All participants are required to complete a �waiver of liability form� each game. All participants in the S.C.F.F.L assume the risk of injury. The S.C.F.F.L, its employees and agents shall not be liable for injury to person, loss or damage to personal property arising from or in any way resulting from participation in the S.C.F.F.L.
* Captains are required to read the general S.C.F.F.L Rules and Eligibility.
For clarification, illegal equipment consists of:
A. Headwear containing any hard, unyielding, stiff material, including billed hats, or items containing exposed knots.
B. Jewelry.
C. Pads or braces worn above the waist.
D. Shoes with metal or ceramic, cleats.
E. Shirts or jerseys that do not remain tucked in. Any hood on a coat or shirt that does not remain tucked in.
F. Pants or shorts with any belt(s) or belt loop(s).
G. Leg and knee braces made of hard, unyielding material, unless covered on both sides and all edges overlapped.
H. Any slippery or sticky foreign substance on any equipment or exposed part of the body.
I. Exposed metal on clothes or person.
J. Towels attached at the player's waist. (Center may wear towel if it is raining)
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Each team should start the game with 8 players; a minimum of 7 is needed to avoid a forfeit.
LENGTH OF GAME: Playing time shall be 30 minutes, separated into two halves of 15 minutes. Half-time shall be 5 minutes. There will be a running clock for the entire first half, and the first 13 minutes of the second half. The last 2 minutes of the second half will follow an NFL style format.
CLOCK STOPS DURING THE LAST 2 MINUTES WHEN:
� There is an incomplete pass
� A player goes out of bounds
� There is a time-out called
� QB may intentionally ground the football
COIN TOSS: A coin toss will determine who shall receive the choice of possession or side at the beginning of the game. If only one team is ready to play at game time, they will automatically have the choice. In the case of overtime, there will be a 3-minute intermission prior to starting overtime. Should darkness threaten the completion of a game, periods can be shortened by mutual consent of captains, the referee, and a supervisor. The $30.00 referee fee should also be brought to the coin to along with the team�s roster signed by each player individually.
OVERTIME (TIE GAME): If the game score is tied after regulation time, then a coin toss will determine who will get the ball & side. The home team shall call the toss. If additional overtime periods are needed to decide the outcome of the game (more than first overtime), captains shall alternate choices. Each team will have the chance to score in series of four downs from the 10 yard line. If the score is still tied after each team has had a try (including extra point attempts), a second series is played, and so on until a winner is determined. (Exception: Regular season games will end in a tie if teams are tied after the third series).
KICK OFF: kick offs will take place from the 20 yard line (in bad weather teams will start from their own 30 yard line with no kick off)
PUNTING: On fourth down the Referee must ask the Offensive team if they want a �protected scrimmage kick�. Once the offense has declared their choice, the Referee will inform the Defense of the offense's choice. The only way the Offense can change their decision is to call a time-out, or if a foul occurs any time prior to or during the down and the down is to be replayed. In the later case the Offensive team will be asked if they want a protected scrimmage kick or not. The kicking team must have all of its players, except for the punter, on the line of scrimmage. No kicking team players may move until the ball is kicked. There are no restrictions to the number of players the defensive team must have on the line. Defensive players MAY attempt to block the punt by jumping straight up in the air. They may not, however, penetrate the line of scrimmage. If a punt crosses the scrimmage line and touches a player from either team and then hits the ground, the ball is dead at that spot and belongs to the receiving team.
LINE OF SCRIMMAGE: The offensive team must have a minimum of 4 players set at the line of scrimmage at the snap. Players in motion do not count as players on the line of scrimmage. Once the center has placed his hands on the ball no offensive player may enter the neutral zone. Following the ready for play whistle and until a legal snap, no defensive player may encroach, touch the ball, stand in, or in any other way interfere with the offensive team. Penalty - Dead Ball foul, encroachment, 5 yards from succeeding spot.
BACKWARD PASSES AND FUMBLES: Any ball that is fumbled during a down will be dead by rule once it has touched the ground. Once a ball has touched the ground the ball is considered dead. There are no fumbles.
FORWARD PASSES AND INTERCEPTIONS: If a player is in the air attempting to catch a ball, the player must contact the ground with at least one foot in-bounds with the ball in their possession prior to going out of bounds, unless contact by an opponent causes the player to first touch out-of -bounds. If possession of the ball is lost simultaneously when they hit the ground, it is not a catch. If a forward pass is caught simultaneously by members of opposing teams, the ball is dead at that spot and belongs to the offensive team.
PASS INTERFERENCE: Any contact that, in the view of the official, interferes with the attempt to catch a pass (offensive or defensive player) is pass interference unless, in the view of the official, it occurs when two or more eligible receivers make a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to reach, catch, or bat a pass. It is also pass interference if an eligible receiver is deflagged or touched prior to touching the ball on a pass thrown beyond the offense's line of scrimmage. If the pass interference by the defense is intentional and/or unsportsmanlike, the defense may be penalized an additional 10 yards.
SCORING:
Touchdowns = 6 points
Extra Points = 1 points if successful from the 10 yard line
Safety = 2 points
Once a team has made their choice on the extra point, they can only change their decision by taking a time-out, and no fakes.
SAFETY: If a player carries the ball across the goal line they are defending and the ball becomes dead while in their team's possession, it is a safety. If a team commits a foul in the end zone where the spot of enforcement is designated as the spot of the foul, it will be declared a safety. A team recording a safety will receive two points, and the ball shall be punted by the opposing team at their own20-yard-line, unless moved by penalty.
Exception- (Momentum Rule) - When a player intercepts a forward pass or catches a scrimmage kick between their five yard line and their goal line and their momentum carries them into the end zone where the ball becomes dead; the ball will belong to the receiving team at the spot of the catch or reception.
PERSONAL FOULS: Any act listed below or any other act of unnecessary roughness is a personal foul. Players shall not:
� Punch. (Warrants ejection) Strike, strip, or attempt to steal the ball from a player in possession.
� Trip an opponent.
� Contact an opponent who is on the ground.
� Throw the runner to the ground.
� Hurdle another player.
� Contact an opponent either before or after the ball is declared dead.
� Make any contact with an opponent that is deemed unnecessary.
� Clip an opponent.
� Position themselves on the shoulders of a teammate or opponent to gain an advantage.
� Tackle the runner. (Warrants ejection)
STIFF ARMING: Stiff arming is not allowed in the division II league. It will be a personal foul and loss of down. Ball will be spotted at the original line of scrimmage, minus 5 yards.
OBSTRUCTING THE RUNNER: A defensive player shall not hold, grasp, or obstruct the forward progress of the runner when attempting to remove the flag belt. Any obstruction by the defense will result in an automatic 1st down for the offense.
THE FLAG BELT: All shirts must be tucked in, and are not permitted to hang over the flag belt. Should a player lose their flag belt legally or illegally during a down and should that player gain possession of a live ball, that player will be considered down when a legal tag (one hand touched by the defense between the shoulders and knees, including the hand and arm) is made.
Players must have possession of the ball before they can legally be deflagged. It is illegal for a defensive player to intentionally pull a flag from an offensive player who is not in possession of the ball. In cases where a flag belt is removed illegally, play should continue with the option of the penalty of the play (Penalty: Personal foul, 10 yards).
SHEILDING THE FLAG BELT: Runners shall not �flag shield� by using any part of the body or ball to deny the opportunity for an opponent to pull or remove the flag belt. Flag guarding includes but is not limited to:
� Swinging the hand or arm over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging.
� Placing the ball in possession over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging.
� Lowering the shoulders in such a manner that flag guards.
OFFICIAL'S AUTHORITY: An official assumes authority 15 minutes prior to the scheduled game time, and until they have left the field. The officials have the authority to rule on any situation not specifically covered in the rules. His/her decision is final, the official has the right to eject players or have them sit out of part or all of the game. Fans, coaches, and spectators are a part of a team and any fouls they commit will go against their team.
THE BALL: A regular, intermediate, youth or junior size football may be used.
LINE OF SCRIMMAGE: The offensive team must have at least 4 players on their line of scrimmage. Penalty: Illegal Procedure, 5 yards from the previous spot.
THE FIELD: the field is an 80 x 40 field with first downs at the 20, 40, and 20.
RULES IN DETAIL:
� Quarterbacks may throw the ball away as long as they are outside the original spot of the offensive tackles.
� There will be only 1 blitz per 4 downs allowed. More than 1 blitz will result in a 10 yard penalty and repeat of down.
� Teams may blitz as many players as they wish, but delayed blitzes will not be allowed. A delayed blitz will result in a 5 yard penalty and repeat of down.
� Defense must have 3 men, head to head with the offensive linemen, on the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball. Less than 3 men will result in 5 yard penalty and repeat of down.
� If the offense chooses to run the football, the defense will not be charged with a blitz as long as the offense commits first contact, if the defense initiates the contact first then the defense will be charged with it 1 blitz per 4 downs.
� Only open hand blocking will be allowed on the line of scrimmage, and absolutely no chop blocking or crack blocking will be permitted. (This will result in the ejection of the player for the entire game) and a 15 yard penalty with a loss of down.
� Any holding by an offensive player will result in a 10 yard penalty and repeat of down.
� Defensive players may not hold an offensive player at anytime, this will result in a 10 yard penalty and an automatic 1st down
� Defensive pass interference will result in the ball being spotted at the point of infraction and an automatic 1st down
� �Flag shielding� or the attempt to knock the defensive players hand away from attempting to pull a flag will result in a 15 yard penalty and repeat of down.
� The referee will signal to the offense when there is 10 seconds remaining before delay of game is called.
� Offense will have 40 seconds to call a play from the huddle, and 20 to call a play after a time out has been called.
� Any unnecessary contact to a quarterback will result in a 10 yard penalty and an automatic first down. (a player with a repeat infraction may be subject to ejection upon referee discression)
� A team will have up to 15 minutes after the regularly scheduled time to report its opening game roster to the referee. If a team cannot field enough players after 15 minutes the referee will then force forfeit on the under manned team.
� Any unnecessary confrontations towards referees will result in the ejection of the offending player.
� Team captains are responsible for making sure that their sidelines are cleaned of any debris before they leave the field. Any garbage left behind by a team will result in a $30.00 fine. If the fine has not been paid the team will forfeit every game until the fine is paid in full. (We need to respect the fields in order to continue to use them!)
� Before each game, the captains must bring their roster, signed by each player, and the $35.00 referee fee to the start of the coin toss.
� In order for a player to compete in the play-offs a player must be present for a minimum of half of the teams played games. A player not present for half of the games played will not be permitted to play in the play-offs, unless other arrangements have been made prior to the play-offs with the league office.