7on7 Flag Football

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7-on-7 Flag Football

• Rules

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Game of Champions
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Team Requirements

• Teams normally consist of 7 players
• Teams may play with as few as 5 players
• Co-Rec teams may be composed of the following
  combinations
• 4m/3w
• 3m/4w
• 3m/3w
• 3m/2w
• 2m/3w

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Equipment

• Players must wear shoes
• Metal cleats are prohibited
• Pants/Shorts with belt loops or pockets are
  prohibited
• NO taped pockets
• NO boxers on the outside of shorts
• Refer irate players to a supervisor
• Cut-off T-shirts must not have excessively large
  openings
• All jewelry is prohibited

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Equipment
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Length of Game and Timing

• Coin Toss
• Games consist of two 20-minute halves with a
  3-minute halftime
• Running clock
• EXCEPT Last two minutes of 2nd half
• Each team has two time-out per half
• 25-second play clock
• Begins after Official has signaled ready for play

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Clock Stops for...

• 2-minute warning
• Incomplete Pass
• Out-of-Bounds
• Time-Outs
• Touchbacks
• Change of Possession
• First Downs
• Penalties
• Field Goals
• Reset the line of scrimmage reset based on
  previous play
• Touchdowns
• Point after attempt is an un-timed down

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Inadvertent Whistles

• Whoops!
• Ball is dead at the spot when the whistle was
  blown
• If the ball was in the air - must replay down
• Team may accept the spot or replay the down

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The Field...

• Ball Placed on 14 yard line
• Beginning of each half
• After a point-after attempt, safety, touchback or
  field goal
• First Downs

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Starting a Play

• Offense must have 4 players within one yard of
  the line of scrimmage
• Notified by the line judge
• Line of scrimmage set by referee with two cones
• Snapping the ball
• Must be one continuous motion
• Player receiving snap must be at least 2 yards
  from the line of scrimmage
• Motion
• All offensive players must come to a complete
  stop for at least one full second
• One player maybe in motion BUT...
• May not be moving towards the opponents goal line
  at the time of the snap
• If two or more players go in motion before the
  snap then all players must come set for one full
  second again
• No chicanery It must be clear who the 7
  offensive players are on each play

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The Game

• Passing/Catching
• Each member of the team is eligible to receive a
  pass
• Unless a player voluntarily goes out of bounds on
  a play
• Only one forward pass per down
• Must be behind the line of scrimmage
• One foot inbounds (college rules)
• Defensive Rush
• Must line up behind second cone
• May rush as soon as ball is snapped
• Laterals and Fumbles
• Ball is dead when it touches the ground
• Laterals may not be forward

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Scoring

• Touchdowns 6 points
• Point-after try
• From 3-yard line 1 point
• From 10-yard line 2 points
• If the defense intercepts the ball and returns it
  for a score 2 points (regardless of attempt by
  offense)
• Decision cannot be changed unless a time-out is
  called
• Safeties 2 points
• Field Goals 3 points
• But there arent any goalposts!

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Field Goals

• May be attempted on any down BUT always results
  in a change of possession
• Decision to attempt a field goal cannot be
  changed unless a time-out is called
• May only be attempted when the offense is on the
  opposing teams half of the field
• If between the 40 and 20 attempt occurs at the
  10
• If between the 20 and G attempt occurs at the 5
• If successful defense takes over the ball at
  14-yard line
• If unsuccessful defense takes over on downs
• From previous spot (before field goal)

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Overtime!

• Regular Season only one overtime period
• Playoffs overtime repeated until a winner is
  declared
• Coin toss
• Winner chooses offense or defense
• Each team given 4 downs from the 10-yard line to
  score
• Each team has one time-out per overtime period

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Mercy Rule

• During final two minutes
• Regular Game 17 points
• Co-rec Game 23 points

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Screen Blocking

• Form for a screen block
• Hands and arms at side or behind back
• Use of hands, arms, elbows, legs or body to
  initiate contact is illegal
• Defensive players are responsible for avoiding
  contact behind the line of scrimmage
• Offensive players are responsible for avoiding
  contact beyond the line of scrimmage

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Flag Belt Removal

• Runner is down when the flagbelt is unclipped
• Ball spotted at point where ball is when
  de-flagging occurs
• NOT where the belt falls to the ground
• If a flagbelt inadvertently falls off
• One-hand tag between shoulders and knees
• A defensive player may not hold, push or knock
  the ball carrier down
• BUT inadvertent contact occurs use judgment
• Flag-Guarding!
• The ball carrier may spin, jump or dive
• The ball carrier may NOT use his/her hands, arms
  or the ball to protect his/her flags

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Punting

• Punts must be announced before the ball is ready
  for play
• NO movement by the offense until the ball is
  kicked
• NO defensive rush
• Returning the punt
• If the ball hits a player then touches the ground
  it is dead
• If the ball hits the ground it may be picked up
  and advanced

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Live Ball vs. Dead Ball

• Dead Ball prior to the snap
• Blow whistle, throw flag, stop play
• False start
• Illegal snap
• Encroachment,
• Delay of game
• Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Live Ball simultaneous with snap or during the
  play
• Throw Flag but DO NOT blow whistle
• Illegal Contact
• Flag Guarding
• Holding
• Pass Interference

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Roughing the Passer

• Defensive Rusher must avoid contact
• Any contact with arm is illegal

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Flag Guarding

• Any part of the body protecting the flags
  (usually arms)
• Tell players to run with ball outstretched

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Illegal Contact

• Attempting to strip or bat the ball is illegal
• Rushing/Blocking
• Offensive
• Using arms, legs, or chest to push defender
• Defensive
• Running through a blocker who has established
  position
• Swim moves
• Downfield
• Offensive
• Running through a defender who has established
  position
• Defensive
• Tackling a runner

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Pass Interference

• Defensive
• Face guarding
• over the back
• Offensive
• Pushing off during cut or jump ball
• Defender has a right to the ball

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Holding

• Grabbing the runners shirt, shorts, or body to
  slow them down
• ONLY call a foul if the flag is pulled as a
  result of the holding

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5-yard Penalties

• Dead Ball
• Illegal Equipment
• Delay of Game
• Illegal Snap
• False Start or Encroachment
• Live Ball
• Illegal Procedure
• i.e. 2 players in motion at snap, moving forward
  at snap
• Illegal Forward Pass
• Intentional Grounding
• Helping the Runner

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10-yard Penalties

• Unsportsmanlike Conduct
• Flag Guarding
• Illegal Contact
• Pass Interference
• Illegal Use of the Hands
• Roughing the Passer
• Illegal Participation
• Illegal Flag Belt Removal
• Illegally Secured Flag Belt

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Enforcing Penalties

• Loose Ball Plays (i.e. passing plays)
• Enforce penalty from previous spot
• EXCEPTION
• Foul by the offense behind the spot
• Enforce penalty from spot of foul
• Stiff the Offense
• Running Plays
• Enforce penalty from end of run
• EXCEPTION
• Foul by the offense behind the spot
• Enforce penalty from spot of foul
• Stiff the Offense

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Plays with Multiple Fouls

• 2 or more fouls by same team
• Enforce one penalty defense chooses
• Fouls by both teams
• Penalties cancel and down is replayed
• Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Enforced as dead ball
• Add to end of play even if another live ball foul
  occurred

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Fouls and the Zone Line-to-Gain

• Live Ball Fouls
• Mark off penalty yardage before establishing zone
  line-to-gain
• Dead Ball Fouls
• Zone line-to-gain established before marking off
  penalty yardage

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Rules Clarifications

• No pushing/chucking the receivers
• No spiking - Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Offense is responsible for retrieving the ball

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Co-Rec Rule Clarifications

• Scoring
• Touchdown scored by or thrown by a female 9
  points
• Males may not run the ball past the line of
  scrimmage

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Have Fun!