Key rules for entering teams in our competitions

Winter 2024

REGISTRATION

Registration is $110 for junior players and $120 for Senior players plus online fees.

Team registrations will strictly close on Sunday 31th March – teams must have the minimum of 10 players registered by this time. 

JUNIOR AGES

Mixed’ junior divisions can be any combination of all males, all females or a mixture of both.

7s and 9s divisions – all players will receive only one point per try. From 11s and up, females receive two points per try.

A maximum of 4 current rep players are allowed per team. A current rep player is a player who competed at the 2023 Junior Nationals team or the 2024 Junior State Cup (shadows are only counted as a rep player if they went away and played in the tournament).

To be eligible to trial for Junior State Cup, you must be registered in a 2023/24 Junior competition and for Junior Nationals Registered in a 2023/2024 Junior Summer or 2024 Junior Winter competition.

SENIOR AGES

All players must be 15 to take the field in a senior competition.

Mixed opens –  must have a minimum of four females on the field at once.

Men’s Open – Are not limited by the amount of representative players per team.

Women’s Open – A maximum of 4 current representative players are allowed per team. A current rep player is a player who played in the 2024 Senior State Cup or 2023 Senior Nationals

To be eligible to trial for Senior State Cup, you must be registered in a 2023/24 Senior competition and for Senior Nationals Registered in a 2023/2024 Senior Summer or 2024 Senior Winter competition.

AGES DIVISIONS

Winter 2024 Age Divisions:

  • 7s – Born 2017 or 2018 and must be attending primary school in 2024
  • 9s – Born 2015 or 2016
  • 11s – Born 2013 or 2014
  • 13s – Born 2011 or 2012
  • 15s – Born 2009 or 2010
  • Senior Divisions – Must be 15 years of age prior to taking the field.

Players are eligible to play up one age division only e.g. a player that qualifies for the 11s age group can only play up 1 division to the 13s age group (they must also be registered in that team to play).

Individual players cannot ‘play up’ a grade. They must stay in their eligible age division.

FORFEITS

Teams who are unable to field the minimum of 5 registered players and are needing to forfeit are to advise via TEXT to 0477928866 by 12pm Midday the day of competition (preferably at the earliest notice).

Teams who forfeit and will be given a loss and a 5-0 win is given to the opposition.

Teams who advise of a forfeit after 12pm will be deducted a further3 competition ladder points. The opposition will be given a 5-0 win.

TEAM UNIFORMS

Teams must all be in matching ‘numbered’ shirts by Round 4.

7s and 9s age groups do not have to have numbered shirts (however preferred), but they still need to be matching.

Individual teams are not required to have matching/numbered shirts, however players are required to be wearing the colour of their team name e.g. Individual Red needs to be wearing a red playing top.

A penalty of one try per player out of uniform, will be awarded to the opposing team prior to starting the game. The referee will make a note of this and both teams will be informed before play starts. Should any team delegates have any queries they are to be addressed before or during the game with competition managers – not after the game.

OFFICIAL OZTAG SHORTS/TIGHTS

Players are required to wear official Australian Oztag shorts or tights. Under no circumstances are players allowed to sew Velcro patches onto pants/tights or wear LEAGUE TAG shorts/tights.

Shorts ($30) & Tights ($35) can be purchased at shorts/tights pre-sale days & at all playing venues over the first couple of weeks.

We also sell sublimated Central Coast Oztag shorts ($45) and tights ($50).

SIGN ON SHEETS

All teams are required to sign on each week prior to taking the field. If players fail to sign on, points may be deducted.

A forfeit may be awarded to the opposing team when a team has less than 5 players signed on. If you are not signed on, you are not insured. With COVID restrictions and public health orders, new sign on requirements will be sent to each team delegate.

BACK UP PLAYERS

Any teams who are not able to field 8 players, are permitted to find a ‘back up’ player.

A ‘Back Up’ player must be registered in the same season at the same venue, however the ‘back up’ player must be in the same grade or lower e.g., If playing in a Division 2 team you cannot use ‘back up’ player from Division 1.

Players who ‘back up’ must inform the admin staff before taking the field. Any team fielding a ‘back up’ player that has not informed competition staff before the start of the game may incur a forfeit (5-0 loss).

Admin staff will give the ‘back up’ player a sticker which will need to be given to the referee before taking the field. Teams are not permitted to have ‘back up’ player/s in order to create substitutes for the team.

Any one team can only have a maximum of five ‘back up’ players throughout the season unless agreed upon by the Competition Manager.

Representative players can not back up for any team unless they are division 1.

Any ‘back up’ player can only back up a maximum of three times. Random checks will be done throughout the season.

If you think your opposition is breaching the rules and playing unregistered players, please notify competition staff during or before the game. Teams can also see registered players from all teams on the Fixi app.

Any team fielding a ‘back up’ player will automatically receive a penalty of 1 try per ‘back up’ player if out of uniform.

FINALS & REPRESENTATIVE ELIGIBILITY

Players must play a minimum of four games to be eligible for finals & seven games to be eligible for representative teams. Should a player not have played four games they can apply for an exemption to the Venue Competition Manager.

TEAMS ARRIVING LATE

All teams are expected to arrive on time for their matches. Should teams be arriving late, they will be penalised one point (try) per minute up to five minutes, at the discretion of the Competition Management. After five minutes the game may be deemed a forfeit, at discretion of Competition Management.

How to register

We accept active kids vouchers

Individual registrations

If you are registering as an individual player, please EMAIL the following details to oztagrego@gmail.com

  • Players first and last name
  • Contact number
  • DOB
  • Competition venue
  • Advise if you are anticipating on using an Active Kids Voucher

Register a team on Sportfix

This is for whole team registrations of 10 or more players.

If you do not have a team and wish to register as an individual player you will need to EMAIL players first and last name, email, DOB and Competition venue to oztagrego@gmail.com

There are limited places available. Teams will be allocated into the competition once all players have registered and made payment. A team’s place will not be held until all payments are finalised. Please do not register until all players are in a position to register and pay.

TEAM DELEGATES:

  • Click the REGISTRATION link
  • Select competition – Ensure you are selecting the correct age – based off this year eg. any players turning 6 or 7 THIS year 2024 will be in the 8s
  • Create account or sign into account if previously held one. IMPORTANT: Please do not do this multiple times – only once as it will make duplicates if done again – if it takes you away from your team select the little person image in the top right and go to my registrations to get back to the team registration.
  • Verify email address (only for new accounts – please check junk mail).
  • Fill in Team name
  • Select Skill Level/Competition – beginner or intermediate or high grade along with selecting what division your team (or majority of the team) played in last competition.
  • Invite team members – you will see a team code when registering, pass this onto your players and ask them to use the below instructions (If you miss the team code you can click the person in the top right – select my registrations and it will show your teams code).

PLAYERS:

Players will receive a team code from your team delegate.

The team will not be registered into a competition until all players have made their payment.

  • Select the REGISTRATION link for the VENUE
  • Select JOIN TEAM and enter the team code.
  • Create an account using an email and password of choice. This will then take you into your profile.
  • If a parent is registering their child they must select the box “I am registering on behalf of my child or someone else”
  • Fill in all personal details and make payment. Registration $110 for juniors and $120 for seniors plus transaction fees.
  • ACTIVE KIDS VOUCHERS: If you are using an active kids voucher – when it comes time to make payment please select active kids voucher and enter voucher details. Please wait until the voucher has been accepted and the balance drops down -$100 before entering credit card details. DO NOT ENTER CREDIT CARD DETAILS PRIOR TO THE BALANCE DROPPING DOWN OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED THE FULL AMOUNT ON THE CREDIT CARD.

Team registrations will strictly close on Sunday 31st March – teams must have the minimum of 10 players registered by this time.

 

Frequently asked questions

How many players do you need if you want to put a team into the competition?

You will need a minimum of ten players to register a team there is no limit to how many numbers you can have in a team however Central Coast Oztag recommend 10-12 players to give everybody plenty of game time.

Can I play if I don’t have a full team?

Yes if you wish to enter as an individual player please email oztagrego@gmail.com players name, contact number, email, DOB, Division and Competition venue. 

We have 5-6 players but not 10, can they sign up as individuals and be in the same team?

Central Coast Oztag will try their best in this situation to place players in the same team, though when signing up as Individual players this cannot always be guaranteed depending on the number of individual players signing up.

My son/daughter doesn’t start kindergarten until next year, can he/she still play?

Unfortunately they cannot play in our regular competitions, though can join our Tiny Taggers program by calling Bree on 0422 859 468 or looking on our Tiny Taggers Facebook page aimed for pre-school aged children.

My team doesn’t have eight players for some games, can we still play?

Yes, you can play with as little as 5 players. Though there is the opportunity for players to ‘Back Up’ if needed, please read these rules carefully.

Our team’s jerseys are all the same colour but different designs/brands on them, is this okay?

No, all teams must have matching and numbered jerseys by round 4. The only exceptions are in the 6s, 8s and 10s in which they do not require a number (however must all be matching) or the individual teams in which they are required to be wearing the correct team colour.

Our son/daughter has League Tag shorts/tights, why can they not wear them?

Unfortunately due to the difference in the make of these, they are not covered by our insurance policy, so are not permitted to be worn during the season.

Will teams be regraded if their games are too hard/easy?

Grades are continually monitored by our Competition Managers, if you feel your team is in the wrong division, we encourage you to have a conversation with them as soon as possible. Most regrading will take place by the conclusion of Round 3.

When do teams train?

As Oztag is a recreational sport there are no trainings, however if the teams wish to organise their own training they can, though must ensure they comply with Council regulations with field bookings.

Do we have a coach?

Teams are not required to have coaches, only a team delegate is to organise communication to their relevant teams. With our individual teams however Central Coast Oztag will allocate a representative to help out on the field with the younger age groups for the first three weeks to help learn the rules/manage the team. In the first week we approach parents to see if someone is able to put their hand up to be the coach/team delegate.

Are parents allowed on the field to help?

Yes, a Team Delegate or Parent is allowed on the field for the first couple of weeks  with the players in the 6s and 8s. It is important that the coach understands they are out there for the sole purpose of the team and are not to challenge any refereeing calls or interfere with the game at any point.

Can my son/daughter play up in a higher division with their sibling?

Players can only play one age group above and can only do so if they are joining with a whole team, e.g. a player eligible for our 10s can play in the 12s with their sibling but cannot play in the 14s.

Note: Individual players joining must play in their own age division and cannot play up an age unless agreed from Competition Manager.

Who do I advise if my son/daughter or I cannot make the game?

You must advise your team delegate as soon as possible, you do not need to contact Central Coast Oztag directly.

How many points are given for girls scoring in mixed divisions?

2 points are given per try for girls from ages from 12s and up. In ages 6s, 8s and 10s, only one point is given. In Senior mixed and 20s mixed teams all girls are given 2 points.

Where can I find the draws each week?

Players are encouraged to download the SportFix app and all draws will be loaded on here and updated each night of competition. Everybody is encouraged to join our Facebook page ‘Central Coast Oztag’ for all updates and wet weather announcements.

How many weeks does the competition go for?

Competitions go for twelve weeks including finals. All teams have the opportunity to play for the twelve rounds, even those teams that did not make finals.

What happens if when fields have been closed due to bad weather?

Always assume that games are on. If and only if games will not go ahead due to weather conditions we will post on our Central Coast Oztag Facebook page by 2pm. There is no need to contact Central Coast Oztag if there is no Facebook posts indicting games are off.

If you have siblings that play is it cheaper?

If you have four children from the one immediate family, then the fourth child is free. Please note this does not include parents/guardians playing or if using active kids vouchers.

Where can I buy shorts/tights?

Shorts and tights will be sold at each competition venue starting from $30 shorts and $35 tights and is cash only – no EFTPOS facilities are available.