Flag Football Rules

Co-Rec Flag Football Rules

CAPTAINS:   · Each team shall designate a captain to act as team spokesperson and make decisions. Only the captain may talk to officials.

The Game: ·  Co-rec teams will play with 6 players (i.e. 3 men, 3 women) and must have 4 players (2, 2) to begin the game and avoid a forfeit.

·  Team members may be added to the team roster before a game, however, there will be no additions to the roster after the third game of play.

·  Each player must bring a valid Columbia College picture I.D to every game.

Equipment: Co-rec game ball will be intermediate size.  Flag belts and kicking tees will be provided.  No steal cleats; no hat may have a bill; and no jewelry.  Jersey must be either: long enough to tuck in pants OR short enough to be above the flag belt.

· Flag belts, tees, and jerseys will be provided by Intramural Department

THE PLAY:

SCORING: Touchdown = 6 pts (male), 9 pts if a female throws for or scores a touchdown. Safety = 2 pts. Extra-points: 3-yard line = 1 pt,  10-yard line = 2 pts.

- There shall be an opportunity to score 1 point from the 3 yard line or 2 points from the 10 yard line by running or passing. If the defense should intercept a pass, they may return it for a score. A score will equal two points, regardless of whether or not the attempt is for one or two points.

TIE BREAKER:  Start 1st and goal from opponent 10 yard line. Teams will have 4 downs to score. Extra point rules apply. Teams continue, alternately, until one team scores more than the other.

MERCY RULE:  If a team is 23 points or more ahead at the 2 minute warning of the second half, the game will be ruled “over.”   If a team trails by 40 points or more at any time in the second half the game shall be ruled “over.”

Start of the game:  Each half begins with a kickoff.  The winner of the coin toss will have choice of options for the first half or may defer their option to the second half.

The options for each half shall be:

Choose whether to receive or kick

Choose which goal to defend

Choose to defer options to the second half

The captain not having the first choice of options for a half, shall exercise the remaining option.

There are two 20 minute halves with a continuous running clock.  The clock will stop only for:

Team time-out

Referee's time-out

Last 2 minutes of the second half  the clock, if the score difference is 23 points or less, will stop for:

Incomplete pass - starts on next snap

Out-of-bounds - starts on next snap

Score – (starts when the kickoff is touched by return kicker)

Team time-out - starts on next snap

First down - when whistle blows prior to next snap

Penalty - when whistle blows prior to next snap

Change of possession – starts on next snap

The official may start or stop the clock whenever either team is trying to conserve or consume time by playing tactics that are obviously unfair.

Team time outs – two 45 second timeouts allowed per game.

Free Kick:   Kicking team alignment is on the 20 yard line.  Receiving team must have two players on the 40 yd line – any formation for remaining players of receiving team.

- The kick must be from a 2 inch tee or from the ground (Charlie Brown-style).  There are no on-side kicks.  Ball can only be advanced by receiving team.

Kick out-of-bounds penalty options:

Take ball at spot where it went out-of-bounds  OR

5 yard penalty, re-kick

FIRST DOWNS: There are 4 downs to advance the ball to the next zone.  Zone lines are every 20 yards.

Line of Scrimmage:  Neutral Zone is 1 yard wide.

Offense needs 3 players exactly on scrimmage line.  Legal shift = offense comes to a complete stop for 1 second prior to snap.  Legal motion on scrimmage line can not be one of 3 players on scrimmage line.

Only one offensive player may be in motion at the time of the snap. This motion must not be toward the opponent goal line. (If two or more players go in motion before the snap, then this is considered a shift and all players must come set for one full second prior to the snap.)

All offensive players must be momentarily within 15 yards of the ball. It must be clear who the six offensive players are on each play. The intent of this rule is to eliminate all sleeper or hideout plays.

SnaPping:   Snapper will pass the ball either between their legs or to the outside of their leg.

Any player receiving a snap must be at least 2 yards from the scrimmage line. Direct snaps are illegal.

Passing:      All players are eligible to pass or catch.  One forward pass per down.

-  Legal reception is 1 foot in-bounds.

-  A backward pass or fumble that hits the ground is ruled dead at that spot.

-  A runner may pass the ball backwards at any time.

-  A backward pass of fumble may be caught or intercepted in flight by any player and advanced.

- A backwards pass or fumble into the offensive team’s own end-zone will result in a safety.

ROUGHING PASSER:  Defensive players must make a definite effort to avoid charging into a passer after it is clear that the ball has thrown and may not make contact with the throwing arm.

blocking: Flag football is a no contact/collision sport.  This means no contact blocking.

The blocker must have hands and arms at their side or behind back.  Any use of the arms, elbows, or legs during a block is illegal.  Defensive players must go around the offensive player’s screen block.  Arms may not be used as a wedge to contact the opponent.

Advantage vs. Disadvantage:  Contact does not indicate a foul.  A foul occurs when the amount of contact affects the play and whether a player gains an advantage.  Again, this is a judgment call by the officials/supervisor.

Ball Carrier:

Runners are allowed to:  

 do a 360 spin to avoid tackle if it doesn't result in a collision/charging

jump

dive to make a pass-catch.

Runners are NOT allowed to:

stiff arm a defender

charge into defender

Charge: a runner shall not charge into nor contact an opponent in his/her path nor attempt to run between two opponents unless the        space is such to provide reasonable chance for him/her to go through without contact.

Defense can dive to de-flag a player.  Defensive player may not hold the ball carrier to gain an advantage.

BELT REMOVAL:   When the flag belt is taken from the runner, the down shall end and the ball is declared dead. A player who removes the flag belt from the runner should immediately hold the flag belt above his/her head to assist the official in locating the spot where the capture occurred. A ball carrier is considered de-flagged when the clip of the flag belt becomes detached, not where the belt falls to the ground.

- If a flag belt inadvertently falls off, a one hand tag between the shoulders and the knees constitutes a capture.

- A player may leave his/her feet to remove a flag.

- In an attempt to remove the flag belt from the ball carrier, defensive players may contact the body of an opponent with his/her hands. A                defensive player may not hold, push or knock the ball carrier down in an attempt to remove the flag.

- A defensive player may not remove an offensive player's flag when the offensive player does not have the ball.

- A defensive player may not remove an offensive receiver's belt prior to the receiver touching the ball.

Punting:     On 4^th down, punting team must announce their intentions.  No quick kicks.  There must be 2 players of the receiving team on the line of scrimmage.  No movement by either team until after the ball is punted.

PENALTIES:  All regular “live ball” penalties will be 5 yards or choice of play outcome.  All regular “dead ball” penalties will be 5 yards.  All personal fouls will be an automatic 10 yard penalty and a new set of 4 downs will be given to reach the next zone.

- Personal fouls include but are not limited to:  tackling, unsportsmanlike conduct, overly aggressive play.

** IMPORTANT Co-Rec Rules:

1.        Male Runner Rule

A male runner cannot advance the ball across their own scrimmage line.  This applies to either a running play or a pass play that does not cross the line of scrimmage before a catch is made.

Example:  Male throws a forward pass to a female beyond the neutral zone who then    throws a backward pass to a male who is behind their scrimmage line.  The male runs beyond their scrimmage line for a 10 yd gain.  This is a legal play!

2.        There may NOT be two consecutive completed forward passes from a male passer to a male receiver.

(Open Play) If a male passer completes a legal forward pass to a male receiver, …

(Closed Play) the next legal forward pass completion must involve either a female passer or female receiver.  There are no restrictions concerning a male passer completing a pass to a female receiver, or female to female, or female to male.

Prohibited ACTS:

Good sportsmanship is a requirement of all participants. Players and coaches are to conduct themselves properly at all times. The Intramural Office reserves the right to suspend or disqualify individuals or groups for unsportsmanlike conduct. The team captain assumes full responsibility for the conduct of the team and spectators. Misconduct of players, coaches, or spectators, can result in assessment of a penalty, ejection or forfeiture of the game.

Note - The Flag Football season may be affected by inclement weather and schedule changes on short notice may be required.  Captains should regularly check the IM web page and stay in touch with the IM Director, Shelby Schultes (ext. -7437.)