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7 ON 7 FLAG FOOT BALL RULES
PLAYERS
Seven players constitute a team. On offense, four players must
be on the line of scrimmage.
A team may not start or continue a game with less than five (5)
players.
The person receiving the snap must be two yards behind the line of
scrimmage. Snaps must be between the legs or from the side of the
snapper. All snaps must be of a quick, continuous motion. No Direct
Snaps.
No player, substitute, coach or others subject to the rules shall use
disconcerting words or phrases, or commit any act not in accordance with
the spirit of fair play for the purpose of confusing the opponent.
Players and spectators may not cross the 20 yard line marker toward
the end zones. Players and spectators may not be within 2 yards of the
sidelines. Teams must be on opposite sidelines.
EQUIPMENT
Each player must wear the flag belts provided. Belts have three flags
that are to be positioned one to each hip and one in the back. Flag
belts shall not be tied at anytime. PENALTY: automatic disqualification,
10 yard penalty, loss of down (or) automatic first down.
Shirts must be tucked in so that the flag can be easily seen and
grabbed. Pinnies that hang over the flag belt must be tucked in at the
discretion of the referee. If a sweatshirt is worn, it must be tucked in
a manner in which it will not cover the flag belts. No belt loops or
pockets of any form of pants will be allowed. Billed-hats
or any headgear containing knots are not allowed. Stocking hats and
headbands no wider 2 are allowed to be
worn during flag football.
Metal cleats are illegal.
Players may not participate in sandals, boots, dress shoes, or
barefoot. Players wearing illegal shoes become subject to
disqualification.
Absolutely no jewelry will be allowed.
No casts of any material will be allowed. Braces, which are made of
hard or unyielding material, will not be allowed. Pads may be worn below
the waist only.
The official ball shall be pebble-grained leather or rubber and must
meet the recommendations of size and shape for a regulation football.
Officials will make the final ruling regarding the appropriate size of
the football
to meet Department of Recreational Services standards. Teams can bring
their own ball, but are responsible to bring it out on their offensive
series.
Games will be played on a field 80 yards long (with ten yard end
zones) by 40 yards wide.
LENGTH OF THE GAME
A team has 5 minutes past the designated start time to have a team
checked in and ready to play. If the team is ready within the 5 minutes,
the team that was on time will receive 7 points and they automatically
win the
toss. The game clock will begin when the grace period begins and will
run continuously. After the 5 minute grace period a forfeit will be
declared.
The game will start with a captains meeting and a coin toss before
all regular season and playoff games.
The winner of the toss will have the following options:
7-on-7 Flag Football Rules
o start on offense, or
o start on defense, or
o defer the option to second half, or
o select which goal to defend
If the winning team defers, the losing team will have the same options
as the coin toss winner except for deferring to the second half.
The game will consist of two -- twenty (20) minute halves, with a two
(2) minute half-time.
A team will have three time-outs per half---30 seconds in length.
During the first 18 minutes of each half, the clock will run
continuously and will only be stopped on teams timeout or referees
time-out.
During the last two minutes of the each half, the clock will stop only
during appropriate dead ball situations (first downs, touchdowns,
penalties, safeties, touchbacks, time outs, injuries, punts, out of
bounds, and incomplete pass). Also, during the final two minutes teams
may intentionally down the ball to stop the clock.
If two teams should have a tie score at the end of regulation time, an
overtime period may be played.
Prior to the overtime period starting, a captains meeting will be
held, a coin toss will determine possession of the ball, and each team
will get four plays from the 10 yard line to score.
If the game remains tied after one overtime period, the process will
continue until a winner is determined.
Teams may go for a one, two or three point conversion after a score.
Each team will get one additional time out per overtime session. Time
outs may not be carried over to the overtime period or each subsequent
period
BLOCKING
Offensive screen blocking shall take place without contact. It is
similar to the fundamentals of a screen block in basketball.
The screen blocker shall have his hands and arms at his side or behind
the back.
Any use of arms, elbows, or legs to initiate contact during an
offensive player's screen block is illegal.
A player must be on his feet before, during, and after screen
blocking.
There shall be NO charging into offensive blockers, the defense must
make an effort to get around the offensive blocker.
If the defense does charge into or bull rush into offensive blocker, a
10 yard penalty will be assessed against the defense and could lead to a
player being ejected.
HURDLING
No hurdling is allowed. If someone is trying to avoid a tackler and
hurdles the player that is illegal.
Hurdling is an attempt by a player to jump with one or both feet or
knees foremost over an opponent. (A player may not attempt to leap over
another player, while leading with his knees or feet, this is considered
hurdling).
PUNTING
On fourth down (or any other down), a team must announce its
intentions to punt to the officials before the ball is declared ready to
play. No Quick Kicks are permitted.
After such an announcement, the punting team can only change the
decision after either team has requested a time-out or any penalty
allowing the offensive team to repeat the down.
The offensive team must also have a minimum of four players on the
line of scrimmage during a punt.
No one may move until the ball is actually kicked except for the
kicker.
The center must snap the ball to the punter who must be at least two
yards behind the line of scrimmage.
A punter must punt the ball within 5 seconds of receiving the ball
from the snapper.
A punted ball that hits the ground may be advanced, but it must be
fielded cleanly.
The ball will be declared dead if the punting team downs the ball or
if the receiver doesn't field the ball cleanly (fumbles or muffs the
punt).
FUMBLES
Any fumble or forward pass that is intercepted or caught in the air
may be advanced.
Any time the ball touches the ground during a play from scrimmage, the
play becomes dead and the ball is spotted at the appropriate spot.
Balls may be fumbled backwards for a safety or a loss but not forward
for a touchdown or gain. It will remain at
the point of the fumble.
- EXCEPTION: An offensive player who fumbles the ball forward
into the end-zone before the ball crosses the plane of the goal line
will result in a turnover and defensive team will have possession at
their 20 yard line.
DELAY OF GAME
The ball must be put in play with a backward snap between the legs or
from the side within 25 seconds of when the referee blows the whistle
ready for play.
No direct hand-off snaps are allowed.
The ball must be snapped with a quick continuous motion.
FIRST DOWNS
Each team will have a series of four (4) downs to advance the ball
from one zone to the next zone.
Failure to advance the ball to the next zone line to gain results in
loss of the ball to the opponent.
The zone line to gain in any series shall be the line in advance of
the ball, unless distance has been lost due to penalty or loss of
yardage.
The placement of the ball will be determined by the spot of the ball
when the person is de-flagged.
Any part of the ball touching the line is considered over the line.
PASSING/RECEIVING
All players are eligible to receive a pass.
Only one legal forward pass is allowed per live ball play.
A legal forward pass is one that is made from behind the line of
scrimmage (indicated by the orange ball spotter).
Reverse passes may be thrown at any time, and anywhere on the field.
Receivers must have one foot in bounds while in possession of the
ball.
A receiver who steps out of bounds and returns back to the playing
field is ineligible.
SCORING
Touchdown: 6 points
Safety: 2 points
Point after try: 1 point (from 3 yards),
Point after try: 2 points (from 10 yards),
Point after try: 3 points (from 20 yards).
Defensive return during a point after try: 1 to 3 points depending on
the offensive's choice.
NOTE: a team is given one choice (one, two or three points) for a point
after try. The declared point value will remain the same even if a
penalty moves the ball closer or farther from the goal. A team may not
change the value of the try in the event of a penalty by the defense.
SECURING THE FLAG
The defensive player may not tackle, block, trip or hold the ball
carrier while attempting to de-flag the ball carrier. If a player trips,
holds, or uses any other illegal acts in leaving their feet, a penalty
of ten yards will be called. If flagrant, unsportsmanlike, unnecessary
roughness occurs, ejection may also result. Players must
have possession of the ball before they can legally be de-flagged.
Intentionally pulling the flag of an offensive player without that
offensive player having possession of the ball is illegal (10 yards
penalty).
The flag belt must be "clearly taken" from the ball carrier. If a
defensive player tries for the belt and they don't pull the flag off,
but it falls off for any other reason, the play continues.
If an offensive player loses his flag prior to being de-flagged, that
player may be downed by one hand touch between the shoulders and knees.
Also, the person that takes the flag is responsible for returning the
flag to the offensive player. Failure to return the flag to an offensive
player may result in a delay of game penalty.
Always play until you hear the whistle.
After a score is made, the player should go to the closest official
for a flag-belt removal. If the flag doesn't come off with a reasonable
attempt, the score does not count (additional 10 yard penalty from the
previous spot and loss of down) and player is ejected.
If a player is found wearing a belt that is tied, he will be ejected
from the game. The player will also be ineligible for the next contest.
FLAG GUARDING
Runners shall not flag guard by using their hands, arms, or the ball
to deny the opportunity for an opponent to remove the flag belt.
The ball carrier may not hurdle another player to avoid being
de-flagged.
A runner or receiver is also down if any part of his body touches the
ground other than the hands or feet.
Rushers chasing the passer must play the flag and not the ball. If
they attempt to block a pass, they may not make contact with the passer
in any manner, even if the ball is touched or blocked.
RETURNS FROM END ZONE
Passes, interceptions, and punts may be returned from end zones, but
not from behind the end line.
An interception in the end zone can be advanced or downed for a
touchback (ball placed on the 20 yard line) if
downed or de-flagged in the end zone.
A player that moves the ball out of the end zone and scrambles back
into the end zone and is deflagged will result in a safety.
MOMENTUM RULE
IT IS NOT A SAFETY, when a Team B (defensive/receiving) player
intercepts a forward pass, fumble, backward pass, or catches a punt
between his 5 yard line and the goal line and his original momentum
carries him into the end zone where the ball is declared dead in his
team's possession behind the goal line, the ball belongs to Team B at
the spot where possession was gained.
INADVERTENT WHISTLE
A live ball becomes dead when an official sounds the whistle, even if
inadvertently.
If an inadvertent whistle happens during a live play, the following
will happen:
o The ball is in player possession-the team in possession may elect to
put the ball in play where declared dead or replay the down.
o The ball is loose from a fumble, backward pass, illegal kick, or
illegal forward pass-the team in possession may elect to put the ball in
play where possession was lost or replay the down.
o During a legal forward pass or a free or protected scrimmage kick-the
ball is returned to the previous spot and the down replayed.
MOTION
Before the ball is snapped, only one offensive player may be in
motion, the motion may not be toward the line
of scrimmage.
A player in motion on the line of scrimmage is not considered to be
part of the line of scrimmage.
FALSE START
All offensive players (except the player in motion) must be stationary
in their positions without movement of the feet, body, head, or arms for
at least one full second before the snap.
SPIKING THE BALL
Deliberately throwing the ball down after any play is a five yard
penalty.
If judged to be unsportsmanlike toward the other team or official it
may be a 10 yard penalty.
Taunting at any time will be a 10 yard penalty.
PENALTY MEASUREMENT
A penalty measurement cannot take the ball more than half the distance
from the enforcement spot to the offending teams goal line.
Any offensive penalty behind the basic spot (previous spot or
succeeding spot), shall be enforced from the spot of the foul if
accepted by the defense.
If the offensive team throws an illegal forward pass from its end zone
or commits any other foul for which the penalty is accepted and
measurement is from on or behind its goal line, which is now the basic
spot, it is a safety.
STEALING THE BALL
No opponent may attempt to strip (steal) the ball from the ball
carrier.
The ball is dead and belongs to the ball carrier. There will also be a
10 yard penalty, enforced against the defense.
This is not to be confused with a fumble that can be caught in the air
and advanced.
RUSHING
Rush must start 5 yards behind line of scrimmage marked by the line
judge.
Players may be lined up on the line of scrimmage but cannot rush in
unless the ball is handed off or thrown behind the line.
ENCROACHMENT
No offensive or defensive player may penetrate the neutral zone area
by any part of their body once the Line Judge has set the lines.
The first time is a 5 yard penalty and two consecutive encroachment
penalties during the same series of downs by the defense will result in
the second penalty being assessed 10 yards.
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties are 10 yards and loss of down if on
the offense, and 10 yards and automatic first down if on the defense.
Extreme cases of unsportsmanlike conduct can lead to a player
ejection.
Swearing at the official, throwing the ball at the official, grabbing
the official, tying flags, fighting, tackling, intentional
tripping, or any other form of unnecessary roughness deemed by the
official will lead to automatic ejection.
Two unsportsmanlike penalties per player or non-player will lead to an
automatic ejection and possible forfeiture of the game.
Four (4) unsportsmanlike penalties in one game will result in
forfeiture of the game.
MERCY RULE
The game will be called under the mercy rule if the point differential
is 19 points with two minutes or less remaining in the second half.
BLOOD RULE
If at any time, a player has blood on their body or clothing he must
have it stopped, cleaned and the clothing removed from the playing area
prior to being allowed to continue to participate. |
