots (men, women and mixed) are 6.30pm and 7.20pm.
Q: How long are the seasons?
The junior competition goes for 10 weeks and is run from October to December. The senior competition goes for 14 weeks plus finals and runs from early October to early March. There is a 4-week break over Christmas and New Year period.
Q: What divisions do you play?
In the junior competition we have divisions in the U5/6s; U7/8s; U9/10s; U11/12s.
In the senior competition we have divisions in Men, Women and mixed.
Q: Where do you play Mudgee Touch?
Mudgee Touch Association plays their competitions at the Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium, Pitts Lane, Mudgee, NSW, 2850.
Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium
Q: How old do you have to be to play in the Junior competition?
To play in the junior competition you need to be 5 years of age and no older than 12.
Q: How old do you have to be to play in the senior competition?
All players need to be 12 years or older to play in the senior competition.
Q: How much does it cost to play?
For players in the junior competition it costs $70.
For players in the senior competition – 12-18 years is $90; 19 years and older is $115.
Q: Is Touch the same as Tag?
No, there’s no ‘tag’ in touch football! You don’t need any specific types of shorts to play like you do in a tag game.
Q: Do you have to be fit to play Touch?
Nope, touch football at park level is a social sport. And there’s a reason it’s Australia’s largest social sport, with 700,000 people around the country taking part – everyone can play, no matter your age or size. It’s just about finding a social team that suits you.
Q: Do you need to have experience to play touch football?
No. The beauty about touch football is it is a game that all playing abilities can participate in.
Q: Can I play with my family and friends?
Yes. Many of our teams involve parents and children, siblings, cousins, school friends, workmates and even total strangers.
Q: How can I enter a team into your competition?
Team registrations are closed for the 2020-21 season.
Q: How many people can I have on my team?
It is best to have no more than 14 people on your team. Most teams have on average 10-12 people. You will need 6 people on the field at all times. In mixed division, you can’t have more than 3 males on the field at one time, and must have at least one and one female male on the field at all times.
Q: What is Mixed Touch?
Many touch football clubs around the country offer ‘Mixed’ competitions, which means males and females can play in teams together. Depending on the age criteria set by the club, this means whole families (kids, parents, grandparents) can event play together. Even at the most elite end of the sport, there are Mixed as well as Men’s and Women’s divisions.
Q: How do you register as a player?
Visit our player portal by clicking here.
Here are some How to Guides to register as a player in the junior competition and senior competition.
Q: Can I enter and play in more than one team?
Yes you can. Mudgee Touch allows players to play in more than one team. However, players will need to pay two registrations. If your teams are playing at the same time, it is up to the individual which team they play for.
Q: Do I need to referee games?
Yes. Mudgee Touch utilises duty referees meaning every team has to referee games. Teams are highly recommended to have at least two of their players with at least a Level One referee ticket. If you would like to know more about refereeing, click here.
Q: What rules do you play under?
Mudgee Touch plays under the TFA 8th Edition Rulebook.
Q: Still got questions?
The Basics
The aim of the game is to score touchdowns by getting through the opponent team’s part of the field and placing the ball down in the touchdown zone.
Teams are made of up to 14 players, with a maximum of six (some local rules allow seven) players on the field at any time with unlimited substitutions. The game lasts 45 minutes, divided into two 20 minutes halves and a five minute half-time break. Just before the game, team captains gather with the referee/s for the toss. The winner gets the ball and chooses which direction they want their team to run.
The game starts with a ‘tap’ on the half way line.
The Rules
The rules are quite simple, and even if it’s your first time playing, you will pick up the basics in no time and enjoy the game with your teammates, no matter what everyone’s skill level is.
You can have a look at generic explanations by following this link to a video explaining some of the basic Touch Football rules.
- Basically, while attacking, you have to run forward and pass the ball backward; that means the ball carrier is up front, with his teammates on the same line or slightly behind them, so they can pass the ball to them.
- Defenders only need to ‘touch’ the ball carrier to stop the attacking team; the rules of the game stipulate that the ‘touch’ has to be made ‘with the minimum force necessary’. It can be done on any part of the body, including the ball or clothing. The ‘touch’ can also be made by the ball carrier on a defensive player.
- After making a ‘touch’, the defending team has to go backward behind an imaginary ‘defensive’ line, approximately five metres away from where the touch has been made; the referee will show you where they expect you to be. The ball carrier has to perform a ‘rollball’, on the exact mark where the ‘touch’ was made. Be careful not to be ‘over the mark’ when performing a roll ball.
- Your team will have six ‘touches’ as your opportunity to score. The sixth ‘touch’, dropping the ball or any infringement to the rules result in a changeover and the attacking team then becomes the defending side.
The rules of the game are easy to understand and suitable for everyone to enjoy Touch Football.
For a complete version please visit https://touchfootball.com.au/volunteer/8th-edition-rules/
The Touch Football Community
Touch Football is often referred to simply as ‘Touch’, or ‘Touch Footy’. It can be played everywhere across an extensive affiliated network within Australia. Touch Football Australia is the National governing body for the sport of Touch Football, recognised by the Australian Sport Commission.
Playing within an affiliated competition ensures that you are covered with insurance and you enjoy the best ‘Touch experience’, with quality fields, organised draws and dedicated volunteers to make sure the games flow smoothly and people enjoy their time down at the field.
An Evening Down At The Field
Usually, players arrive between 10 and one minute before the start of the game. The warm up is pretty casual; you simply start playing as soon as both teams are on the field, with a referee ready to officiate, and after the Competition Coordinator has started the clock. The game lasts 45 minutes, divided into two 20 minutes halves and a five minute half-time break. In just an hour, you can have a run, a good time, a work out while having the thrill that Touch Football brings to players.
Parents Information
What Parents Want To Know
Touch Football is an accessible sport, played by both boys and girls from three years old with equal fun and opportunities. After discovering Touch Football, most children continue playing through their entire childhood and adolescence.
Perfect For Your Child’s Development
There is no other sport more conducive to child activity than Touch Football. It’s a minimal contact sport that actively encourages fitness, communication, team spirit, coordination, and decision making; it contributes positively to your child’s development. Medical and sport doctors describe Touch Football as a low injury physical activity, perfectly suitable for kids in their phase of physiologic awakening and acquisition of movement skills.
Perfect For Busy Parents
Parents like Touch Football firstly because it’s a great sport for their children but also because it doesn’t require a lot of equipment to buy and wash! Competitions have convenient scheduling of times without a formal requirement to train, which suits busy parent’s lifestyles.
Children Love It Too
Children love Touch Football for many reasons including:
- It’s a sport they can start and enjoy immediately at any age;
- Size and shape plays little influence on how competitive a child can be;
- Touch Football is fast and dynamic, and it’s all about chasing each other;
- It combines well with multiple sports, and can be played similarly with other football codes;
- Boys and girls can play together and have fun around a commonly appreciated activity.
A Family Bonding Activity
Touch Football can also be a passion for you, or simply an activity that you share with your children. Because age is not a barrier in Touch Football, you and your family members can play together and it becomes an occasion to spend quality time together.
Volunteering
Volunteers play a major role in the delivery of sports and children activities. Parents and volunteers are the cornerstone of the Touch Football community, and your involvement will be greatly valued by your child and all members of the community.
To get involved with your local club, simply contact your Competition Coordinator – he or she will tell you how you can contribute to the sport and form part of the Touch Football community.
Player Pathways
Touch Football proposes an entire pathway for players from learning as a kid to represent Australia in international competitions.
Children from the age of three are often exposed to Touch Football through school based clinics or events. School competitions are fantastic experiences for all participants, with the main ones gathering up to 5000 children in a great carnival atmosphere. School participation has a representative pathway with opportunities to link to Touch Football Australia’s (TFA) High Performance Program.
Touch Football affiliates also run junior competitions as a complement to the school pathway. From those competitions, various regional or state junior teams are selected to play in the National Youth Championship (NYC), which again links to the TFA High Performance Program.
Uniquely in Touch Football, the community and school Touch Football community combines at the National Youth Championship level. This event is the main talent identification event for youth athletes to transition into High Performance athletes.
Talented young players can also play in the National Touch League (NTL), in the ‘Under 20’ or ‘Open’ divisions. At these national events (NYC and NTL), Australian Youth teams are selected from the Australian Youth Squads (under 18 and under 20) and compete in the Trans Tasman Test Series against New Zealand.
For national youth players, gates are wide open to make the Australian team and play in the World Cup against the best players in the world.
The Number One Sport In The Australian Sport System
Touch Football is the most popular sport in the Australian school sport’s system, praised by physical education teachers, with thousands of kids playing all across the country.
Parent’s Tips for Children to Play More
Parents can positively impact their children’s sport life in many different ways. Below are some tips that will encourage your child to enjoy their experience in Touch Football.
Constant support, encouragement and praise
One of the main positive outcomes children get by playing sport is self-esteem. That is not necessary linked to winning and children can learn a lot by being defeated. Particularly in younger age divisions, it is important to encourage and praise effort and attitude. This is important when commenting on officials and oppositions performance.
As the first role model for your child, you are their best supporter. Encouragement from you as their parent means a lot and positive praise is needed. Your support will lead your child to a better involvement in the sport, therefore learning and enjoying it more.
Hydration, Nutrition and Sleep
Nutrition and hydration are important for any active child. Playing Touch Football can be very demanding in some cases. To prevent any dehydration risks, ensure your child has a water bottle with them when they go to play.
A balanced diet providing a solid amount of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrate and proteins will maintain your child’s good health, optimise their performance, ensure adequate growth and development occurs and help them to continue to enjoy their sport by maintaining energy levels and staying well hydrated.
Sleep is also a dimension to take into account; before and on the day of any particular physical activity, an early bed time is encouraged.
To get more information about nutrition, you can visit the nutrition section of the Australian Institute of Sport website – Nutrition.
After discovering Touch Football, most kids continue to play as they grow up. They engage in a dynamic and healthy lifestyle, and take part in the Touch Football community for a lifetime.
Get Involved!
Register to our competition using MYSIDELINE and search for our name, location or postcode