Flag Ftball Rules Updated 4/24/18 I. Illegal equipment cnsists f: 1. Headwear cntaining any hard, unyielding, stiff material, this includes billed hats, r items cntaining expsed knts 2. Jewelry. Stud earrings are k. N hps r dangling earrings. 3. Pads r braces wrn abve the waist. 4. Metal cleats 5. Shirts r jerseys that d nt remain tucked in. Any hd n a cat, sweatshirt, r shirt that des nt remain tucked in. 6. Leg and knee braces made f hard, unyielding material unless cvered n bth sides and all edges verlapped. 7. Any slippery r sticky freign substance n any equipment r expsed part f the bdy. 8. Expsed metal n clthes r persn. 9. Twels attached at the player's waist. II. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1. Each team shuld start the game with 6 players A minimum f 4 is needed t avid a frfeit. There must be at least 2 females and 2 males n the field the entire time.
If a team nly has ne female they must play ne player dwn. III. LENGTH OF GAME: 1. Playing time shall be split int tw halves f 24 minutes. 2. Half-time shall be 3 minutes. 3. There will be a running clck fr the entire game except during the last tw minutes f the secnd half The clck will stp n ut-f-bunds and incmpletins. 4. Rcks-Paper-Scissrs will determine wh shall receive the chice f pssessin r side at the beginning f the game. If nly ne team is ready t play at game time, they will autmatically have the chice. 5. Shuld darkness threaten the cmpletin f a game, perids can be shrtened by the referee. The referee may call a game at any time. IV. TIMEOUTS: 1. Teams are allwed (1) 30-secnd time ut per half. It can be used befre the ball is snapped r after the ball is dwned. V. 1st DOWNS: 1. The field is split int fur quarters. 2. Prgressing frm ne quarter int anther quarter yields a first dwn regardless f when the line f scrimmage was. The nly exceptin is if a team lses yardage and ends up in the previus quadrant and then crsses back ver.
VI. Quarterback Runs 1. The Quarterback may nly run the ball twice per ffensive series. A series equals an ffensive pssessin frm the team s end zne t the ppsing end zne. a. In the case f a BLITZ the QB may run during that play PENALTY- Once bth/all runs are used and an illegal run is made, a dead play will be assessed frm the line f scrimmage with the lss f the dwn. VII. Blitzing 1. The defense may blitz nce per series A series equals defensive time frm end zne t end zne 2. A lud verbal affirmatin f BLITZ needs t be called ut during the chsen play. Blitzing als allws the QB t run withut the using n e f their tw alltted runs (see article VI) PENALTY- A replay f the dwn and 5 yard assessment will be given t the ffense if a verbal BLITZ is nt enacted during its use. PENALTY- A 10 yard assessment r result in the play will be given t the ffense if a team uses tw blitz in a series. VIII. PERSONNEL CHANGES: 1. Teams may substitute players after the ball is dwned and befre the ball is snapped. Having t many players n the field yields a 5-yard penalty. IX. MERCY RULE: 1. If a team is 25 pints r mre ahead when the Referee annunces the tw-minute warning fr the secnd half, the game shall be ver. If a team scres during the last tw minutes f the secnd half and that scre creates a pint differential f 25 the game shall end at that pint. X. FIELD GOALS:
1. There will be n field gals r kicked extra pints, nly punting. XI. KICKOFFS: 1. On a kickff the ball is dead as sn as it tuches the grund. 2. The nly time a kickff can be returned is when the ball is fielded by the receiving team in the air. XII. PUNTING: 1. Fake punts are illegal. 2. On furth dwn the Referee must ask the Offensive team if they want a prtected scrimmage kick. 3. Once the ffense has declared their chice, the Referee will infrm the Defense f the ffense's chice. 4. The nly way the decisin can be changed is if the Offense calls a timeut, r if a ful ccurs anytime prir t r during the dwn and the dwn is t be replayed. In the latter case the Offensive team will be asked if they want a prtected scrimmage kick r nt. 5. The kicking team must have all f its players, except fr the punter, n the line f scrimmage. 6. N kicking team players may mve until the ball is kicked. 7. There are n restrictins t the number f players the defensive team must have n the line. 8. Defensive players MAY attempt t blck the punt by jumping straight up in the air. They may NOT, hwever, crss the line f scrimmage. 9. If a punt crsses the scrimmage line and tuches a player frm either team and then hits the grund, the ball is dead at that spt and belngs t the receiving team.
XIII. LINE OF SCRIMMAGE: 1. The ffensive team must have a minimum f 4 players set n the line f scrimmage at the snap. 2. After the ball is placed a team has 30 secnds t snap the ball. a. These 30 secnds includes any time spent in a huddle. 3. Players in mtin d nt cunt as players n the line f scrimmage. 4. Once the center has placed his hands n the ball n ffensive player may enter the neutral zne. 5. Fllwing the ready fr play whistle and until a legal snap, NO defensive player may encrach, tuch the ball, stand in, r in any ther way interfere with the ffensive team. a. Penalty - Dead Ball ful, encrachment, 5 yards frm succeeding spt. 6. Upn the ball being snapped, the referee will start a 3-secnd cunt. 7. At the end f the 3-secnd cunt, any defensive player may crss the line-f-scrimmage and attempt t deflag the quarterback. 8. Defensive players may nly crss the line-f-scrimmage prir t the 3- secnd cunt being cmpleted if there s a hand ff. 9. After the snap, the center may g ut fr a pass. a. There is n rule requiring players t stay and blck. XIV. BACKWARD PASSES AND FUMBLES: 1. Any ball that is fumbled during a dwn will be dead by rule nce it has tuched the grund. 2. A backward pass may be intercepted by any player inbunds and advanced. 3. A player may nt intentinally thrw a backward pass ut f bunds t cnserve time r t avid being dwned.
a. This will be penalized as an Illegal pass: lss f 5 yards, lss f dwn and the clck will start n the ready fr play. 4. Once a ball has tuched the grund the ball is cnsidered dead. XV. FORWARD PASSES AND INTERCEPTIONS: 1. If a player is in the air attempting t catch a ball, the player must cntact the grund with at least ne ft in-bunds with the ball in their pssessin prir t ging ut f bunds This is nly unless there is cntact by an ppnent that causes the player t first tuch ut-f -bunds. If pssessin f the ball is lst simultaneusly when they hit the grund, it is nt a catch. If a frward pass is caught simultaneusly by members f ppsing teams, the ball is dead at that spt and belngs t the team that snapped the ball. 2. If a receiver ges ut f bunds, they must establish bth feet inbunds befre making a catch. XVI. PASS INTERFERENCE: 1. Any cntact that, in the view f the fficial, interferes with the attempt t catch a pass (ffensive r defensive player) is pass interference Unless, in the view f the fficial, it ccurs when tw r mre eligible receivers make a simultaneus and bna fide attempt t reach, catch, r bat a pass.
2. It is als pass interference if an eligible receiver is deflagged r tuched prir t tuching the ball n a pass thrwn beynd the ffense's line f scrimmage. 3. If the pass interference by the defense is intentinal and/r unsprtsmanlike, the defense may be penalized an additinal 10 yards. Pass Interference is enfrced at the spt f the ful and is an autmatic 1st dwn. XVII. SCORING: 1. Tuchdwns = 6 pints 2. Extra Pints = 1 pint if successful frm the 3 yard line, 2 pints if successful frm the 10 yard line. Extra pints can be returned fr pints if intercepted. 3. Safety = 2 pints 4. Lsers DO NOT walk nce pints have been scred. Yu defend yur defensive half the entire half regardless f where the tuchdwn was scred. XVIII. SAFETY: 1. If a player carries the ball acrss the gal line they are defending and the ball becmes dead while in their team's pssessin, it is a safety. 2. If a team cmmits a ful in the end zne where the spt f enfrcement is designated as the spt f the ful, it will be declared a safety.
A team recrding a safety will receive tw pints, and the ball shall be snapped by the scring team at their wn 1st quarter line, unless mved by penalty. 3. One Exceptin = The Mmentum Rule When a player intercepts a frward pass r catches a scrimmage kick between their five yard line and their gal line and their mmentum carries them int the end zne where the ball becmes dead, the ball will belng t the receiving team at the spt f the catch r receptin. XIX. PERSONAL FOULS: 1. Any act listed belw r any ther act f unnecessary rughness is a persnal ful 2. Fr defensive infractins, the result will be a 5 yard penalty and an autmatic 1st dwn fr the ffense. 3. Fr ffensive infractins, a lss f 5 yards and a lss f dwn will be enfrced. In the case f an ffensive infractin n 4th dwn 5 yards will be added t the end f a punt r a lss f dwn will ccur n a 4th dwn cnversin try. 4. Players shall nt: Punch, strike, strip, steal, r attempt t steal the ball frm a player in pssessin. Trip an ppnent. Cntact an ppnent wh is n the grund. Thrw the runner t the grund. Hurdle anther player. unless player is dwn, and the hurdle is used as a safety measure
Cntact an ppnent after the ball is declared dead. Make any cntact with an ppnent that is deemed unnecessary. Deliberately drive r run int a defensive player. Clip an ppnent. Psitin themselves n the shulders f a teammate r ppnent t gain an advantage. Tackle the runner. this warrants an ejectin XX. SCREEN BLOCKING: 1. Screen Blcking is legally bstructing an ppnent withut using any part f the bdy t initiate cntact. 2. Screen blcking shall take place withut cntact. 3. A screen blcker cannt use their hands, arms, elbws, legs r bdy t initiate cntact. If they d use cntact it will be called a Persnal Ful. 4. Screen blckers may NOT: Take a psitin clser than a nrmal step when behind a statinary ppnent. Make cntact when assuming a psitin at the side r in frnt f a statinary ppnent. Take a psitin s clse t an ppnent that they cannt avid cntact by stpping r changing directin. This applies t linemen blcking a blitz as well as players blcking n a running play.
XXI. STIFF ARMING: 1. Stiff arming is nt allwed; a persnal ful will be called, and if warranted, an unsprtsmanlike cnduct r ejectin will result. XXII. OBSTRUCTING THE RUNNER: 1. A defensive player is nt allwed t hld, grasp, r bstruct the frward prgress f the runner when attempting t remve the flag belt. XXIII. THE FLAG BELT: 1. All shirts must be tucked in, and are nt permitted t hang ver the flag belt. 2. Shuld a player lse their flag belt legally r illegally during a dwn and shuld that player gain pssessin f a live ball, that player will be cnsidered dwn when a legal tag is made. Legal tag = ne hand tuched by the defense between the shulders and knees, including the hand and arm 3. When a player scres they must immediately raise their hands and allw an fficial t remve their flag belt. This is dne t insure that the flag belt has nt been illegally secured. If the belt has been illegally secured, then the scre is disallwed, the player ejected and a 10 yard Unsprtsmanlike Cnduct penalty will be administered frm the previus spt. 4. Players must have pssessin f the ball befre they can legally be deflagged.
It is illegal fr a defensive player t intentinally pull a flag frm an ffensive player wh is nt in pssessin f the ball. In cases where a flag belt is remved illegally, play shuld cntinue with the ptin f the penalty f the play (Penalty: Persnal ful, 10 yards). XXIV. GUARDING THE FLAG BELT: 1. Runners shall nt flag guard by using any part f the bdy r ball t deny the pprtunity fr an ppnent t pull r remve the flag belt. 2. Flag guarding includes but is nt limited t: Swinging the hand r arm ver the flag belt t prevent an ppnent frm deflagging. Placing the ball in pssessin ver the flag belt t prevent an ppnent frm deflagging. Lwering the shulders in such a manner that flag guards. XXV. PLAYOFF TIES: 1. In the event f a tie at the end f regulatin in a playff game, captains will be called t play Rcks/Paper/Scissrs. 2. The winning captain can chse if they will start with the ball r start n defense, r what side they want t defend. 3. Teams will each get three attempts t cnvert 2-pint cnversins, alternating ffense and defense after every attempt. If it is still tied after three attempts, teams will cntinue until ne team cnverts and the ther des nt. i. Think sccer shtut, but with Ftball.
XXVI. OFFICIAL'S AUTHORITY: 1. The fficials have the authrity t rule n any situatin nt specifically cvered in the rules. 2. His/her decisin is final. The fficial has the right t eject players r have them sit ut f part r all f the game.