Men's & Coed Flag Football Rules & Regulations REVISED 3-8-16 Pro Bowl: April 2nd, 2016 Format: TBD MEN S: There will be a 3 man line with full contact immediate rush. Modified USFFA rules. COED: Non-Contact. 3 count rush by official. 1. TEAM SIZE: MEN S: Teams shall play a maximum of 8 players. COED: Teams shall play a maximum of 7 players (5 men, 2 women). MENS: A seven-player team will be allowed if one or both teams are short a player. Teams with eight players will not be penalized and can use their full team. COED: A six-player team will be allowed if one or both teams are short a player (2 women min). Teams with seven players will not be penalized and can use their full team. A team s roster may consist of a maximum of 16 players. Players may not play in a game until they have submitted their Yorkville Sports Association waiver. 2. PLAYER EIGIBILITY a. WAIVERS Each player must sign individual waiver by the first game. Failure to comply will result in that player being ruled ineligible. b. ROSTERS Limit 16 players on the Final Roster. Final Roster is due by Thursday January 7 th, 2016. If final roster is not received on time, team registration form will become your final roster and players not appearing on original registration form will not be eligible to play.
3. EQUIPMENT A. A standard size official football with or without stripes must be used at all times. a. Rubber molded cleats or Astro-Turf shoes are legal b. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED! B. FLAGS: Each Player must wear a two-flag belt with one flag on each hip. a. All players must have their belts on at the beginning of each play, or will be subject to a one hand touch rule. If a runner loses his/her flag during action, play continues. The play ends when a defensive player touches the runner with ONE hand between the shoulders and the knees. b. The flag belt must be accessible from 360 degrees. If the flag is covered up, the play ends when a defensive player touches the runner with ONE hand between the shoulders and the knees. Wrapping, tying, or in any way securing the flags to the uniform or belt, other than prescribed by rule, or intentionally removing flag during play is illegal. c. A player wearing illegal equipment shall not be permitted to play. 4. CONDUCT RULES a. OFFICIALS League will not tolerate abuse of an official, no matter how slight. This includes any verbal or physical abuse or other acts of intimidation. Any violation of this rule will result in penalty and possible expulsion from the entire event. b. Officials will go over any ground rules or questions prior to coin flip. c. ILLEGAL PHYSICAL CONTACT, PERSONAL FOULS & UNSPORTSMAN-LIKE CONDUCT Any argument, gesture or profanity, throwing of a ball or other object, endangering the safety and well being of players, officials or spectators, will result in expulsion from the event. Two personal fouls and player will be ejected from the game. Three unsportsman-like conduct calls equals ejection. d. EJECTIONS Anyone ejected from a game must leave the playing field and park area immediately. 5. FORFEITS Any player or manager who continues to display poor conduct on the same occurrence will subject his team to forfeiture of that game. Anyone refusing to leave the field of play when ejected will subject his team to a forfeiture of that game
6. WEATHER Teams are required to be present at the field and will be subject to forfeiture of that game if failing to do so, regardless of weather and field conditions, unless otherwise instructed by YSA. 7. FIELD DIMENSIONS 60 x 40, plus two 10 yard end zones. 8. CAPTAIN S MEETING AND COIN TOSS Teams shall designate 1 (one) team captain for the game. The designated captain for the game will be the only team representative allowed to address the referees on a disputed call. Designated captains meet with the referees before the start of the game for the coin toss. The winner of the coin toss shall have the choice to start on offense, start on defense, choose the field direction, or defer. Once the winner or the coin toss has made their choice the other team will make their choice for the secondary option. The teams automatically switch ends at the beginning of the second half. GAME REGULATIONS 2. KICKOFF KICKING / RECEIVING (COIN TOSS) Kicker must kick off tee from twenty (10) yard line. Kickoff may also be thrown. The receiving team will be place at the thirty-five (25) yard line. Teams must declare intention to go on 4th down or punt. No quick kick. Any kick off that is untouched and goes out of bounds will be placed at the thirty (20) yard line. 3. ONSIDE KICK Onside kick must travel at least ten (10) yards to be considered legal.
4. DEAD BALL & RECOVERY On kickoff and punts, only a muffed ball can be picked up be either Offense or Defense and can only be advanced by offensive team. Defensive can only recover and down ball. On fourth down punt, a bad snap that is dropped by kicker may be re-kicked or advanced on the ground by kicker only. All other dropped balls will be considered dead where they land. If ball makes contact with receiving team, kicking team can only recover and maintain possession but not advance the ball. 5. OFFENSE: FIRST DOWNS Each team will have 4 downs to get a new series of downs. A first down is accomplished when the offense gains 10 yards in one set of downs. There is no maximum number of first downs allowed on any given offensive series. 1. A first down is achieved at every 10 yards. The offense may have only one player in motion for each play. That player may move in any direction except forward direction before the snap. All offensive players must be set for at least one second before the ball is hiked, except for a player in motion. PUNTING THE BALL 1. All punts must be announced to the referee. Punts may also be thrown. (no quick kicks) A. The kicker/thrower must catch and kick/throw the ball immediately in one continuous motion. B. The team may not advance beyond their respective scrimmage line until the ball is kicked. Penalty: Illegal procedure, 5 yards from the previous spot. C. If the offense declares to punt, then wants to change their decision, they may do so after a charged timeout or an accepted penalty in which the down is to be replayed. D. If the receiving team fails to catch the punt the ball is dead where it touches the ground. RECEIVER ELIGIBILITY Eligible receivers must line up at least one foot behind line of scrimmage and center. A minimum of three players must be on the line at all times. All players are eligible to touch or catch a pass. A forward pass may be thrown provided the passer's feet are behind Team A's scrimmage line (first ball spotter) when the ball leaves the passer's hand. Only one forward pass can be thrown per down. NOTE: Once the offense possesses the ball beyond the line of scrimmage a forward pass may not be thrown legally. A. One foot or knee must land inbounds before any part of the body lands in the out-ofbounds area for a legal pass reception.
QB OPTIONS After snap, quarterback may pass, hand off or elect to run. SCORING POINTS Touchdown is worth six (6) points Extra point: Play from three (3) yard line - one (1) point, 2-point conversion on 6 yard line The defense cannot score on conversions. Safeties count for 2 points. All free kicks after a safety are thrown from the 10 yard line. All touchbacks bring the ball out to the 10 yard line. 6. OVERTIME: If overtime is needed, a coin flip will determine offensive and defensive teams. Play will start at the 20 yard line. Both teams will have possession of the ball at least once. If an interception is returned for a touchdown it will conclude the game. If neither team scores on their 1 st possession, sudden death will begin. Repeat the process above. The first team to score will win the game. COED ONLY: GENDER RULES Teams MUST use a female player as an Operative Player within 4 consecutive plays, or a penalty will be assessed. Failure to comply with the gender rule results in a 5-yard penalty and the gender rule remains in place. Failure to comply on a second consecutive play results in a loss of down and the gender rule remains in place (and if that happens on a 4 th down play, the ball is turned over to the opposition). The cycle using a female player within 4 consecutive plays STOPS after a touchdown. On 4 th down the gender rules do not apply if the offense chooses to punt. The Gender count resets after each change of possession. Examples of Accepted Operative Player Plays: Attempts a forward pass behind the line of scrimmage Receives a hand-off or lateral behind line of scrimmage and is used as the primary runner Is the intended receiver of a catchable pass in the eyes of the referee A female plays quarterback and is tagged by the defense A female plays quarterback and attempts a forward pass A female plays quarterback and runs for yardage A female runs the ball as a running back A female receives a lateral or hand-off and attempts a forward pass to anyone A female catches a deflected pass
Examples of NON-Acceptable Operative Player Plays: A female plays quarterback and laterals or hands off to a male A female passes to a male behind the line of scrimmage A female plays center and snaps to a male quarterback A female QB takes a knee A female QB intentionally grounds or spikes the ball A pass directed at a female is deemed to be intentionally uncatchable in the eyes of the Referee (i.e. spiked directly at her feet, etc) 7. BLOCKING, RUNNING, AND FLAG BELT REMOVAL: OFFENSIVE VS. DEFENSIVE LINE 1. [COED ONLY] The offensive block can take place without contact. The blocker shall have his/her hands and arms at his/her side or behind his/her back. Any use of the arms, elbows, or legs to initiate contact during an offensive player's block is illegal. You may not hold the opponents shirts. 2. The offense may create space between the defensive and ball carrier by a screen block. Please note that you may not however set a pick. A pick will result in a penalty. Penalty: Illegal Contact, 5 yards. 3. Offensive players may not set a pick downfield in an attempt to get another receiver open, or for any other reason. Penalty: Illegal Contact, 5 yards. 4. REMOVING THE FLAG When the flag is cleanly taken from a ball carrier the down shall end and the ball is declared dead. A player who removed the flag from the ball carrier should immediately hold the flag above their head to assist the official in locating the spot where the capture occurred. In an attempt to remove the flag from a ball carrier, defensive players may contact the body and shoulders of an opponent with their hands, but not any part of their head. A defensive player may not hold, push, or knock the ball carrier down in an attempt to remove the flag. The flag may be dropped at the spot of capture by the defense with no penalty. A defensive player may leave his their feet to secure a flag. Offensive player may not protect or guard flags. If an offensive player has lost their flags prior to receiving the ball they will be downed by the one hand touch method. TIME BETWEEN PLAYS (Mens & Coed) 30 seconds - between plays 45 seconds - between score & kick-off (before delay of game penalty is assessed).
LEGAL RECEPTION Mens: Both feet must be in bounds. Coed: One foot must be in bounds. One foot or knee must land inbounds before any part of the body lands in the out-ofbounds area for a legal pass reception. 8. DEFENSE Mens: 3 men line, no restrictions, immediate rush on snap. Coed: Man-to-man and zone defense are both allowed. In man-to-man defense (non-contact), a male defensive player may not cover a female offensive player on pass plays, unless the offense has more female players than the defense. A male player may cover a female player in a zone defensive scheme. It is up to the referee s discretion to determine if the defense is in zone. On gender plays where the offense uses a female for a quarterback, the play is run as normal and the defense can use man to man or zone defense. BLITZ Team may elect to rush with three players or blitz ROUGHING THE KICKER Roughing the kicker: running into kicker after kick will result in loss of ball and, penalty. EJECTION FROM GAME TIME OUTS Two (2) personal fouls or three (3) unsportsman-like conduct calls will result in ejection from game. Each team is entitled to two (2) time outs per half PLAYING TEAM a. Two twenty (20) minute halves b. First eighteen (18) minutes will be running time. c. Last two (2) minutes clock will stop on incomplete pass, penalties, etc. HALF-TIME Five (5) minutes.
NOTICES 1. Please do not leave your cans, bottles, and litter on or near fields. Please pick up after yourselves. The parks department has threatened to cancel our permits. 2. Scores handed in by the officials will be considered the official score. 3. Consumption of drugs and/or alcoholic beverages on or near the playing fields is strictly prohibited. Violators will subject their teams to immediate expulsion. 4. Players who are determined to be under the influenced of drugs and/or alcohol by league officials will subject their teams to immediate expulsion. 5. We play in the mud and snow. 6. We do not play on solid ice. Any rules not addressed above will follow United States Flag Football Association Rules.