01. What is changing?
The legal tackle height in Singapore community rugby is being lowered from the shoulder line to below the chest.
Singapore Rugby Union
Tackle Height
Community rugby in Singapore is moving to a lower tackle height to protect players' heads. This hub is your one reference for the Singapore approach: what is changing, why, how to coach it and how referees will manage it. Learn, share, apply, review.
The Singapore standard
Technical term: base of sternum. Community term: below the chest.
In June 2026 World Rugby approved new community tackle height laws, which took effect on 1 July 2026. Each match organiser chooses where the high tackle line sits: the shoulder (the current elite law), the base of the sternum, or the waist.
For Singapore community rugby, SRU's reference point is the base of the sternum. In everyday terms, that means below the chest. Players, coaches, referees, schools and parents should all use these same words, so everyone is describing the same tackle.
Start date, competitions covered and any Singapore variations to be confirmed by SRU.
Start here
02. Why is it changing?
Most concussions in rugby happen in the tackle. Lower tackles mean fewer head-on-head contacts, for both the tackler and the ball carrier.
03. Where is the new tackle height?
Below the base of the sternum. In everyday terms, below the chest: aim at the belly or lower.
04. When does it apply?
Start date and the competitions and age grades covered are to be confirmed by SRU.
05. How should I tackle?
Track the ball carrier, bend at the hips and knees, aim at the belly and get your head to the side. See the Tackle Ready stages below.
06. How will referees manage it?
Contact above the line is a penalty. SRU and SSRUR will share referee guidance and video scenarios to learn from.
What the law says
World Rugby's community tackle height law covers four situations. Here is what each means on the field.
The tackler. The tackle must be made below the high tackle line. In Singapore that line is the base of the sternum. Contact above it is a penalty.
A dangerous tackle. A tackle is dangerous if it starts below the shoulders but rides up and makes contact with the head, or if it goes above the high tackle line in open play. Open play does not include slow pick-and-go carries close to a ruck or maul, or a player dipping low to score.
The ball carrier. Ball carriers must also enter contact safely. Under an optional clause, a ball carrier who drops their height sharply into a tackle and causes dangerous contact can be penalised.
Double tackles. Under another optional clause, two players may not tackle the ball carrier at the same time in open play. Where two arrive together, the first tackler must stay below the high tackle line and any other tackler must stay below the shoulders.
SRU is still to confirm whether the two optional clauses apply in Singapore.
Why lower?
Lower tackles protect heads
Most concussions in rugby happen in the tackle, and the risk is highest when the tackler's head is upright and level with the ball carrier's. In World Rugby endorsed community trials in France, lowering the tackle height cut head-on-head contacts by 64% and concussions by 23%. The trials also saw more offloads and more time with the ball in play.
French community trial results, as reported by Scottish Rugby
Tackle Ready: how to tackle below the chest
1. Track
Close the space quickly, get square to the ball carrier and keep your eyes on their hips, not their head or the ball.
2. Prepare
Sink before contact: bend at the hips and knees, keep your back flat and your chin up, so your shoulder arrives below the chest.
3. Connect
Make contact with your shoulder at belly height or lower, with your head to the side of the ball carrier, never in front.
4. Drive
Keep your feet moving with short, strong steps and drive through the contact, staying low.
5. Finish
Wrap your arms, bring the ball carrier to ground safely, land on top and get back to your feet.
Before contact: Contact Confident
World Rugby's Contact Confident warm-ups build neck strength, head control and safe falling and landing, so players are ready for contact.
Frequently asked questions
What is the tackle height in Singapore?
Below the base of the sternum, or in everyday terms, below the chest. Contact above this line is a penalty.
Who does the new law apply to?
Tacklers and ball carriers in Singapore community rugby. The competitions and age grades it covers, and the start date, are to be confirmed by SRU.
What if the tackle starts below the chest but rides up?
A tackle that starts below the shoulders but rides up and makes contact with the head is dangerous play under World Rugby law, and referees can sanction it. Tacklers stay responsible for where the tackle finishes, not just where it starts.
Can a ball carrier be penalised?
Ball carriers must also enter contact safely. World Rugby lets match organisers penalise a ball carrier who drops their height sharply into a tackle and causes dangerous contact. SRU is still to confirm whether this applies in Singapore.
What about double tackles?
World Rugby lets match organisers ban two players tackling the ball carrier at the same time in open play. Where two tacklers do arrive together, the first must stay below the high tackle line and the second below the shoulders. SRU is still to confirm whether the ban applies in Singapore.
Does the lower line apply near the try line?
The lower line is for open play. It does not cover slow pick-and-go carries close to a ruck or maul, or a player dipping low to score, where the usual high tackle law applies.
If I share a match video, will someone get into trouble?
No. Sharing a clip is for learning only. It is not a complaint, a disciplinary referral or a formal match review. SRU and SSRUR may use selected examples for referee and coaching education.
Learn more: World Rugby and other unions
World Rugby: 2026 community tackle height law wordingThe approved law wording, including the choice of shoulder, base of sternum or waist.World Rugby: Tackle Ready and the lower tackle height trialWorld Rugby's introduction to the lower tackle height, with Tackle Ready coaching and Contact Confident resources.Scottish Rugby: Tackle Height HubScotland's hub for clubs, schools, parents and referees, including its trial research and FAQs.New Zealand Rugby: Rugby Toolbox tackle heightNZ Rugby's tackle height law summary, below-the-sternum activities and links to other unions.Irish Rugby: Tackle height training resourcesIrish Rugby's short online module on the tackle height laws for club and schools rugby.