About CTA

Who are we?

CTA is a not-for-proft club based in Cambridge, UK. We were set-up in 2003 by a South African couple itching to be able to play touch in the UK. We now number over 200 members and are affliated with the England Touch Association. Cambridge Touch is one of the most active and successful groups for touch players and referees in the country.

We cater for all ages and abilities right through from complete beginners to those who represent England. We also pride ourselves on our development of players and referees. Throughout the year we run various leagues, tournaments, coaching and refereeing course so even if you don’t want to play we have other ways of being involved.

What is Touch?

The sport of Touch developed in the 50’s as a non-contact training technnique for Rugby League but is now a recognised sport of its own played in many different countries

It is a fun non-contact form of rugby requiring no equipment other than a ball, some players and a place to play. It is suitable for all ages and can be played either in mens, womens or mixed teams

Here at CTA we offer social games, organised leagues, youth modules and competitive games against other teams within the National Touch Series.
So if you want to get involved keep browsing the site or email Cambridge Touch to show your interest

The Rules

The rules of touch are very simple and are modeled on some of the key rules of rugby – without the contact and complexity. The object of the game is simple; score touchdowns (tries) whilst stopping the other team from scoring more than you. There is no kicking, no scrums, no lineouts, no mauls, no rucks and no tackling.

  • Teams consist of 6 players and the game is played on a 70m x 50m pitch
  • Each team has six touches every possession to score a touchdown by placing the ball over the goaline, if not the ball is handed to the opposition
  • The ball can only be passed backwards
  • When an attacking player is touched by the opposition 2 things happen:
    • The attacker has to stop and “roll” the ball between their legs
    • The defending team must retreat 5m back from the line of the touch
  • The person who picks the ball up after the touch is called the “half”, this person can pass or run with the ball but if they get touched the ball is handed over to the other team. The half cannot score
  • If the attacking team loses control of the ball – ball to ground, it is handed over to the other team for a roll ball restart
  • If a forward pass is made a penalty is given to the other team. The offending team must retire 10m from the mark of the penalty

If these rules seem complicated you should try reading the real ones! Don’t worry we regularly hold beginners training sessions where we explain the rules in more detail

FIT 5 rules

England Touch graphical summary

England Touch summary of changes

Touch Football Australia video guide (note: TFA v8 is the same as FIT v5 for these purposes)