CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE

GENERAL RULES

 

ARTICLE 1 – PREFACE

 

  1. The judgment and rulings of the Executive Committee concerning the regulations of this League will be final.

 

  1. The League’s official website is http://www.geocities.com/cpyfl.  Forms and league information can be obtained at this site.  The League email will be [email protected].

 

ARTICLE 2 – AGE

 

  1. No participant may be older than twelve (12) or younger than nine (9) on July 1st of any given season, per PIAA regulations.

 

  1. Junior Varsity teams will consist of players, ages nine (9) and ten (10).

 

  1. Varsity teams will consist of players, ages eleven (11) and twelve (12).

 

ARTICLE 3 – REGISTRATION & ROSTERS

 

  1. The official registration will end at the completion of practice on the Friday before Youth Football Day. Any player that wishes to join after Youth Football Day will be permitted to join as long as they are signed up by the Monday after the first game. After this date, no persons will be able to join any team in the CPYFL. There will be no exceptions to this rule.  All participants who sign up after Youth Football Day will complete two weeks of practice before participating in a game. They will be eligible to play the position of offensive or defensive end or offensive and defensive back as long as they meet the conditions of Article 4 Weight.
  2. Three copies of the roster are to be filled out completely at the time of Official Weigh In (Head Coach, Opposing Head Coach, and League Official each get a copy).  Prior involvement with any team in this league must be noted.  Original forms should be presented to the League Official at Official weigh-ins.  Each team must have a roster containing the following information:  name, age, date of birth, weight, school district, and jersey number of ALL players.  Rosters will be presented to the opposing Head Coach and league official prior to the beginning of the first game.  The week after youth football day, a league meeting will be held where rosters from all teams will be distributed to the head coaches of all teams. Each Franchise will be responsible for maintaining their own team’s registration forms and will produce said forms upon request.  Roster formats are available at the web site listed in Article 1.B.

 

  1. No player will be registered to play if he/she has not secured written consent from his/her parent or legal guardian.

 

  1. All birth certificates or other proof of age shall be maintained by each Franchise and should be on-hand for Official weigh-ins if any questions about a participant’s age arise.

 

ARTICLE 4 – WEIGHT

 

  1. 1. Official weigh-ins will be held prior to the participant’s game on Youth Football Day. The opposing team’s coaches and a league official will weigh all participants on the roster.

 

2. Any participant that will not be present for official weigh-ins on Youth Football Day can be weighed in by a league official prior to Youth Football Day. It will be the responsibility of the Head Coach and/or the Players Parents to contact and meet a League Official at a place of convince for the League Official. The Head Coach must also bring a certified scale to the meeting with the League Official. If this option is chosen over the Official Weigh-in on Youth Football Day, the participant will not be permitted to participate in Youth Football Day.

 

            3. Any Participant the signs up after Youth Football Day but before the Monday after the first game will be required to be officially weighed in by a league official.   It will be the responsibility of the Head Coach and/or the Players Parents to contact and meet a League Official at a place of convince for the League Official. The Head Coach/parent must also bring a certified scale to the meeting with the League Official. The weigh-in has to occur on or before the Friday after the first game for the player to be eligible to participate in the CPYFL for that season.                                                                                                         

 

    1. For Varsity teams, any player exceeding the 127lb limit will be ineligible to play the position of offensive or defensive back and offensive or defense end for that season.

 

    1. For Varsity teams, any player exceeding the 145lb limit will be ineligible at any position for the upcoming Youth Football Day unless he makes weight prior to his team’s scheduled game.

 

    1. For Varsity teams, any player exceeding the 127lb limit will be ineligible to play any deeper than 5 yards of the free kick zone during kickoff return.

 

    1. For Junior Varsity teams, any player exceeding the 122lb limit will be ineligible to play the position of offensive or defensive back and offensive or defensive end for that season.

 

    1. For Junior Varsity Teams, any player exceeding the 145lb limit will be ineligible to play any position for the upcoming Youth Football Day unless he makes weight prior to his team’s scheduled game.

 

    1. For Junior Varsity teams, any player exceeding the 122lb limit will be ineligible to play any deeper than 5 yards of the free kick zone during kickoff return.

 

  1. All weigh-ins will be strip weight at weigh-ins.  At all games where locker rooms are not available, each player needing to be weighed will be weighed in the presence of only coach from each staff competing in the game in question.  No equipment allowances, strip weight only.  Female players must have her mother or another adult female present at weigh-ins if a question of her weight occurs.

 

  1. Maximum weight at any official weigh-in will be 145lbs.  Offensive backs, offensive ends, defensive ends, linebackers and safeties will not weigh over 127lbs at any official weigh-in.  Maximum weights for Junior Varsity are noted as above in Paragraph A, Parts 3 and 4.  All scales used for any League weigh-ins must be certified by the County Sealer of Weights and Measures and updated annually.

 

  1. All players weighing 115lbs and over must be weighed-in prior to each game. It is the responsibility of the visiting team’s Head Coach to notify the home team that his team is ready for weigh-ins.  Any player weighing over 115 lbs that misses weigh-ins must weigh-in prior to participating in that game.

 

 

  1. The only time a player exceeding 122/127lbs will be permitted to carry the football will be on SPECIAL OCCASIONS such as:  fumbles, pass interceptions, blocked punts and on-side kicks.  No “intentional plays” will be permitted.

 

  1. If a player weighs in on the Saturday of the game and exceeds the weight of 145lbs, he/she will be prohibited from playing in that week’s game.  They must remove their shoulder pads and sit on the bench.  The Head Coach of that player’s team will be responsible for notifying the opposing Head Coach before the start of the game if an over-weight player is ineligible for play.  Any player failing to make weight for three (3) games during the season, to include tournament play, will be disqualified from play for the remainder of that season.  Players must be in attendance and “make weight” for at least 50% of all regular season games in order to play in the season-ending tournament or championship game.  Any player who does not make weight must have their statistics recorded on an official form which includes the player’s name, jersey number and weight on that day.  This form must be given to a League Official.  These forms are available at the web site listed in Article 1.B.  The opposing Head Coach will be responsible for filling out the disqualification form and submitting it to the Executive Board.

 

  1. If a player weighs in on game day over the 122/127lb back/end limit, this player must change his/her jersey number to correspond with an offensive/defensive line number.  The opposing Head Coach and game Referees must be notified of the number changes.

 

ARTICLE 5 – PHYSICALS

 

  1. All players must have a physical certificate signed by a doctor, a birth certificate

      or legal proof of age and an official registration form before being eligible to 

      participate in the Central Pennsylvania Youth Football League.

 

  1. Any player having false teeth will not be permitted to play in practice or in game

unless the dentures are removed from his/her mouth.

 

ARTICLE 6 - RESIDENCE

 

  1. A player must play for the team he originally signed up for and cannot transfer unless his family moves for some reason of hardship, excluding transportation, or conflict is created.  In order for the transfer to be valid, all prior certified obligations, i.e., monies, equipment, fundraising commodities, to the original teams must be fulfilled and submitted to the Executive Committee.  The transfer must be approved by releasing and accepting teams before acknowledgement by the Executive Committee (not meaning by vote).  Three copies of the release form must be filled out, one for each team and the original to the Executive Committee.

 

  1. There will not be any boundaries for player recruitment inside of the seven (7) established counties of Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter and Warren.

 

  1. Any coach soliciting, signing up or allowing players on his team form outside the above designated recruiting zones will be automatically suspended from the Central Pennsylvania Youth Football League for the duration that this League may be in existence.  Also, the player(s) in question will be suspended from any further activity in the Central Pennsylvania Youth Football League.

 

 

ARTICLE 7 – SCHOLASTIC

 

  1. Coaches and League Officials will stress the importance of academic achievements having precedence over playing football.

 

  1. If a player signed up to play youth football, he/she will play youth football only.  He/she cannot play youth football and junior high football at the same time.

 

ARTICLE 8 – INSURANCE

 

  1. The Executive Committee will be responsible for providing and financing one policy for the football season.  (Committee will try to get at least three (3) bids, if possible.)

 

  1. The Executive Committee will provided copies of the accepted League insurance policy to all Head Coaches.

 

  1. Teams not paying their share of insurance each year by the first game may be subject to game forfeiture until the teams pays their share of the insurance.

 

ARTICLE 9 – TEAM SIZE

 

The League will make no limitations on the number of players signed up for any individual Franchise within the League.

 

ARTICLE 10 – TEAM REQUIREMENTS

 

  1. Franchises must be self-supporting.

 

  1. Designated home teams will be responsible for game balls, stop watch, down and yardage markers and any other equipment necessary to carry on a football game.

 

  1. Any new teams being admitted to the League must have two (2) basic colors that do not conflict with existing teams’ colors.

 

ARTICLE 11 – UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT

 

  1. All uniforms and equipment must be approved by the Executive Committee before it is to be purchased or worn by players.  Changes in a team’s colors can be made with Executive Committee approval.

 

  1. Teams will furnish the following equipment:  approved headgear with face mask, shoulder pads, jersey, pants, pads, etc.

 

  1. Players will furnish the following equipment:  shoes or sneakers (cleats must be non-metallic) approved by the Executive Committee, socks, T-shirt, mouth or teeth protector, which must be properly attached to the player’s helmet and proper male/female equipment.

 

  1. Head Coaches are responsible for their team’s equipment during the season.  At the conclusion of the season, they are to see that it is properly stored for next season.

 

  1. The official League football will be the Wilson AF #1554 or the Wilson TDJ.

 

ARTICLE 12 – PRACTICE

 

  1. Practice will be permitted to start at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

  1. Practice sessions will be limited to two (2) hours.

 

  1. Preseason practice will be limited to five (5) days per week.  After the team’s first game, practice will be limited to four (4) days per week.  SCRIMMAGES ARE CONSIDERED A PRACTICE SESSON.

 

  1. Sunday practice is not allowed, but practicing on holidays will be allowed.

 

  1. Each player must be in full uniform before participating in full body contact.

 

  1. The first week of practice will be designated for conditioning and players should be in shorts and helmets, no pads.  (Unless otherwise indicated by the Executive Committee.)

 

ARTICLE 13 – GAMES

 

  1. All games will be played under PIAA rules and those additional rules set forth by this League.

 

  1. Games tied at the end of regulation will follow the overtime rules as set forth by the PIAA.

 

  1. Schedule of games will be furnished to all teams by the Executive Committee.

 

  1. Each game will consist of four (4), ten (10) minute quarters and a twenty (20) minute half-time.  Each team will have three (3) timeouts per half.

 

  1. There will be a one-point conversion for an extra point run or pass.  Two points will be awarded for a kicked extra point.  The extra point kicker and holder must be 122/127lbs or less, additionally, the kick-off man cannot exceed 135/145lbs.

 

  1. On defense, all teams must use at least a four (4) man defensive line.  These slots must be in the down position.  Teams may put as many players on the line as they wish, but ALL down linemen must be inside the outside eye of the tackle.  Only four (4) positions may exceed the 127lb weight.   Blitzing will only be permitted outside of the offensive tackles.  Once a handoff is made, inside penetration by the defensive backfield is permissible.

 

  1. Each Home Team is responsible for furnishing one referee and an umpire to officiate at games (this is as a minimum).  All officials must be approved by the Executive Committee.  Officials are to be paid $35 each per game at the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels.

 

  1. Officials will wear the official’s shirt or some apparel designating them as game officials.

 

  1. Each home team is responsible for providing three responsible people to man the down markers and chains.

 

  1. Scores can be reported to the following email, [email protected].  Scores submitted to this email will be posted to the League web site.

 

  1. There will be no games scheduled on Sundays or holidays.  Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Committee.  The Committee’s decision will be final.

 

  1. Any game in progress, which is to be called off due to bad weather conditions, will be left in the hands of the Executive Committee member in charge of the game and the game officials.  The game should be rescheduled by the next Wednesday following the game in question, if possible.  If both coaches agree to finalize the game at this point, with the team ahead being the winner, then this will supersede all else.

 

  1. Each team will provide an ambulance service or a vehicle to serve as an ambulance and staffed by a competent individual (EMT, Paramedic, Doctor, etc.) to offer assistance in case of an injury.

 

  1. Home team will have preference to all concession stand operations.  If the home team relinquishes their concession stand, the visiting teams will have preference.  The home team will notify the visiting team one week prior to the game if they are not going to use the concession stand.

 

  1. Home teams may dedicate a game to any person or purpose, except when the League has something planned in which case the League supersedes all else.

 

  1. Any team wanting to schedule a scrimmage against a team outside of the League must get League approval.  Once the season begins, teams cannot play a team from another league.

 

  1. All full Junior Varsity games will start at least 2 hours prior to the Varsity game, if so scheduled, so as not to delay the start of the Varsity game.

 

  1. Host teams for Tournament games will have first rights to the concession stands.  The Tournament games will rotate between teams yearly, if a team so desires to host a Tournament round.  If the host team does not wish to operate concessions, it will then go to the highest seeded team in the Championship game, and down to the first teams that accepts the concession stand.

 

ARTICLE 14 – COACHES

 

  1. All coaches and personnel must obtain Act 34 (Criminal Background) and Act 151 (Child Abuse) clearances in order to be approved by the Executive Committee.  If anyone attempts to be involved in the Central Pennsylvania Youth Football League without Act 34 and Act 151 clearance, the offender is suspended indefinitely and the Head Coach will be suspended for a period of one (1) year.

 

  1. Coaches must conduct themselves as a teacher and leader of players.  Degrading players before spectators at any time will be refrained from by all coaches.

 

  1. Coaches will use common sense in permitting a player to re-enter a game once they have been injured or shaken-up.

 

  1. A complete list of coaches will be provided with the team roster.  This list can be added to during the season after a new coach has been properly approved.

 

  1. No Coach or Team Representative can give any type of pill or medication to any player (this includes pain relievers, diet pills, etc.).

 

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