The tackle count controls the whole set.

How a set works

A set is the attacking team's sequence of tackles. After each completed tackle, the tackled player plays the ball and the referee advances the count. Teams use early tackles to gain ground and later tackles to create a scoring chance, force a repeat set, or kick to territory.

• The count starts when a team gains possession and keeps the ball in play.
• Each completed tackle usually moves the count forward by one.
• On the sixth tackle, the attacking team must avoid being tackled in possession unless a restart, score, or other law changes the outcome.
• If the ball is kicked, caught, knocked on, or goes dead, the restart depends on the full sequence, not just the number shouted by the referee.

What happens after the last tackle

If the attacking team is tackled on the last tackle, the defending team receives possession. This is often called a handover or turnover. The point is simple: the attacking team has used its allowed sequence and must give the ball up.

That is why teams usually kick before or on the last tackle. A good kick can trap the opposition deep, force a goal-line drop-out, or create a contest near the try line instead of handing over the ball where the tackle happened.

Why the count sometimes does not start yet

A zero tackle can appear after a change of possession, especially when a team gets the ball from an opponent's kick or error and the law or competition interpretation treats the first contact as before tackle one. The attacking team then gets a full count after that first play.

• Zero tackle is not a bonus seventh tackle in every situation.
• It depends on how possession changed and whether the relevant competition uses that interpretation.
• Referee communication matters: the official's call tells players whether the next play is tackle one or still zero.

When the count changes

The count can restart after certain defensive infringements, depending on the competition rules. Some infringements bring a penalty, while others may bring a restart of the tackle count to keep the game moving.

Modern competitions may use "six again" for ruck or ten-metre infringements. That is not the same as every penalty becoming a fresh count. Officials still judge the type, timing, and location of the infringement.

Where fans get caught

• "Six tackles means six carries plus a kick": no. A kick on the last tackle is part of using the set, not an extra play after it.
• "A knock-on always restarts the count": no. It can bring a scrum, handover, advantage, or another restart depending on who offended and what happened next.
• "Zero tackle means the referee forgot the count": no. It is a specific game-management call after some possession changes.
• "The count is only about attack": no. Defensive teams manage field position around it, especially near the fifth tackle.

How officials sort it

1. Identify which team has possession and how it gained the ball.
2. Track each completed tackle and communicate the count clearly.
3. Check whether a defensive infringement restarts the count or brings a penalty.
4. On the final tackle, decide whether play ended by tackle, kick, error, touch, dead ball, or score.
5. Award the correct handover or restart from that sequence.

Source material

• International Rugby League
• Rugby Football League Laws of the Game
• NRL rules and interpretations