SportsHouseIndoorSports-OfficialAdultFlagFootballRules
THEGAME,FIELD,PLAYERS&EQUIPMENT
Section1’TheGame
• LeagueandTournamentPlayis5v5(changesatSPORTSHOUSEdiscretion).
• NOBumpandrunallowedfirst5yardsfromscrimmage.
• NOBLOCKING/SCREENINGanytimeoranywhereonthefield.Offensiveplayersnot
involvedwithaplaydownfieldmustattempttogetoutofthewayorstandstill.
• Playstartsaftercointossdeterminesfirstpossession.
• 5-yardlinestartsthegameatthebeginningandafterhalftime.Theoffensiveteams
thehas3playstocrossmid-field.OncetheOffensiveteamcrossesmid-field,
theywillhavethreeplaystoscoreatouchdown.
• Iftheoffensiveteamfailstocrossmid-fieldorscore,possessionoftheballchanges
andtheoppositeteamstartstheirdrivefromtheir5-yardline.
• Eachtimetheballisspottedateamhas25secondstosnaptheball.Officialwill
managetheclock.
• Gamesconsistof2-20minutehalves.Teamswillswitchsidesatbeginningof2ndhalf.
Halftimewillbe1minutes.
• Spotofballislocationoftheballwhenplayisruleddead.
Section2Equipment
• SPORTSHOUSEwillprovideflags.Teamsmayusetheirownflags.
• Matchingcolorshirtswithnumbersaremandatory.
• FootballsforLeaguegamesandTournamentswillbeNFLorCollegeregulation.
• Therefereeathis/herdiscretionmayremoveanythinghe/shedeemsdangerous,hats
mustbebackwards.
RULE2:PLAYERS/GAMESCHEDULES,SCORING&TIMEOUTS
Section1’Players/GameSchedules
• Ifateamorteamsaremorethan5minuteslatefortheirscheduledgames,theref
willstayonthefieldtodeterminestatus.Iftheteamorteamshavenotshown
afterthe10minutemark,gamewillbeconsideredaforfeit.Onepointper
minutewillbeawardedtotheteamthatisontimeupto5minutes/points.After
10minutesthegamewillbeforfeitedandthescorerecordedas20-0.TheON
timeteamwillautomaticallyhavetherighttochooseoffenseordefenseandthe
minutes(late)willbetakenoffthefirsthalf.
• Wereservetherighttoreduce,shorten,orreschedulegamesdueunforeseen
circumstances.
• Allplayersmustbe18yearsofageorolder,orhaveaminorconsentformsignedby
theirparentorguardian.ApprovalneededbySportsHouseSportsDirector.
• ANYADULTPLAYERCANPLAYONMULTIPLETEAMSBUTTEAMSMUSTBEIN
DIFFERENTDIVISION.
Section2Scoring
• TD=6points
ExtraPoint=1(5yardsout)
ExtraPoint=2(10Yardsout)
Safety=2points
Extrapointinterceptionreturn=2pts
Section3TimeOuts
• Eachteamhasone:30-secondtimeoutperhalf,inwhichtheclockstops.
• UnusedtimeoutsfromthefirsthalfWILLNOTcarryovertothesecondhalf.
• With2minutesremaininginthesecondhalftheclockwillstopfortimeouts,first
downs,andtouchdowns.(Ifthereisa30-pointdifferentialbetweenthetwo
competingteamstherefereesreservetherighttolettheclockrundown.)
RULE3:RUSHINGTHEQB,CENTERSNAP,RUNNING,andPASSING&RECEIVING
Section1’RushingtheQB
• Playersthatrushthepassermustbeaminimumof7yardsbehindthelineof
scrimmagewhentheballissnapped.
• ItisuptotheOFFENSIVEPLAYERStonotimpedetherusher.Iftherusheris
impededonhisdirectpath,theoffensewillreceiveapenaltyof5yardsand
lossofdown.NoBlocking.
• Rushermustlineup2yardstotheleftorrightofcenter.
• DefenseisallowedtocrowdtheLineofScrimmage(LOS)inpossibleRunsituations.
• EveryoneincludingtheCenteriseligible.OpposingteamNOCONTACTwithcenter.
• Theballcarriercannotusetheirhands,armortheballtoguardtheflag.
• AnyoneKNOTTINGflagbeltwillbekickedoutofthegameandsuspended.
• Oncetheballhasbeenhandedoff,alldefendersareeligibletorush.
Section2’CenterSnap
• Allcentersnapsmustbemadebetweenthecenter’slegs.
Section3’Running
• TheQuarterbackcanruntheball,ONLYifopposingteamrushes.Noblockingby
center.DefendingteamNOContactwithCenterandthecentercannotinitiate
contact.
• Directhand-offs,pitches,andlateralsbehindthelineofscrimmagearelegal.NO
lateralsorpitchesofanykindpasttheLOS.
• Theplayerwhotakesthehand-offcanthrowtheballaslongashedoesnotpassthe
lineofscrimmage.
• “NoRunningZones”arelocated5yardsbeforetheendzoneand5yardsbefore
mid-fieldineachoffensivedirection.
Section4’Passing
• Allforwardpassesmustbereceivedbeyondthelineofscrimmage.
• Shovelpassesareallowed,butmustbereceivedbeyondtheLOS.
• QBhasa7-second“passclock”.Ifapassisnotthrownwithinthe7seconds,playis
dead,lossofdown,anda5yd.lossOncetheballishandedoffthe7-secondrule
isnolongerineffect.
• Interceptionsmaybereturned.InterceptionsduringExtraPointmayberunbackfor
2points.
Section5’Receiving
• Allplayersareeligibletoreceivepasses(includingtheQBiftheballhasbeenhanded
offbehindthelineofscrimmage).
• Onlyoneplayerisallowedinmotionatatime.Youcanstarttowardthelineof
scrimmageaslongasyoudonotcrossthelineofscrimmagebeforetheballis
hiked.
• Playermusthaveatleastonefootinboundswhenmakingacatch.Theotherfoot
cannotbeoutofbounds.
• Passinterferenceiswhenareceiverisimpededorhisflagpulledpriortocatchingthe
ball.Defenseonlyhas3yardsfromthelineofscrimmagetomakecontactwith
receiver.
RULE4:DEADBALLS,OVERTIME&SPORTSMANSHIP/ROUGHING
Section1’DeadBalls
• Playisruled“DEAD”when:
◦
Offensiveplayer’sflagispulled.
◦
Ballcarrierstepsoutofbounds
◦
Touchdownisscored.
◦
IfanOffensivePlayersflagfallsoutduringthecourseofaplay,adefensive
playermusttouchhimfortheballtobecomedead.
◦
Kneeorelbowtouchesground.
Section2’Overtime
• Noovertimeduringseasonplay.
Section3’Sportsmanship/Roughing/Taunting
• FOULLANGUAGEWILLNOTBETOLERATEDatSPORTSHOUSE!
Iftherefereewitnessesanyactsoftackling,elbowing,cheapshots,blocking,orany
unsportsmanlikeact,thegamewillbestoppedandtheplayercanbeejectedfromthe
game.ManagementandTournamentdirectormaydecidetoejectplayersfromthe
tournamentandfacility.
• Refereecanejectplayersfromthegame,league,tournamentorfacilityforfoul
languageortaunting.
• Nosportsdrinks,gum,foodinplayerboxesoronfield.
• Fighting:Immediateejectionfromgame,league,tournament,orfacility.Authorities
willbenotified.
• Taunting:Fifteen-yardpenaltyandexpulsionfromgame,league,tournament,or
facilityformultiplerepeatoffenders.
• Unsportsmanlikeconduct/refereeabuse:Fifteen-yardpenalty.Onewarningfollowed
byexpulsionfromthegame,league,tournament,orfacility.
• Touchdowncelebrationsareacceptableiftheplayer(s)iscelebratingandnot
taunting.
RULE5:OFFENSIVE&DEFENSIVEPENALTIES
Section1’OffensivePenalties
• FalseStart:Fiveyards
• Blocking/ScreeningDownfield:Fiveyards(L.O.S.)
• IllegalPick:Fiveyards(L.O.S.)
• FlagGuarding:Fiveyardsfromthespotofinfraction
• LoweringHead/Shoulder:Fiveyards(L.O.S.)
• PassInterference:Fiveyards(L.O.S.)
• IllegalHand-off/Pitch:Fiveyards(L.O.S.)
• Leaping/Diving:5yards;lossofdown
Section2’DefensivePenalties
• IllegalRush:FiveYards(L.O.S.)
• IllegalContact:FiveYardsfromendofplay
• Holding:FiveYards(L.O.S.)
• IllegalFlagPull:Fiveyardsfromendofplay
• PassInterference,Minor:FiveyardsfromL.O.S.
• PassInterference,Major:10yards,automaticfirstdown
• RoughingtheQB,Minor:Fiveyards,automaticfirstdown
• RoughingtheQB,Major:Fifteenyards,automaticfirstdown
RULE6:PlayoffEligibility
Section1’Roster
• AllRostersaredueby4THweekofseason
• Inorderforplayerstobeeligibleforplayoffs,theymustbeontheofficialteamroster.
NOPLAYERSALLOWEDTOBEADDEDORDROPPEDAFTER3rdWEEKOFLEAGUE.
• FULLPAYMENTBEFORE2NDGAME.WEHAVETHERIGHTTOMAKECHANGESTOTHE
SCHEDULE.
• Ifateamisshortonplayerstheycanstartgamewith4players,buttheopposing
teamcanstillchoosetouse5players.Alsowith4playersyoumuststillusea
centerand1lineman.Youwillhave1lessreceiver.Ifaplayergetsejectedfrom
thegame,thegameisoverandthatteamlossesregardlessofscore.
• PLAYOFFSOVERTIME–NCAAovertimerulesapply.
Teamswillforfeittheirplayoffgame(s)ifcaughtusingineligibleplayers.