Flag Football Registration Now Closed!
What is Flag Football:
The popular alternative to tackle football, flag football is a team sport consisting of seven players on each side. Instead of tackling, players must remove the flag belt of their opponent in order to end a play.
HU Flag Football rules
Leagues
Men: all male players
Co-Ed: At least two females on the playing surface at all times.
Players
Each team will consist of 7 players, with a minimum of 5 required to avoid a forfeit. The game will be played on a rectangular field of 35 by 70 yards, plus end zones. Players may only play on one team in a league, and will subject both teams to forfeit all games if found violating this rule.
Equipment
Players will be given flag belts and football, and it is recommended that tennis shoes are worn on the turf. Teams may use their own ball on offense. Note that shirts must be tucked in enough so that opponent is capable of grabbing flags.
Time
Playing time shall be 30 minutes, two halves of 15 minutes with a 5 minute break.
Play shall be non-stop.
Each team shall receive one time out per half.
Substitutions may take place only in between each down, not at all during play.
Overtime will only occur in the playoffs, and will be sudden death after a 2 minute break upon completion of regulation.
Scoring
A touchdown is worth 6 points, while extra points can be attained from either 10 yards out (1 point) or 20 yards out (2 points) from the goal line. A safety is worth 2 points. Teams can only change their decision about their extra point by taking a time out.
Rules for Playing
Line of scrimmage: The offense must have no less than 4 players on line of scrimmage, and remaining players may line up either on the line or in back field.
Free kicks will only be employed to start each half. When a team scores, the team scored upon gets the ball at their own ten (same for in the event of a safety.)
A team in possession of the ball shall have 5 consecutive downs to score. On the fifth down, the offensive team can decide to go for the touchdown or rule the ball over to the other team at the opposing team's designated scrimmage line. If a team fails to score a touchdown on fifth down, possession is forfeited at the line of scrimmage. NOTE: A team has 30 seconds from the time the ball is marked to put the ball back in play. Failure to comply results in a 5 yard penalty.
Lateral passes are allowed, but a player may not intentionally throw a backward pass out of bounds to conserve time or avoid being downed. Doing so will result in a 5 yard penalty.
Players must contact the ground with both feet for a pass reception before going out of bounds. If possession of ball is lost simultaneously when they hit the ground, it is not a catch. If a forward pass is caught at the same time by members of opposing teams, the ball is dead at that spot and belongs to the team that snapped the ball.
All players of both teams are eligible pass receivers, but an offensive player who leaves the field of play loses his eligibility until he returns to the field of play. If one of those eligible receivers is de-flagged prior to touching the ball on a pass thrown beyond the offense's line of scrimmage, then he is to be touched by placing two hands on the opponent for an end to the play.
A safety is if a player carries a ball across the goal line that they are defending and the ball becomes dead while in their possession. It is worth 2 points.
The pass may only be rushed when a defender has counted 5 seconds out in the manner of "one-mississippi, two-mississippi..." etc.
No personal fouls are allowed. The flags are only to be ripped off, not the player tackled.
The Flag Belt
Keep shirts tucked in so that flag may be grabbed. If a player should lose the flag belt legally or illegally during a down and they gain possession of the ball, the player will be considered down when a legal tag is made (as in touch football.) Players must have possession of the ball before they can be legally de-flagged. Offensive players may not "guard" their respective flag belt by using their arms or hands to prevent an opponent from de-flagging.
Co-Rec Rules
There are 7 players to a team, 2 must be girls. There must be 5 players to avoid a forfeit. The line of scrimmage must contain 4 players on the line, with 3 in the backfield.
Tie Game
When the game ends in a tie score, the captain winning the toss shall have the option of putting the ball in play by scrimmage. Each team is to have 4 consecutive downs, and the team scoring the greatest number of points wins. If the point total is equal, then the team which took less downs wins. If there is no score made, then the team that took the least number of downs or had the most penetration is the winner.
Summary of Penalties
When the measurement spot for a 15 yard penalty or a 5 yard penalty is too close to the goal line of the offender and cannot be carefully measured, then, where appropriate, measurement is reduced to 1/2 the distance to the goal line.
Loss of 5 yards:
Delay of game or illegal substitution.
Interference with opponent or ball before snap is made.
False start or any illegal act by the snapper.
Offside.
Less than three players on offensive at the snap.
Loss of 15 yards:
Delay of game's start and second half.
Interference is called when:
one player illegally rips the flag of player who is attempting to receive the ball before they do, whether it be an offensive or defensive player.
contact such as tripping, holding, shoving, etc...
Forfeits
If your team fails to show up with the minimum amount of players after ten minutes of the scheduled game time, then it will be a forfeit. As we have limited time to squeeze in many games during an evening, we'd appreciate your efforts to get to the field/court on time.
TO START A TEAM please refer to the forms/signup page and email the 2015 Flag Football Sign Up Document to ewent@husson.edu. Please include all players on sheet and indicate which league you will be signing up for. Start Date will be posted shortly with a schedule and time for play!
