Flag Football Rulebook

8 vs 8 Flag Football Rules

At the snap:

5 of 8 offensive players must be on the line of scrimmage (5 yd penalty)

Offensive line must have a Guard on each side of the center  

Splits on the offensive line should not exceed fingertip to fingertip of other offensive lineman.

Guard       Center       Guard.  

Def End        Def  End

Defensive Line:  Two Lineman, no player shall line head up of the center

Remaining 6 players at the discretion of the coach.  

Backfield:

At least 1 yard behind the line of scrimmage (5 yd penalty)

Ball Carrier:

Shall not deliberately drive or run into defensive player, nor straight arm, nor protect the flag from the defensive team.  (10 yd penalty)

Blocking:

Blockers MUST be on their feet during and after contact (no cut blocking) (10 yd penalty)Blocking is legal with open hands only at the line of scrimmage. Players may not have full arm extensions (no loading or recoiling of arms) or closed fists. NO initiation of a downfield block (including shadow blocking) once the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage. 

Deadball:

The ball is dead when the opponent removes the ball carrier's flag. In all cases where a play is in progress and the ball carrier loses a flag either accidentally, inadvertently or on purpose, play shall be stopped at the spot where the flag is dropped.  If any eligible player loses their flag, they can catch a forward pass but are not allowed to advance it from the spot of the catch.

Defensive Player:

Shall not hold, grasp or obstruct forward progress of the ball carrier when in the act of removing the flag (10 yd penalty) No stripping of the ball. Defensive player must go for the flag.

Defensive Holding (5yd penalty and automatic 1st down)

Rushing the Passer:  Defensive players  are allowed to rush the passer after a three second count by the referee.  (One Mississippi etc… GO!)

End Zone:

10 YARDS IN WIDTH, GOAL POSTS ARE ON THE END LINE.

Equipment:

Shoulder pads, helmets and hip pads are NOT legal equipment.

First Downs: 

The First Down in any series is the 10 yard zone in advance of the ball. 

 A new series is awarded if the team advances the ball past the first down line.

Teams will have 3 downs to gain a First Down or Touchdown.  

First Downs (Under 2 Minutes):

Clock will be stopped until the first down marker is set and the ball is set. The ball can be hiked after the referee blows the whistle, indicating that the clock started again.

Flags:

Players must use two flags, one on each hip, attached at the waist.  Flag must be in working order and worn accordingly.    

Fumble:

Loss of possession, if fumbled after the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage .  Ball is   dead once it strikes the ground. 

Game Guidelines:

 NO Kick-offs/NO Punts.. Ball is placed at 45-yard line to begin the game, after half-time, after a turnover on downs and after a touchdown. First downs are awarded if any part of the ball touches or goes beyond the next 10-yard section. Offense team must have a minimum of FIVE (5) players on the Line of Scrimmage.  

Game Time:

Four 10  minute quarters   Halftime will be 5 minutes.   

Each team is permitted (2) timeout per half. 

Unused timeout will not carry over to 2nd half.

Muff:

An unsuccess attempt to catch or recover the ball.  Ball is dead once it hits the ground. 

 If the center/quarterback exchange is muffed, the play results in a loss of down.

Play Clock:

The offense has 30 seconds to put the ball in play after the Ready for Play whistle.

(4th quarter only) In the final two minutes of the game the clock will be only be stopped for the following: touchdowns and ensuing point after, incomplete passes, players who have ran out of bounds before getting their flags grabbed, and first downs.     

Stance:

All players, on both teams except for the snapper, may choose their stance.  

Teams:

The game is played between two teams, 8 players on the field for each team.  

Offense team must have a minimum of FIVE (5) players on the Line of Scrimmage.

Scoring:

               Touchdowns are worth 6 points

   Extra Point from the 5 yard ling (1 point)

    Extra Point from the 10 yard line (2 points) 

Sportsmanship & Ejection

Players who are ejected must immediately leave the bench area if supervised by an adult. If no supervision is available, student-athlete must stay in the bench area. A player ejected from a contest for any reason shall be subject to the disciplinary action under the Fall River Middle School Athletics Handbook.  

Any Coach who is ejected must immediately leave the bench area. If there is no certified school personnel to continue coaching the team, the match will be declared a forfeit. A coach ejected from a contest for any reason shall be subject to the disciplinary action under the guidelines of the Fall River Middle School Athletics Handbook.