Game Girls Association Women s Touch Football Rules Participants must be 21 years of age **The head coach/captain is responsible for making sure all players are aware of every rule prior to any participation by a player in any game or any portion of a game or activity. ROSTER/WAIVER. The number of players on a roster is limited to 20 players per team. The roster must completed prior to the 1 st game of that session and must include all players on that team no matter what their status. All rosters must be submitted by the captain or manager online at www.ggaplaystl.com. Players must be added/dropped no later than and up to the 4 th scheduled game. ***The league provides no medical insurance of any form. The Game Girls Association League only recognizes players who have entered on a roster/waiver. The Game Girls Association League reserves the right to allow whomever it chooses and to refuse whomever it chooses for participation in the league. 1. PLAYING FIELD- the dimensions for the playing are as follows 80 yds. Long with 2-10 yd. end zones. The width is approximately 35-40 yds wide. It is then broken up into 3-15 yd marks that represent 1 st downs. 2. PLAYERS-Every player must be 21 years of old to play in the league unless given permission by the league coordinator prior to the session beginning. 3. TEAMS-Each team will field 7 players at a time. pg. 1
4. LENGTH OF GAME- Every game shall consist of two 24 minute halves and a 3-minute half time. The game clock runs continuously for the first 22-minutes; in the last 2- minutes of each half the clock stops for all out-of bounds, incomplete passes, timeouts, and official time stoppages. However if on an incomplete pass or an out-ofbounds play the clock stops and resumes when the referee gives the team huddle whistle and clock resumes running as soon as that whistle is blown. No longer will the teams lose any time-outs they will retain all three. The clock remains stopped on all change-of-possession and resumes on the snap of the ball. The clock stops on all scores and resumes on the snap of the ball after change of possession. 5. LAST 2 MINUTES-of each half. During the last 2 minutes of each half the clock will continue to run on any incomplete pass, ball is carried out-of-bounds, team scores a touchdown, a penalty, or a called timeout. At the one minute mark the clock stops if an incomplete pass is thrown, the clock of course stops. Under new rules effective for the fall session 2011 the referee will allow a team adequate time to return to the huddle and will then announce Offense set your huddle The referee will blow the whistle and the clock will resume running on the snap. On a running play the clock continues to run, on a bad or dropped snap the clock continues to run. If the clock stops for a time-out it will not resume running until the ball is snapped for the next play. If there is no chance that the opposing team can get the ball back the offensive team may elect to take a knee and the game is called at that point. 6. MERCY RULE-If at 2-minute warning a team is ahead by 17 points or more then the game has ended and the final score stands as is. If at 5 minutes remaining a team is ahead by a collective (5) touchdowns or 30 points then the game is ended. 7. LEAGUE STANDINGS-All league info including standings will be posted online as well as point totals, playoff format, and various performance categories for the teams. All tiebreakers will be determined by the league coordinator at a date to be determined. 8. TIME OUTS-Each team will be awarded 3 time-outs per half of 30-seconds in length. No longer will teams lose a time-out at the 2-minute mark. Time outs not used in the 1 st half will not be carried over to the second half. 9. PLAYERS EQUIPMENT-No metal cleats are allowed. Removable cleats must not have any metal exposed. A full sized regulation football must be used unless a female is at quarterback then a youth size ball is allowed but must be approved by an official. 10. COIN TOSS-Every game starts with a coin toss. The team that wins the toss has 4 options 1-Offense, 2-Defense, 3-Direction, 4-Defer to 2 nd Half. 11. FORFIET RULE-Teams must start with at least 5 players. Game time is forfeit time no grace period. The team that has a complete team will be given the option of taking a pg. 2
17-0 forfeit or waiting for the incomplete team to get their players. During this period the clock continues to run until halftime at which point the game is called. If the incomplete team cannot field a team they cannot recruit non-roster players from other teams even with permission from the complete team it is considered a forfeit. 12. START OF THE GAME-The team electing possession first will begin on offense at their own 15-yd line. Three players are required to line up at the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball. 13. A TACKLE- Is defined as a 2-hand touch between the shoulder and the knees. The ball carrier may not leave their feet to advance the ball. Defense may leave their feet to make a tag. A defender may not attempt to strip a possessed ball or any fashion initiate contact so as to dislodge the ball from an offensive player (Stripping penalty 10 yds, automatic 1 st down). 14. FIRST DOWNS- Will be achieved by the yardage as marked on the field of play (measured every 15 yds). If you go for a 1st down on 4 th down and do not make it the ball will be turned over to the other team at the spot of the 4 th down play. If the offensive team elects not to go for a 1 st down then the opposing team is awarded the ball on their 15 yd. line. On 4 th down you have 5 seconds to decide if you plan on going for it on 4 th down or it will be considered a live ball and play will resume from there. 15. FUMBLE-There are no fumbles allowed once a ball touches the ground it is dead at the spot? 16. LATERALS-Laterals are legal at anytime anywhere on the field and may not count as a forward pass. Any lateral hitting the ground is dead at the spot. The defense may advance an intercepted lateral. 17. RECIEVERS-Receivers need only one foot down in-bounds first for a legal catch. 18. QUARTERBACKS-The quarterback may receive the ball in a sideways motion, or from the ground, from the center (NO DIRECT SNAPS). If the ball is snapped and touches the ground prior to reaching the QB (either bouncing or rolling) the ball must be fielded cleanly and if it touches the ground after the QB has touched it the ball is dead at the spot. The rusher must maintain the count until the QB has touched the ball and can then rush the QB. 19. DELAYED RUSH-The defense must delay crossing the line of scrimmage for a count of 5- seconds. The count cannot start until the ball reaches the QB. The count must be loud enough for both referee and QB to hear and must be counted as 1-one thousand, 2- onethounsand, 3-one thousand, four-one thousand, 5-one thousand. If the ball is snapped over the QB s head then the count can be suspended and rush can begin pg. 3
immediately. The QB must establish her pivot and cannot shuffle or move their feet in any fashion or the count can be suspended and the defense can rush immediately. 20. OFFENSIVE BLOCKING-There is absolutely no blocking either as contact or shadowing the ball carrier an offensive may not move in any manner so as limit or block the defensive player from making a tag. The offensive player must stand still until the ball carrier passes them. 21. POINTS- Female touchdowns are worth 7 points. 10-yd extra points are considered 2 pts. Each, 3-yd extra points are considered 1 pts. Each. All extra point attempts that are intercepted and returned to the opposing end zone are worth 2 pts. 22. FORCED FEMALE PLAY-Offense may not run 3 consecutive non-female plays. If the offense runs 2 non-female plays consecutively the next play is a Forced Female Play. Extra points are not included in the rotation the extra point is a free play and never a forced female play. In order for a play to be considered a female play a female must be a receiver or intended receiver, QB as passer who must throw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage, as a runner who must get to or beyond the line of scrimmage. 23. OVERTIME PLAY-Playoffs only If after the completion of regulation time the score is tied then overtime is required. The team that won the initial toss has the option to be on defense or offense first. The opposing team selects direction. Both teams will play going the same direction. The ball is placed at the 15 yd. line and each team has 4 plays to score and if a team scores they are allowed an additional play for the extra point. All regulation rules apply to overtime including forced female play. Each team gets an additional time-out (30 seconds) and none carry over from regulation time. If a turnover occurs then the 4-play series ends and if the turnover results in a touchdown overtime is completed 24. PENALTIES (OFFENSIVE)traditional penalties not listed Illegal blocking-5yds spot foul down counts Illegal snap- 5 yds replay down Offensive pass interference-10 yds replay down Forced Female Play-5 yds, down counts, FFP still in effect Illegal Substitution-5 yds, replay down 25. PENALTIES (DEFENSIVE)traditional penalties not listed Pass interference-spot of infraction automatic 1 st down. pg. 4
Illegal count- warning, then 5 yds repeat down Unsportsmanlike conduct-10 yds player must sit for 4 plays Revised 7-18-2011 pg. 5