Facility
Flag Football will be played at the Campus Recreation Complex.
Equipment
- Participants must remove all jewelry prior to competing.
- Religious & medical alert bracelets/necklaces must be taped to the body for participation (Participant must meet with Coordinator of Intramural Sports before participating the first game).
- Jerseys must be long enough to remain tucked into pants or shorts.
- Pants or shorts without belt(s), belt loop(s), pocket(s), exposed drawstring or zippers.
- Sneakers/molded rubber cleats will be allowed. Metal/screw-in cleats are PROHIBITED.
- Protective gear is highly recommended (Mouth, crotch & pelvic protectors)
- No leg or knee braces made of hard, unyielding material is allowed.
- No helmets, pads or braces worn above the waist. No baseball caps, bandannas, or do-rags.
Players and Game Timing
- Teams should consist of 7 players, minimum of 5 to start.
- Two 20-minute running halves with the clock stopping in the last 2 minutes of the second half.
- During the final 2 minutes the clock will begin on the snap or officials signal for a:
- Incomplete legal / illegal pass, pass goes out-of-bounds or penalty
- Team is awarded a new series after gaining a first down or a legal punt
- First down or touchdown
- Change of possession
- Team attempting to consume or conserve illegally
- Safety or touchback
- Time-out, referee’s time-out or inadvertent whistle
- The offended team will have the option to start the game clock on the snap when it would have normally started on the ready in the final 2 minutes.
- The game will end when a team is 19 or more points ahead at the 2 minute warning in the second half or when a team is 35 or more points ahead anytime in the second half.
- One 30-second time-out per half. Time-outs do not carry over.
- Once the official whistles the ball ready for play, the offense will have 25 seconds to snap the ball.
- Overtime
- Overtime will only occur in playoffs.
- Shall be played towards the same goal line.
- At the beginning of the overtime, a coin toss will determine the offense and defense.
- Time-outs do not carry over from regulation game; each team is awarded 1 time-out.
- Unless a penalty occurs, each team will start 1st & goal on the 10 yard line. Each team will have 4 downs to score. If a tie remains after one period, captains will alternate choices & series will continue until a winner is determined.
- Teams can intercept a pass & return it for a touchdown, if team scores, team wins & the game has ended.
- Overtime will only occur in playoffs.
Playing Regulations
- Start of the Game
- The winner of a pre-game coin toss will have the options: offense, defense, direction, or defer the choice to the 2nd half.
- The game will start from the scrimmage on a team’s own 14-yard line. There are no kickoffs.
- An offensive team shall have 4 consecutive downs to advance the ball to the next zone.
- On the forth down, the team may punt or attempt to advance. If the offense wants to change their decision, they must call a time-out.
- A captain may declare a punt on any down (Exceptions apply)
- Points After Touchdown (PAT)
- After a touchdown, the offensive team has the opportunity for:
- 1-Point Try = 3-yard line
- 2-Point Try = 10-yard line
- 3-Point Try = 20-yard line
- After a touchdown, the offensive team has the opportunity for:
- All players are eligible to touch or catch a pass.
- All players must be inbounds within 5-yard of the sideline & 15-yard of the play when the ball is snapped.
- The offense & defense scrimmage lines shall be 1-yard apart & separated by ball spotters (cones).
- One offensive player may be in motion but not in motion towards the opponent’s goal line at the snap. All other players must come to a stop & remain stationary for a full second until the ball is snapped.
- The player who receives the snap must be at least 2-yards behind the offensive scrimmage line.
- The snap must be in a backwards motion either between the legs or to the side of the snapper & the snap must be quick & in a continuous motion.
- All fumbles, muffs or backwards passes that hit the ground shall be dead on the spot. If the ball is intercepted during a fumble, muff or backwards pass it may be advanced.
- A backwards pass or fumble which goes out-of bounds between the goal lines belongs to the offensive team at the out-of bounds spot. If out-of-bounds behind a goal line, it is a touchback or safety.
- Only one forward pass can be thrown per down
- Illegal forward pass = 5 yards from spot & loss of down
- Passer’s foot is beyond the scrimmage line
- Passer intentionally throws ball to the ground to save loss of yardage
- Passer catches untouched forward or backward pass
- If there is more than one forward pass per down
- Illegal forward pass = 5 yards from spot & loss of down
- Pass interference can only occur beyond offensive scrimmage line: after the ball is snapped, passed & touched: *New* Contact must be made.
- Offensive pass interference = after the ball is snapped & until touched
- 10 yards from previous spot, loss of down
- Defensive pass interference = after the ball is thrown & until touched
- 10 yards from previous spot, automatic first down
- Offensive pass interference = after the ball is snapped & until touched
- A runner may pass the ball backwards (lateral) at anytime & a backwards pass or fumble in flight may be caught or intercepted by any player inbounds & advanced
- Runners shall not flag guard by using their hands, arms or the ball to deny opportunity of pulling or removing the flag belt such as but not limited to: *New* Contact must be made.
- Flag Guarding = 10 yards
- Placing or swinging the hand or arm over the flag belt
- “Stiff arm” opponents
- Placing the ball in possession over the flag belt
- Lowering shoulder in such a manner which places the arm over the flag belt
- Flag Guarding = 10 yards
- A runner may jump over an opponent to avoid contact but shall not hurdle a player
- A runner shall not charge into nor contact an opponent in their path, nor attempt to run between two opponents unless space provides a reasonable chance to proceed without contact
- An opponent shall not hold, grasp or obstruct the forward progress of a runner when in the act of removing the flag belt or making a legal tag
Removing the Flag Belt
- Players must have possession of the ball before the can be legally deflagged by an opponent
- A runner who accidentally or inadvertently loses their flag belt shall be deflagged by one-hand touch between the shoulders & the knees by an opponent
- If a runner who purposely removes their flag belt to gain an advantage, the play shall continue with the option of the penalty or the play
- Personal foul = 10 yards
- An opponent intentionally pulling a flag belt from an offensive player without the ball is illegal
- Personal foul = 10 yards
- Tampering with the flag belt in any way to gain an advantage including tying, use foreign materials or other methods results in a personal foul & disqualification.
Punts
- Quick kicks & fake punts are illegal
- There are no fair catches
- After a snap the ball must be kicked immediately in a continuous motion
- If a punt goes out-of-bounds between the goal lines or comes to rest inbounds untouched and no player attempts to secure it, the ball becomes dead & belongs to the receiving team at that spot
- The kicking team may not recover a punt by the kicking team
- If the ball is dropped or muffed by the receiving team the ball is dead on the spot
- After a punt, the ball may be blocked, if blocked to the ground it is dead at that spot
If the punt is blocked & then caught behind the scrimmage line the ball may be advanced