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OSKIE FLAG FOOTBALL RULE BOOK

This rule book follows the USA travel flag 5’s non contact rule book with modifications to time, equipment/attire, and penalty yardage (simplified). There are clarifications of rules, and our personal league/roster rules added as well but nothing that changes the USA flag rules. All modifications, clarifications, or league specific rules are highlighted.

OVERVIEW

REQUIRED PERSONAL CONDUCT

Article 1. Players, coaches and spectators must keep their comments profanity free. Disrespectful language, racist, sexist, homophobic remarks, obscene gestures/behavior, and bullying are prohibited.

Article 2. Foul play will not be tolerated. Any staff member that hears or sees anything that leads them to believe an infraction of the required personal conduct outline has been committed the person responsible may be dismissed for the rest of the League/tournament.

Article 3. Fighting will lead to an immediate ejection for the remainder of the tournament, possible suspension or even a lifetime exclusion.

Article 4. Alcohol, other intoxicants, & weapons are prohibited on our permitted fields. When Playing on Turf seeds and other foods that ruin turf are prohibited

REQUIRED TEAM CONDUCT

Article 1. For the safety of our officials and their ability to administer the game all team personnel must remain at least two yards off the sidelines and inside the designated team boxes 5 yard lines of goal line 4v4, 5v5, 6v6 or 20 yard lines of goal line 7v7 or 8v8)

Article 2. Coaches may signal or call-in plays during the play clock but must be out-of-bounds before the snap. Coaches on the field-of-play during game play will be assessed a timeout.

Article 3. After all touchdowns and successful PAT attempts, the ball carrier must report to an official who will ensure the flag was not tampered with by pulling the flag from the ball carrier. (Our league only - The ref is able to request if they suspect issues. This is not to be done every score)

Article 4. If teams cannot agree on a sideline to occupy the Referee will conduct a coin toss and assign sidelines.

Article 5. Teams are required to clean up their garbage after contests

THE FIELD

Article 1. Standard dimensions of the field are 64 yards long by 25 yards wide with 7 yard endzones. Approved field sizes may fluctuate from 53-64 yards long when necessary, or 23-30 yards wide. Endzones should not be shorter than 5 yards. (Indoor sessions will be 52 yards long with 5 yard long endzones. Still 25 yards wide)

THE GAME

Article 1. Game Time is FORFEIT TIME

Article 2. Minimum 3 players to start a game. May only have up to 5 players on the field at any one time.

Article 3. The offensive team takes possession of the ball at their 5-yard line and has three plays to cross mid-field. Once a team crosses mid-field they have three plays to score. If the offensive team fails to cross mid-field, the ball changes possession. If the offense does not score, the ball changes possession. All drives start from the 5-yard line with the exception of an interception.

Article 4. No blocking is allowed. No intentional contact is allowed.

ATTIRE/Equipment

Article 1. Teams also must have the same color shirts and have an alternative color (one dark color/one light color). They do not have to be official uniforms. If both teams are wearing the same color, Home team gets to keep their color, and the away team will need to change into a different color. Failure to provide a secondary uniform or unwillingness to change will result in a forfeit.

Article 2. Flag color must be different from the color of the shorts where the flags are. If the shorts are solid just have a different color. If there is a stripe on the shorts where they flags should be then the flags need to be different from that stripe.

Article 3. Equipment - No metal cleats are allowed. The league will provide flags but teams are allowed to use their own. Teams must provide their own cleats, football, and uniforms. League will provide all other equipment needed for the games to run.

Article 4. Pockets - We allow shorts with pockets, BUT strongly advise against it. If you are wearing shorts or pants with open pockets it is at your own risk. Meaning if defensive players get their hands stuck or grab your pocket refs will not call holding. If it is intentional they will determine that, but you will be less likely to get holding calls and more likely for your pants/shorts to rip

Article 5. Flag Belt - If you tuck any item in the flag belt and it is visible or not tucked into your shorts it will be considered an extra flag.

Article 6. Players may not wear hard, unyielding, or stiff material items that in the view of the officiating crew may present a hazard to other players.

Article 7. It is strongly suggested, but not required that all players wear a protective mouthpiece while on the field-of-play.

Article 8. Players may wear knit or stocking-style caps. Hard-billed caps must be removed or turned around backward. Players may wear a headband made of non-abrasive material. Rubber or elastic bands may be used in hair. Soft-shelled headgear designed for flag football players may be worn.

MISCELLANEOUS UNIFORM AND GEAR ISSUES

Article 1. Some type of team jersey is required; the minimal standard is similar-colored shirts. Teams must carry two colored shirts, a dark color and a light color. They do not have to be official uniforms, the light colored one can be a white T-shirt. If both teams are wearing the same color, there will be a coin toss, and the losing team will need to change into a different color. Failure to have 2 differing jerseys can result in a forfeit.

Article 2. Players must ensure their jerseys are long enough to remain tucked in during the entire play or short enough so there is a minimum of 4” from the bottom of the jersey to the player’s waistline. (Jerseys should never cover the flag belt).

Article 3. When a shirt is untucked at the snap a hold will not be called on the defender that is making a fair and legal attempt at the ball carrier’s flag. It is the player’s responsibility to check their equipment before each snap.

Article 4. Footballs must be pebble grained leather or rubber covered and meet the recommendations of size and shape for a regulation football. Adult men’s teams must use a regulation size ball. Adult women’s and Coed teams may use a regulation or intermediate sized ball.

Article 5. Players must wear close-toed shoes. Cleats with exposed metal are never allowed.

Article 6. Players may wear eye protection to include prescription glasses or flexible sunglasses.

Article 7. Players may wear a face shield molded to the face with no protrusions to protect against facial injury.

Article 8. Jewelry that in the judgment of a game official might endanger other players must be removed before play.

Article 9. Player’s finger nails must be trimmed or taped over to protect opponents. Alternatively, players may wear gloves to protect their opponents.

Article 10. Players may tape forearms, hands and fingers. Players may wear soft gloves, elbow pads, shin guards, and knee pads. Unyielding items such as braces, casts, or anything with exposed metal are not allowed.

Article 11. Officials will endeavor to identify missing, incomplete or improperly worn flag belts prior to the snap and announce for example “number X, down on possession”. The player with the missing flag violation must fix the issue during the next dead ball situation or leave the field until they have done so.

Article 12. Go Pro or other camera devices are not permitted on the chest or head. Always confirm with a director before wearing.

RULE CHALLENGES

Article 1. Only the team captain or head coach may ask the referee questions about rule clarification and interpretations. Generally, officials are happy to answer quick response and general questions during the game if they do not impede the game. The priority is to spot the ball then address questions without impeding the play clock.

Article 2. If a captain or head coach believes an official has made a procedural error they may call for a timeout. If an official tournament director and the head official agrees that there has been a procedural error (e.g., wrong down, incorrect penalty yardage, etc.) the procedural error will be addressed and the timeout will not be charged. The challenge must be made to an official before the next snap.

Article 3. If a team loses a challenge they lose all timeouts for the remained for the game. In the event the captain or head coach loses a procedural challenge and the captain’s team did not possess a legal team timeout a fifteen-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be assessed.

Article 4. Only procedural issues may be addressed, not an official’s judgment call or no-call.

Article 5. If the protesting team is unsatisfied with the ruling of the challenge on the field and would like to elevate the challenge to a league director / head of officials, they may do so. If you lose this ruling you will start the next game down 6/8/12 points pending on time format.

GAME CLOCK FORMAT

Article 1. The League has 3 different time formats. Check the bottom for the differences

Article 2. Each team has two 30 second timeouts PER GAME. If a time out is called after a TD the clock will not run until the change of possession and the offense snaps their ball.

Article 3. The play clock is 25 seconds from the end of the previous play.

SECTION 5. FIRST HALF CLOCK

Article 1. The clock will run continuously during the 12/15/20 (check bottom for session specifics) minutes of the first half unless a team timeout is used or play is stopped by an official (e.g. deal with an injury, challenge, referee conference, game management purposes, etc.)

Article 2. The head official will give a verbal two-minute warning (for rule specific changes inside 2 minutes)

Article 3. The clock will run during point-after-touchdown attempts (PATs) in the first half unless either team opts to use a team timeout.

SECTION 6. SECOND HALF CLOCK

Article 1. In the second half the clock will run continuously for the first 11/14/19 minutes unless a team timeout or an official’s time out is used.

Article 2. The one-minute warning will stop the clock in the second half if the score difference is 8 points or less.

Article 3. The head official will give a verbal two-minute (for rule specific changes) and one-minute warning as close as possible to the actual marks but will not interrupt a live play.

Article 4. At the one minute warning officials will use a ‘stop’ clock mechanic for the remainder of the contest.

OFFENSE

GENERAL OFFENSE

Article 1. Offensive players must come to a complete stop for one second before the ball is snapped unless they are the only player in motion.

Article 2. The ball must be snapped between the center’s legs.

Article 3. It is a false start if any player on offense enters the neutral zone before the snap.

Article 4. The offense may not act or move in a manner that, in the judgment of the covering official, is clearly intended to cause the defense to encroach. Verbalizing play-calls or snap counts alone are not acts or moves that should be considered unless they are in conjunction with other acts or moves. The speed, abruptness, down and distance and if any player pretends to have the ball or otherwise simulate action at the snap will be considerations.First penalty “illegal procedure”, Second penalty “unsportsmanlike

Article 5. Direct snaps are legal to any player not on the line-of-scrimmage.

Article 6. The ball will be declared dead if any portion of the ball carrier’s body other than their hands and feet (knee, elbow, buttocks, ball-in-hand, etc.) touches the ground.

Article 7. The offense is responsible for retrieving the ball and returning it an official or to the line of scrimmage at the end of each play.

Article 8. The LOS Official must be set before you snap the ball. On change of possessions all refs must be set. If the rush line is not set when the ball is snapped the blitzer may blitz from wherever they are at that time. If you snap before the refs are set this is a "false start dead ball penalty". The refs are able to give a verbal warning but do not have to.

FUMBLES AND MUFFS

Article 1. Unintentional fumbles and intentional laterals end the play when they hit the ground or go out of bounds and remain with the team that initiated the act. If a lateral, muffed or fumbled ball is intercepted before hitting the ground or going out of bounds it remains live.

Article 2. Forward fumbles that hit the ground will be marked where the ball carrier’s feet were when he/she lost control and not the spot where the ball hit the ground.

Article 3. Muffed snaps will be marked where the ball hit the ground.

Article 4. Fumbles and laterals that hit the ground do not stop the clock.

RUNNING / JUMPING / DIVING

Article 1. Ball carriers are allowed to leave their feet, jump, and spin as evasive maneuvers in order to advance the ball as long as they do not put another player’s safety at risk. Not every insignificant jump or small hop constitutes a safety issue and player safety risk is at the discretion of each official. Jump cuts or leaping between two defenders is allowed if they do not initiate noteworthy contact with the defender or put another player’s safety at risk.

Article 2. Ball carriers may not hurdle over another player. Ball carriers may not dive, lunge, or fall forward in a perceived intentional manner in order to advance the ball or achieve a line-to-gain. This is a judgment call by the game officials.

Article 3. Ball carriers may extend the ball out in front of them to gain additional yardage.

Article 4. Diving by the defense to capture a ball carrier’s flag is legal.

Article 5. Ball carriers must make every effort to avoid a defender who has established a stationary position.

Article 6. Runners may leave their feet to avoid collision or falling on another player.

Article 7. Passers may jump vertically to throw the ball over a defender.

Article 8. The offense may use multiple backward hand-offs or laterals.

FLAG GUARDING INCLUDING STIFF-ARMING

Article 1. The ball carrier’s flags must be accessible to the defense throughout the play. Flags may not be tucked in pants, tucked under jerseys, worn improperly, looped around the waist belt, or knotted.

Article 2. Flag guarding is the act of a ball carrier denying a defender the opportunity to capture their flag in any physical way. The ball carrier shall not flag guard by flailing of arms, using their hands, arms, elbows or extremely dipped shoulders to deny the opportunity of an opponent to remove a flag.

Article 3. The ball carrier may not swat a defender’s hands away nor pin the flag against their body using the ball or hands. An official may call flag guarding if they feel that a ball carrier’s natural running motion gave the ball carrier a decisive advantage over the defender and the running motion caused part of the ball carrier’s body to block a de-flagging attempt.

Article 4. What constitutes flag guarding is up to the official’s judgment. We recommend you carry the ball with your hands held high on the body to avoid flag guarding. This is one of the most difficult transitions for traditional football players. Flag guarding shall not be called if there is no defensive player within reasonable distance to capture the flag.

Article 5. The ball carrier may bend at the knees to dip low, side cut, skip, or take short hops. Extreme low dips (sometimes called a “duck-walk”) are legal and do not constitute flag guarding in themselves, as long as the flag carrier’s flags are still exposed and the defensive player isn’t physically impeded (i.e. the ball carrier isn’t using his arms, hands, shoulder, ball, etc. to impede the defender. Normally flag guarding can be avoiding while “duck-walking” when the ball carrier keeps his hands and elbows high on the body (ex: at shoulder-level). Examples of flag guarding:

stiff arming
pinning the flag
swatting
using the ball as a stiff arm

Article 6. No penalty will be called if a ball carrier simultaneously flag guards as the defender pulls the flag.

Article 7. Tampering with the flag in any way to gain advantage is illegal.

PASS PLAYS

Article 1. Only one forward pass per play. Once the ball has passed the line-of-scrimmage it cannot be returned to behind the line-of-scrimmage and thrown forward legally.

Article 2. If any portion of the passer’s body is behind the line-of-scrimmage it is a legal pass.

Article 3. All players are eligible to receive a pass unless they have stepped out-of-bounds of their own accord. Players may re-establish themselves in the field of play and catch the ball if another player has touched the ball first.

Article 4. Any offensive player who receives either a forward or backward handoff behind scrimmage can pass the ball from behind the line-of-scrimmage.

Article 5. Backward passes are allowed.

Article 6. If the passer’s flag has been pulled while the passer still has the ball in their hand, it is a sack. There is no allowance given for the passer’s arm being in motion at the time of the sack. Ball in hand at all equals a sack.

CATCHES

Article 1. A pass is completed when an offensive player simultaneously places at least one foot inbounds and momentarily maintains possession of the ball.

Article 2. Simultaneous catches between a defensive and offensive player go to the offense.

Article 3. In the event of a bobbled catch, i.e., the ball is batted about by the receiver in an attempt to catch it, and the intended receiver is de-flagged before taking full possession there is no penalty for early flag pull.

Article 4. Whether or not a ball is tipped or touched in the air has no bearing on the play as it applies to fouls anywhere on the field (roughing, personal fouls, illegal contact, etc.).

Article 5. If a receiver steps out-of-bounds of their own accord and is the first to touch a pass, it is illegal touching. The play will be allowed to continue to a dead ball situation (5-yards from previous and a loss of down, if accepted).

Article 6. A receiver must “survive the ground” if falling while attempting to make a catch.

Article 7. Receiver cannot intentionally redirect the ball in the direction of their end zone to further advance the ball.

5's Non-Contact Clarifications

RUNNING

Article 1. The quarterback may not run unless the ball has been thrown back, handed or pitched to him or her in the backfield.

Article 2. Teams may handoff (unlimited), pitch, or throw back in the backfield. UNLIMITED laterals or throwbacks behind the LOS are allowed for the player to remain eligible to pass.

Article 3. Pitching (backwards/laterally) is allowed downfield (unlimited). Handoffs are allowed forward or backwards when behind the line of scrimmage, and only backwards beyond the line of scrimmage. A handoff DOES NOT count as a lateral/throwback.

Article 4. A forward pass DOES NOT have to cross the LOS to be a legal play.

Article 5. If the ball is placed on the “Back” of ANY player, the player MUST run the ball (no give and go to the QB on the back)

Article 6. No run zones are located 5 yards before mid-field and 5-yards before the end zone. You may not run the ball in the no run zone (5-yards before the first down and end zone), only forward passes are allowed to advance the ball past the line of scrimmage. Laterals and handoffs are still allowed.

Article 7. Ball is spotted where the ball is at the time of the flag pull. The ball must break the plane of the midfield or goal line to be considered a first down or touchdown.

Article 8. Players may NOT block down field in any form.

PASSING

Article 1. The quarterback has 5 seconds to pass the ball if there is no rush. If the ball is not thrown, then the play is dead. After the ball is ruled dead it is returned to the line of scrimmage.

Article 2. Once the ball is handed off or pitched backwards the 5 second count stops. If the defensive team rushes, then there is no 5 second count.

Article 3. There is no arm in motion, if the ball is in hand when the quarterback’s flag is pulled then it will be ruled a sack.

Article 4. Interceptions may be returned.

Article 5. The rusher may not have any contact with the QB (no hitting the QB arm or knocking the ball out of the QB hand).

Article 6. If ANY part of the players body is behind the LOS it is a legal pass

RECEIVING

Article 1. All players are eligible to receive a pass, including the quarterback, if the ball has been pitched or handed off in the backfield.

Article 2. Players must have at least one foot in bounds when making a catch.

DEFENSE

GENERAL DEFENSE

Article 1. Stripping or attempting to strip the ball from a player’s hand, including the quarterback, is illegal. Stripping is defined as the ball in a players hands for an elapsed period of time and a defender knocking it out.

Article 2. Defensive teams may not simulate the offensive team’s signals or cadence.(First penalty “illegal procedure”, Second penalty “unsportsmanlike”)

Article 3. There are no “free plays” for the offense. After the head official blows the ready-for-play whistle and the snapper puts their hand(s) on the ball, no player may enter the neutral zone until the ball is moved to start the snap. Entering the neutral zone before the snap is known as “offside” or encroachment which causes the play to be immediately blown dead and the offending team is penalized five yards.

Article 4. If a defensive team intentionally commits a penalty in order to achieve a specific goal and the penalty is declined, any subsequent attempts to continue committing the penalty will result in a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty and automatic first down for the offense.

Example: Offense has the ball 2nd down and 3 yards to gain prior to a first down. Defense intentionally jumps offsides to try and get offense to accept a first down and long line to gain. If offense declines, and defense immediately attempts the same penalty again, an additional unsportsmanlike penalty will be enforced.

ROUGHING

Article 1. Defensive players must make a concerted effort to avoid charging into the quarterback.

Article 2. In general, defensive players may not “crash” the quarterback’s throwing arm, shoulder or body even if the ball is touched first. This rule applies to holders and kickers as well.

Article 3. It is a quarterbacks right to step into a throw, and the rushers duty to avoid contact. If contact is significant and forceful at the discretion of the officials, whether attempting to go for the flag or not, it may be deemed roughing the passer.

Article 4. An insignificant “brush-by” may be allowed by the referee but is not guaranteed.

Article 5. Making contact with the quarterback while blocking a pass or attempting to block a pass may result in a roughing the passer penalty.

Article 6. Whether or not a ball is tipped in the air has no bearing on the play as it applies to fouls (roughing, personal fouls, etc.).

Article 7. A roughing penalty will not be enforced if a quarterback initiates contact with a defensive player while in the throwing motion; for example, during the passer’s follow through the player’s arm makes contact with an opponent’s hand, arm, or shoulder. In this instance the impetus of the contact is the action of the quarterback and not the defender. This is a judgment call.

FLAG PULLING MECHANICS

Article 1. Flag football is a finesse game versus the brute strength game of traditional tackle football.

Article 2. Flag pulling is the legal removal of a flag from an opponent in possession of the ball. Legal flag pulls must begin with the hands leading toward the opponent’s hips and flags.

Article 3. No player shall make any contact with an opponent which is deemed unnecessary or excessive and which incites roughness. (This is a judgment call, IAW NFHS rule 9-4-3g, Illegal Personal Contact)

Article 4. No player has the right to over-aggressively ‘body up’, ‘wrap up’, ‘play through’, ‘bull rush’, charge, spear or lead with a shoulder against an opponent even to capture a flag. Players must play to capture the flag, not to commit Illegal Personal Contact.

Article 5. Pushing out on the sidelines is not permitted unless the defense was making a fair, legal, and reasonable attempt to pull the ball carrier’s flags, i.e. the defender’s hands were aimed low at the ball carrier’s hips and flags and not high up on the body.

Article 6. Pushing, striking, holding, slapping or tripping while attempting to pull a flag is not permitted.

Article 7. A defensive player may not pull the flag of a player who is not in possession of the ball.

Article 8. Any defensive player who removes the flag from an offensive ball carrier is encouraged to show good sportsmanship and hold the flag above their head to assist the officials in locating the spot where the capture occurred.

Article 9. Players may be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing, spiking, obscuring, or delaying the ball carrier in recovering their pulled flag.

Article 10. If a player’s flag inadvertently falls off during the play the de-flagging reverts to a one-hand touch of the runner between the shoulder and the knees.

Article 11. When a ball carrier flag guards and a defensive player pulls the ball carrier’s flag simultaneously, no penalty will be called for flag guarding.

Article 12. If a defensive player physically contains, tackles, or attempts to tackle the ball carrier (e.g., bear hugs, holds, wrestles with, obstructs, pushes the ball carrier out-of-bounds, tackles, or attempts to tackle, etc.) without making a clear, legal attempt to pull the ball carrier’s flag, the offensive team will be awarded at least one line-zone-to-gain or fifteen-yards (offended team’s choice) from the spot of foul and an automatic first down.

Article 13. This type of action can result in a score awarded if the foul occurred inside the final line-zone-to-gain or the covering official reasonably believes the foul is the only thing that prevented the ball carrier from scoring Refer to Last man rule. Rule 10, Section 20. (Teaching point: Play the flag not the ball carrier’s body or ball as in traditional tackle football).

PASS COVERAGE

Article 1. Pass interference normally occurs above the waist; entangled feet are not considered pass interference. Incidental contact is not considered pass interference.

Article 2. A player may “find” their opponent by reaching out and placing a hand on him/her as long as touching does not delay or impede him/her. This is not considered pass interference.

Article 3. Contact away from the direction of the pass is not considered pass interference. It is considered illegal contact. Examples of pass interference include:

Shoving or pushing off to create separation.
Playing through the back.
Hook and turn: grabbing the torso and turning an opponent before the pass arrives.
Not playing the ball: the defender is looking at the receiver and contact materially impedes the receiver.
Arm bars, hooking, restricting, grabbing wrists, or turning a receiver.
Blocking downfield before the ball has been touched, commonly seen through “pick plays”.
Cutting off the path of a receiver by being in front of them and slowing down or being beside them and “riding” them off their path to the ball.

Article 4. Whether a pass is catchable or uncatchable has no bearing on pass interference.

Article 5. A player may use their arms or hands to intentionally obstruct the receiver’s view (face guarding) of the ball without turning their own head to play the ball as long as contact is not made with the receiver.

Article 6. If defensive pass interference occurs in the end zone the ball will be placed on the one-yard line, automatic first down.

INTERCEPTIONS

Article 1. Interceptions may be returned. In the event of an interception, the intercepting team must secure the ball with “clean hands,” i.e., they must not have committed a foul before or simultaneous to the interception.

Article 2. If the intercepting team gained the interception with “clean hands” they will be awarded a first down where the ball becomes dead regardless of penalty occuring during/after obtaining possession. (flag pull, stepping out-of-bounds, fumbled, etc.)

Article 3. The ball will be spotted wherever the ball was at the time of the flag pull or the ball carrier left the field-of-play.

Article 4. Fouls by the intercepting team after an interception will be assessed from the spot of the foul. Fouls by the intercepted team after the interception will be assessed at the end of the run.

RUSHING THE QUARTERBACK

Article 1. Players that blitz/rush the quarterback must be a minimum of 7 yards from the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.

Article 2. The 7 yards will be measured off by a referee.

Article 3. Players that are not 7 yards from the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped may not enter into the backfield until there is a change of possession.

Article 4. The blitzer/rusher is allowed a direct lane to the line of scrimmage as long as he or she rushes from either side of the center or outside the bunch formation. The offense must avoid interfering with the rusher if he or she has established a lane. Officials will announce LANE or NO LANE for rushers/blitzers prior to the snap. This is a judgement call/decision based on the spacing between the players in the offensive formation. A space of 6″ or greater in length between two players constitutes a lane at the officials discretion.

Article 5. The rush of a blitzer has to be immediately after the snap, quick and straight towards the point where the quarterback receives the snap in order to retain the right of way. If a blitzer is rushing late, slowly, aiming at another spot, changing direction during the rush or just does not rush the quarterback, the player loses the right of way but still can participate as any other defensive player.

SCORING

POINTS

Touchdown: 6 points
Point After Touchdown:

(PAT) 1 point from the 5-yard line (no-run zone in effect)
2 points from the 12-yard line, run, pass (outside of no-run zone)
Interceptions returned on PAT’s are worth 2 points

Safety: 2 points

POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN (PAT)

Article 1. Following a touchdown, once the scoring team has informed an official of which point conversion choice they want to attempt, the decision cannot be changed unless the scoring team uses a team timeout.

Article 2. If a penalty occurs during an extra point attempt, the penalty will be assessed but the extra point value remains the same.

Article 3. Decisions cannot be changed after a penalty. For example, if the offense attempts a 1-point PAT and is penalized five yards for a false start, they cannot change their mind and go for a 2-point PAT. They will still be attempting a 1-point try even if they call a timeout.

Article 4. Defensive unsportsmanlike conduct, personal fouls, or roughing penalties during a successful touchdown attempt will be assessed at half the distance to the goal during the PAT attempt (e.g., 2-point PAT attempts will be spotted at the 6-yard line, 1-point PAT attempts will be spotted at the 2.5-yard line). All other defensive penalties may be declined by the offense and the score will stand.

Article 5. Dead ball fouls committed by the offense that do not carry a loss-of-down penalty (false start) may result in penalty yardage assessed and the down replayed.

Article 6. Fouls by the offense during a successful PAT attempt that carry a loss-of-down penalty (flag guarding, illegal advancement, illegal forward pass, etc.) will result in the PAT being no good.

Article 7. Fouls committed by the offense in unsuccessful PAT attempts will be declined by the defense and the PAT will be “no good” and will not be replayed.
Article 8. Fouls by the defense during an unsuccessful PAT attempt will result in a retry after the options are administered.

Article 9. If the PAT-attempting team throws an interception and then commits a flagrant foul after the interception during the attempted return (physically contains the ball carrier; bear hugs, aggressively holds, tackles, etc. without making a clear, legal attempt to pull the ball carrier’s flag, the ball carrier will be awarded two points.

OVERTIME EXTRA POINT SHOOT-OUT

Article 1. A coin flip determines first possession, 1 timeout per OT period

Article 2. Teams will go in reverse order if more then 1 OT is required

Article 3. Teams can elect to go for 1 or 2 points

Article 4. Winner will be determined once the value of the extra point exceeds the other team’s attempt.

MERCY RULE

Article 1. No Mercy Rule during regular season.

Postseason
- 12 min half format: No mercy rule
- 15 min half format: If a team is up by 28 points or more At any point in the second half of play during playoffs, the game will be over.
- 20 min half format: If a team is up 28 or more at any point after the 10 minute mark in the second half.

PENALTIES INSIDE 2 MINUTES

Article 1. All penalties inside of 2 minutes of BOTH halves remain the same except:

Defensive delay of game (+ 15 yards Unsportsmanlike & 1st Down)
Leading Team – Offensive delay of game (LOD + clock stops)
Offensive Pre-snap penalties – yardage + LOD

*** ALL penalty yardage is simplified for Oskie Flag Football League and do not follow USA FLAG***

PENALTY	YARDAGE	PENALTY ASSESSMENT	RESULT
Flag Guarding	5	Spot of foul	Loss of down
Illegal advancement	5	Spot of foul	Loss of down
Illegal forward pass	5	Spot of Foul	Loss of down
Offensive Pass interference	5	Previous spot	Loss of down
Defensive pass interference	10 Yards or spot of foul	10 from previous spot or spot foul (whichever the offense chooses)	Automatic 1st down
Personal foul/Unnecessary roughness	15	End of the play or previous spot	By the Offense: Loss of down By the Defense: Automatic 1st down
Unsportsmanlike Conduct	15	End of the play or previous spot	By the Offense: Loss of down By the Defense: Automatic 1st down
Roughing the passer	5	Previous spot	Automatic 1st down
Delay of Game	5	Dead ball - previous spot	Loss of down**
False Start	5	Dead ball - previous spot	Loss of down**
Offsides	5	Previous Spot	Loss of down**
Cool Down Period	0	No foul	Player must sit out 5 plays
Stripping or attempted stripping	5	Spot of the foul	Automatic 1st down
Illegal contact	5	Previous Spot or spot of the foul	By the Offense: Loss of down By the Defense: Automatic 1st down
Illegal participation	5	Previous Spot	By the Offense: Loss of down By the Defense: Automatic 1st down
Illegal Blocking	5	Spot foul or from previous spot if behind LOS	Loss of down
Holding	5	Spot of the foul	Automatic First down
Impeding the rusher	5	Previous spot	Loss of down
Charging	5	Spot of the foul	Loss of down
Last man rule	15 or TD	Spot of the foul	Automatic 1st down or TD if inside the 5 yard line
Sideline interference	5	Previous Spot	By the Offense: Loss of down By the Defense: Automatic 1st down
Illegal Touching	5	Previous Spot	Loss of down

RULE CLARIFICATIONS AND NOTES

*** If the yardage cannot be achieved due to being to close to the endzone the ball will be placed on the 1 yard line

***Offensively any penalties down field will be assessed after the play. So if the first down is achieved give them the first down then assess the penalty yards resulting in a longer amount of yards to go.

***Defensive penalties will be assessed prior to determining the down.

***Illegal touching is when a player voluntarily goes out of bounds and is the first to touch the ball after coming back into play

***If there is a rule/call not listed that is a general football play we will default to actual football ruling

***Last Man rule is a judgment call on by the Ref - IF there is a penalty or act that impeded a player that probably would score a touchdown the ref may award a TD

***Illegal contact, unnecessary roughness, or Unsportsmanlike Conduct have priority over all other penalties and will not be included in any "offsetting penalty" call

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT: (Offense/Defense)

a. Arguing with Officials: There will be an unsportsmanlike 15 yard penalty and potential “Cool down” penalty thrown. The second penalty of the night is an ejection.

* Note: Only captain may address officials (In sportsmanlike manner)

Fighting: Throw a punch, hit the road. There is no room in this league for fighting.
Being involved in a fight and/or throwing a punch, also included is a verbal threat of harm, will result in an automatic ejection from the league with no refund.
Showing up to the facility intoxicated to the point that league managers deem inappropriate will result in immediate removal from the facility for the night. If this happens 2 times there will be bigger penalties assessed.
There will be no tolerating punting/kicking equipment anymore. Or throwing a ball into the wall/ceiling. If we were to damage the facility the player responsible for the action will be held responsible.
All unsportsmanlike penalty ejections are for 1 full game. (if there are multiple games in a night you will serve one full games time)
Fighting or any physical altercation ejections are for the an extended period of time

ADDRESSING OFFICIALS: (Questioning Calls)

Only the designated captain is allowed to address the officials. All interactions with captains and officials will be made in a sportsmanlike manner. (First warning the Team captain will be notified of team player violation, second warning will result in 3 minute suspension for offending player, third warning will result in a removal from the game. If the player continues to cause issues this will result in a forfeit for the whole team and the player will be banned from the league for 1 calendar year.)

The Referees will call the game as they see it. If you have a question about a rule, the

captain is the only person to approach the official with any questions.

PLAYOFFS:

Playoffs will be full games over 2 weeks. See roster rules for clarification on subs during the playoffs
Seeding will be determined by the following factors in this exact order:

Record
Head to Head (Skip if 3 or more teams cannot be settled with head to head)
Points allowed
Point differential
Points scored
Coin flip
***If a team has a forfeit they will be exluded from tiebreakers and moved to the last spot out of the tied teams.

Other Notes: Game cannot end on a defensive penalty even if time expires. One additional play will be required to finish the game.

Rosters

Rosters are allowed to have up to 12 people
- Full time players must play 50% or more of the games to be eligible for playoffs.
- During season Teams are allowed to use non rostered subs as much as they want. If you use a rostered sub they cannot throw a forward pass for you and you cannot have more than 7 players available
- Rostered Subs do not have to play any games but cannot play in playoffs unless your team is missing 2 or more full time players. There is a cap at 6 players if you have subs, but you can only pick up players up to 1 less than the amount of full time players you have. Example: If Team A has 7 players and 2 are gone...you can pick up 1 sub to get to 6 players. But if Team B has 7 players full time and only miss one player they cannot use a sub
- In the playoffs if your team cannot field 6 guys you have the option to use players not on your roster at the cost of 6 points per player. The opposing team will be rewarded points per every non rostered player. Check the format section at the bottom for the amount of points
- Non rostered subs being used cannot be rostered on any team in your division or higher level divisions.
- SEMI PRO - During outdoor sessions this is a separate division on Thursday nights. Indoor sessions this division is on Monday nights.
  - Semi-pro is a division for pro players to play on a second team. Pro players are listed on the website home page.
  - Semi pro (Thursdays) or Monday Nights (Winter Only) rosters will be limited to 2 pro players per roster.
    - If a pro player is missing on a semi-pro team they are allowed to use another pro player as a sub
    - Pro players are determined game by game basis. So if someone is QB only and they QB one night they are not locked in to being counted as a pro player every single week
    - The Pro list can change. It will generally only change in between sessions. The only way it would change in season is if a player is added late to a roster and said player is the level of a pro player.
    - If a player is on the pro list for a specific position then they are allowed to play a different position and not be counted as a pro player. However, if they do the role illegally they will be flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty.
  - During Outdoor sessions Semi-pro teams will not compete for the leagues top rewards. Semi-pro generally has their own awards available.
  - There may be opportunities for Pro and non pro players to lead a rec team with commissioner approval. It would have to be a clear rec level team with new/newer players and there will be a limit of 1 pro/non-pro player per roster. All other situations in which a player plays on two teams one of the teams will need to be in the semi-pro division
- Everyone must sign a waiver to participate.
- Must have a valid ID to prove you are who you say you are in the playoffs if a team protests you as a player
- Roster is made up of full time players and subs
- All players must only be rostered on one team. (Exceptions are secondary teams. Look below for clarification)

The Referees will call the game as they see it. If you have a question about a rule, the

captain is the only person to approach the official with any questions.

League Rules:

After 2 weeks of Forfeits the team will not be allowed to participate in the playoffs
Roster: maximum limit of a 12 man roster.

If an injury happens at flag football the player can be replaced with approval from the league owner
Rosters lock at the half way point of each session (8 week session - week 4. 10 week session week 5. 12 week session week 6). These rosters need to be submitted to the league owner via text or email

IF during the season you are not able to fill a full team of 7 players then you are allowed to pick up subs from other teams. The playoffs are excluded from that rule unless special circumstances are approved by the league owner.

If there is a situation in which a team cannot field a team for the playoffs please contact the league owner and they will try to come up with a viable solution.
You can pick up as many subs as you want that are non rostered on that play in a lower division.

The playoffs will be played over 1 to 2 weeks dependant on the amount of teams and time.
All Players must sign a waiver before participating. They will be provided by the owner of the league.
All refs must fill out and return the game card with scores, and players each week. They need to be given or a picture sent to league owners.
Refs can deny timeouts to teams attempting to just "run up the score" later in games that are not within 2 possessions

TIME FORMATS

20 min halves (40 minute games)
1. 1 minute half time
2. Time slots put in 45 or 50 minutes
3. Rarley have more than 1 game per night
4. Mercy rule for playoffs is with 10 minutes left in the second half or after 30 min of game play has been played.
5. Non rostered subs in playoffs cost 12 points per player.
15 min halves (30 minute games)
1. 30 second half time
2. Time slots are 30 minutes due to the potential of a mercy rule happening
3. Primarily for playoffs only
4. Mercy rule is anytime in the second half
5. Non rostered subs in playoffs cost 8 points per player
12 min halves (24 min games)
1. 30 second half time
2. Regular season or postseason
3. 30 minute time slots
4. Almost always will be 2 games per night in this format.
5. Scheduling tries to either do back to back or only 1 game off.
6. No mercy rule for these games
7. Non rostered subs in playoffs cost 6 points per player

REFS ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO RUN THROUGH HALF TIMES (NO HALFTIME BREAK) IF WE ARE BEHIND. NO MATTER REGULAR SEASON OR POSTSEASON

LANGUAGE

In an effort to clean up our league refs are allowed to remove or flag any player for using derogitory words or excessive cussing. I understand we are all adults but there are children around regularly and some language is just not needed so we will be cracking down on that type of language.

I AM INCLUDING THE USA FLAG RULES FOR OFFICIATING AS WELL. Oskie Flag Football Leagues will do our best to follow these but they are not 100% guaranteed!

RULE 10: OFFICIATING

SECTION 1. GENERAL OFFICIATING

Article 1. Officials do not have to call everything they see but they must completely see everything they call.

Article 2. Game officials may not use any recording or replay in making any decision relating to the game.

Article 3. Officials must not tolerate taunting, baiting, and unsportsmanlike acts.
Article 4. Game official must error on the side of safety while officiating.

SECTION 2. ENDING THE GAME / FORFEITS

Article 1. The game may not end with a defensive penalty unless it is declined.

Article 2. Penalties by the offense that include a loss of down with time expired in either half (i.e., there is no time on the clock) will not extend the half or game.

Article 3. Offsetting penalties will not extend the half or game.

Article 4. THIS IS NOT USED

Article 5. THIS IS NOT USED

Article 6. THIS IS NOT USED

Article 7. It is each team’s responsibility to have enough players present at the coinflip in order to avoid a forfeit, even in the event of other divisions or fields running behind. The only time a game will be held up officially is when those styles have specifically been guaranteed not to overlap as detailed on the event page. If you are not certain if your team’s games will overlap, make sure to double check prior to schedules being released.

Article 8. No period or half can end if there is an obvious timing error or any other irregularity has occurred and verified.

Article 9. Four unsportsmanlike by one team will result in a forfeiture.

SECTION 3. PREVENTATIVE OFFICIATING

Article 1. Officials should aim to assist teams to avoid penalties (preventative officiating). Cautions and teaching points are appropriate most times.

Article 2. It is not the mission of the game officials to flag every small, nuanced infraction of traditional high-level football unless it produces a significant unfair advantage. Preventative officiating examples include:

Warning players about unsportsmanlike conduct during the coin toss
Reminding coaches and players how the clock works
Clarifying rules
Tell the quarterback to “wait for my whistle”
Give players warnings when appropriate
Remind players on the line to “check with me / look at me” to help them line up correctly
Announcing “10 seconds to snap, please” and counting down: five, four, three, etc.
Announcing “balls away” to let the defensive players know they can stop pursuing the passer
Yelling ‘forward’ or ‘back’ while observing a pass to leave no doubt what you saw
Keeping sidelines clear of players and coaches etc.

Article 3. Prior to a snap, officials can require and warn players to adjust their flags to their proper alignment. Repeated warnings of this nature can result in an unsportsmanlike penalty.

Article 4. THIS IS NOT USED

Article 5. When teams and players are in the team area, adequate room along the sideline must be made available in order for officials to work the sideline and properly officiate the contest.

SECTION 4. MECHANICS OF OFFICIATING

Article 1. No penalty or penalty flag stops a live play.

Article 2. Be ‘game-aware’ of where you should be to make your best call.

Article 3. Officiating is a team sport. Keep regular eye-contact with fellow officials and mimic their commands and hand signals.

Article 4. Remember to ‘dead ball’ officiate. Just because the play is over doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay attention.

Article 5. Officials must highly endeavor to announce down and distance before any snap. While it always the team coach’s responsibility to be game aware, the officiating crew should always endeavor to keep them informed.

Article 6. Resist the temptation to watch the ball in the air, no foul has ever occurred up there. Watch your players.

Article 7. Resist the temptation of running with the whistle in your mouth to avoid inadvertent whistles.

Article 8. Use short-underhand tosses to avoid hitting players with the ball when relaying the ball to a game official.

Article 9. Officials should throw their hat to the ground when they see a player step out-of-bounds.

Article 10. All officials will respect the calls of other officials. However, it is purely acceptable for an official to ‘come over the top’ of another official if the official had a better angle or saw something the other did not. However, we will not "come over the top" if the other official says they had a good look.

Article 11. In order to be convincing and ‘sell’ your calls: use strong whistle and flag mechanics, clear and crisp signals and a strong and clear voice.

Article 12. In the interest of safety do not attempt to throw your penalty flag to the exact spot of the foul when you may inadvertently hit a player with the thrown flag. Throw it somewhere parallel to the spot of the foul, but DO throw your flag to acknowledge a penalty occurred.

SECTION 5. MARKING THE SPOT

Article 1. The ball will be spotted wherever the ball was at the time of the flag pull or the ball carrier left the field-of-play.

Article 2. A ball spotter / ball marker or line judge shall be used to mark the line-of-scrimmage.

Article 3. When a ball carrier’s flag accidentally falls off — but not as a result of any action by the defense — that player will be downed by one-hand touch.

Article 4. Flag guarding is notionally and effectively the end of the play. However, the play will be allowed to come to its natural dead-ball situation without the whistle being blown.

Article 5. If a defensive player initiates contact with a ball carrier while making an attempt to capture the ball carrier’s flag and that force causes the ball carrier backward prior to the flag being captured ‘forward progress’ will be awarded as long as the ball carrier does not make a move under their own power to continue the play.

Article 6. If the ball is intercepted in the end zone and intercepting team fouls in the end zone prior to the ball being brought back into the field (example: flag guarding) the result of the play will be a touchback and the foul will be administered from the touchback spot. This will not result in a safety.

Article 7. If the entire ball is brought back into the field of play and then a foul occurs anywhere on the field, including the end zones, the penalty will be administered from the spot of the foul.

SECTION 6. PENALTY ENFORCEMENT

Article 1. Penalties are assessed for live ball fouls in the order they occurred before dealing with dead ball fouls.

Article 2. Live ball and dead ball fouls do not offset one another.

Article 3. Officials may accept or decline penalties on a coach’s behalf if they are obvious. However, the coach has the last word.

Article 4. There is no limit of how many dead ball fouls can be enforced.

Article 5. Penalties will be assessed half the distance to the goal when the yardage is more than half the distance to the goal.

Article 6. Fouls simultaneous to the snap,will be blown dead, if accepted, will result in penalty yardage assessed and the down replayed.

Article 7. An official shall have the authority to rectify an error and correct a down until the series has ended.

Article 8. Penalties associated with automatic first downs: An offended team may accept the automatic first down portion of a penalty but decline the yardage portion or they may accept both the yardage and the automatic first down.

Article 9. Yardage portions of any penalty may be declined.

Article 10. Disqualifications, Ejections and Unsportsmanlike Conduct are the only three penalties that cannot be declined.

Article 11. The loss-of-down aspect of a penalty has no significance following a change of possession or if the line to gain is reached after the enforcement.

Article 12. If an Opponent of the scoring team commits a foul (other than unsportsmanlike conduct or nonplayer foul) during a down in which a touchdown is scored and there was no change in possession, offense may accept the result AND choose enforcement on PAT or Next Possession.

NFHS 2023 rulebook: Page 69 for reference

SECTION 7. ESTABLISHING ZONE-LINE-TO-GAIN

Article 1. For live ball fouls, the penalty yardage will be marked off first, then the next line-to-gain (first-down marker) will be established.

Article 2. On a change of possession, all live-ball penalties will be administered prior to determining the next line-to-gain. Once that line is established all dead ball penalties will be administered.

Article 3. To determine if a first down was achieved on any given running or passing play, the official will mark off any un-administered live-ball penalty yards before making the determination.

Article 4. If a penalty awards an automatic first down (e.g., roughing the passer) and the original line-to-gain was not achieved after the yardage was resolved, the original line-to-gain will remain in effect.

SECTION 8. PACE OF PLAY

Article 1. Officials will hustle but not hurry. They must control the game and not let an anxious team set the pace. Please keep a consistent and brisk pace throughout the game to ensure teams get the maximum amount of playing time possible.

Article 2. If a snap occurs before the officials are ready, ready-to-play whistle or announcement, the ball will be blown dead and the quarterback issued a warning for the first offense. For the second offense a Delay-of-Game penalty will be earned.

Article 3. Officials may stop the clock as they see fit in order to administer a fair, controlled contest.

Article 4. Offensive teams may not take advantage of defensive substitutions to run “quick snap” plays to catch defensive teams not ready. Offense does not have to wait for defense if officials are set and ready to play has occurred.

SECTION 9. MOMENTUM RULE

Article 1. If the ball is intercepted between the 5-yard line and the goal line and the player’s momentum takes them into the End Zone where the ball becomes dead in their possession or the intercepting team fouls in the end zone (example: flag guarding) the ball belongs to the intercepting team and the penalty will be assessed from the spot where it was intercepted. It is not a touchback. It is not a safety.

SECTION 10. CONTACT ABOVE THE SHOULDERS

Article 1. Safe play is our utmost concern. Officials will penalize any noteworthy contact above the shoulders (head, neck, or face) between players, even if accidental.

SECTION 11. HOLDING

Article 1. Holding is a judgment call. Officials will penalize any noteworthy hold that provides a significant unfair advantage. A simple tug or momentary grasp may not necessarily constitute holding. Holding is an attempt to gain a physical advantage by using hands or arms to hook, lock, clamp, grasp, encircle or restraining an opponent. Be aware defenders will be given the benefit of the doubt if the ball carrier’s shirt is untucked.

SECTION 12. ILLEGAL PERSONAL CONTACT

Article 1. No player may make contact with an opponent that is judged to be unnecessary or provokes rough-play or retaliation.

Article 2. In the judgment of the game official, when one player uses enough force to knock another to the ground by pulling, tripping, bear-hugging, charging, sweeping, flinging, shoving, ‘bodying-up’ etc. Whether or not the player goes to the ground is irrelevant.

Article 3. It is possible for a player(s) to go to the ground and it not be considered Illegal Contact, such as unintentional collision, i.e., the runner and defender meeting in the same space during the play, when a defender is making a fair, safe and reasonable attempt to capture the ball carriers flag and the ball carrier is making a fair, safe and reasonable attempt to avoid the defender. Simply stated, two solid objects tried to occupy the same space at the same time.

Article 4. If a defender trips or compresses a ball carrier while pursuing the offensive player from the rear (typically seen in break-away plays), even if the defender is making a fair and reasonable attempt to capture the ball carrier’s flag, the defender will be called for Illegal Contact. The defender is obliged to make a fair, SAFE and reasonable attempt.

Article 5. Safety is paramount.

Article 6. Incidental contact between opponents that does not grant either player an advantage should not be penalized.

SECTION 13. COOL DOWN PERIOD

Article 1. Before, or instead of, disqualification or ejection an official may order (but is not required to) a player a “cool down” period if the official chooses.

Article 2. Players should think of this ‘cool down’ as a warning before being ejected and be thankful for it.

Article 3. This period will consist of five consecutive plays and will be tracked by the official that ordered the ‘cool down’.

Article 4. The player must be off the field for five consecutive plays regardless. A score or other event does not release the player back to the field. They must stay off the field for five consecutive plays.

SECTION 14. DISQUALIFICATIONS AND EJECTIONS

Article 1. Disqualifications, Ejections and Unsportsmanlike Conduct are the only three penalties that cannot be declined. They are completely the option of the game officials. The yardage portion of the penalty may be declined but infraction itself cannot.

Article 2. The difference between disqualification and ejection is completely the determination of the presiding referee and may not be appealed.

Article 3. Disqualifications are normally reserved to address lower-level transgressions.

Article 4. A disqualification will last for the remainder of the contest the player was disqualified for.

Article 5. A disqualified player may play in the next scheduled contest.
Article 6. An ejected player may not play in the next scheduled contest. They must sit out at least one additional game. (These rules will be followed as stated in our league rules above)

Article 7. Any official may disqualify a player.

Article 8. To eject a player all officials must agree and it must be reported to the Style Director prior to play resuming. A Director makes the final decision on a disqualification or ejection - Follow league procedures

Article 9. Ejections / disqualifications may occur for but are not limited to:

A second unsportsmanlike or personal foul on a single player
Any act deemed egregious by the head official
Disrespectfully addressing or intentionally touching a game official
Four unsportsmanlike and /or personal fouls by one team (forfeiture)
Fighting of any kind, with punches thrown or landed, or involving yourself with a fight in order to escalate the situation without control.

SECTION 15. UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Article 1. Disrespect toward an official, coach, spectator or another player will constitute unsportsmanlike conduct.

Article 2. Players shall not ‘showboat’, taunt, spike the ball or flag belt toward an opponent, or be excessive in any way, to include using force against or verbally attack or harass another player.

Article 3. Celebrations are fine but keep them short, conservative and not directed at an opponent.

Article 4. Use of inflammatory words or gestures is prohibited.

Article 5. If unsportsmanlike conduct occurs during a live play and the team did not score on that play, the penalty will be assessed from the new line-of-scrimmage, i.e., will be added to or subtracted from the end of the play.

SECTION 16. FIGHTING

Article 1. Fighting will lead to immediate ejection, possible suspension or lifetime exclusion.

Article 2. Fighting is any act or attempt to act by a player or non-player to strike or engage a player or non-player in a combative manner unrelated to football. Such acts include, but are not limited to, attempting to or striking with the arms, hands, legs, feet, or foreign object whether or not there was contact.

Article 3. Any player who comes off the sideline to participate in a fight will be disqualified or ejected.

Article 4. If either team leaves the bench during a fight the game will be forfeited immediately.

SECTION 17. BENCH FOULS / WARNINGS

Article 1. Teams may incur bench fouls for a variety of reasons to include but not limited to:

Players or non-players interfering with play or an official
Disrespect toward officials or other players or non-players
Players or non-players in the designated restricted zone during a live play
Non-players on the field of play
Teams not remaining in the designated team box
Coaches on the field or becoming entangled in a live play

SECTION 18. INADVERTENT WHISTLE

Article 1. If an official blows an inadvertent whistle they will declare the ball dead where the ball was at the time the inadvertent whistle. The team against which the action offended may have the option of accepting the play (i.e., the yards gained and the down advances) or replaying the down from the original line-of-scrimmage.

Article 2. If the ball was in the air when the inadvertent whistle occurred it will be returned to the line-of-scrimmage and the down will be replayed.

Article 3. If a penalty marker is thrown prior to an inadvertent whistle, an accepted penalty will be administered as in any other play situation. When the foul is accepted, the inadvertent whistle is disregarded.

Article 4. When an inadvertent whistle is triggered by an unfair act or an act used to deceive or confuse a game official the officiating crew may use their collective judgement to fairly adjudicate the situation. It may result in yardage awarded, a score granted, and/or the guilty player disqualified, etc. It is solely up to the officiating crew to decide.

SECTION 19. UNFAIR ACTS RULE

Article 1. Neither team shall commit act(s) which, in the judgment of the game officials, tends to make a travesty of the game.

Article 2. The head official may enforce any penalty or remedy any situation with anything he/she considers equitable — including the award of a first down, a line-zone-to gain, a replay, a score with the approval of an official tournament director.

Article 3. If an ineligible player (ex: not on the roster, previously disqualified or previously ejected) is discovered by any means (ex: observation, challenge, etc.) participating in a live ball play that team will forfeit the game and the Unfair Act is assessed to the head coach.

SECTION 20. LAST PLAYER RULE AND PENALTY

Article 1. If the last defensive player physically contains the ball carrier (e.g., bear hugs, flagrantly holds, pushes the ball carrier out-of-bounds above the hip, tackles, attempts to tackle, etc.) without making a clear, legal attempt to pull the ball carrier’s flag or commits illegal contact, the offensive team will be awarded at least one line-zone-to-gain distance from the spot of foul and an automatic first down.

Article 2. In the spirit of the Unfair Acts Rule: Officials have the discretion to award a score if a flagrant foul occurred inside the final line-zone-to-gain or they reasonably believe a foul is the only thing that prevented the ball carrier from scoring. To evoke this rule we require there must be total agreement of all game officials that saw the foul. (IAW Rule 9-9-5 NFHS).

SECTION 21. ESCALATION LADDER

Article 1. The escalation ladder helps you determine an appropriate way of dealing with difficult situations. It is not a road map to be followed exactly, it doesn’t have to be followed step-by-step. However, try to handle the situation at the lowest-level possible if appropriate.

Article 5. A forfeit will not be official until expressly issued by a director only and deemed final.

Article 6. Team’s and players participating in multiple styles that are not guaranteed to be scheduled separately, or in the same schedule block, are required to have enough players to participate to avoid a forfeit and no rescheduling or holding the game up will be administered.

Article 8. No period or half can end if there is an obvious timing error or any other irregularity has occurred and verified.

Article 9. Four unsportsmanlike by one team will result in a forfeiture.

SECTION 3. PREVENTATIVE OFFICIATING

Article 1. Officials should aim to assist teams to avoid penalties (preventative officiating). Cautions and teaching points are appropriate most times.

Warning players about unsportsmanlike conduct during the coin toss
Reminding coaches and players how the clock works
Clarifying rules
Tell the quarterback to “wait for my whistle”
Give players warnings when appropriate
Remind players on the line to “check with me / look at me” to help them line up correctly
Announcing “10 seconds to snap, please” and counting down: five, four, three, etc.
Announcing “balls away” to let the defensive players know they can stop pursuing the passer
Yelling ‘forward’ or ‘back’ while observing a pass to leave no doubt what you saw
Keeping sidelines clear of players and coaches etc.

Article 3. Prior to a snap, officials can require and warn players to adjust their flags to their proper alignment. Repeated warnings of this nature can result in an unsportsmanlike penalty.

Article 4. Teams must be located on opposite sidelines and substitute from their own sideline while game is in play.