Laws & Referees

The Laws of the Game apply to the Seven-a-side game, subject to the following variations:

LAW 3 - NUMBER OF PLAYERS - THE TEAM

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS ON THE PLAYING AREA

Maximum: each team must have no more than seven players on the playing area.

4 PLAYERS NOMINATED AS SUBSTITUTES

A team may nominate no more than five replacements/substitutes.

5 NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTIONS

A team can substitute or replace up to three players.

13 SUBSTITUTED PLAYERS REJOINING THE MATCH

If a player is substituted, that player must not return and play in that match even to replace an injured player.

Exception: a substituted player may replace a player with a bleeding or open wound.

LAW 5 - TOSS TIME

DURATION OF A MATCH

A match lasts no longer than 14 minutes plus lost time and extra-time. A match is divided into two halves of not more than seven minutes playing time.

Exception:

A competition Final match may last no longer than 20 minutes plus lost time and extra-time. The match is divided into two halves of not more than 10 minutes playing time.

2 HALF-TIME

After half-time the teams change ends. There is an interval of not more than one minute. During a competition Final there is an interval of not more than two minutes.

6 EXTRA-TIME - DURATION

When there is a drawn match and extra time is required, the extra time is played in periods of 5 minutes. After each period, the teams change ends without an interval.

LAW 6 - MATCH OFFICIALS

A. REFEREE

3. DUTIES OF THE REFEREE BEFORE THE MATCH

Add extra paragraph:

(b) Extra-time - Toss.   

Before extra-time starts, the referee organises a toss. One of the Captains tosses a coin and the other Captain calls to see who wins the toss. The winner of the toss decides whether to kick-off or choose an end. If the winner of the toss decides to choose an end, the opponents must kick-off and vice-versa.

8 IN-GOAL JUDGES

(a) There are two in-goal judges for each match.

(b) The referee has the same control over both in-goal judges as the referee has over touch judges.

(c) There is only one in-goal judge in each in-goal area.

(d) Signalling result of kick at goal. When a conversion kick or a penalty kick at goal is being taken, an in-goal touch judge must help the referee by signalling the result of the kick. One touch judge stands at or behind a goal post and an in-goal judge stands at or behind the other goal post. If the ball goes over the cross-bar and between the posts, the touch judge and the in-goal judge raise their flags to indicate a goal.

(e) Signalling touch. When the ball or the ball-carrier has gone into touch-in-goal, the in-goal judge must hold up the flag. 

(f) Signalling tries. The in-goal judge will assist the referee in decisions on touch downs and tries if there is any doubt in the referees mind.

(g) Signalling foul play. A match organiser may give authority for the in-goal judge to signal foul play in the in-goal.

LAW 9 - METHOD OF SCORING

B CONVERSION KICK

1 TAKING A CONVERSION KICK

Amend
(c) If the scoring team elects to kick at goal after a try, the kick must be a drop kick.

Delete (d)

(e) The kicker must take the kick within 40 seconds of the try having been scored. The kick is disallowed if the kicker does not take the kick in the time allowed.

3 THE OPPOSING TEAM

Amend
(a) All the opposing team must immediately assemble close to their own 10-metre line.

Delete (b)

(c) Delete third paragraph "When another kick is allowed ..."

EXTRA-TIME - THE WINNER

In extra time, the team that scores points first is immediately declared the winner, without any further play.

LAW 10 - FOUL PLAY

All references to Temporary Suspension;

When a player has been temporarily suspended, the player's period of suspension will be for a period of two minutes.

LAW 13 - KICK-OFF AND RE-START KICKS

2 HOW A KICK-OFF IS TAKEN

Amend
(c) After a score, the team that has scored kicks-off with a drop kick which must be taken at or behind the centre of the half-way line.

Amend

4 POSITION OF THE KICKER'S TEAM AT THE KICK-OFF

All the kicker's team, except the placer, must be behind the ball when it is kicked. If they are not, a free kick is awarded to the non-offending team at the centre of the half-way line.

8 KICK-OFF OF UNDER 10 METRES AND NOT PLAYED BY AN OPPONENT.

If the ball does not reach the 10-metre line, a free-kick is awarded to the non-offending team at the centre of the half-way line.

Penalty: Free-kick at the centre of the half-way line.

Amend

9 BALL GOES DIRECTLY INTO TOUCH

The ball must land in the field-of-play. If it is kicked directly into touch, a free kick is awarded to the non-offending team at the centre of the half-way line.

Penalty: Free-kick at the centre of the half-way line.

10 BALL INTO THE IN-GOAL

(a) If the ball is kicked into the in-goal without having touched or been touched by a player, the opposing team has three choices:

 To ground the ball, or
 To make the ball dead, or
 To play on.

(b) If the opposing team ground the ball, or if they make it dead, or if the ball becomes dead by going into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead-ball line, a free kick is awarded to the non-offending team at the centre of the half-way line.

Penalty: Free-kick at the centre of the half-way line.

(c) If they opt to ground the ball or make it dead, they must do so without delay. Any other action with the ball by a defending player means the player has elected to play on.

LAW 20 - SCRUM

DEFINITIONS

Amend second paragraph:

A scrum is formed in the field of play when three players from each team, bound together in one row, close up with their opponents so that the heads of the players are interlocked. This creates a tunnel into which a scrum-half throws in the ball so that the players can compete for possession by hooking the ball with either of their feet.

Amend thirrd paragraph:

The tunnel is the space between the two rows of players.

Amend fifth paragraph:

The middle line is an imaginary line on the ground in the tunnel beneath the line where the shoulders of the two rows of players meet.

Amend fifth paragraph:

The middle player is the hooker.

Delete paragraphs eight, nine and 10.

1 FORMING A SCRUM

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(f) Number of players: three. A scrum must have three players from each team. All three players must stay bound to the scrum until it ends.

Penalty: Penalty kick.

Delete Exception.

8 FRONT-ROW PLAYERS

Amend

(c) Kicking-out. A front row player must not voluntarily kick the ball out of the tunnel or out of the scrum in the direction of the opponents' goalline.

Penalty: Penalty kick

LAW 21 - PENALTY AND FREE-KICKS

3 HOW THE PENALTY AND FREE-KICKS ARE TAKEN

Amend

(a) Any player may take a penalty or free-kick awarded for an infringement with any kind of kick: punt, drop kick but not a place kick. The ball may be kicked with any part of the leg from below the knee to the toe but not with the heel.

Amend

3 PENALTY AND FREE-KICK OPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

(b) No delay. If a kicker indicates to the referee the intention to kick at goal, the kick must be taken within thirty seconds of the penalty having been awarded. If the thirty seconds is exceeded, the kick is disallowed, a scrum is ordered at the place of the mark and the opponents throw in the ball.