Arena
League Flag Football Rules & Penalties:
Rules
1. Playing Field
The field will be the RAC gym floor - 85 feet wide by 115 feet
long with two 15 foot end zones.
Players may not cross the designated lines on the ground marking
the Score Table Area. The result is an unsportsmanlike bench penalty.
2. Team
A team will consist of the following:
Offensive/Defensive Team - 5 players
Coed Team – 3 Male and 2 Female players
• Game may be played with 4 players, in the case of Coed
game two females are still required to be present to avoid a forfeit.
• Timeouts = each team has three timeouts of 30 seconds
per GAME. If a team does not use at least one timeout before the
end of the half it is lost. Thus leaving two timeouts for the
second half. One timeout is given for overtime.
3. Time
Games will consist of 2 sixteen (16) minute halves with continuous
running time for fifteen minutes. The last minute of each half
is stop time. The clock will automatically stop with one minute
remaining for the “one minute warning.” Officials
may stop the clock for injuries or consultations on disputed calls.
During the regular season there is no overtime. During the playoffs,
overtime will consist of each team getting 4 plays from half field.
4. Playing Regulations
A. A team will receive 6 plays to get a touchdown (From here on
referred to as a six pack). The only exception is where penalties
are incurred.
B. All players on the field are eligible to be receivers.
C. Coed Forced Gender Play
1. A male can not intercept a ball thrown to a female on a forced
gender play.
2. A male CAN line up against a female he cannot however make
a play on the ball. Penalty is defensive pass interference. A
male can cover a female but he cannot be the first to make a play
on the ball. Once the femail has touched the ball, he can immediately
pull her flags, but cannot touch the ball till the female touches
it first. Once touched by the female the ball can then be intercepted
in the event the female tips the ball. If the defensive male puts
his hand(s) in the air and makes contact with the ball, regardless
of whether they are looking at the ball, that will be considered
making a play on the ball and defensive pass interference will
be called. If the ball is tipped at the line of scrimmage, by
anyone, then the ball is live and anyone can make a play on the
ball. Exception to all of these rules is a female QB.
D. A defender may not block, hold, trip, or push,
the ball carrier or pass receiver. No contact is allowed!
5. Putting the Ball in Play
A team has twenty-five seconds to run a play from the time the
referee signals ready for play to when the quarterback takes the
snap. Delay of game is penalized by a three (3) yard penalty on
the first occurrence. If it happens two times consecutively, it
will result in a six (6) yard penalty and the clock stops automatically.
Offensive team must come to a "set" position for one
second prior to the start of the play. Play starts when the quarterback
receives the snap from the line of scrimmage. Defense can rush
the quarterback seven (7) yards from the line of scrimmage. The
quarterback may not run over the line of scrimmage prior to the
rusher crossing the line of scrimmage. If a ball is handed off
or pitched to another player the seven yard rule stops and the
defense can cross the line. The defense is allowed one blitz per
six pack, meaning they can rush form the line of scrimmage on
that play.
A player is "tackled" when his clasp breaks on his flag belt. If a player's flags fall off during the course of a play, that player can be "tackled" using "one-hand touch" for the duration of that play.
Penalties:
Loss of 3 Yards
Delay of game: If two plays in a row, there is a six yard penalty
for the second infraction and the clock is stopped
Offsides: Against violating team and the down is repeated. If
not blown dead right away, play can continue and the penalty is
optional
Illegal motion or procedure: down is repeated
Illegal forward handoff: If by offense, loss of down. If by defense,
the ball is dead at that spot.
Illegal forward pass: loss of down
Illegal gender play
Loss of 6 Yards
Pass interference by offense from line of scrimmage (plus loss
of down)
Illegal Equipment - flags under shirt or shirt un-tucked, when
player is directly involved in the play
Holding - from offensive line of scrimmage (Automatic First Down)
Intentional grounding (loss of down; ball placed at point of infraction)
Loss of 10 Yards
Unsportsmanlike conduct (from line of scrimmage)
Personal Foul - From point of infraction or line of scrimmage
Others
Defensive Pass Interference - at the spot of the ball plus new
set of downs. If it takes place in the end zone, the ball is placed
on the one yard line and replay the down
Disqualification Plus 10 Yards
Fighting Any flagrant act where injury to opponent is seen as
the intent
Flagrant misconduct:
Any penalty that would take the ball within the
five yard line will be marked off at half the distance to the
goal line. Fouls committed by both teams during the same play
result in off-setting penalties. When two or more fouls are committed
by the same team (multiple fouls) the offensive team may choose
the penalty for either one. If two penalties are on one team and
one on the other, the two that are equal are off-setting, the
other one is assessed
