Flag Football League Rules
Adult Flag Football League
General Information
TEAM MANAGERS - Managers have the responsibility of informing all team members of the rules of the game.
TEAM SHIRTS ARE REQUIRED - Shirts need to be the same color.
EQUIPMENT - NO METAL CLEATS are permitted (Penalty = 15 yards). Molded cleats are allowed. No device (protective of otherwise) that may cause injury is permitted. All players on the field will wear flags and the flag must be on the outside of all clothing. The flags MAY NOT be concealed.
Game
N.C.A.A. Football rules with these modifications will govern play:
FIELD - The field is 80 yards long, 40 yards wide, has two 10 yard end zones and is marked off by three 20 yard first down lines.
PLAYERS - Seven players on the field. You may start and play with a minimum of six players.
TIME - There will be TWO halves of 25 minutes each. A RUNNING clock will be used except in the last 60 seconds of each half, then the clock will be stopped on all dead balls (a team has 30 seconds to put the ball in play). PENALTY - 5 YARDS. Each team may use 2 (two) sixty-second time outs per half. NOTE: On kicks the clock starts when the ball leaves the kicker's foot.
NEW - You may carry 1 timeout from the 1st half to the 2nd half. At the end of each half during the last 2 minutes the clock will stop on all penalties. During the last 10 minutes of each half the offense may go without huddling.
GAME TIME is FORFEIT TIME - No grace period. Two (2) forfeits and your team is not eligible for the playoffs.
START OF THE GAME - Winner of coin toss decides possession or direction. The start of the second half will be reversed from the first half. Play is started with the ball placed on the 20 yard line. THERE WILL BE NO KICKOFF.
SNAP FROM CENTER - Must be made between the legs. Failure to do so results in LOSS OF DOWN FOR ILLEGAL PROCEDURE. On punts, any snap that touches the ground will NOT be treated as a fumble and still may be kicked. (Failure to do so within 25 seconds will result in a delay of game penalty - LOSS OF DOWN.
PASSING - All forward passes must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. All players on offense are eligible receivers. NEW: Anyone lined up to the immediate right or left of the center MAY NOT go in motion.
RUNNING – Anybody can run on any down with the exception of the punter. The quarterback, when under center, cannot sneak the ball without first taking a step backwards.
FIRST DOWNS - A team has four downs (in most cases) to advance the ball beyond a first down line (there are three).
DEAD BALL - Removal of the belt ends the down (if the belt falls off the runner, one hand touch will end the down). HELP THE OFFICIAL by holding the belt over your head. If the belt falls off as a result of an earlier attempt by the defense, then the runner will be down at the spot where the flag falls.
UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS (TACKLING OR DIVING) - will result in automatic first down. When part of the body, other than the hands and feet touch the ground, the ball is dead.
FUMBLE - Ball becomes a dead ball at the point it touches the ground. A ball fumbled FORWARD will be put into play at the point it was fumbled. All fumbled balls remain in the possession of the team that fumbles (except on fourth down and line to gain was not crossed). Either team may advance a fumble that is caught in the air. An incomplete lateral is treated as a fumble and it is whistled dead at the spot it touched the ground.
PUNTING - Kicking team must announce intention to punt and receiving team must line up with AT LEAST 4 PLAYERS on the line of scrimmage. NO ONE MAY MOVE UNTIL THE BALL IS KICKED. Kicker has 25 seconds to kick the ball. A touched or blocked kick is a dead ball when it touches the ground. (It may be advanced if caught before it touches the ground).
BLOCKING - The only blocking permitted is with the HANDS EXTENDED. The hands must be in advance of the elbows and the hands must be within the framework of the blocker. You may NOT push with the hands or hold with the hands. Illegal blocking will be called if hands are clenched, hands are against the chest, block is made when the shoulder or elbows are in advance of the hands.
DEFENSIVE RUSHING - Must attempt to go around the blocker and not head on. May not push, shove, throw a forearm or throw blockers to the ground. NEW: Defenders are not allowed to touch the quarterback above the waist. This includes a defender trying to block a pass and their follow-through causes them to hit the Quarterback.
SCORING - Touchdown - 6 points, Extra Point Try - 1 point, Safety - 2 points. A team must choose to go for an extra point by running 1 play from the 5 yard line or 2 points from the 15 yard line. Any ball that is returned by the defense will result in 2 points.
If a team is behind in the second half of the game, they can go for 2 from the 25 yard line and if they are successful they will get the ball back on their own 20 yard line.
INADVERTENT WHISTLE - When the whistle blows while the ball is live, the offended team has the option of taking the ball at the spot where the whistle blew or taking the play over.
Tie Games
COIN TOSS - Winner will have the choice of playing offense or defense while the loser will have choice of which end of the field to be used. The loser of the toss will have choice for the second overtime if needed. After the second overtime each team must go for two (2).
PLAY - Each team will have four plays to score from the twenty-yard line unless the defense scores or intercepts a pass or fumble in the air.
SCORING - Touchdown (6 points Offense or Defense), Extra Point. All rules from the regulation game will be applicable except THERE WILL BE NO TIME-OUTS ALLOWED.
Penalty Enforcement
SCRIMMAGE PLAYS - The following are all dead ball fouls that are called immediately:
All offensive players must come from the huddle to be eligible to participate in offensive plays.
(PENALTY-ILLEGAL PROCEDURE – 5 YARDS)
OFFENSIVE TEAM cannot move after becoming set (except for one player in motion.)
(PENALTY-ILLEGAL PROCEDURE – 5 YARDS)
COMMON INFRACTIONS -
- 5 yard penalties:
Too many players on the field
Illegal substitution
Illegal contact - "chucking" receivers (you may “chuck” receivers within 5 yards)
Off sides
Offensive pass interference (plus loss of down)
Intentional Grounding (plus loss of down)
Illegal forward pass (plus loss of down)
Illegal Procedure
Concealing the flag (plus loss of down at the spot of the foul)
Jumping and/or Diving (plus loss of down at the spot of the foul)
Flag Guarding (plus loss of down at the spot of the foul) - 10 yard penalties:
Holding - offensive & defensive - 15 yard penalties:
Unnecessary roughness - may result in expulsion from game.
Roughing the passer
Defensive pass interference
Bull Rushing
Points of Clarification
If you are using your own football, then your team is responsible for getting it on change of possession. The play clock will start as soon as the officials are ready, regardless if your team is ready.
Hitting the quarterback above the waist is an automatic 15 yard penalty.
CENTER - you cannot touch the center until he takes one step toward his pattern, or assumes a blocking position. Penalty - Bull Rush 15 yards
CHUCKING A RECEIVER - One (1) chuck off the line is permitted within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Additional contact is not permitted. Penalty - Illegal Contact 5 yards
CONDUCT - No baiting or taunting of opponents from the sideline or the field. No spiking or throwing the ball in anger or glee. Penalty - Unsportsmanlike Conduct 15
OBSTRUCTION OF THE RUNNER - The defensive player may not hold, grasp, or stop the forward progress of the runner in their attempt to pull a flag. Penalty - Defensive Holding - 10 yards.
Captains only may ask officials about clarifying calls. Any berating of officials will not be tolerated.
Anyone ejected from a game will also miss the next game. If you are ejected from 2 games, you will be done for the year.
Unsportsmanlike conduct – 2 and your out
Youth Flag Football League Rules
Coming soon.