Franciscan University of Steubenville
Flag Football Rules
RULE 1: CAPTAINS, PLAYERS AND EQUIPMENT
A. Responsibility of team captains
1. Read and know the rules. Have a team meeting to go over the rules and the schedule.
2. Control yourself, your teammates, your coaches and your spectators.
3. Check for the correct score at the end of each game. The referee will keep the official score. Teams are
encouraged to keep score as well.
5. Captains are responsible for the eligibility of their players.
6. Only captains may address an official. A captain may address an official on matters of rule interpretation
only. Captains may not address officials concerning judgment calls.
B. Number of Players
1. While flag football is normally played as 7 on 7, a team may have as few as 6 players on the field at anytime. At no time may a team have less than 6 players on the field. No exceptions.
C. Equipment
1. No casts are allowed. No pads or metal braces are allowed above the waist. No exposed metal braces are
permitted unless covered by padding.
2. No helmets or padded headgear may be worn. Wool caps are permitted. Baseball caps are illegal.
3. Boots or hard-soled shoes are not permitted. If cleats are worn they cannot have any exposed metal or sharp
points.
4. Flags must be visible at all times. Shirts need to be tucked into belt. A sufficient number of flags must be present on the belt. The center does not have to wear a belt when snapping the ball.
5. The Athletic Department will provide the game ball.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL EQUIPMENT, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
RULE 2: ELIGIBILITY
1. Team captains are responsible for their players’ eligibility.
2. A person may play for one team only. Any player that participates on more than one team, in the same sport, becomes ineligible and can no longer participate in that sport.
3. In order to qualify to participate in intramurals one must be staff, faculty, full time employee or student with at least 3 credit hours. High school students taking college courses as well as distance learning students are not allowed to participate. If an ineligible player participates, the team that he/she played with will be penalized.
4. All intramural participants must turn in a completed Assumption of Liability with their roster or when a name is added to a roster in order to be eligible to play.
5. Additions to the roster may be made in the IM office located on the ground floor of the FFH during IM office hours. Any participant added to a roster is not eligible to participate until the day after being added.
6. The last day to add names to rosters is Friday, March 21st at 4pm.
RULE 3: PERIODS, GAME TIMES, SUBSTITUTIONS, TIE BREAKER PROCEDURE
A. Periods
1. A legal game consists of two 15-minute halves.
2. Preceding the first half, the referee shall toss a coin. The captain winning the toss shall choose:
a. Either to begin on offense or defense
b. Which goal to defend
3. Each half will begin with the ball on the 10 yard line as determined by the captain’s choice.
4. To begin the second half, teams switch sides and possession opposite from the beginning of the game.
B. Game Times
1. Games will begin at the scheduled time. Any game delayed because of absent players will be forfeited. If both teams do not have 6 players present at game time, a double forfeit will be declared and a double loss will be recorded.
2. The games will consist of two 15 minute halves. The time will always be stopped for the following:
a. Official time-out
b. Team time-out
c. Touchdown
d. Extra-point
e. Safety
3. In the last 4 minutes of the second half the clock will stop for:
a. Incomplete pass
b. Penalty
c. Change of possession
d. Out of bounds
4. Halftime is 5 minutes
5. Each team is permitted 2 time-outs per half and one time-out during a tie-breaker.
C. Substitutions
1. Players may substitute freely between downs.
D. Tie-breaker Procedure
1. The tie-break procedure begins with a coin toss to be called by the captain of the home team. The captain winning the toss will be given the following options:
a. Choice of possession
b. Side of field to defend (both teams will go in the same direction)
2. The captain losing the coin toss will be given the remaining option.
3. The team obtaining possession will be given the ball on the opposing team’s 10 yard line
4. The team will be given three downs to score. If the team scores they will be given an extra point try.
5. After the team with the first possession has completed their downs the other team will be given the same opportunity to score.
6. This procedure will be repeated until one team has more points than the other.
7. If the defense intercepts the ball, the ball becomes dead. The ball will then be placed on the 10 yard line to begin their series of three downs.
8. Each team is allowed one time-out during the tie-breaker. Time-outs do not carry over from the second half.
RULE 4: BALL IN PLAY, FUMBLE, OUT OF BOUNDS
A. Ball in Play
1. The offense must snap the ball within 30 seconds after the referee has spotted the ball.
PENALTY: DELAY OF GAME, 5 YARDS FROM THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
2. The ball is declared dead when:
a. It goes out of bounds
b. The ball crosses the vertical plane of the goal line while in possession of an offensive player
c. Any part of the runner’s person, other than the hand or foot, touches the ground
d. A player on the kicking team catches a punt or a punt hits the ground
e. A forward pass, backward pass, or fumble by a player strikes the ground
f. A runner has a flag belt legally removed by a defensive player.
g. A flag belt falls off of a runner after they have obtained possession of the ball.
h. A snap hits the ground
B. Fumbles
1. A fumble or backward pass is dead at the point that it hits the ground. In each case possession goes back to the team that last had possession, unless it occurred on a failed third down conversion.
2. Either team may advance any pass or fumble that is caught before it hits the ground. The ball can’t be fumbled forward so as to give the advantage to the offensive team. The ball would be placed at the spot the ball carrier lost possession.
3. The clock does not stop for a fumble.
C. Out of Bounds
1. A ball, in player possession, is considered out of bounds when the ball or the carrier touches the ground that is on or outside a boundary line.
2. A loose ball is considered out-of-bounds when it touches the ground that is on or outside the boundary line.
3. One foot inbound is needed for a legal reception. (you cannot have the other foot simultaneously touching out of bounds)
4. Once a player steps out of bounds during a play, (unless that player is forced out of bounds by a defensive player) that player is ineligible to participate in that play.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PROCEDURE, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
RULE 5: SERIES OF DOWNS, NUMBER OF DOWNS
1. The team in possession of the ball shall have three consecutive downs to advance to the next “line to gain” which would be either 20 yard line or the goal line depending on where that team takes possession of the ball.
2. If the offensive team loses yardage due to a penalty or negative play, and the new line of scrimmage is behind the 20 yard line that had already been passed, the original “line to gain” remains the same. The result would be more than 20 yards to gain a first down.
RULE 6: PUNTING
1. Prior to putting the ball into play on third down, the referee will ask the team with possession if they want to punt. The referee will then communicate their decision to the defense. The team in possession may not change their decision unless they call a time-out.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PROCEDURE, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
2. The snap must be received and the kick executed within 5 seconds.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PROCEDURE, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
3. Neither team may cross the scrimmage line until the ball is kicked. A line player may not raise his/her hands in an attempt to distract the kicker or block the kick.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PROCEDURE, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
4. When a punted ball touches the ground it is ruled dead.
5. When a punted ball lands in the end zone it is ruled a touchback and the receiving team will obtain possession on the 10 yard line.
6. When a punted ball goes out-of-bounds it is spotted at the point where it crossed the boundary.
RULE 7: LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
A. Snap of the Ball
1. The snap must be between the snapper’s legs; this includes snaps to the punter. No player on the line of scrimmage may receive the snap.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PROCEDURE, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
2. Three and four point stances are legal, but not necessary.
3. No player of the offensive team shall make a false start. A false start is any movement simulating the start of a play
PENALTY: DEAD BALL FOUL, FALSE START, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
B. Line of Scrimmage
1. The line of scrimmage is at the spot of the ball. After the center has made his/her final adjustment of the ball, no offensive player may cross the line of scrimmage.
PENALTY: OFFSIDES, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
2. The line of scrimmage for the defensive team is one yard from and parallel to the offensive line of scrimmage. After the center has made his/her final adjustment of the ball, no defensive player may cross the line of scrimmage.
PENALTY: OFFSIDES, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
C. Encroachment, Players in Motion
1. After the center has made his/her final adjustment of the ball, a defensive player may not enter the neutral zone and neither make an offensive player move nor touch an offensive player before the ball is snapped.
PENALTY: ENCROACHMENT, DEAD BALL FOUL, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
2. All offensive players must be motionless for one second before the snap, except one player moving parallel to or away from the scrimmage line.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PROCEDURE, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
3. Only one player can go in motion at a time.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PROCEDURE, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
RULE 8: PASSING
1. The center is ineligible to receive a forward pass.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PASS, 5YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
2. Only one forward pass can be thrown per down.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PASS, 5YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
3. A forward pass is illegal when:
a. The passer is beyond the scrimmage line when the ball leaves his/her hand
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PASS, 5YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
b. The pass is intentionally grounded to save a loss of yardage.
PENALTY: INTENTIONAL GROUNDING, 5 YARDS FROM THE SPOT OF THE FOUL AND LOSS OF DOWN.
c. The passer catches his/her untouched forward pass
PENALTY: ILLEGAL PASS, 5 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
3. The pass begins when the ball is released from the passer’s hand. The ball is dead if the passer is deflagged before the release of the ball.
4. An offensive player may not push, pull, or hold a defensive player in order to gain position on the ball.
PENALTY: OFFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE, 10 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT.
5. A defensive player may not contact the offensive receiver in order to prevent them from catching or getting to the ball.
PENALTY: DEFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE, 10 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT, AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWN.
6. A defensive player may not push or hold his/her opponent to impede the opposing player’s movement beyond 5 yards from the line of scrimmage.
PENALTY: DEFENSIVE HOLDING, 10 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT AND AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWN.
7. An eligible receiver may not push off of a defensive player to gain position on the ball or to separate from the defender before the ball is thrown.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL CONTACT, 10 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT
8. If opposing players catch a pass simultaneously, the ball becomes dead, is considered a completed pass, and belongs to the offensive team.
9. Any player may hand the ball backward at any time.
RULE 9: SCORING AND TOUCHBACKS
A. Scoring
1. Touchdown – 6 points
Safety – 2 points
Try for point: -ball in play from the 3 yard line – 1point
-ball in play from the 6 yard line – 2 points
2. To be ruled a touchdown the ball must be on or over the goal line. Example: If a runner’s body is in the end zone but he/she is deflagged while the ball was on the ½ yard line, it is not a touchdown.
3. A player who has scored a touchdown must raise his/her arms so that the nearest official can deflag him/her. If the player is not deflagged with one pull and the official determines the flag belt has been secured illegally, the touchdown is disallowed.
PENALTY: ILLEGAL FLAG BELT, RED CARD – PLAYER EJECTION, 15 YARDS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPOT