Rules overview:
Field - 80 yards long x 100 feet (~33 yards marked by a red line), 8 players on the field normally, game can continue if only 7 are available
JERSEYS MUST BE TUCKED IN with FLAGS ON HIPS
Games consist of two 20 minute halves, and a 5 minute halftime. Referees may shorten halves to 15 minutes if games are running behind schedule. Clock runs continuously except for an injury, score or timeout. A referee may stop the game clock at any time in order to position the football or clarify a penalty. Once the ball has been set on the line of scrimmage they will re-start the game clock
Referees will give coaches a substitution reminder at the midway point of each half
Each team is allowed two 30 second time outs per half
Each team is allowed one coach on the field to call plays
A second coach may assist on the field at the first coach's discretion to assist players with flag belt adjustments and to correctly line them up in their positions
A coin toss before the game starts is done to determine which team will be on offense or defense to begin the first half. The roles are switched to begin the second half
Kicking:
At the start of the game, the start of the 2nd half, and after a scoring play, the offense will take possession from the 20 yard line. Kickoffs from tees have been removed beginning in 2018 for all Flag and Tackle youth football games
Teams may punt but must inform opponent. Opponent may NOT rush a punt
Punting team MUST have five players on the line while the receiving team MUST have four players on the line
Kicker can walk up and take the snap and walk back. Dropped ball can be picked up and still punted
Positions:
Typically games are with 8 vs 8 players on the field
There MUST be five offensive players (linemen or receivers) on the line of scrimmage, and three backs (quarterback or running backs) in the backfield for each play
There is to be NO nose tackle and the defense MUST line up one yard from line of scrimmage
There can be a MAX of four defensive linemen within one yard of the line of scrimmage A three man defensive front is allowed
The defensive line is NOT to assume a three point stance; they should have hands on knees in an effort to avoid head-to-head contact
Quarterback must use a three word cadence. Example: "Down, Set, Hit!" or "Ready, Set, Hit!" There is no snapping on 1st word, 2nd word, or 4th or more word. Silent counts are not allowed
Ball is snapped between the legs only, from the center to the quarterback
The Referee will say "One, One Thousand, Two, One Thousand, RUSH!!!" Then the defense line players are allowed to cross the line of scrimmage. There is NO blitzing and Linebackers/D-backs may not cross line of scrimmage until they hear RUSH!!!
Offense Lineman MUST set in a three point stance
The Center and two Guards are the only INELIGIBLE players to receive or carry the ball
Offensive players must block with their arms locked together and may ONLY block between the Defensive player's chest to waist
7 vs. 7 may be necessary for situations when teams are shorthanded. The Quarterback will snap the ball from a flat cone instead of the center, and there will be one less lineman on the Defensive side
Free Agent Players: If teams are shorthanded and cannot field the minimum 7 players, they may invite a player from another team's roster. The Free Agent Player and what positions he may play during the game must be agreed upon by both head coaches and the referees. A team may not use the same Free Agent Player more than once during the season
Penalties:
-5 yards from line of scrimmage, replay the down:
Delay of game occurs after 60 seconds, Referees will provide a 15 second warning to run the play.
False start, offensive player moves before ball is snapped
-5 yards from spot of the foul and loss of down, these are NOT allowed:
Flag guarding
Stiff arming
Holding or excessively hugging of a defensive player
Blocking in the back or clipping
Hurdling or jumping over players
-10 yard penalties from original line of scrimmage and loss of down, these are NOT allowed:
Unsportsmanlike Conduct including: swearing, taunting or arguing with any player, coach or referee.
Trick plays are not allowed
+5 yards awarded to offense from spot of the foul
Defense player cannot tackle an offensive player carrying the ball
Defense player cannot push offensive player out of bounds, they must go for the flag.
Fumbles and interceptions:
Fumbled balls hitting the ground are blown dead at that spot, and cannot be picked up/advanced. There is no change of possession unless the play occurred on 4th down
If the defense recovers the ball by interception in the air it may be advanced by recovering team
Scoring:
If up by 12 or more points the team leading must start all their offensive series at their own 20 yard line and run only up the middle. The hash marks now become the out on bounds line. While the losing team starts its possessions at either the line of scrimmage of where the turnover on downs occurred or at the 40 yard line (mid field) and can use the full width of the field.
If a two TD lead is achieved the backfield MUST be replaced ... if gap narrows they can return but scoring rules still apply
Sportsmanship:
On Offense:
Once the Center touches the ball, coaches (both offense and defense) must back away 10 yards from the ball and not give any verbal instructions to their players. Let the players run the play. Coaching during the play is not allowed. After the play, coaching may continue
A player is allowed to score only one TD (6 points) and one extra point attempt (1 or 2 points) per game. A lateral pitch or forward pass would be credited to the receiver only
Once a player has 6 points he must play center or guard while on offense for the remainder of the game, with the exception of extra point attempts (1 or 2 points). On an interception or kick-off return, they may advance the ball down field but not beyond their opponent's 20 yard line (inside the red zone). If the interception is made within the opponent's red zone the player is marked down where the interception is made and possession is awarded to that player's team
Once a player has 7 or 8 points, (Touchdown (6) + extra point attempt (1 or 2 points)) they must play center or guard on offense for the remainder of the game including any extra point attempts. Interception and kick off red zone rule also applies here
If a player’s first score comes from a successful extra point attempt (1 or 2 points), he is still able to play any position on offense and allowed to advance the ball into the end zone on an offensive play, interception, or kick return
At least five different players MUST carry the ball each game
At least 2 of every 4 offensive plays MUST be HAND-OFFS (not just QB runs this way, QB runs that way)
As an instructional league each player MUST be given the option to play at least one half at QB and MUST be given the option to play at least 2 halves at running back during the season
No Quarterback sneaks inside the 5 yard line (including extra points). The play must be a pass or a hand off to another player
On Defense:
On defense, a player should get equal playing time at the line positions (tackles and ends) and at the secondary positions (linebackers, corners, and safeties) for each game to the best of the coach’s ability. A player cannot play a line position or secondary position the entire game
General Conduct:
The Referee may remove (and the league could then suspend) any player/parent/coach for unsportsmanlike conduct. Also profanity and excessive force are not tolerated.
Chain crew volunteers are there to support the referees, not argue or criticize their calls. They must also refrain from coaching their players from the side lines. Let the coaches on the field do the coaching