Organising a Team
If you are looking to put a team together to enter one of Townsville Touch Football's night time (non-club) competitions there are a number of things which must be considered to do this.
Number of Players
You should have 6 players on the field and up to 8 interchange players - so 14 players in total - but you can register up to 20 players to your squad, which is great if you have players who work FIFO rosters, etc.
In mixed competitions you must have at least one (1) male player and one (1) female player on the field, and you can't have any more than three (3) male players on the field at the same time.
What if I don't have enough players?
You'll need to have at least 4 players each week, otherwise you'll need to forfeit your game. If you need to forfeit, you must advise the competition admin as early as possible to avoid any inconvenience to the other team and referees.
"Fill-in" players are allowed, but in order to be covered by insurance they must be registered to your team just like a normal player is.
Playing in the Right Grade
Playing in the right grade is important to ensure you maximise your touch footy experience!
Depending on the competition, we may use the first few weeks to determine which grade would best suit your team. We do this to make sure the playing field is as fair and even as possible.
While we try to make sure we complete the grading process as early in the season as possible, we do occasionally regrade teams throughout the season to make sure the competition is as even and competitive as possible. If that happens to your team, your points and results will come with you to your new grade.
Notes on "fill-in" players: To help us keep grading fair, make sure any "fill-in" players are of similar ability to the rest of your team. We also suggest letting competition admin know so that any temporary changes in your team composition can be taken into consideration when grading, otherwise you might find your team placed into a higher grade than they should be.
Nominating Your Team into a competition
Before nominating your team into one of our competitions, read the 'Conditions of Entry' (available from your competition's info page) carefully so that you know the specific rules of the competition and any of your responsibilities as the team's Manager.
All nominations are done fully online via a system called MySideline (keep reading to get to the link), which offers a convenient and safe method of nomination and payment.
Before nominating your team, make sure you read on, as there's some important information you need to know!
Player Registrations
After your team is nominated, each player needs to register themselves into your team.
All player registrations are done online through a system called MySideline.
Players can register to your team by visiting the Register page on our website.
In order to be covered by insurance, each player is charged a National Membership fee by Touch Football Australia, which is paid during their first registration each financial year. The fee covers them for the full financial year across every local touch football competition in Australia. If you have players who are already playing in our other competitions, they may have already paid that fee and won't need to pay it again!
As the team's Manager, it is your responsibility to make sure your players are registered to your team before they step onto the field. If you need help, make sure you contact competition admin!
Fees & Payment
We charge a one-off Team Nomination Fee to enter your team into one of our competitions, and from there it's up to you how much you charge your players!
There are no weekly game or gate fees, just the Team Nomination Fee, which makes touch footy one of the cheapest team sports in town!
You can pay the full nomination fee online when you register your team, or you can pay it off in installments via cash or EFT.
Note: Touch Football Australia charges each player a National Membership fee once per financial year, only $22 per player, which covers each player for insurance in case of injury.
Some important notes:
- You'll need to have paid at least 50% of the Team Nomination Fee before your team will be added to the game draw.
- Teams paid on (or before) the first night will be given an 'Early Bird' discount.
- If you don't pay your Team Nomination Fee in full before your team's second game, you'll be charged a $110.00 late fee.
- If you haven't paid in full by the end of your team's third game, your team will be removed from the competition.
- The National Membership Fee is compulsory and must be paid online by each of your players when they register.
Approximate Player Cost Calculator
Team Nomination Fee
$
TFA Membership Fee
$
Number of Players
Number of Games
Estimated cost per player (total)
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Estimated cost per player (per game)
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This tool provides an estimate only and the amount calculated is not guaranteed to be accurate as it does not consider personal circumstances. The above calculator only considers fees imposed by Townsville Touch Football and Touch Football Australia. Other costs associated with participating in a Touch Football competition, including but not limited to transport and uniform purchases are not considered. Townsville Touch Football is not liable for any decisions made based on this tool.
Recording Your Players Each Week
Don't stress, we've made this part really simple!
All team Managers are given access to TTF's Team Manager mobile app, which is where you manage your playing roster each week.
As your team's Manager, it is your job to make sure you use the app and record your players each match. If you don't, then your players won't be covered by insurance and won't be eligible to play in the finals series.
After you nominate your team, competition admin will send you your team's login code and some information about how to use the app.
Uniforms
All players on the same team need to be in matching shirts with clearly identifiable numbers on the back, which need to be at least 16cm in height (so our referees can let you know when you're offside, among other things!).
Referees wear a mostly white shirt, so your team can't wear a white shirt when they play. Our rules state that you cannot have more than 1/3 white on your team's shirts, so make sure you are aware of this when organising your team shirts!
Duty Referees
Referees are an essential part of our sport, and we use a "Duty Referee" system to make sure we have enough referees to cover every game played.
As part of your team's nomination, your team must provide the name and contact details of someone who can referee each week. We do have a number of full-time referees who will officiate games, so your team's Duty Referee may not be required every week, but they will need to be available just in case.
This method of referee allocation is crucial, so please ensure that when your team is required to provide a referee you do so to ensure everyone has the chance to maximise their Touch Football experience.
Your team's Duty Referee doesn't need to be an experienced or accredited referee, but it does help to have some background in the sport.
The Townsville Touch Referees Association Inc. (TTRA) manages all appointment and payments for referees. They also provide regular support and training to referees, regardless of whether they are full-time referees or Duty Referees.
The TTRA runs FREE referee training courses throughout the season, and we recommend that you get a few of your players together and attend one! They only take four hours to complete and will give you the basics of refereeing touch footy (plus a few handy tips for keen players!).
If your team's Duty Referee is not available, someone else from your team will be required to fill their role. Failing to referee may mean your team will lose points or be removed from the competition.
If you are interested in attending a course, please visit www.ttra.org.au/start
To register as a referee
Register as a Referee
To learn more about refereeing
Become a Referee
Respect for Referees & Zero Tolerance
We place a significant focus on ensuring the sport is free of abuse and harassment for all participants, particular for referees given the difficult role they sometimes face.
A number of frameworks have been implemented to ensure this for all referees including a 'Zero Tolerance' approach to abuse and harassment of officials.
These frameworks are aligned to Touch Football Australia's Responsibility Code and Member Protection Policy, leading to the creation of the TFA Disciplinary Regulations Manual which has been adopted by TTF.
Respect for referees is a paramount focus of TTF, and all participants are expected to treat each referee with the same amount of respect as they would their teammates.