Touch football (rugby league)

Touch ( and Touch Rugby ) is one that the rugby borrowed and native of Australia, team sport that is played also in the German-speaking countries since 2001. Touch is characterized by speed, tactics and simplicity. There are, in contrast to the original Rugby no hard physical contact, so that the risk of injury is low. In addition to pure men's and women's teams, there are also official competitions with mixed teams.

General rules of the game

The aim of the game is to achieve more points than the opposing team. One point profit is then made ​​when the players on a team manages to put the game ball to a so-called "Try" (controlled shelves of the ball on the ground) on the opposing point line. The way across the field he has to go through defenders of the other team without "touch " ( touch of the hand ). If the attacking player in possession of the ball by a player of the opposing team touches for the sixth time in a row, the ball is in it shall be given. Then changes the direction of play and the other team starts turn an attack attempt. Hard physical contact is not allowed in the touch, may be fitted only to the rear.

Technical

The playing field used in the Touch is a turf field, 50 m wide and 70 m long. A game lasts for 2 × 20 minutes. There are two teams of six active and up to eight replacement players. The game is played with an oval- shaped ball that has the size 4, so a stage is smaller than an ordinary rugby ball.

History of Touch

The home of Touch is Australia, where it is originated from the popular rugby there. In the 1960s, professional player of the " National Rugby League " (NRL ) began to warm up with different exercises without hard body contact. This stand-alone game rules were later developed and Touch was born.

The first official championships existed in 1968 in Sydney. Since then, the sport has grown by leaps and bounds. Several million Australians regularly play touch; active or as so-called "social touch " with friends. In the Australian School Sport Touch is the sport par excellence.

In 1985, the " Federation of International Touch" (FIT) was founded as an international governing body. The FIT now include nearly 30 countries worldwide. Since 1988, the World Cup will be held regularly. The current World Champion is Australia, followed by New Zealand, South Africa and Japan.

The basis for the present and used in official tournaments rules in Touch the rules of Rugby League, one of the two variants of the classic rugby. In November 2010, however, published the international governing body for the variant Rugby Union, the " International Rugby Board" ( IRB), also a separate set of rules for design touch. This differs only limited on the rules of the FIT, which is not recognized by the IRB.

The similarities between rugby and touch exist today only in that in both sports, the ball must be placed behind the opponent's goal line on the ground and the ball may only be fitted backwards.

Touch the world

From Australia to touch quickly spread to neighboring New Zealand. Beyond the borders of these two countries away to touch then spread further into the Asian countries. In South Africa, Touch is played since the 1990s. On the European mainland, there are associations in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Spain and Hungary. Especially in the British Isles is Touch present; there are many teams in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey.

The European Championships are held every two years. 2008, they were held in the French Massy, ​​2010 in Bristol, England, and most recently in 2012 in Treviso, Italy.

The first time in 1988 staged in the Australian city of aprtment Coast World Championships are held every four years. 1991 was the tournament in Auckland, New Zealand 1995 Hawaii and 1999 in Sydney, Australia instead. In 2003, the Japanese Kumagaya hosted, in 2007, finally, the South African Stellenbosch. Finally, the 2011 tournament in Edinburgh, Scotland was carried out.

By "European Touch Development Committee " ( ETDC ) of the FIT program for the qualification of arbitrators has been developed, which has now been adopted by all European countries.

Touch in Germany

Touch is available in Germany since 2003. In 2004, Germany was represented for the first time at the European Championships. 2005, the first German Touch Championships were held, representing a year now the largest national event. Record title holders are Cologne and Munich. Current German champion 2012 Munich.

In 2005, the "Touch Germany Sports Club " ( TDSV ) was founded. Purpose of TDSV is the development and promotion and implementation of the sport. These include the spread of the sport and the dissemination and development of regulations for national competitions. Furthermore, developed training programs for training managers and referees. The TDSV organizes tournaments and competitions title, sets the selection processes for the designation of participants in international championships and organized participation in international tournaments. The association is a member of FIT and sees itself as a partner and advocacy for touch in Germany.

Known touch clubs there are in Berlin, Bonn, Frankfurt, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich and Ruethen.

Touch in Austria

Touch is available in Austria since 2007. Played it the first time was in Vienna. The team formed in the district Schönbrunn participated in several tournaments in Germany and others. On the formation of an Austrian national working since 2008, this took the same year for the first time as a guest team at the European Championships in Massy.

In addition, in 2009 the "Austrian Touch League " (ATL ) was created. The Austrian national teams in the different categories take regularly since then in international tournaments, such as the " Mainland Cup". In October 2009, "Touch Austria" ( TA) as an official member of the Association of Austrian Touch FIT. Currently, the association is composed of three clubs from Vienna and Vorarlberg.

Touch in Switzerland

Touch is played in Switzerland, especially in Basel, Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich and train. The first Touch Association was founded in 2001 in Zurich and held its first tournament in 2004. 2007, the " Swiss Touch Association " (STA ) was established. That same year, Switzerland was the first time participate in the World Championships in Stellenbosch. In 2008, the STA member of the FIT was.

In January 2009, the first Touch Association was founded in the Swiss Romandie. Currently, the STA is in conversation with Touch groups in other cities of Switzerland, to formalize the sport there. The Swiss clubs take further active part in the European club tournaments.