Frequently asked questions
Juniors
Of course! Absolutely! Norths Touch caters for players of all abilities in both junior and adult competitions. Come along and have a go!
Here are some links to some rules and basic game play:
You can wear runners or boots with moulded plastic studs. NOTE: NO METAL STUDS ARE ALLOWED.
All you need is a water bottle and shoes to play in (remember no metal studs), your playing shirt and a touch ball (playing shirt and touch ball is provided by the club)
Yes. There are two sizes.
U8s, U10s & U12s play with the Junior touch ball. All other age groups and opens play with the Senior touch ball.
No, each player will receive a playing shirt as a part of the registration fee. A night will be scheduled for team managers to collect the shirts for the whole team. The CORRECT colour shirt must be worn on competition night.
Each team must register with a minimum of 8 players to be eligible to compete. We recommend that each team be capped at 10 players to maximise game time for all players.
Please head to the Register section on our website for the relevant form to submit for assistance OR contact norths@northstouch.asn.au with the team name, division and number of players needed.
Check on our website homepage, Facebook or Instagram after 2pm on game day for updates on ground closures.
Yes we do.
We welcome all volunteers to help run our Juniors competition. The club will send out a roster for all teams of the night to provide two volunteers to help us run our BBQ. It will be prior to your child playing or while they are warming up, so you can watch their game when they play. The BBQ cannot happen with your help. So THANK YOU for making this possible.
U8s play 2x 15 min halves each with a 5 min half time break
All other grades play 2x 16 min halves each with a 3 min half time break
We are a registered activity provider and accept the Active Kids Voucher.
adults
Of course! Absolutely! Norths Touch caters for players of all abilities in both junior and adult competitions. Come along and have a go!
Here are some links to some rules and basic game play:
You can wear runners or boots with moulded plastic studs. NOTE: NO METAL STUDS ARE ALLOWED.
Check on our website homepage, Facebook or Instagram after 2pm on game day for updates on ground closures.
Yes, each team will need to source a team playing shirt or singlet. This must be the same shirt or same/similar colour throughout the whole team. **Playing shirts and singlets must be numbered clearly on the back and no less than 16cm in height **
Note: No Predominately WHITE playing shirts will be allowed to take the field. This clashes with the referee shirts.
Each team must register with a minimum of 10 registered players, maximum of 20
Yes, but they should not be playing in the same timeslot your team plays in. You will need to register the player through MySideline, and they must sign on prior to playing.
Please head to the Register section on our website, for the relevant form to submit for assistance, OR contact norths@northstouch.asn.au with the team name, division and number of players needed.
You can only play in one team per grade, but can play in teams in other grades (provided you meet the criteria of that grade). However, if you do so, you may be faced with the risk of having to choose which team/s to play if there is a scheduling clash during the season or finals series. Whilst Norths will endeavour to prevent scheduling clashes, this is not always possible.
2x 20 min halves each with a 3 min half time break.
The clock commences from when the bell is rung.
Adult Comp – Team and Player Registration How to Guide
Per email communication sent to team contacts 17/02/2024
Team Fees:
Team Fees will need to be paid as a bulk payment into the Norths account before Round 1
Early Bird Payment (Finished)
Team Payment – $1250
Bank Details: WBC
Account Name: Northern Suburbs Touch Association
BSB: 032-098
Acct: 270696
Please place your team’s name in the transaction description
Sign On Sheets:
Players are required to sign on at the canteen prior to their game.
Game sheets will be removed after half time and no further signatures after this will be allowed.
Players must be registered before taking the field as no insurance coverage will apply to unregistered players.
Finals Qualifications:
Players must play a minimum of 5 games to qualify for the finals.
Games will not count if a player is unregistered or did not sign on.
Parking
The parking is quite limited with a one-way access in and out of the carpark. Please be vigilant for cars coming in your opposite direction.
Reminder that this is a residential area if you could please reduce the noise upon departure.
Game Duration
All Grades – 2 x halves 20 mins each with a 5 min half time break
Footballs & Football Boots
One Game Ball will be supplied to each team and available for collection from the Ground Supervisor (available for collection prior to your game).
It is the team’s responsibility to bring their game ball each week.
Football boots must be rubber moulded (No Metal Studs will be allowed)
Playing Shirts
Teams will be required to be in their correct Team Playing Shirt by Round 3.
Shirts are to be the same with a large number on the back.
If your team is waiting for shirts to arrive, please ask your players to be in the same colour for the first couple of weeks (different shades of same colour is fine)
Forfeits:
If your team needs to forfeit, an email will be required by midday on the day or earlier, if possible, via email to norths@northstouch.asn.au
Injuries:
Injuries can be reported by completing an Injury Report Form with the GS on the night or available on our website Microsoft Word – Injury Report Form 2010.doc (northstouch.asn.au).
Wet Weather:
Please like the Norths Touch Facebook page for up to date information and an email will be sent if time permits.
Council will update the ground status around 2pm and we will advise shortly after on Facebook.
Zero Tolerance Policy:
We have a Zero Tolerance Policy at Norths, please make the game enjoyable for all.
Communication
Administration is a part time position and is not always available to take calls, texts or messages via Messenger.
We request that all communication please be made via email at norths@northstouch.asn.au
Reps
Players must play in the seasonal local social competition. Example: To qualify for selection into our representative tournaments, you must play at our social competition.
To play for Norths Touch at Vawdon Cup, Junior State Cup or Senior State Cup players must have played and been registered in either our Spring or Autumn local competitions (Juniors and/or Adults).
Keep an eye out on our socials for dates for State Cup trials for both Junior and Senior tournaments.
Junior trials are expected to be held mid October.
Senior trials are expected to be held the first week of November.
The club will announce representative squads (up to 20* players) after preseason training. Vawdon Cup is a week to week competition throughout which teams are free to change. The coaching staff of each division selects their top (14) performers.
Following 2x trials, a selection panel made up of staff across both mens & womens will announce the teams. 14 players are named per team with shadow positions announced for those who will continue to train on incase of injury/ illness/ poor attendance.
Coaching appointments are elected by our Director of Reps, following an expression of interest form & interview. If you are interested in volunteering for the upcoming State Cup tournaments please reach out.
Training for the current representative season has already begun. Trainings for both Mens and Womens squads are weekly on Wednesday and Sundays. This is in the lead up to Vawdon Cup season.
All Abilities: 5 – 6pm on Wednesday
Mens & Womens open squads: 6:30-8:30pm.
Junior State Cup & Senior State Cup training times to be advised soon.
Vawdon Cup:
Preseason: June – August
In season: August – November
Location: Metropolitan Sydney (Varied locations each week)
Senior State Cup:
Preseason: Vawdon Cup (It is assumed most representative players will play Vawdon with only a 4 week break in between events)
Trials: First week of November
Tournament: The first Friday- Sunday of December
Location: Port Macquarie
Junior State Cup:
Preseason: October – Feburary
Options for Girls skills academy: Running alongside Vawdon Cup weekly.
Options for boys youth: Vawdon Cup division.
Trials: Mid October
Tournament: 2/3rd week of Feburary
Location: Dubbo for 2024
Referees
Express your interest to the Director of Referees by completing the Contact us form via the Refs page.
For the Junior competition:
- Junior referees when they commence are provided with a Norths Referee shirt and a whistle. You just need to provide your own shorts or skirt to wear.
- If you are a returning referee and your shirt does not fit you anymore, bring this back and you can swap it for a bigger size.
For the Adult competition
- New Adult referees to the club, will receive a free referee shirt after completing 3 games consecutively. You just need to provide your own shorts to wear.
- Any shirt required thereafter must be purchased.
Of course you can! There are some referees that do all – play, coach and referee, sometimes on the same night or across two nights. You might coach a game at 530pm, referee at 6:10pm & 730pm, then play at 8:10pm.
You will be asked prior to the start of the season of your availabilities. Games to referee are then allocated around your other commitments.
Actually, you complete the theory part of the course (Level 1 Referee Course see information above) a week prior to the start of the Junior season, and we coach you “on the job”.
We will start you off accompanied with a referee coach and/or another experienced referee. The referee coach is there to provide you with feedback on what and how to improve, and you learn with each game on the go. You are taught to referee “what you see” and we will teach you “how and what to see”.
For the Junior Competion
- An email is sent out to all Junior referees on Tuesday evening, with the expectation this is read on Wednesday morning and if any changes to the roster, then to notify by email as soon as possible, so coverage can be scheduled prior to the Thursday games.
- If your availablity has changed, then let the Director of Referees know as soon as possible.
For the Adult competition
- We use our private FB group to notify referees who is covering which timeslot the night prior to games
- If any referee is unable to referee, they post it on the group chat, which allows us to manage the night efficiently.
At Norths, this varies between refereeing within the Junior and Adult competition. Our pay rates for both competitions can be located on the Refs page.
Most of the games at Norths are refereed as a buddy system (two referees on a game) and sometimes three (triples). Sometimes you might have a solo (you are by yourself) but those games occur when there is an unexpected (rare) shortage of referees and is generally covered by an experienced referee – never an inexperienced referee.
For the Junior competition
- At about Round 8 of the competition, you will be asked for your bank details, as season payments are transferred electronically directly into your nominated bank account.
For the Adult competition
- Towards the end of the season, for new and existing referees to the club, we ask for your bank details and updates to existing details, if any. Season payments are transferred electronically directly into your nominated bank account.
For the Junior competition
- We pay all our Junior referees at the end of the completion of the Junior competition. Generally a week after the Senior State Cup but definitely with loads of time for any Christmas shopping!
- All reimbursements and deductions are included with this pay.
For the Adult competition
- We pay all our referees at the completion of the Adult competition, generally a week or two after the season has completed.
- There is also a $30 membership fee deducted from your pay, which assists with costs associated with the end of season function.
- All reimbursements and deductions are included with this pay.
We are now using the 8th Edition rules and here is the link to access the rule book
Couple of noticeable updates
- 7 metres (no longer 5m) to get back onside (except for our U8s & U10s – we still use 5m)
- Must move forward from the try line, once the defending team has breached the 7m (or 5m) line. This means the defending team cannot remain standing (and watching) on the one spot while the attacking team moves around. They must move forward to make a touch.
- At the start of the game, the captain now has 3 decisions – which direction the team will run, which sideline they will stand on for subs and if they want to start the game first.
All referees refereeeing in the Adult competition, must register into touchfootball.com.au. Registration is required for insurance cover.
Please ensure you do so prior to commencing refereeing
injuries
As a registered financial player, you will have insurance cover under Touch Football Australia.
If you are occur an injury, basic first aid and ice will be provided.
If the injury is of a more serious nature, an Ambulance can be organised with the nearest hospital being the North Shore Public/Private Hospital (located in St Leonards).
Ensure the injury is reported and logged by the ground supervisor on the night, either by yourself or a team mate.
If the injury form is not available at the canteen, you can download this form (TFA Injury Report Form) and complete the injury report to the best of your ability and send by email to the club for submission.
You will need to submit your insurance claim within 120 days of the injury.
The club will receive confirmation with instructions which will be passed over to you.