Columbia River Clash Full Field 8v8 Contact Rule Book Rules and penalties outlined below are outlined specifically for flag football. Any rule or penalty not explicitly outlined by this document will default to the (www.nfl.com/rulebook.) OFFICIALS AND GAME CONTROL REFEREES AND DIRECTOR The game will be played under the supervision of two (2) to four (4) game officials. The officials used consist of: Head Referee, line judges, and back judge. Other team’s players or volunteers may be used to supplement the reffing crew as needed as sideline judges. All referees are held accountable to the stated standards laid out by the League/Tournament Director. Teams that have any issue with referees will report their complaints to the Director as soon as possible. Referees will ensure that all team representatives abide by any and all rules outlined in this document. Team representatives shall include any players, team managers, coaches, and other non-playing group members in attendance. The Head Referee represents the final arbiter of any matters that arise during competition. The Director represents the final arbiter of any other league/tournament matters. TEAM CAPTAINS Each team will designate two team captains to confer with for discussions on offense and defense. Any decisions made by the on field captain and the referee are final and irrevocable. Captains are the only players eligible to confer with referees regarding calls, penalties and any other decisions or consultation required during the game. Players will deliver any on field complaints to their own team captains for clarification with the referee. Referee will ensure more leeway to the role of the team captain to address grievances with the reffing crew. FORFEITURES Games forfeited at any point before or during a game, up until and not after the final 2 minutes, will result in the winning team receiving +14 to the resultant score. (Rule will have implications for playoffs/tournament bracket.) PLAYOFF SEEDING Top teams make playoffs, seeding will be determined in order by: ● Overall record ● Head to head record ● Total point differential ● Points scored against ● Points scored for PENALTIES, FOULS AND CONTACT LEGAL CONTACT AND THE FRAME 8v8 full field flag football is a contact format game. Legal contact shall be defined as all contact between the front of the player’s shoulders traveling down to the player’s waist and hips; known from here on as the “Frame.” All initiated contact within the game shall occur within the Frame, and any other contact outside of that may be subject to penalties if observed by the referee, including illegal contact to the ball carrier. Incidental contact may be waived on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Head Referee. Contact with the Ball Carrier shall always be in an attempt to pull their flags. LIVE BALL FOUL PROCEDURE When a foul occurs during a live ball the Referee will, at the end of the down, notify the offended Captain of his options. The Captain’s choice of options may not be revoked. MULTIPLE OR OFFSETTING PENALTIES If offsetting fouls occur during a down, that down will be repeated. When a live ball foul is followed by a dead ball foul by the opponent, the penalties are administered separately and in the order of occurrence. All unsportsmanlike fouls are penalized separately and in addition to those occurring during a live play. When two (2) or more live ball fouls are committed by the same team, only one penalty may be chosen except when a foul(s) for unsportsmanlike conduct follows a previous foul. FOUL BETWEEN DOWNS Any off ball penalties that do not require a loss of down will result in the penalty being assessed after the result of the play. If the result of the play achieves a first down by crossing the Line-to-Gain and penalties bring the spot of the ball back behind the Line-to-Gain, the offense will be required to pass two lines-to-gain to achieve another first down. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS The Head referee will have the ability to place players in a “Cool Down” in addition to ejecting incompliant players from the game at their discretion. “COOL DOWN” Prior to an ejection the referee may declare that a player requires a “cool-down.” Players must think of this as a warning prior to being ejected. A cool-down will consist of a removal from play for either 5 plays or 5 minutes of game time, whichever occurs first. If they refuse to leave the field, they may be ejected and forced to leave the grounds altogether and risk being disqualified for the remainder of the season/tournament. EJECTIONS Any ejected player must not only leave the game but must also physically leave the premises. Offenses that may require an ejection include: ● Any players fighting during sanctioned events. ● Violent flagrant fouls. ● Any continued agitation or provocation toward anyone on the field. ● Any player who touches or threatens an Official, an employee, or staff member is automatically ejected. SUSPENSIONS Any player ejected from a sanctioned event is automatically suspended from future play until a meeting with the Director occurs, and only when the Director grants reinstatement. UNFAIR AND UNSPORTSMANLIKE ACTS Any obvious unfair or unsportsmanlike act not specifically covered by the rule book may be grounds for ejection or disqualification made at the discretion of the Head Referee. Additionally, a Referee may enforce any penalty he considers equitable from anything up and to the awarding of a score if a team is repeatedly committing fouls that can be penalized only by halving the distance to the goal line, or some other equally infringing behavior not outlined within these rules. Personal fouls and prohibited acts will include (yet not limited to): ● Deliberate contact with an opponent who is on the ground. ● Throwing the ball carrier to the ground. ● Unnecessary roughness of any nature. ● A Ball Carrier deliberately driving or running into a defensive player. ● A defensive player deliberately driving or running into the Ball Carrier. ● Roughing of any defenseless player on the field ie, passer, center, punter. ● Abusive or insulting language. ● Any acts of unfair play. ● Managers, Coaches, or others on the field of play at any time. ● Unduly interfering with a player while the ball is live. ● Intentionally pulling or removing the flags from a player without the ball. ● Any other flagrant, deliberate, or violent act outside the bounds of good sportsmanship. *Penalties: Unsportsmanlike, roughing, personal foul - 15 yds THE FIELD OF PLAY FIELD AND DIMENSIONS The game will be played between two teams of eight (8) players each on a regulation football field or comparable sized field and dimensions, as space constraints may require. Any change in field dimensions is at the discretion of the Head Referee. LINE-TO-GAIN AND GOAL LINE MARKINGS There will be two (2) end zones and three or four (3-4) Line-To-Gain markers that are placed at both team’s 20 and 40 yard lines (or modified field equivalent lines.) Noticeable markings will be placed at the inside corner of each intersection of the sidelines with the goal lines and the end lines. The entire width of each goal line will be part of the end zone. SIDELINE TEAM BOX (20 to 20 Rule) On each sideline, a team box area is designated between the 20-yard lines for the players, coaches, and authorized attendants. Players on the sidelines are required to stay within “Box” during play. *Penalty: players outside the team box - 1st offense warning, subsequent 5 yd COIN TOSS or (Rock – Paper – Scissors) The referee will toss a coin in the presence of the opposing team captains, and the AWAY captain will call heads or tails prior to the flip. If no coin is available, captains will play one gentlemanly round of rock – paper – scissors to determine the winner. The winner of the “toss” will be given his choice of starting on defense or offense for the first half, for which the losing team will choose direction and accept the opposite in return for the second half. SUBSTITUTIONS / TOO MANY PLAYERS ON THE FIELD Substitutions may occur at any point by either team. However, upon the snap of the ball if either offense or defense has more than 8 players on the field they will be flagged for too many men on the field, penalized 5 yards and replay of the down. Offensive substitutions meant to deceive the defense prior to snap will be called for an unsportsmanlike penalty on the discretion of the Head Referee. *Penalty: too many players on the field - 5 yd INADVERTENT WHISTLE Inadvertent whistles during play will result in a dead ball. The team in possession of the ball at the time of the whistle will have the option of the result of the play at the point at which the play was declared dead or may choose to replay the down from the previous spot of the ball. EQUIPMENT BALL The game ball must be of equal size and shape as a regulation NFL football or similar adult size. The Referee will be the sole judge of any ball offered for play. UNIFORMS Players of opposing teams must wear contrasting colored jerseys, with number on the back required. If both teams have similar colored jerseys, the visiting team must make any uniform changes required unless the home team has secondary jerseys. T-Shirts or numberless shirts may be allowed in this scenario. The pants must be a different color than the flags. If team has shorts with piping or marking that appears similar to a flag hanging on the hips, the Referee has the ability to ask them to change shorts, or in a rare case require that they add an additional flag to their belt.