MC Football

# **Gameplay:** · Please review this complete rule book as rules regarding the line, blocking, rushing the QB, etc. have changed from previous years. · Games will be 6v6, max roster of 14. · There will be no O-line and D-line. Refer to the Rush and Blitzing sections below for more information on how the QB can be pressured. · All players are eligible to run the ball (including the QB) · Ball must be snapped to QB. All players (including snapper) are eligible for receiving. · Contact: No blocking is permitted from anyone on offense to protect the QB, Downfield blocking with the use of your hands is not allowed. Pressing of receivers is not permitted. · 20 min halves, 2 timeouts · 1 First down at half field (35 yard) (TBD) · See complete rulebook below # Points of Emphasis: Football Rules Committee has extraordinary pride in the Football Code as well as the conservation of safety and moral character. These guidelines are meant to place each contest in an environment of fairness and sportsmanship. **PROTECTION OF PLAYERS** Player safety is a top priority for the Complex organization. Game officials will strictly enforce the policy regarding illegal equipment, penalties, and especially fighting. Any player clearly violating league rules resulting in the direct or indirect endangerment of another player will be subject to disciplinary action. **FIGHTING** There will be zero tolerance for fighting whether verbally or physically. Cursing, shoving, punching, wrestling, or kicking will result in a penalty, ejection, and/or future suspension. Game officials will have full discretion on enforcing these penalties and ejections. If a player is ejected from the game he must leave the field of play, including the sidelines, before play may resume. If the ejected player does not do so within a reasonable time, his team will be forced to forfeit the game. Please review the code of conduct for consequences and penalties related to poor sportsmanship **ILLEGAL EQUIPMENT** A. Headwear containing any hard, unyielding, stiff material, including billed hats, or items containing exposed knots. B. Jewelry C. Pads or braces worn above the waist. D. Shoes with metal, ceramic, screw-in, or detachable cleats. Note: Players are required to wear pants/shorts with no pockets. **EXCEPTION: ** Screw-in cleats are allowed if the screw is part of the cleat. E. Shirts or jerseys that do not remain tucked in. Any hood on a coat, sweatshirt, or shirt that does not remain tucked in. F. Leg and knee braces made of hard, unyielding material, unless covered on both sides and all edges overlapped. G. Any slippery or sticky foreign substance on any equipment or exposed part of the body. H. Exposed metal on clothes or person. I. Towels, hand warmers, or anything attached at the player's waist. **TIMING:** Games are to start promptly at 9 PM. If a team cannot field the minimum amount of minimum players (5) at the start-game time, they will have 15 minutes to do so or else the game will be called a forfeit. If both teams are tardy, once either team has the minimum number of players a 15-minute timer will start, after which a forfeit will be called if the other team fails to field their minimum number of players. The team that causes a delay in game, will pay for the referees additional time. **REQUIRED CLOTHING:** Flag belts will be provided by the Complex Sports program. All other clothing/equipment must be provided by the team/player. A shirt, pants/shorts, and shoes are required to play flag football. **NUMBER OF PLAYERS** A team may have up to 14 people on its roster. Games will be played 6v6, but a minimum of 5 is needed to avoid a forfeit. All players must be on roster, and a player may play on only one team per sport! Rosters will be locked 2 weeks into the season after which no more changes can be made. If players not on the roster are found playing, the team will face consequences. **LENGTH OF GAME** Playing time shall be 40 minutes, separated into two halves of 20 minutes. Half-time shall be 5 minutes. There will be a running clock for the entire 20 minutes of the first half and the first 18 minutes of the second half. The last 2 minutes of the second half will follow the below “Last 2 Minute” timing rules. A coin toss will determine who shall receive the choice of possession or side at the beginning of the game. If only one team is ready to play at game time, they will automatically have the choice. In the case of overtime, there will be a 2- minute intermission prior to starting overtime. There will be a 20 second play clock (maintained by the referees) in between plays, which begins once the ball has been spotted on the field. Offensive players are responsible for retrieving the ball after each play. **LAST 2 MINUTE TIMING RULES ** In the last 2 minutes of the game, the clock will stop ONLY for: A. Change of possession (through Interceptions, TDs) B. Penalties on the Defense, penalties on the Offense only to the extent that it takes the referee to spot the ball and then the clock will be started again, C. Running out of bounds D. First down to the extent that it takes the referee to spot the ball, and then the time is resumed E. Incomplete passes F. Timeouts G. Injuries (if your injury timeout has not already been exhausted) **FIELD DIMENSIONS:** The Complex flag football field measures approximately 70 yards long by 30 yards wide. The end zones are approximately 10 yards each. Some rules will vary to accommodate the field dimensions. (TBD) **KICKOFFS: ** No kickoffs, ball will be placed at the 10-yard line **FIRST DOWN: ** A first down will be measured at half field, 35 yards. A team will have four downs to convert the first down. **TIME OUTS: ** Each team is entitled to 2 time-outs per half to stop the game clock (unused timeouts from the first half do not carry over). Successive time-outs may be granted to each team during the same dead ball period. A time-out can only be called when the ball is dead and when a team has not exhausted their allotted time-outs. A charged time-out shall not exceed 1 minute. Each team shall have (1) 30 second time-out in overtime. When a team requests a charged time-out for a rule interpretation, the Referee will confer with the team captain. If the Referee changes his/her ruling, it is an official’s time-out. If the ruling is not changed, it is a charged timeout. If the team has used its 2 charged time-outs, a delay of game penalty will be assessed. Each team will have reserved a 2-minute timeout that is in addition to the above timeouts in case of an injury, that the referee can grant at his discretion. Injury Timeouts can only be used for valid injuries occurring during play. The injured player must sit out the following down. **OVERTIME RULES DO NOT APPLY FOR 2021 SEASON DUE TIME CONTRAINT.** **OVERTIME (TIE GAME):** If the game score is tied after regulation time, then a coin toss will determine who will get the ball & side. The home team shall call the toss. If additional overtime periods are needed to decide the outcome of the game (more than first overtime), captains shall alternate choices. Home team is designated as the team that won the opening coin toss. Regular Season Overtime Rules: Each team will get ONE series of four downs from the 20-yard line as well as an extra point attempt, if they score a touchdown. If the game is still tied after each team completes their series, including any possible extra point attempts, the game will then end in a tie. Playoffs Overtime Rules Each team will have the chance to score in series of four downs from the 20-yard line. If the score is still tied after each team has had a try (including extra point attempts), a second series is played, and so on until a winner is determined. **Automatic Rush:** The defense may rush the quarterback automatically if there are two (2) or more additional players in the backfield with the quarterback or when the ball changes hands in the backfield. **Rush: ** There will be no offensive line or defensive line. Referees are responsible for calling the rush count for both teams. The rush count will be as follows: “1-one thousand, 2-one thousand, 3-one thousand, 4-one thousand, GO!!” After “GO!!” is called any defensive player may cross the line of scrimmage in order to rush the QB. A defensive player who rushes the quarterback before the referee calls “GO!!,” will be penalized for being off-sides. **Blitzing:** The defensive team may blitz the quarterback once during each set of downs. Only one (1) defensive player may blitz. Upon the ball being snapped and touched by the quarterback, one (1) defensive player may blitz the quarterback. The defensive player blitzing the quarterback must call "BLITZ" for all to hear, including both teams and the referees before it rushes the quarterback or the play will be ruled off-sides on the defense. Only the player calling the blitz may execute the blitz. The blitzing player may not cross the line of scrimmage until the quarterback touches the snapped ball. The penalty for an illegal blitz is considered off-sides on the defense and will result in a penalty of five (5) yards and replay of downs. **Cadence:** The quarterback, or offensive player receiving the snap, must call out a cadence and/or snap to start each play. Silent snaps are illegal. The penalty for an illegal snap is five (5) yards and replay of down. **FUMBLES:** Any ball that is fumbled during a down will be dead by rule once it has touched the ground. A defender may not slap the ball out of the offensive team’s hands. **FORWARD PASSES AND INTERCEPTIONS:** If a player is in the air attempting to catch a ball, the player must contact the ground with at least one foot in-bounds with the ball in their possession prior to going out of bounds, unless contact by an opponent causes the player to first touch out-of -bounds. If possession of the ball is lost simultaneously when they hit the ground, it is not a catch. If a forward pass is caught simultaneously by members of opposing teams, the ball is dead at that spot and belongs to the team that snapped the ball. A player may not intentionally throw a backward pass out of bounds to conserve time or to avoid being downed. **PUNTING: ** On a protected punt, teams MUST punt the ball. You are NOT allowed to throw it.On fourth down the Official must ask the Offensive team if they want a protected punt. Once the offense has declared their choice, the Official will inform the Defense of the offense's choice. The only way the Offense can change their decision is to call a timeout, or if a foul occurs anytime prior to or during the down and the down is to be replayed. In the latter case the Offensive team will be asked if they want a protected scrimmage punt or not. There are no restrictions to the number of players the defensive team must have on the line. The offense must have at least 4 players on the line of scrimmage. Players cannot move until the ball is kicked. Defensive players CANNOT attempt to block the punt. **DIVING: ** Offensive player cannot dive for the endzone/first down, however may reach out in attempt to gain the touchdown/first down. Diving is permitted on defense when attempting to deflag an opponent. **PASS INTERFERENCE:** Any contact that, in the view of the official, interferes with the attempt to catch a pass (offensive or defensive player) is pass interference unless, in the view of the official, it occurs when two or more eligible receivers make a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to reach, catch, or bat a pass. It is also pass interference if an eligible receiver is deflagged or touched prior to touching the ball on a pass thrown beyond the offense's line of scrimmage. If the pass interference by the defense is intentional and/or unsportsmanlike, the defense may be penalized an additional 10 yards to the standard 15 yard penalty. NO BUMP COVERAGE ALLOWED. **SCORING:** Touchdowns = 6 points Extra Points = 1 points if successful from the 5-yard line Extra Points = 2 points if successful from the 15-yard line Safety = 2 points Defensive Conversion on Extra Point Attempt = 3 points A team that has lined up for an extra point can only change their decision by taking a time-out. **SAFETY: ** If a player carries the ball across the goal line or out of bounds line of the goal, they are defending and the ball becomes dead while in their team's possession, it is a safety. If a team commits a foul in the end zone where the spot of enforcement is designated as the spot of the foul, it will be declared a safety. A team recording a safety will receive two points, and possession of the ball, spotted at their own 20-yard line. Exception- Momentum Rule - When a player intercepts a pass or kick returner catches it between their five-yard line and their goal line and their momentum carries them into the end zone where the ball becomes dead, the ball will be deemed a touchback. **PERSONAL FOULS** Any act listed below or any other act of unnecessary roughness is a personal foul A. Punch, strike, strip, steal, or attempt to steal the ball from a player in possession. B. Trip an opponent. C. Contact an opponent who is on the ground. D. Throw the runner to the ground. E. Hurdle another player. F. Make any contact with an opponent that is deemed unnecessary. G. Deliberately drive or run into a defensive player. H. Clip an opponent. I. Stiff Arming J. Position themselves on the shoulders of a teammate or opponent to gain an advantage. K. Tackle the runner. (on purpose warrants ejection) L. Cursing **EJECTIONS** Any ejection due to a personal foul, fight, unsportsmanlike conduct, will also result in a one game suspension from the league. In the second instance of an ejection, the player will be subject to a 2-game suspension. In the third instance of an ejection, the player will be ejected from the league with no refund and will be limited from future play in the Complex league. All suspensions are to be served in the directly following game(s). In the instance of particularly egregious conduct the player may be ejected from the league, and limited from future play in the Complex league. **OBSTRUCTING THE RUNNER: ** A defensive player shall not hold or grasp the forward progress of the runner when attempting to remove the flag belt. **THE FLAG BELT** All shirts must be tucked in, and are not permitted to hang over the flag belt. Should a player lose their flag belt legally or illegally during a down and should that player gain possession of a live ball, that player will be considered down when a legal tag (one hand touched by the defense between the shoulders and knees, including the hand and arm) is made. Players must have possession of the ball before they can legally be deflagged. It is illegal for a defensive player to intentionally pull a flag from an offensive player who is not in possession of the ball. In cases where a flag belt is removed illegally, play should continue with the option of the penalty of the play. In cases where the flag belt comes off for a player in possession of the ball, the player is then one-touch and down. **GUARDING THE FLAG BELT** Offensive ball carriers shall not flag guard by using any part of their body or the ball to deny the opportunity for an opponent to pull or remove their flag belt. Offensive non-ball carrying team members may also not reverse flag guard by slapping an opponents’ hard/arm in a way that denies the opportunity to grab the flag belt. Flag guarding includes but is not limited to: A. Swinging the hand or arm over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging. B. Placing the ball over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging. C. Lowering the shoulders in such a manner that flag guards. D. STIFF ARMING (personal foul) Note: If the flag falls off while running the ball, carrier is subject to a one hand touch by the defense to be ruled down **OFFICIAL'S AUTHORITY** An official assumes authority 15 minutes prior to the scheduled game time, and until they have left the field. The officials have the authority to rule on any situation not specifically covered in the rules. His/her decision is final, unless ruled otherwise by the supervisor on duty or the Intramurals Coordinator. The official has the right to eject players or have them sit out of part or all of the game. Fans, coaches, and spectators are a part of a team and any fouls they commit will go against their team. **PENALTIES ** ALLdefensive penalties will result in 5 yards and replay of down (with the exception of pass interference). A. Defensive penalties include but are not limited to: illegal contact, off-sides, illegal flag pull, illegal rushing, delay of game, obstructing the runner, illegally forcing a fumble, and face guarding. Defensive pass interference will result in a 15-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage and an automatic first down for the offense. B.ALL offensive penalties will result in loss of 5 yards from the spot of the foul (with the exception of offensive pass interference). Offensive penalties include but are not limited to: illegal motion, false start, illegal forward pass, pass, flag guarding, delay of game, illegal backward pass, and illegal blocking. Offensive pass interference will result in a 10-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage and an automatic loss of down. C. Offensive penalties made on an extra point attempt will result in loss of down. Defensive penalties made on an extra point will result in half the distance to the goal and down do over. Penalties in the end zone will be placed at the 1-yard line and a down do over. D. The referee will determine all other penalties not mentioned above. **AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWNS (DEFENSIVE FOULS)** A. Pass interference B. Piling on C. Clipping D. Tackling E. Running into opponent out of play F. Roughing the passer G. Blocking below the waist H. Chop blocking I. Continuous contact to opponent’s face J. Illegal contact with snapper K. Roughing the kicker or holder **LOSS OF A DOWN (OFFENSIVE PENALTIES)** A. Illegal forward pass B. Illegally handing ball forward C. Intentionally throwing backward pass out of bounds D. Intentionally grounding forward pass E. Forward pass illegally touched by player out of bounds F. Catch made by an ineligible receiver G. Offensive pass interference. H. Flag guarding **MERCY RULE:** If a team is leading by 28 or more points then the game will be called at 2 minutes in the second half. **TIE BREAKERS:** Tie Breakers at the end of the season will be: A) In a two way tie, head to head outcome will determine the tie breaker. B) In the case 3 or more teams have the same record the tie break will be determined by: 1. Point Differential (total) then, 2. Points Allowed then, 3. TDs scored, and lastly, 4. Coin flip Notice, head to head is NOT a tie breaker when 3 or more teams are tied in record. **PLAYOFFS:** Top 4 teams will advance to the playoffs. Bracket will be decided based on rankings. All players must be registered on the roster, and must have played in at least two games during the regular season. **Any ruling not referenced above will, by default, defer to NCAA Football rules** http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/FR09.pdf # Conduct Rules: Bench players will stand on the sidelines on their designated half of the field. All spectators and guests must stand at a distance from the sidelines and away from the bench players. Taunting of players and teams will not be tolerated. Only captains should approach the refs to discuss rules/calls. Any fighting or physical altercations, excessive infractions & poor sportsmanship, use of bad language, harassing the ref or players, or any other infractions deemed unnecessary and excessive by the refs and organizers may result in an ejection from the game. 1-game suspension: If a player accumulates 2 ejections in a season, the player will be suspended for the following game. Players may also receive a one game suspension for excessive infractions, excessive use of bad language or other infractions at the discretion of the refs and organizers. Season long suspension: if player accumulates 2 or more 1-game suspensions, player will be suspended for the remainder of the . Additionally, players will be automatically suspended for the season for major infractions such as Punching; Fighting ; Excessive unsportsmanship; Spitting at an opponent or any other person; Persistent use of extremely abusive language or behavior toward a Game Official; Bodily contact with a Game Official in Dissent; Field and property damage, any other violation at the discretion of the referees and commissioners. Suspension from all Muslim Complex leagues: if player receives 2 or more season long suspensions, player will not be allowed to participate in any future Muslim Complex activities indefinitely.