Flag Football Rules
* All final decisions will be made on the discretion of the On-Site Manager *
The Game, Field, Players, and Equipment
Team captains are responsible for reporting players’ names to the scorekeeper a minimum of five minutes prior to the start of each game. Only the team captain will speak for the team in all dealings with the officials.
Four players per team (ALL pass eligible); minimum three players.
Team area is five yards away from sidelines, within ten yards of the center line.
Jerseys must be tucked in. A jersey on the ball carrier which comes out during a play will be penalized if defense’s attempt at flag is hindered.
Offense must have at least one player on the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap.
Pants or shorts with belt loops, belts or pockets are prohibited.
HATS MAY NOT BE WORN!
Definitions of Playing Terms
“Ready To Play” is whistled by referee – offense has 25 seconds to put ball in play.
There will be no kickoffs or punts.
NEUTRAL ZONE: The area between the two scrimmage lines (point closest to the ball for offense, one yard behind the ball for defense).
FLAG BELT REMOVAL: Player deflagging ball carrier should hold the belt in the air to facilitate officials’ ending the play.
FLAG BELT INADVERTENTLY LOST: Ball carrier is “downed” by one-hand tag between the shoulders and knees.
Periods, Time Factors, Substitutions
Game time is starting time; there will be no grace period. The officials watch will be the timepiece used to decide game time.
The team winning the coin toss will have the choice of ends of the field or the kickoff.
Each half starts with possession of the ball on a teams own 10 yard line.
Playing time is 15 minutes of running time for the first half. The second half will have a running clock for the first 14 minutes and stop clock for the last one minute.
In the last minute of the game the clock is stopped for out of bounds, incomplete passes, scores including PAT’s, timeouts, 1st downs until ball is whistled ready for play, and penalties until the ball is whistled ready for play.
Each team has one 30-second timeout per game, including overtime. The clock will stop during timeouts.
Tie and Overtime Games
In case of a tie at the end of regulation play during the regular season, the game will immediately be played as a college football game overtime.
College Football Overtime: Captains will be called to center field with officials and a coin toss will be given. Winner of coin toss will decide if they want offense or defense. Offense will get 4 downs from half field to score a touch down. If they score, the defense will have 4 downs to get their touchdown, if they don’t the first offense team wins. If they do, the process begins again. If offense from the beginning gets stopped, then the next offense team just needs to score to win. Interceptions are NOT ran back.
During the playoffs, overtime will be played as above.
To be eligible for the playoffs, a player must have played in at least one regular season game for the team(s) he or she intends to represent. The player’s name MUST appear on the scorecard for the game(s) played.
Ball in Play, Dead Ball, and Out-of-Bounds
The ball is dead in the following situations:
Ball carrier’s person (excluding hand or foot) touches ground.
Ball out of bounds.
Touchdown, touchback, safety, successful try-for-point.
Forward pass strikes ground, or is simultaneously caught.
Fumble touches ground (dead where hits ground).
Passer deflagged prior to ball leaving hand.
Ball is dead at spot where it hits the ground when snapped (loss of down).
QB has one attempt to cleanly field the ball on snap.
Series of Downs and Number of Downs
ZONE-TO-GAIN: A team has three plays to gain next zone-to-gain (instead of 10 yards).
Kicking the Ball and Fair Catch
There shall be no kicking of the ball during any down.
Snapping, Handing, and Passing the Ball
Center may snap ball either between legs or from the side; however, ball must be touching ground.
There are no direct snaps; the QB must be at least 2 yards behind the center.
Team in possession of ball is responsible for retrieving ball.
Three or four point stance is permitted.
Only one offensive player may be in motion, but not towards the opponent’s goal line at the snap.
Scoring Plays and Touchback
Value of scores:
Touchdown 6 pts.
PAT: From 10 2pts. From 3 1 pt.
Safety 2 pts.
Conduct of Players and Others
No player shall:
Use abusive or insulting language.
Play unfairly.
Disconcert with actions or words prior to snap.
Intentionally kick opposing player or ball.
Intentionally swing arm, hand, or fist at opposing player.
Leave field between downs to gain advantage.
Spike ball, throw high in the air, or fail to return to nearest official (or to huddle) during a dead ball.
PENALTY: 5 YARDS, DISQUALIFICATION IF FLAGRANT
PERSONAL FOULS:
Steal, or attempt to steal, ball.
Tripping , hurdling, or diving (only if player has ball and dives/slides).
Contact opponent who is on the ground.
Throw runner to the ground.
Make any unnecessary contact with opposing player.
Clipping.
Deliberately run or drive into opponent.
Tackle the ball carrier.
PENALTY: 5 YARDS, DISQUALIFICATION IF FLAGRANT.
ROUGHING THE PASSER: Defense must make a definite effort to avoid charging into passer after ball is thrown. Any contact with throwing arm or body is roughing the passer (penalty: 5 yards and 1st down).
PASS INTERFERENCE: When the defensive player makes unnecessary contact with receiver. (Penalty: 1st down at the spot of the fowl)
SCREEN BLOCKING: Offensive “blocking” shall take place without contact. Hands and arms at the side or behind the back. Any initiated contact or forward contact is illegal – this rule is exactly the same as the block/ charge rule in basketball (penalty: 5 yards).
USE OF HANDS AND ARMS BY DEFENSE: The arms and hands may not be used as a wedge to drive past opponents.
BALL CARRIER: May not intentionally or unintentionally use hands or arms to guard flags (penalty: 5 yards). May not stiff arm (penalty: 5 yards). May not charge into another player (penalty: 5 yards).
DEFENDER: May not hold, grasp, or obstruct forward movement of ball carrier in the act of removing the flags.
FLAG BELT REMOVAL: Flag belt detached inadvertently does not stop play (one hand tag between shoulders and knees). Pulling the flag belt of a player without the ball is illegal (penalty: 5 yards and is a live-ball violation).
Diving to gain yardage or to deflag a runner is allowed as long as there is no contact initiated.
Rosters
All rosters and team fees must be turned in to the Student Activities Center located on the first floor of the University Student Union.
Spaces are limited and are available based on a first-come-first-served basis. No rosters will be accepted after the deadline. Rosters must include the entire amount of money for registration, captain’s name and number, co-captain’s name and number and names of minimum number of players (do not need student ID #s or signatures).
No more than eight players are allowed per team. A team must have a minimum of three players or a maximum of four players on the field at the start of the game. A team with less than three players will automatically forfeit the game, unless the opposing team captain gives consent. Teams are not required to have a specific number of males or females on the field at any given time during play.
Teams may not remove players from their roster after the first two games of the season. Players may not, at any point, change teams once they have participated in a game. Teams may add players throughout the season if an open roster spot is available. Rosters may not exceed the maximum number allowed.
In order to participate in any intramural contest, all students, faculty and staff must preset a valid California State University Stanislaus ID. All alumni participants must present a photo ID.
NO ID, NO PLAY, NO EXCEPTIONS
Both captain and co-captain must attend one of the two meetings. If the captain and co-captain do not attend, the team will not be eligible to compete and will be replaced by a wait listed team.
Intramural Eligibility
All students registered at California State University, Stanislaus (CSUS) are eligible to participate in intramural and recreational sports activities administered by the Associated Students, Inc. Recreation & Wellness program. Extension courses do not qualify an individual for intramural competition.
CSUS faculty, staff and alumni are eligible to compete in intramural sports. Intercollegiate student-athletes are ineligible for participation in that sport or its related sport if they remain on such a team during or after the first contest in that sport season. In addition, persons who have previously competed in intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division I, II or III levels are ineligible to participate in that sport or its related sport until two complete semesters (fall and spring) have passed since their last season of competition.
Examples:
Intercollegiate Volleyball cannot participate in Intramural Volleyball
Intercollegiate Soccer cannot participate in Intramural Soccer
Intercollegiate Basketball cannot participate in Intramural Basketball
Intercollegiate Softball/Baseball cannot participate in Intramural Softball
If a player arrives after their game has already started they may not enter the game until the start of the next period. Players arriving in the final period may enter immediately after checking in. Permission may be granted by the opposing team for late arriving players to enter the game at any time.
A person may only be on one roster for each intramural league.
If a team forfeits in advance, the opposing team gets treated as if all players arrived and played.
A team will forfeit any contest in which an ineligible player has competed.
Individual & Team Conduct
The Recreation and Wellness program promotes good sporting behavior; i.e., behavioral tendencies of a person who can take loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating, and who treats all opponents with fairness, generosity, courtesy and respect.
If and individual participant is ejected from a game for unsportsmanlike conduct, the individual will be ineligible for further competition in that sport until further review of the incident is made by the Intramural Sports Committee. Each incident will be reviewed individually and the resulting penalties will be appropriate to the seriousness of the incident.
Unsportsmanlike conduct may include, but is not limited to the following: the obstruction or disruption of normal intramural functioning; profanity, abusive or insulting language provoking ill will, baiting an opponent; physically threatening, pushing, or taunting an opponent, spectator, or Recreation and Wellness employee.
Any participant involved in a fight will automatically receive a one game suspension from that sport and will be referred to the Intramural Sports Committee for further disciplinary action. In addition, the team involved will be put on probation for the remainder of the season. While on probation, should the team or an individual on the team be involved in another fight, the team will be dropped from further play in that sport.
When a player is ejected from a contest for unsportsmanlike conduct, the team captain is responsible for insuring the ejected player leaves the gym or field within two minutes. If this does not occur, the game will be forfeited.
Alcohol and other controlled substances are not allowed at any Recreation and Wellness event. Any player found to be under the influence of alcohol, or other controlled substance, will be automatically ejected from the league.
Judgment calls by an official may not be protested. Protests are restricted to matters of rules interpretations and player eligibility. Protests must be made in writing and submitted to the Warrior Activities Center by 5 pm the following working day after the contest. The Intramural Sports Committee will review protests. Decisions made by the committee are final.