Flag Football Tournament
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA INTRAMURALS
Flag Football Tournament
Location
Lister Field
Length of Games
Two 20 minute halves with a 2 minute halftime
Playoff Format
Single Elimination
The following rules have been adapted from the Flag Football Canada Rule Book.
INTRAMURAL STATEMENT The Intramural sport of flag football is an inclusive space for people from all walks of life. Any language or behaviour that detracts from this will not be tolerated.
DEFAULTS Team Default Policy: The clock starts at the scheduled me, regardless of whether teams are ready. If a team is not ready to play within 5 minutes of the start me, a default is declared. Defaulng teams lose the game and risk being excluded from playoffs.
THE PLAYERS Eligibility: University of Alberta Students: Yes University Staff: Yes
2016‐2017 Version
University of Alberta Alumni: Yes Members of the Community: Yes Varsity Athletes: Only eligible to play in an unrelated s port Team Roster: Players on the IMLeagues.com roster will appear on the gamesheet and will be eligible to play. Players not on the IMLeagues roster may sign‐in at the game, but then must join the IMLeagues roster by the next business day. Players not appearing on the IMLeagues roster by the next business day are considered ineligible, and their team is assigned a loss. Game Roster: ● A full complement is seven (7) players on the field. As Flag Football is an Open event, players may be of any gender. To avoid a default, a team must have at least five (5) players on the field. Substuons: ● Teams are permiᘀed unlimited substuons; however they must be made at a stoppage in play ‐‐ no subs on the fly.
THE FIELD Facility Set‐Up: ● The field dimensions will measure 60 yards x 25 yards with two (2) 10‐yard end zones on each end. Pylons of contrasng colours will be used to mark the midfield line, No‐Running zone, and end zones. An addional cone will be placed at 5 yards from the end zone, in the center of the field to mark where offensive teams take possession of the ball and in their end and where Two‐Point Conversions will be taken from
PLAYING EQUIPMENT Uniforms: ● Campus and Community Recreaon will provide balls, game pinnies, and score clocks. All parcipants must wear appropriate footwear and athlec aጀሀre.
2016‐2017 Version
● Players are strongly courage to remove all rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and any other facial piercing when parcipang in an Intramural acvity. The Referee and Intramural staff will have the final say as to whether a player’s uniform is safe. Conflicng Uniform Colours: In the event teams wear similarly coloured uniforms, the Away team (the second team listed in the schedule) will be required to change their uniform colour. It will be up to the Referee’s discreon to determine when uniforms are too similar.
PLAYOFFS Playoff Format: Following round robin play, teams will either enter a championship single‐eliminaon bracket or a consolaon side single‐eliminaon bracket.
LAWS OF THE GAME Game Play Overview ● Each half shall begin with a kickoff by a different tam (Order determined by coin flip) ● The offence takes possession of the ball usually on their own 5‐yard line. Teams have 3 downs to make it to midfield; a退er crossing half, the team shall have 3 downs to score. ● If the defence forces a turnover on downs, they will take possession on their own 5‐yard line. If an intercepon occurs, play connues and the defence takes possession of the ball at the result of the play ● No running backs are permiᘀed: no handoffs/laterals to running backs are allowed. Passes to receivers in the backfield are permissible (i.e. screen passes), however this must be an overhead pass. ● No blocking is permiᘀed : no blocks with hands or body are allowed, whether to prevent the defence from flagging the quarter, blocking downfield for a receiver or on kickoffs. Kickoff
2016‐2017 Version
● For the first half, the captain of the vising team shall choose to kick off, receive the kick or defend an end of the field. The captain of the home team shall then choose one of the two remaining choices. ● The team that received the kick in the first half will kick off to start the second half ● The teams shall switch end zones at hal退ime. ● A退er the captain’s choice has been given by the Referee to the opposing captain, the choice cannot be changed. ● The kicking team must punt the ball from behind their 5‐yard line. All players on the kicking team must behind the kicker at me of kicking the ball. The receiving team must be behind the midfield line. o The receiving team is allowed to perform laterals and backward tosses with the ball during kickoff. o The receiving team is not allowed to block for the ball carrier. They are not permiᘀed to use their hands or body to touch, slow, or intenonally change direcon into the path of the kicking team to impede the progress of the kicking team; they are allowed to run with the ball carrier as “obstacles” for the defence to run around to get to the ball carrier ● The kick must land in bounds: a kick that lands out of bounds will be assessed a 10 yard penalty from the place which it landed out of bounds ● A kick that exits out the end zone will be considered a touchback and the offence will take possession on the 5 yard line. ● If the kicking team wishes to aᘀempt an onside kick, the ball must travel past the midfield line and be touched by the receiving team before the kicking team is allowed to touch the ball. Offensive Play ● The offensive team takes possession of the ball at its 5‐yard line and has three (3) plays to cross midfield. When a team crosses midfield, it has three (3) plays to score a touchdown. If the offense fails to score, the ball changes possession and the new offensive team begins their play on its own 5‐yard line. ● To begin a play, the ball must be snapped by the offensive Centre, from the point of scrimmage to the quarterback. There is no minimal distance required by the quarterback
2016‐2017 Version
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who can be either up close to the center or in shotgun formaon. 1 yard is required between the offensive and defensive line. Players may not line up for a play within 1 yard forward of the line of scrimmage. The offensive team has thirty (30) seconds a退er a down to begin a new play. Slow play or excessive me in the huddle that results in this me being exceeded will result in a delay of game penalty. The quarterback cannot run with the ball past the line of scrimmage, unless the ball has been tossed or pitched to another player and then returned. The quarterback may only hold the ball for twelve (12) seconds a退er receiving the snap. A退er the Referee’s verbal count has reached 12, the play is dead and is considered a loss of down. o If the ball is laterally tossed in the backfield a退er the snap, there is no limit on amount of me the new quarterback may hold the ball. “No‐running zones” are located five (5) yards in front of each end zone. When the offence starts a play within the five yard “no‐running zone”, the ball must be passed over the line of scrimmage. All possession changes, except intercepons, start on the offensive 5‐yard line. Forward pass – Ball must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage to be legal. An offense may use mulple laterals/handoffs behind the line of scrimmage. o The new person receiving the ball from a lateral or handoff is now the quarterback and cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage. o Once the ball carrier has cross the line of scrimmage the ball cannot be handed off, tossed, pitched or passed in any way. o Clarificaon: a player behind the line of scrimmage becomes only a runner a退er receiving an overhead pass; a player becomes only a quarterback a退er receiving a lateral or handoff and must throw or hand‐off the ball again. There are no fumbles: if the ball is dropped while running with it or during the snap, the ball is dead and marked at the spot it was dropped with a loss of down. The ball carrier may not jump or dive to avoid having their flag pulled. The play will be blown dead and the ball will be placed at the spot the player took off from. No spin moves or swaጀሀng defensive hands are permiᘀed. A 5‐yard penalty from the previous line of scrimmage will assessed for flag guarding. Repeat offences will result in an unsportsmanlike behaviour penalty for the offence. 2016‐2017 Version
● The offence is not permiᘀed to block downfield for a ball carrier or to prevent the defence from rushing the quarterback. Defensive Play ● The defence is not allowed to cross the line of scrimmage unl 5 “Steamboats” have been counted by the defence. This count must be loudly said for the quarterback and Referee to be able to hear the count. If the defence crosses the line of scrimmage early, a 5 yard offside penalty will result. o The count must follow this paᘀern: “1 steamboat, 2 steamboat… 5 steamboat, RUSH!”. A退er “Rush”, the defence is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage o Excepon: if the ball is passed, handed‐off/lateraled, or faked handed‐off/lateraled behind the line of scrimmage, the defence is i mmediately allowed to rush. ● The defence is not allowed to use their hands or body in any way to impede the progress of the offence with or without the ball. o The defence is not allowed to use their hands to slow/hold the offensive player while they aᘀempt to grab the flag o Excepon: If the defensive player is staonary and offence “runs through” the player, this will be assessed as offensive pass interference ● If the defence removes the offensive player from their path to the ball or posion to receive a pass through bodily contact, defensive pass interference will be called. However, if the defence has an equal or more advantageous posion to get to the ball, they are fully entled to go to the ball; any destrucon of this opportunity by the offence will result in an offensive pass interference penalty. Scoring ● A touchdown is scored when a player has legal possession of the ball in the opponent’s end zone. ● The ball is considered to be in the end zone when at least one hip of the ball carrier is on or over the ground in the end zone, or when it crosses the extended plane of the goal line. ● When the ball is in the end zone, it is considered to be sll in the end zone unl it is brought enrely out of the end zone into the field of play.
2016‐2017 Version
● A Two‐Point Conversion must be aᘀempted a退er every score, with the ball taken from the 5 yard cone from the opponent’s end zone. Flagging ● All players must have three flags aᘀached to their belt. Flags must be visible, located on each hip and in the back, and able to be easily removed by their opponents. ● Once the ball carrier’s flags have been removed, the play is dead at the spot where the defence removed the flags. ● The offence’s flags cannot be removed unl they have control of the ball. Removal of flags from a player that is not the ball carrier will result in a 5‐yard penalty and first down. ● If an offensive player inadvertently loses their flag or belt before receiving the ball, or during their movement with the ball, the One‐Hand‐Touch rule will be used. When the ball carrier has been touched once by the defence, they will be marked down at the place the touch occurred.
PENALTIES The Referee shall pace out all penales and move the ball accordingly. An automac first down by penalty will overrule the other requirements regarding three (3) plays to make either a first down or score. ● If an offensive penalty past midfield occurs, which takes the next down behind the midfield marker, the offensive team must sll make a touchdown in 3 plays. Defensive Penalties ● ● ● ● ● ●
Offside ‐‐ 5 yards Illegal rush ‐‐ 5 yards Interference ‐‐ 5 yards and automac first down Illegal contact ‐‐ 5 yards and automac first down (holding, blocking etc) Illegal flag pull ‐‐ 5 yards and automac first down Unsportsmanlike behaviour ‐‐ 15 yards and automac first down
2016‐2017 Version
Offensive Penalties ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Flag guarding ‐‐ 5 yards Delay of game ‐‐ 5 yards False start ‐‐ 5 yards Offensive holding ‐‐ 5 yards Offensive pass interference ‐‐ 5 yards and loss of down Illegal forward pass ‐‐ loss of down and ball placed at line of scrimmage Running inside 5 yard no running zone ‐‐ 5 yards and loss of down Unsportsmanlike behaviour ‐‐ 15 yards and loss of down
Any taunng, pushing, foul play or repeated warnings of unsportsmanlike behaviour will result in removal from the game at the Referee’s discreon.
2016‐2017 Version
Flag Football Tournament
Location
Lister Field
Length of Games
Two 20 minute halves with a 2 minute halftime
Playoff Format
Single Elimination
The following rules have been adapted from the Flag Football Canada Rule Book.
INTRAMURAL STATEMENT The Intramural sport of flag football is an inclusive space for people from all walks of life. Any language or behaviour that detracts from this will not be tolerated.
DEFAULTS Team Default Policy: The clock starts at the scheduled me, regardless of whether teams are ready. If a team is not ready to play within 5 minutes of the start me, a default is declared. Defaulng teams lose the game and risk being excluded from playoffs.
THE PLAYERS Eligibility: University of Alberta Students: Yes University Staff: Yes
2016‐2017 Version
University of Alberta Alumni: Yes Members of the Community: Yes Varsity Athletes: Only eligible to play in an unrelated s port Team Roster: Players on the IMLeagues.com roster will appear on the gamesheet and will be eligible to play. Players not on the IMLeagues roster may sign‐in at the game, but then must join the IMLeagues roster by the next business day. Players not appearing on the IMLeagues roster by the next business day are considered ineligible, and their team is assigned a loss. Game Roster: ● A full complement is seven (7) players on the field. As Flag Football is an Open event, players may be of any gender. To avoid a default, a team must have at least five (5) players on the field. Substuons: ● Teams are permiᘀed unlimited substuons; however they must be made at a stoppage in play ‐‐ no subs on the fly.
THE FIELD Facility Set‐Up: ● The field dimensions will measure 60 yards x 25 yards with two (2) 10‐yard end zones on each end. Pylons of contrasng colours will be used to mark the midfield line, No‐Running zone, and end zones. An addional cone will be placed at 5 yards from the end zone, in the center of the field to mark where offensive teams take possession of the ball and in their end and where Two‐Point Conversions will be taken from
PLAYING EQUIPMENT Uniforms: ● Campus and Community Recreaon will provide balls, game pinnies, and score clocks. All parcipants must wear appropriate footwear and athlec aጀሀre.
2016‐2017 Version
● Players are strongly courage to remove all rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and any other facial piercing when parcipang in an Intramural acvity. The Referee and Intramural staff will have the final say as to whether a player’s uniform is safe. Conflicng Uniform Colours: In the event teams wear similarly coloured uniforms, the Away team (the second team listed in the schedule) will be required to change their uniform colour. It will be up to the Referee’s discreon to determine when uniforms are too similar.
PLAYOFFS Playoff Format: Following round robin play, teams will either enter a championship single‐eliminaon bracket or a consolaon side single‐eliminaon bracket.
LAWS OF THE GAME Game Play Overview ● Each half shall begin with a kickoff by a different tam (Order determined by coin flip) ● The offence takes possession of the ball usually on their own 5‐yard line. Teams have 3 downs to make it to midfield; a退er crossing half, the team shall have 3 downs to score. ● If the defence forces a turnover on downs, they will take possession on their own 5‐yard line. If an intercepon occurs, play connues and the defence takes possession of the ball at the result of the play ● No running backs are permiᘀed: no handoffs/laterals to running backs are allowed. Passes to receivers in the backfield are permissible (i.e. screen passes), however this must be an overhead pass. ● No blocking is permiᘀed : no blocks with hands or body are allowed, whether to prevent the defence from flagging the quarter, blocking downfield for a receiver or on kickoffs. Kickoff
2016‐2017 Version
● For the first half, the captain of the vising team shall choose to kick off, receive the kick or defend an end of the field. The captain of the home team shall then choose one of the two remaining choices. ● The team that received the kick in the first half will kick off to start the second half ● The teams shall switch end zones at hal退ime. ● A退er the captain’s choice has been given by the Referee to the opposing captain, the choice cannot be changed. ● The kicking team must punt the ball from behind their 5‐yard line. All players on the kicking team must behind the kicker at me of kicking the ball. The receiving team must be behind the midfield line. o The receiving team is allowed to perform laterals and backward tosses with the ball during kickoff. o The receiving team is not allowed to block for the ball carrier. They are not permiᘀed to use their hands or body to touch, slow, or intenonally change direcon into the path of the kicking team to impede the progress of the kicking team; they are allowed to run with the ball carrier as “obstacles” for the defence to run around to get to the ball carrier ● The kick must land in bounds: a kick that lands out of bounds will be assessed a 10 yard penalty from the place which it landed out of bounds ● A kick that exits out the end zone will be considered a touchback and the offence will take possession on the 5 yard line. ● If the kicking team wishes to aᘀempt an onside kick, the ball must travel past the midfield line and be touched by the receiving team before the kicking team is allowed to touch the ball. Offensive Play ● The offensive team takes possession of the ball at its 5‐yard line and has three (3) plays to cross midfield. When a team crosses midfield, it has three (3) plays to score a touchdown. If the offense fails to score, the ball changes possession and the new offensive team begins their play on its own 5‐yard line. ● To begin a play, the ball must be snapped by the offensive Centre, from the point of scrimmage to the quarterback. There is no minimal distance required by the quarterback
2016‐2017 Version
●
● ●
●
● ● ●
● ● ●
who can be either up close to the center or in shotgun formaon. 1 yard is required between the offensive and defensive line. Players may not line up for a play within 1 yard forward of the line of scrimmage. The offensive team has thirty (30) seconds a退er a down to begin a new play. Slow play or excessive me in the huddle that results in this me being exceeded will result in a delay of game penalty. The quarterback cannot run with the ball past the line of scrimmage, unless the ball has been tossed or pitched to another player and then returned. The quarterback may only hold the ball for twelve (12) seconds a退er receiving the snap. A退er the Referee’s verbal count has reached 12, the play is dead and is considered a loss of down. o If the ball is laterally tossed in the backfield a退er the snap, there is no limit on amount of me the new quarterback may hold the ball. “No‐running zones” are located five (5) yards in front of each end zone. When the offence starts a play within the five yard “no‐running zone”, the ball must be passed over the line of scrimmage. All possession changes, except intercepons, start on the offensive 5‐yard line. Forward pass – Ball must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage to be legal. An offense may use mulple laterals/handoffs behind the line of scrimmage. o The new person receiving the ball from a lateral or handoff is now the quarterback and cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage. o Once the ball carrier has cross the line of scrimmage the ball cannot be handed off, tossed, pitched or passed in any way. o Clarificaon: a player behind the line of scrimmage becomes only a runner a退er receiving an overhead pass; a player becomes only a quarterback a退er receiving a lateral or handoff and must throw or hand‐off the ball again. There are no fumbles: if the ball is dropped while running with it or during the snap, the ball is dead and marked at the spot it was dropped with a loss of down. The ball carrier may not jump or dive to avoid having their flag pulled. The play will be blown dead and the ball will be placed at the spot the player took off from. No spin moves or swaጀሀng defensive hands are permiᘀed. A 5‐yard penalty from the previous line of scrimmage will assessed for flag guarding. Repeat offences will result in an unsportsmanlike behaviour penalty for the offence. 2016‐2017 Version
● The offence is not permiᘀed to block downfield for a ball carrier or to prevent the defence from rushing the quarterback. Defensive Play ● The defence is not allowed to cross the line of scrimmage unl 5 “Steamboats” have been counted by the defence. This count must be loudly said for the quarterback and Referee to be able to hear the count. If the defence crosses the line of scrimmage early, a 5 yard offside penalty will result. o The count must follow this paᘀern: “1 steamboat, 2 steamboat… 5 steamboat, RUSH!”. A退er “Rush”, the defence is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage o Excepon: if the ball is passed, handed‐off/lateraled, or faked handed‐off/lateraled behind the line of scrimmage, the defence is i mmediately allowed to rush. ● The defence is not allowed to use their hands or body in any way to impede the progress of the offence with or without the ball. o The defence is not allowed to use their hands to slow/hold the offensive player while they aᘀempt to grab the flag o Excepon: If the defensive player is staonary and offence “runs through” the player, this will be assessed as offensive pass interference ● If the defence removes the offensive player from their path to the ball or posion to receive a pass through bodily contact, defensive pass interference will be called. However, if the defence has an equal or more advantageous posion to get to the ball, they are fully entled to go to the ball; any destrucon of this opportunity by the offence will result in an offensive pass interference penalty. Scoring ● A touchdown is scored when a player has legal possession of the ball in the opponent’s end zone. ● The ball is considered to be in the end zone when at least one hip of the ball carrier is on or over the ground in the end zone, or when it crosses the extended plane of the goal line. ● When the ball is in the end zone, it is considered to be sll in the end zone unl it is brought enrely out of the end zone into the field of play.
2016‐2017 Version
● A Two‐Point Conversion must be aᘀempted a退er every score, with the ball taken from the 5 yard cone from the opponent’s end zone. Flagging ● All players must have three flags aᘀached to their belt. Flags must be visible, located on each hip and in the back, and able to be easily removed by their opponents. ● Once the ball carrier’s flags have been removed, the play is dead at the spot where the defence removed the flags. ● The offence’s flags cannot be removed unl they have control of the ball. Removal of flags from a player that is not the ball carrier will result in a 5‐yard penalty and first down. ● If an offensive player inadvertently loses their flag or belt before receiving the ball, or during their movement with the ball, the One‐Hand‐Touch rule will be used. When the ball carrier has been touched once by the defence, they will be marked down at the place the touch occurred.
PENALTIES The Referee shall pace out all penales and move the ball accordingly. An automac first down by penalty will overrule the other requirements regarding three (3) plays to make either a first down or score. ● If an offensive penalty past midfield occurs, which takes the next down behind the midfield marker, the offensive team must sll make a touchdown in 3 plays. Defensive Penalties ● ● ● ● ● ●
Offside ‐‐ 5 yards Illegal rush ‐‐ 5 yards Interference ‐‐ 5 yards and automac first down Illegal contact ‐‐ 5 yards and automac first down (holding, blocking etc) Illegal flag pull ‐‐ 5 yards and automac first down Unsportsmanlike behaviour ‐‐ 15 yards and automac first down
2016‐2017 Version
Offensive Penalties ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Flag guarding ‐‐ 5 yards Delay of game ‐‐ 5 yards False start ‐‐ 5 yards Offensive holding ‐‐ 5 yards Offensive pass interference ‐‐ 5 yards and loss of down Illegal forward pass ‐‐ loss of down and ball placed at line of scrimmage Running inside 5 yard no running zone ‐‐ 5 yards and loss of down Unsportsmanlike behaviour ‐‐ 15 yards and loss of down
Any taunng, pushing, foul play or repeated warnings of unsportsmanlike behaviour will result in removal from the game at the Referee’s discreon.
2016‐2017 Version
