9-man Ineligible Rules

We are playing high school rules with the following modifications:

1) The Game. The game consists of four 12- minute quarters, with the first 22 minutes of each half being a running clock. During the running clock, the only time stoppages will be during the setup for kickoffs and for timeouts (both team and injury) as well as during penalty discussions. Extra points will use the play clock rules as if it were a normal play. The officials will also encourage the speeding up of play by calling out when a team has ten seconds to get the snap off. The two-minute warning will be administered by NFL standards. During the last two minutes of each half, the clock will stop on penalties, scores, incomplete passes, time-outs and out of bounds.

2) The Players. Each team will have a maximum of 9 players on the field, and a minimum of 7. Offensively, there will be 3 ineligible interior linemen (one ineligible guard on each side of the center), and the offense must have a minimum of 5 on the line. Defensively, the team can line up anywhere behind the neutral zone, unless a player is head up on the center, in which case he must be a yard off the ball. Players that are not in the game are expected to be a minimum of 3 yards off the field of play, for safety reasons.

3) Ending a play. A play is complete when a player scores, the ballcarrier runs out of bounds, a pass falls incomplete, or when a ballcarrier no longer has his flags attached to his belt, or he is in contact with the ground with any part of his body other than his foot or hand while being/having been touched by an opposing player, or the ball is fumbled and touches the ground. Examples: A player catches a ball without his flags (player is down where ball is caught). A player falls down without being touched (he may get up and continue running).

4) Penalties. High school rules apply, with the following modifications. Defensive penalties behind the line of scrimmage will be assessed from the previous spot.

· A penalty can be accepted or declined by the team for which the penalty has been assessed.

· In a case where there are consecutive offsides penalties against the defense, but the first one was declined, the penalty will be 10 yards.

· Defensive players will have the opportunity to get out of the neutral zone prior to the snap without a foul, provided no contact with an offensive player has been made. (NFL Rules)

· Any player caught securing his flags in a matter in which they were not intended will be ejected and his team assessed an unsportsmanlike foul (15 yards).

· Any player who purposefully removes a flag before a player possesses the ball will be assessed a 15 yard penalty from the end of the run. Last man rules apply in this situation.

· Defensive holding has two definitions. Holding a receiver before the pass is thrown is a 10 yard penalty and automatic first down. Holding a ballcarrier in order to remove his flags is 5 yard penalty from the end of the play and a repeat of the down (if not a first down). Defensive holding will not be called if the ballcarrier is wearing loose fitting clothing (non-football pants or shorts) and the defender inadvertently grabs his shorts/pants in an attempt to pull the flag.

· A tackle is the deliberate use of physical force in order to send a ballcarrier to the ground or out of bounds. This is unsportsmanlike conduct, and includes a 15 yard penalty from the end of the run. This includes the deliberate act of going after the ball (stripping).

· Any unsportsmanlike act can be cause for ejection, based on the judgment of the officials.

· All blocking is to be above the waist, and two on one blocking is legal. A block below the waist is assessed 15 yards from the point of the foul or the end of the play, whichever is more beneficial to the defense, with a replay of the down.

· Flag guarding is the use of your arms, hands or the ball to prevent someone from pulling your flag. Flag guarding is a spot foul, and will be assessed 5 yards from the spot where the flag guarding occurred and the play counts.

· Stiff arms to the frame of the defender (shoulders, chest and below) are legal. A stiff arm to the head is an unsportsmanlike foul, and will be assessed 15 yards from the spot of the infraction. A stiff arm to the arm (elbow and below) is considered flag guarding and will be penalized as such.

· Defensive pass interference will be assessed to the spot of the foul or 15 yards, which ever is deemed most advantageous to the offense. For plays that begin inside the defense’s 15-yard line, or where defensive pass interference is committed in the end zone, the ball will be placed on the 1-yard line.

· If, in the opinion of the officials, the ballcarrier is prevented from scoring by the last defender committing a penalty, the play shall result in a touchdown/conversion.

· Ineligible offensive players may not be downfield for any pass that crosses the line of scrimmage.

5) Extra points. Extra points can be made either by run/pass or kick. An attempt from the 3 yard line is worth 1 point. However, a team may elect to go for two points by run or pass from the 10 yard line. In a case where there are not goalposts, all attempts will be for two points from the 3 yard line. In the case of an interception or blocked kick that is caught before hitting the ground, the defensive team may return the try for 2 points. The holder for a kick must be in proper attire, including flags.

6) Overtime. Each team will begin with the ball first and goal from the 20 yard line, and cannot gain a first down unless by penalty. If a team scores, they may attempt an extra point for either 1 or 2. If the game is still tied after each team has made its attempt, then the process will be repeated until one team finishes ahead. After the 2^nd overtime, all extra points must be for 2 points from the 10 yard line. Each team will have one timeout per overtime period.

7) Mercy Rule. If one team is leading by 17 points with two minutes remaining in the game, the game will be called. If at any time in the 4^th quarter, one team takes a 30 point lead, the game will be called at that point.

8) Flags. All teams will use sonic-boom style flags.

9) Kickoffs. All kickoffs are live, and use high school rules with modifications. The receiving team must have 5 men between 20-25 yards from the kicking point. A kickoff that crosses the receiving scrimmage line (20 yards) that is touched by the kicking team first will be awarded to the kicking team at the spot of touching. A kickoff that goes out of bounds untouched by the receiving team will be put into play by the receiving team 25 yards (35 yard line in most cases) from the previous spot or at the out of bounds spot, whichever is more advantageous for the receiving team. If the kicking team intends to kick the ball out of bounds, in order to save time, it can be immediately placed 25 yards from where the kickoff would have occurred. A kickoff that goes into the end zone can be returned or downed for a touchback (NFL rules).

10) Punts. All punts are live, and use high school rules with modifications. Outside receivers can release at the time of the snap, all others must wait until the ball has been kicked. The ball becomes dead immediately and will be a touchback if it crosses the plane of the goal line. A punt that is touched (including blocks and muffs) is dead when it touches the ground. The defensive (non-punting team) cannot rush directly over the center. The punter will be protected under the roughing the kicker rules as long as he stays inside the tackle locations. If he moves outside the tackle box, he is not protected by kicking rules and is treated as a ballcarrier.