Rugby sevens uses the rugby union mark law. The shorter format does not create a separate sevens mark rule, but the effect can be bigger because a clean defensive catch can turn a dangerous kick chase into a controlled free-kick restart.
A mark is a legal claim made by a player who cleanly catches an opponent's kick deep in defence. It is not just a good catch. It is a specific way to stop play and restart with a free-kick.
In sevens, this usually happens when a defender catches a long kick, a high contestable kick, or a failed kick at goal near their own try line. Once the referee accepts the claim, the chasing team cannot keep tackling or contesting as if open play were still live.
Rugby sevens is a variation of rugby union, and the mark law is not rewritten into a separate sevens-only version. The requirements for the catch, location, call, and free-kick restart come from the ordinary World Rugby laws.
The sevens differences sit around the game. There are fewer defenders, more open space, and faster transitions, so a mark can be a practical escape from pressure. The law itself still asks the same questions a referee would ask in 15-a-side rugby.
The player claiming the mark must have at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line when catching the ball, or when landing after catching it in the air. A player who jumps from outside the 22 can still claim a mark if the landing condition is satisfied.
A mark can also be claimed in the player's own in-goal. If that happens, the free-kick is not taken from inside in-goal. It is brought out to the five-metre line, in line with the place where the mark was claimed.
The ball must be caught directly from an opponent's kick before it touches the ground or another player. If it bounces, is touched by a team-mate, is played by another player before the catch, or is only gathered after contact with the ground, the mark is not available.
The kicked ball also has to reach the plane of the 22-metre line. A receiver cannot catch the ball outside the 22, step back, and then turn the catch into a mark.
The catch does not create a mark by itself. The player must call "mark" at the same time as making the catch. Referees look for one clear action: a legal catch, in the right place, with an immediate claim.
If the player catches cleanly but does not call for a mark, play continues. That player can run, pass, kick, be tackled, or be forced into touch under the normal open-play laws.
A player may claim a mark even if the ball has hit a goal post or crossbar before being caught. The important point is that the ball is still caught directly from the opponent's kick before it touches the ground or another player.
This matters after goal attempts. A defender who catches a failed penalty goal or dropped-goal attempt in the correct area can call mark if the other requirements are met.
A mark cannot be claimed from a kick-off or from a restart kick after a score. Sevens restarts are central to the format, and the receiving team cannot remove that contest simply by catching the restart and shouting for a mark.
The exclusion is narrow. A mark may still be claimed after a penalty kick at goal or a dropped kick at goal if the ball is caught directly in the required area and the catcher calls "mark" at the same time.
When the mark is correct, the referee stops play immediately and awards a free-kick to the team in possession. The player who claimed the mark takes the free-kick, unless that player was injured while claiming it and cannot take the kick within one minute.
The free-kick after a mark follows the ordinary free-kick law, with the sevens variation that a place-kick is not available. In practical terms, the player can tap-style kick and play quickly, punt, or drop-kick where the law allows, but cannot use a place-kick restart.
The ball must be visibly kicked. Opponents must retreat 10 metres, or to their own try line if it is closer, but at a free-kick they may charge once the kicker starts the movement to kick. If the kick is taken from the wrong place, the referee can bring it back.
Because sevens is played on a full-size field with only seven players per side, deep kicks often create one-on-one pressure. A valid mark lets the receiving team stop the chase, settle possession, and choose the next action instead of being tackled immediately near its own try line.
That does not make the mark a guaranteed attacking platform. A free-kick from deep territory still needs a clean exit, and a poor kick to touch or rushed tap can hand the ball back. The mark gives safety and possession; it does not remove the need to execute the restart.
If any required element is missing, the referee should not award the mark. Common invalid claims include a catch outside the 22, a late or unclear call, a ball that bounced first, a catch from a team-mate's kick, or a catch from a kick-off or restart after points.
An invalid shout does not automatically stop play. Players should keep playing until the whistle, because the ball remains live unless the referee accepts the mark or another law creates a stoppage.