Game Rules

Basics

·       Personnel – 7 on 7 – offense, 3 linemen, 3 receivers, and a QB.  Linemen must be close together.  The center is not eligible, all others are.  Defense can use any 7 players in any formation as long as there are at least two down linemen.

·       Field size – 60 yards long, 30 yards wide, 7 yard end zones. 

·       Field Conditions – Games will be played rain or shine.  Only in rare instances (severe lightning or field flooding) will the game be called or postponed.

·       Coin Toss – At the start of each game, captains and co captains of each team will meet at midfield with the referees.  The away team will make the call while the coin is in the air.

·       Start of Game – 7 men must be present at the time the game begins or the team will forfeit the game.

·       Starting a Drive – After a touchdown, safety, or a punt into the end zone, the ball will be placed at the 10 yard line.  The first drive of each half will start from the 10 yard line.

·       Sidelines – Teams must line up between the first down markers on opposite sides of the field.  One team per sideline.  No taunting from sideline.  Must be in the box.  Only substituting players can be outside the box.  Teams will first be warned.  If a warning goes unheeded, a 5 yard sideline penalty will be issued by referees.

Timing

·       Halves – 2, 25 minute halves with a running clock. 

·       Half Time – Half time will be 5 minutes or referee discretion. 

·       One Minute Warning – There will be a 1 minute warning each half, and the clock will stop only for out of bound, incomplete passes, timeouts, and scores within the 1 minute warning.  Clock will not run on conversions within 1 minute. 

·       Play Clock – 30 second from when the ball is spotted.  A whistle is blown when ball is spotted, and 10 second warning will be giver. Delay of game 5 yard penalty.

·       Clock Stoppage – Clock will stop for injuries and if the refs need to consult on a call.

·       Timeouts – Each team receives three timeouts per half.

·       Injury Timeout – During injury, players must clear to field and return to sidelines the only people on field should be captains and referees and official and or medical personal.

·       Official Timeouts – Two captains, Refs and league officials if needed on field, everyone else must clear the field.

·       Overtime – Each team will get a shot from 20 yards out, and continue until one team scores and the other does not.  Each team gets at least one attempt.

·       Mercy rule – Team must be up by 21 points and the clock will continue to run.  In case of heavy rain, the game will be called once team is up by 21 points unless the other team wishes to continue.  Clock only stops for injury or ref stoppage.  The offense can use a timeout to add 30 seconds to play clock but not stop the clock.

Offense

·       Forward Passing – A ball can only be thrown once in a forward motion behind the line of scrimmage.  No double forward passes behind the line of scrimmage.  One forward pass per down.

·       Motion - Motion is legal but the player can go no more than 10 yards in the backfield and can only move parallel to the line of scrimmage.

·       Ball Spot – The location of the ball will be used to mark the spot of placement at the end of a run, not the flags.

·       Sideline Catches – 1 foot in bounds for a catch.  There are no force outs.  The receiver must have 1 foot in for the catch, or it is not a catch.

·       Conversions – After a touchdown, a 1 point conversion will be held from the 5 yard line or a 2 point conversion from the 10 yard line.  Any defensive penalty on a conversion will result in a redo from half the distance of the play.

·       Flag Guarding – Not allowed.  Stiff-arms are allowed but must be to the body inside of the shoulders.  No player may do a stiff-arm to the hand or arm of a player going for the flag.  The result will be a dead ball at the spot of the foul.  The ball is an extension of the body, if the ball is held over the flags, it is considered flag guarding.

·       Blocking - All blocks must be in chest and torso area and blocker can not leave their feet.

·       Chop Blocking – Not allowed and a player will be penalized 15 yards and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if called for it.

·       Clipping - Any running or diving into the back, or throwing or dropping the body across the back of the leg or legs of a defender is not allowed.  No pushing a defender in the back.

·       Center Rule – There can be no direct passes or snaps to the center.  The center can catch a deflected ball recover a fumble or take a handoff.

·       Safety – Following a safety, the team receiving the ball will go on offense from the opposite 10 yard line.

Defense

·       Defensive linemen - must have part of their body shadowing the offensive guards and must line up within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage in any stance.  There must be 2 linemen around the line of scrimmage.

·       Blitzing – Blitzing is allowed at any time by any player.

·       Downing – A player is down once their flag is pulled.  A player’s knee can touch the ground in the open field and the play can continue.  If the player’s knee hits the ground and the flag is not pulled or the player is not touched, the player can get back up and continue.  If a player’s knee hits the ground, they only have to be touched to be down.  The ball will be spotted where the player is downed.  After a player is downed, the ball cannot be advanced any further.  If a player is on the ground with the ball, he cannot be run over.  If a player is hit while on the ground, it will be a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

·       Conversion Turnovers – Conversions turnovers can be returned for the amount of point the offense is going for.  A defensive return on a 1 point conversion is 1 point and on a 2 point conversion is 2.

·       Defensive Holding – A defender can make contact with player within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, but cannot hold.  Anything within 5 yards is a 5 yard penalty; anything further down field is a spot foul.  Cannot hold running backs or linemen in the backfield while attempting to run a pattern.

·       Pass interference – There must be contact while the ball is in the air for the penalty to be drawn.  There can be contact before the pass but once the ball is in the air, any contact is a penalty.  There will be no pass interference if the ball is overthrown and uncatchable out of bounds or out of the back of the end zone.  A defender cannot pull a flag before the pass is caught.  Pulling a flag early will be a five yard penalty from the end of the run.  The defender must first look for the ball when making a play.  A defender cannot raise their hands with their backs to the ball in an attempt to distract the receiver.

·       Illegal Flag Pulling – A defender cannot pull the flag before an offensive player has the ball.  On pass plays, the receiver must catch the ball first.  A defender can not pull the flag of a blocker, in an attempt to have the referee blow the play dead.  Any illegal pulling of the flag will result in a 10 yard penalty.  A defended cannot pull the flag of a receiver while running a route.

·       Tackling – No tackling.  Any tackling in the open field will result in a 5 yard penalty.  The only time the ball carrier can be taken to the ground while being wrapped up is if the ball carrier lowers a shoulder first.  You can force a player out of bounds, but no wrapping up to do so.  No taking out legs or going for the head.  If a player is forced out and then tackled, it will result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  A ball carrier can be taken down by the ball to try and force a fumble, but the defender must have both hands around the ball when doing so or it will result in a tackling penalty. If a player puts themselves airborne to gain yards, they can be brought down by any means short of being wrapped up or intent to injure.  If a ball carrier lowers a shoulder, breaks a tackle and proceeds down field without lowering a shoulder again, he is not allowed to be tackled.  No tackling the quarterback in the pocket.  Any time a player is wrapped up; it will be looked at as a tackle.  The only exception is if a ball carrier spins and the arms of the defender are tangled going for a flag.

·       QB rule – The quarterback can be hit before he gets rid of a ball, but he can not be wrapped up or tackled.   Tackling the quarterback is a penalty. 

Special Teams

·       Punting – If a team chooses so, they can punt on forth down.  The defense can attempt to block the punt but can not make contact with the punter.  The long snapper can not be touched after the snap unless he raises his head. Must have three down linemen.  The punter should stand at least back 10 yards back.  Can line up for punt and attempt to go for a first down. Cannot run through someone on a punt.  There will be a 5 yard halo rule to protect the punt returner.

·       Punt Returning – Must have two defensive linemen.  Can block punt, but the ball is dead where it is blocked.  Roughing the punter automatic first down at spot of snap.  Halo rule is 5 yards around the punt returner whether or not there is a fair catch.  A muffed punt is live ball.  If the ball is untouched and hits the ground it is dead where it rolls to a stop. 

Contact

·       Contact Box – A player can only lower a shoulder within five yards after of the line of scrimmage, and anywhere in the backfield behind the line of scrimmage.  After five yards passed the line of scrimmage, the ball carrier must make a move to get passed the defender.

·       Out of Bounds – If a defender attempts to force a player out of bounds along the sidelines, they must do it with their arms extended.

·       Hurdling – A defender can not take out the legs of a hurdling ball carrier.

·       Loss of Momentum – If ball carrier collides with another player and forward motion stops for at least one second, any other player involved must grab a flag and not collide with motionless ball carrier.  Two seconds or more and the play is dead.

Sportsmanship

·       Cursing – It can be used to show frustration but it can not be used towards another player or it will result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

·       Taunting – It is fine to say something after a good play but no excessive taunting.  No calling a player out after a play or following a player back to the huddle.  Any excessive taunting will result in a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

·       Intentional Injury – A blatant attempt to injure another player will result in a 15 yard penalty or on a conversion, the result of the penalty will be a redo from half the distance out.  No shots to the head.  If a specific player has a history of intentionally causing harm to opponents, the referee can eject them at any point that they feel the safety of a player is involved.

·       Linemen – No intentional contact above the shoulders.  Players will be issued a warning then 5 yard penalty then 15 yard penalty then ejection.

·       Game Ejection – If a player receives two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties they are automatically ejected from the game.  If they receive two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for excessive taunting they are still ejected.  The referees reserve the right to eject a player at any time.  If a player is ejected, they are suspended for the remainder of the game, the next game, and cannot return until paying a $20 fine.

Penalties

Offensive

·       Chop Blocking = 15 yard and unsportsmanlike conduct

·       Clipping = 15 yards

·       Delay of Game = 5 yards

·       False Start = 5 yards

·       Flag Guarding = Spot foul and loss of current down

·       Forward Lateral = Spot foul and loss of current down

·       Holding = 5 yards from the spot of the foul, redo down

·       Illegal Formation = 5 yards

·       Illegal Handing Ball Forward = 5 yards

·       Intentional Grounding = 5 yards and loss of down

·       Pass Interference = 10 yards from the line of scrimmage and loss of down

Defensive

·       Wrapping the neck or above = 15 yards

·       Holding = 5 yards within 5 yards of line of scrimmage, spot foul downfield and first down

·       Illegal Removing of Flag = 10 yards from the spot

·       Off Sides = 5 yards

·       No Shading = 5 yards

·       Pass Interference = Spot of the foul and first down

·       Roughing the Passer = 10 yards and first down

·       Tackling = 5 yards from the spot of the foul

Special Teams

·       Roughing the Kicker = 10 yards and an automatic first down

·       Roughing the Long Snapper = 5 yard penalty and automatic first down

·       Intentional Kick Catch Interference = 15 yards and unsportsmanlike conduct

·       Unintentional Kick Catch Interference = 5 yards from the end of the run

Other

·       Intentional Injury = 15 yards and unsportsmanlike conduct

·       Referee Arguing = A player can question a ruling but the referee has the final say so no arguing with the referee.  If a continuing argument erupts, the referee has the right to penalize the team 15 yards each time

·       Sideline Penalty = 5 yards

·       Unnecessary Roughness = 5 yards

·       Unsportsmanlike conduct = 15 yards, Referee discretion