TOTAL TURF MEN’S 7V7 FLAG FOOTBALL RULES
1. Field Dimensions / Specs
a. 40 yards in length – 40, 25 & 10 are the 1st down lines
b. Indoor Width – 35 yards; Outdoor with – 45 yards
c. 10 yards deep in End Zone
d. No hash marks are used; ball will be spotted by ref relative to center of field
2. Team Members
a. Players
i. Each team has a maximum of 15 players. Individual Players will be accepted each season as a free agent and then placed on a team. Free agent fee is $100. All players must be a part of a team.
b. Teams are not required to utilize an offensive center
i. If utilizing one, the offensive center is not an eligible receiver. He may receive a lateral from an eligible receiver after a completion is made.
ii. The center will be responsible for setting or re-positioning the football on the tee at the line of scrimmage. If no center, the QB will be responsible. All snaps must be made from an electronic Tee with timer.
c. Men Only, 18 years or older.
i. During seasons in which 16 teams are signed up. The league will be broken into 2 divisions of 8 teams.
d. Coaches
i. Each team is allowed a maximum of 2 coach. Coaches will be allowed on the sidelines only during games. No fans, friends, spouses or children are allowed on the sideline during games.
ii. 1 offensive coach may be in the huddle with players between plays but when the huddle breaks the coach must move towards the sideline of the team’s bench so as to not interfere with the operation of the official or game play.
iii. Defensive coaches are not allowed on the field at any time.
3. Officials
a. Each game will have a minimum of two (2) officials. Positions are Referee/Side Judge and Back Judge. Each team is responsible to pay ref fees of twenty-five dollars ($25) per game. If a team does not show or forfeits a game, you are still required to pay the ref fees for the game. The balance of unpaid ref fees will be transferred to the seasonal balance for the team.
b. One official will keep the official score of the game.
i. It is highly encouraged for each team to keep score on its own and periodically check with officials during the game. An official has the discretion to stop the game to compare scores. The game clock will stop.
4. Game Times
a. Teams must be onsite and ready to start on time. If a team is late or cannot start on time, the game clock will begin and whatever time is left on the clock will be where the game starts. The team that is late will begin on defense. If a team is late by 10 minutes or more they will forfeit the game.
b. Games are played with two (2) - twenty (20) minute halves. The 1st half is twenty (20) minutes running clock. In the 2nd half, the first eighteen (18) minutes are a running clock. The last two (2) minutes are played as regulation football game with clock stoppages per regulation high school football rules. During the last two minutes, all completions must be advanced past the line of scrimmage, otherwise the clock will stop. Sacks in the last two minutes stop the clock as well.
c. 1 timeout per team. Timeouts are 30 seconds.
d. Overtime: During bracket play only. During regular season games will end in a tie.
i. If overtime is required, teams will alternate three (3) plays from the ten-yard line. Each team has an attempt to score in each overtime period.
ii. Starting with the 3rd and subsequent overtimes, all PAT’s must be 2 point attempts from the 10 yard line.
iii. Overtime periods are not timed.
iv. Each team is awarded one (1) timeout during overtime period.
5. Scoring
a. Six (6) points for a touchdown
b. One (1) point for a PAT from the 3 yard line
c. Two (2) point for a PAT from the 10 yard line
d. Two (2) Points for a Defensive Stop on Downs
e. Three (3) Points for Interception (no runbacks or “pick 6” for safety reasons)
f. Turnover on a PAT is dead ball (including INT)
g. Official scores will be kept by one referee.
6. Penalties
a. Offense
i. Off-sides = Loss of Down
ii. Delay of Game = Loss of Down
1. Each team will have 25 seconds to snap the ball once it has been marked ready for play; delay of game penalty will be assessed.
iii. Pass Interference = 5 yard penalty & Loss of Down
iv. No penalty may be assessed in excess of the 40 yard line. If a penalty would move the offense beyond the 40 yard line, the offensive team shall be charged with a loss of down.
v. If the referee sees that the clock has exceeded 5.0 seconds, the play is blown dead. The ball should be returned to the original line of scrimmage with a loss of down. If the QB proceeds to throw the ball after the play has been blown dead, a penalty for offensive delay of game will be assessed.
vi. Offensive team is responsible for retrieving and returning the ball to the previous spot or the new scrimmage spot. Clock does not stop and any delay by offense in retrieving and returning the ball to the referee will result in a delay of game and will be a 5 yard penalty from the succeeding spot.
vii. If defensive holding occurs on the same play as a sack, the defense will be penalized & the sack is void
b. Defense
i. Off-Sides = 5 yard penalty
ii. Defensive Holding = 5 yard penalty
iii. Defensive Pass Interference will be a spot foul (1st down at the spot)
1. If Defensive Pass Interference occurs in the end zone, it will result in a 1st down at the 1 yard line.
iv. Any dead ball penalty on the defense after a change of possession would result in a loss of down for that team’s offense when they begin their ensuing possession.
v. Responsibility to avoid contact is with the defense. The defense is allowed an initial disruption, and then must cover. Excessive or prolonged contact will result in a “tack on” penalty at the end of the play (5 yard penalty)
c. Flag Related Penalties
i. No bumping the ball carrier out of bounds. Defender must go for the flags. Penalty: unnecessary roughing; 5 yards from the end of the play.
ii. No blocking allowed, period. Penalty: sportsmanlike conduct, 5 yards & loss of down.
iii. Flag guarding: player may not utilize any part of his body and or the ball in effort to keep defender for removing his flags. Penalty: 5 yards from the Spot of Foul & loss of down.
iv. Hurdling: ball carrier may not hurdle over a defender in effort to avoid his flag belt from being pulled: penalty: 5 yards from the Spot of Foul & loss of down.
v. Straight arm or ramming: ball carrier may not straight arm or ram into a defender in effort to avoid his flag belt from being pulled: penalty: 5 yards from the Spot of Foul & loss of down.
vi. In the event that a ball carrier hangs a towel from his waist, the ball carrier will be declared down if the defender should remove the towel instead of the flags.
vii. Inadvertent whistle results in the play being called dead at the point the whistle was blown.
viii. Note if any penalty is flagrant, player will be ejected from the game. This will be the official’s discretion. Player ejected may return next game. If a player is ejected twice in 1 season, they may not return that season.
7. Turnovers / Deadballs
a. Receiver/Ball Carrier is legally down when a flag is removed.
b. A player, who gains control of ball and does not have a flag belt, is immediately down at the spot in which he gains control of the ball. He may not advance the ball.
c. No fumbles. Ball is dead at the point that it hits the ground. EXCEPTION: A snapped ball that makes contact with the turf before reaching the QB is live & the QB may pick up the ball and still make the throw within the allotted 5.0 seconds.
d. The QB is allowed 5.0 seconds to throw the ball. Time starts as soon as the ball is picked up from the Tee. If the ball is released prior to the 5.0 seconds, play continues. The play is blown dead if still holding the ball at 5.0 seconds.
e. Interceptions may not be returned – 3 points are awarded on an interception. Points for a defensive stop and interception are not added together. One or the other ends a possession with defensive points.
f. The offense must gain at least 15 yards in the first 3 or less plays or the defense takes over. No 4th downs. Three (3) downs in all zones.
8. Appeals
a. If during game play a coach or player disagrees with an official’s judgement call, they may not dispute that call with the official at that time.
b. If during game play a coach or player disagrees with a rules interpretation, they may stop the game to determine with the official. Rules will be on site.
c. For consideration, the coach must report all game play ruling discrepancies to Total Turf personnel no more than 20 minutes after that game has ended. Any reversal or game-changing decisions will be made at the Facility Manager’s discretion.
9. Additional Game Format Rules
a. Teams must choose side of field or bench area prior to the game beginning.
b. Home team will have the choice for offense or defense first. In playoffs, higher seed has choice.
c. No kickoffs or punts.
d. No passer may run with the ball.
e. No handoffs in the backfield or laterals behind the line of scrimmage.
f. All passes must be thrown forward. A pass caught behind the line of scrimmage must be advanced by that receiver past the line of scrimmage in the final 2:00 minutes or the clock stops. The only laterals that will be allowed will be laterals that occur after the completion of a forward pass.
g. All offensive formations must be legal sets. Receivers may not line up on the line of scrimmage inside the tackle box. However, receivers may line up in the back field inside the tackle box.
h. No blocking.
i. No Taunting or “Trash Talking”.
j. Fighting: If a player throws a punch, he is ejected from the league on 1st offense.
10. Tiebreakers
a. If two teams have the same record going into the players, the tiebreaker is head to head matchups.
b. If three (3) or more teams are tied at the end of the regular season, the following criteria will be used to determine winners.
i. Head to head records
ii. Points allowed
iii. Points scored
iv. Coin Flip