Youth Sports Flag Football League Rules

5 Man Flag Football

Tucson Arizona

General Rules Ball Sizes 8 and under- Pee Wee 12 and under- Junior 15 and under- Youth Mouth Guards must be worn at all times during practice and games.

1 Officials have final say on all calls. If the coach has

a question or needs clarification on a call they will need to call a timeout.

2 If the official has an inadvertent whistle the play will be blown dead when the whistle is blown

3 Shirts must be tucked it tightly and thoroughly before every play. After the officials have issued a warning to the players or coaches, if a players shirt is not tucked in before the play starts they will be down where the ball is touched.

4 Due to a safe concern, players will be required to wear shorts without pocket while playing starting March 7th, 2009.

5 A coin toss determines the first position 6 The offensive team takes possession of the ball at its 5-

yard line and has 3 plays to cross midfield. Once a team crosses midfield, it has 3 plays to score a touchdown. If the offense fails to score, the ball changes possession and the new offensive team takes over on its 5-yard line.

7 If the offensive team fails to cross midfield, possession of

the ball changes and the opposition starts its drive from its 5-yard line.

8 All possession changes, except interceptions, start on offences 5 yard line

9 Teams change sides after the first 20 min.

Players and Game Schedules 1 Teams must field a minimum of 5 players at all times. 2 A the referees discretion, if one team has only 4 players

and the opposing team has no more than 8 players, the game may be allowed to proceed with each team fielding 4 players at a time.

3 Teams consist of 10 players (5 on the field with 5 substitutes)

Timing and Overtime

1 The game will consist of 2 twenty-minute halves. Half time will be no longer than 10 minutes. Halftimes may be shortened to keep games on schedule. The team that starts the first half on defense will start the second half with possession of the ball.

2 If the score is tied at the end of the 40 min , Teams move directly into overtime

3 Overtime first possession is determined by a coin toss. Overtime may consist of 3 overtime periods..

4 Teams will be warned when there is 2 minutes left in the second half. This is not a timeout, it is a stoppage of play by the official and the clock will start on the next snap of the ball.

The breakdown of the overtime starting positions and rules are as follows:

� 1st Overtime: Teams start at midfield and have 3 plays (less any penalties to score). If a team scores they may go for either a 1 point conversion or 2 point conversion.

� 2nd Overtime: Teams start at midfield and have 3 plays (less any penalties to score). If a team scores they may go for either a 1 point conversion or 2 point

conversion.. � 3rd Overtime: Teams will start at the 5 yard line and

have 1 plays (less penalties) to score. If a team scores they must go for a 2 point conversion.

� All regular season games will end in a tie after 3 overtimes. In a playoff/tournament game the rules for the 3rd overtime will apply to any additional overtime periods.

� Each time the ball is spotted, a team has 30 seconds to snap the ball. Teams will receive one warning before a delay-of-game penalty is enforced.

� Each team has one 60-second and one 30-second timeout per half.

� Officials can stop the clock at their discretion.

Scoring 1 Touchdown: 6 points 2 Extra Points: 1 point (played from 5-yard line) or 2 points

(played from 12-yardline) 3 Safety: 2 points (Any flag pulled or fumble in the end

zone) 4 Both types of extra point attempts, 1 point from the 5-

yard and 2 points from the 12-yard line, shall be open to play. No run zones affect only plays where the ball has been spotted within the no run zone.

Running

1 The quarterback cannot run with the ball past the line of scrimmage.

2 Only direct handoffs behind the line of scrimmage are permitted. Offense may use multiple handoffs.

3 Absolutely no laterals at anytime. 4 The "fumble-rooskie" is not a legal play. The ball will be

rules down where it touches the ground. 5 "No running zones," located 5 yards from each end zone

and 5 yards on either side of midfield, are designed to avoid short yardage, power-running situations.

6 The player who takes the handoff can throw the ball from

behind the line of scrimmage. 7 Once the ball has been handed off, all defensive players

are eligible to rush. 8 Spinning is allowed, but players cannot leave their feet to

avoid a defensive player (no diving). 9 The ball is spotted where the ball carrier's feet are when

the flag is pulled, not where the ball is. 10 In order to provide the safest environment for our

participants there is absolutely no form of blocking this includes but not limited to screen blocking and pick blocking by any offensive player at any time. The defensive players have the right to the flag at any time.

11 If ball carriers flag falls off the player, the player is down where the flag fell off. If a flag falls off before he receives the ball he is down where he gains position of the ball

12 Pulling of flags before an offensive player gains possession of the ball is not permitted. If this occurs a five yard penalty will be given to the defensive team.

Receiving

1 All players are eligible to receive passes (including the quarterback if the ball has been handed off behind the line of scrimmage.)

2 Only one player is allowed in motion at a time and one motion man per play.

3 Players in motion must be set before the play begins. 4 A player must have at least one foot inbounds when

making a reception.

Passing 1 All snaps must be snapped from the ground and under the

legs 2 Any pass must be thrown and completed beyond the line

of scrimmage (Including but not limited to screen passes and shuffle passes)

3 Shovel passes are allowed but must be received beyond the line of scrimmage.

4 The quarterback has a seven-second "pass clock." If a pass is not thrown within the seven seconds, play is dead, loss of down. Once the ball is handed off, the seven-second rule no longer is in effect.

5 In the event a play is blown dead because of the seven-second rule, the ball shall be placed at the previous line of scrimmage for the next down unless there is a change of possession.

6 Interceptions change the possession of the ball at the point of interception (8 and Under only).

7 Interceptions are the only changes of possession that do not start on the 5-yard line.

8 Interceptions in 11 and under can be returned for a touchdown.

Defense

1 Any defensive player who lines up behind the 7-yard rush line shall be deemed not eligible to rush if once set, he/she crosses the 7-yard rush line prior to the snap.

2 Any number of players can rush the quarterback as long as they are behind the 7 yard marker

3 Offensive players must gain possession of the ball before there flag can be pulled.

4 No defensive penalty shall have the resulting effect of penalizing the offensive team. When a defensive penalty occurs, whenever practical and appropriate, the offensive play shall be allowed to continue. The offensive team will have the option of accepting or declining the appropriate penalty

5 The ball may be advanced after the defense has intercepted the ball. After possesion has been gained all offensive rules apply (no leaving feet, flag falling off)(11 and up only 8& under is excluded from interception)

Official's Hand Signals

Touch Down

(Both arms extended above head)

Safety

(Palms together above head)

First Down

(Arm pointed towards defensive team's goal)

Crowd Noise (One Arm above

head with an open hand. With fist

closed) Fourth Down

Personal foul

(One wrist striking the other above head)

Ball illegally

touched, kicked, or batted

(Fingertips tap both shoulders)

Time out

(Hands crisscrossed above head.)

No time out or

time in with whistle

(Full arm circled to simulate moving clock.)

Delay of game Or excess timeout

(Folded arms.)

False start, illegal

formation, or kickoff or safety kick out of bounds

(Forearms rotated over and over in front of body.)

Holding

(Grasping one wrist, the fist clenched, in

front of chest.)

Illegal use of

hands, arms, or body

(Grasping one wrist, the hand open and facing

forward, in front of chest.)

Penalty refused, incomplete pass,

play over, or missed field goal

or extra point (Hands shifted in horizontal plane.)

Pass juggled inbounds and caught out of

bounds (Hands up and down

in front of chest (following incomplete

pass signal).)

Illegal forward pass

(One hand waved behind back followed by loss of down signal.)

Intentional

grounding of pass (Parallel arms waved in a diagonal plane

across body. Followed by loss of

down signal.)

Interference with

forward pass or fair catch

(Hands open and extended forward from shoulders with hands

vertical.)

Invalid fair-catch

signal (One hand waved

above head.)

Ineligible

receiver or ineligible

member of kicking team

downfield (Right hand touching

top of cap.)

Illegal contact

(One open hand extended forward.)

Offside,

encroachment, or neutral zone

infraction (Hands on hips.)

Illegal motion at

snap (Horizontal arc with one

hand.)

Loss of down (Both hands held

behind head.)

Interlocking interference, pushing, or

helping runner (Pushing movement of hands to front with

arms downward.)

Unsportsmanlike conduct

(Arms outstretched, palms down.)

Touching a

forward pass or scrimmage kick (Diagonal motion of

one hand across another.)

Illegal cut

(Hand striking front of thigh.)

Illegal crackback

(Strike of an open right hand against the right mid-thigh preceded by personal foul signal.)

Player

disqualified (Ejection signal.)

Tripping

(Repeated action of right foot in back of left heel.)

Penalties offense Illegal equipment ------5 yards and loss of down False start---------------5 yards and loss of down Offside’s-----------------5 yards and loss of down Illegal motion -----------5 yards and loss of down Illegal forewords pass---5 yards and loss of down Off pass interference ---5 yards and loss of down Illegal blocking ----------5 yards and loss of down Delay of game------------5 yards and loss of down Illegal contact------------10 yards and loss of down Flag guarding ------------5 yards and loss of down *sf* Unnecessary roughness---15 yards and loss of down *sf* Unsportsmanship----------15 yards and loss of down

Defense *afd= automatic first down Offside-----------------------5 yard and afd Pass interference------------10 yard and afd *sf* Illegal contact----------------10 yards and afd *sf* Illegal flag pull---------------5 yards and afd Illegal rushing---------------5 yards and afd Roughing the passer -------10 yards and afd Unsportsmanship-----------15 yards and afd