Flag Football Rules

*Jewelry must be removed by everyone before gameplay

NEW RULES FOR 2007:

NO STIFFARMING, NO KICK-OFFS, FUMBLES/DROPPED BACKWARD PASSES ARE DEAD BALLS, SCREEN BLOCKING (CONSISTS OF A PLAYER USING THEIR BODY TO DEFEND AN OPPONENT FROM A TACKLE - NO HANDS TO BE USED) REGULAR BLOCKING WILL ONLY BE USED AGAINST RUSHERS, ANYTHING ELSE A SCREEN BLOCK WILL BE USED. PLEASE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE RULES THAT ARE UNDERLINED!!

NEW RULES AS OF 9/13/07

1. MAKE SURE EACH PLAYER HAS THREE FLAGS ON THEIR BELT WITH ONE LOCATED ON THE TAIL AND THE OTHERS ON EACH SIDE. 
2. EACH TEAM MUST HAVE A CENTER THAT SNAPS THE BALL TO THE QUARTERBACK AND THEN THE DEFENSE MAY RUSH ONCE THE BALL HAS REACHED THE QUARTERBACK'S HANDS. 
3. A RUNNER MAY NOT BLATANTLY RUN INTO A DEFENDER, HURDLE SOMEONE, AND MAY NOT USE THEIR HANDS AGAINST ANY DEFENDER.

We hope that every team can abide by these rules so that there will be no discrepancies throughout the season

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Each team should start the game with 7 players; a minimum of 5 is needed to avoid a forfeit. A player may play on only one team per sport. Please check the General Information on the website for all other rules concerning St. John's intramural sports.

START OF GAME:  Away team has pennies, captains paper rock sissors to see who starts with the ball.  The other team decides which side it starts on.  Start the game on the offense's 5-yard line.

IN THE GAME:  Once a player's knee or body has touched the ground they are considered tackled.

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 game. The last 2 minutes of the second half in the playoffs will not allow time delays and the clock can and will be stopped (Stopped clocks rules resembling the NFL). A coin toss will determine who shall receive the choice of possession or side at the beginning of the game. 

*In case of overtime (only in Playoffs), a coin toss will develop and the first team to score will win.

PUNTING: You must notify the other team and the official (if present) that you are kicking.  No fake kicks are ALLOWED. The kicking team must have all of its players, except for the punter, on the line of scrimmage. No kicking team players may move until the ball is kicked. The other team may line up however they wish, but are not allowed to rush the punter.  If the ball is fumbled it is dead and still the other team's ball.

BACKWARD PASSES AND FUMBLES: Any ball that is fumbled during a down will be dead by rule once it has touched the ground. A backward pass or fumble may be caught or intercepted by any player inbounds and advanced. Once a ball has touched the ground the ball is considered dead.

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.

PASS INTERFERENCE (Playoffs Only): (With obvious and players discretion otherwise) 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.  If the pass interference by the defense is intentional and/or unsportsmanlike, the defense may be penalized an additional 10 yards.

SCORING:
Touchdowns = 6 points
Extra Points = 1 point if successful from the 8 yard line
Safety = 2 points
Defensive Touchdown on Extra Point Attempt = 2 points

SAFETY: If a player carries the ball across the goal line they are defending and the ball becomes dead while in their team's possession, it is a safety. It is also a safety if the quarterback is charged with intentional grounding while in their own endzone.

PERSONAL FOULS: Any act listed below or any other act of unnecessary roughness is a personal foul. Players shall be penalized 15 yards if they:
· Punch, strike, strip, steal, or attempt to steal the ball from a player in possession.
· Trip an opponent.
· Personally harm anyone or repeatedly use offensive language at an official or player.
· Throw the runner to the ground.
· Late hits.
· Deliberately drive or run into a defensive player.
· Block or hit someone from behind.
· Tackle the runner.

SCREEN BLOCKING: Legally obstructing an opponent without using any part of the body to initiate contact. Screen blocking shall take place without contact. The blocker shall have their hands and arms at their sides or behind their back. A screen blocker cannot use their hands, arms, elbows, legs or body to initiate contact. If they do use contact it will be called a Personal Foul.

STIFF ARMING: Stiff arming is not allowed.

OBSTRUCTING THE RUNNER: A defensive player shall not hold, grasp, or obstruct the forward progress of the runner when attempting to remove the flag belt.

THE FLAG BELT: All shirts must be tucked in and should not hang over the flag belt. Should a player loose their flag belt and are in possession of a live ball, they will be considered down when an opponent tags them with one hand.  Players must have possession of the ball before they can 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. 

GUARDING THE FLAG BELT: Runners shall not flag guard by using any part of the body or ball to deny the opportunity for an opponent to pull or remove the flag belt. Flag guarding includes but is not limited to:
· Swinging the hand or arm over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging.
· Placing the ball in possession over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging.
· Lowering the shoulders in such a manner that flag guards.