Rules

BEK Flag Football Rules General Rules: Games are roughly 55 minutes long. A whistle will be blown at 45 minutes to announce 5 minutes to 5 plays and another at 50 minutes for the last 5 plays of the game. Coin toss to determine who gets the ball first, the losing team gets to choose which side they will defend for the first drive. (PLAYOFFS – Higher seed gets ball first) Teams will have 3 downs to cross half and then 3 downs once across half to score. NEW!!! – Touchdown equals 6 points. Teams will now have the option to go for a 2-point convert from 7 yards after the touchdown. If teams do not want to go for the 2-point option then the take 1-point (without attempt) and the opposing team gets the ball immediately after the score NEW!!! – Kickoffs have been ABOLISHED. Teams will now start drives at the beginning of the game and after scores from halfway between their own endzone with 3 downs to get to half. If teams elect to “punt”, the “receiving” team will start the play halfway between their own endzone and half with 3 plays to get to half. Offense is responsible for grabbing the ball markers after the play and bringing them to the line of scrimmage. Defense is responsible for marking 7 yards back for a rush from there. Defense can start counting 30 steamboats after the previous play is dead, so it's important to grab those markers fast. Offense has 30 steamboats to run each play. The defense MUST count the full 30 aloud during the huddle to call the delay of game penalty. The violation results in a loss of down, no warning penalty on delay of games. A touchback for an interception will be placed at the 5-yard line. NEW!!! – SAFETY RULE – If the defensive team flags an opposing player in their own endzone 2 points will be awarded for a safety. The defense team will then start on offense at the normal location after a score A catch is made as soon as the ball stops rotation in a player’s hands. One foot is needed in bounds for a legal catch. First foot to land must be in bounds with possession of the ball. Spotting the ball after a flag pull is where a ball carrier's most forward foot is planted on the ground at the time of the flag pull. The ball carrier must have both feet over the goal line when entering the front of the endzone for it to be considered a touchdown. On a catch on the sides or back of the endzone, the receiver just needs to have his first foot inbounds and possession of the ball for it to be considered a catch. NOTE: The ball does not need to break the plane if the ball carrier has both feet past the goal line. No picks or running into players on purpose. If an offensive player up-field notices a catch or run past the line of scrimmage they must remain still until the play passes them making them eligible for a lateral. No spinning. But the QB can spin to avoid a sack and must throw the ball on any play he has spun; scrambling is no longer an option. If a player is missing a flag or both flags when gaining possession of the ball, then it now becomes one-hand touch on that player, and the defender must yell “TOUCH!” aloud for that individual to be ‘downed’. Players can dive or jump to catch the ball but once in possession of the ball you can no longer dive. Jukes and side jump cuts are acceptable, but the responsibility is the ballcarriers to avoid contact with the defender. Play is dead at the spot if illegal contact is made. If there is clear intentional physical contact made, then it is a 5-yard penalty. On a lateral pitch that is dropped or incomplete the ball is spotted where the player pitches the ball from. OT FOR PLAYOFFS – Higher seed gets the ball first! Each team alternates attempting to score from the 7-yard line. If still tied after 3 attempts, then it becomes sudden death (first team to score wins). All false start and offside penalties that are called result in a 5-yard penalty, no loss of downs. Pass interference is played as it is in other football leagues. If there is early contact that is a penalty; defensive pass interference is a 5-yard penalty and a redo down for the offense; offensive pass inference will result in a 5-yard penalty and a loss of down. Please don’t be soft on any calls especially PI calls, we want to maintain an respectful yet competitive atmosphere. SUB RULE: Teams may use 1 sub from another team in the league if they are short players without having to forfeit. Teams are allow to bring subs from outside the league as long as they add them to their roster and sign the waiver for them to participate. A player must play at least one game during the regular season for that team in order for them to be eligible for playoffs. Teams caught using players that have not played for them in the regular season or who are not registered will not be allowed to use that player in the playoff game. The other team may agree to let that player play but they must be waivered. Offensive Rules NEW!!! – Teams no longer need a snapper but may choose to use one if the wish. The quarterback may now snap the ball to himself anywhere within 7-yards behind the line of scrimmage. If teams choose to use a snapper the snapper must line up the ball on the ground at the line of scrimmage. NEW!!! - If the QB snaps to himself the play starts on the first ‘HUT’, which must be said loud enough for all players to hear! He may not manipulate the snap count with the word ‘hut’. When using a snapper, the play starts when the ball is lifted off the ground by the snapper and any snap count is appropriate. QB is allowed to run as soon as the ball is snapped. If the defense elects not to send a rusher the QB may not run, unless the ball is lateralled backwards with clear change in possession (another player can’t just come up and touch the ball giving QB option to run). If the defense doesn’t send a rusher there is no time limit on how long the QB has to throw the ball. If a QB steps either foot over the line of scrimmage, then proceeds to throw, it is an illegal forward pass. Result is a dead play and a loss of down. FLAG GUARDING – A flag guard is any contact by the offensive player that prevents a defensive player from grabbing their flag while the defender is reaching for the flags. A flag guarding penalty results in stoppage and start of the next play at the spot of the foul. Defensive Rules The defensive rusher must line up 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage and 2 yards outside the centre. They must have their hand up to announce they are rushing. The rusher is the only player that can make a play on the QB behind the line of scrimmage without a possession change. The defensive rusher is entitled to a free rush path to the quarterback. Any interference in the clear path will result in a 5-yard penalty. NEW!!! – Teams may only send one rusher. Other defensive players are allowed to cross the line of scrimmage to mark their players, but MAY not make a play on the quarterback unless there is a handoff back to the original quarterback. Tie goes to the quarterback when a flag is pulled by the rusher while in throwing motion. A rusher must not contact the QB’s arm during any part of the throwing motion while attempting to block the throw. The resulting penalty is a 5-yard penalty, and the offense gets to redo the down. If the rusher is clearly going low for the flags, then makes incidental contact on the follow through this will not be considered as a penalty. The rusher must have his hands up while approaching the QB for it to be called. You cannot hold on to a player's gear/clothing to obtain a flag (a quick tug of the shirt might happen while going for the flag and that is ok, but you cannot hold on). A 5-yard penalty from the spot of the foul is the resulting penalty.