Line of Scrimmage
The line of scrimmage
is an imaginary line crossing
the field which offensive players cannot cross until the football is snapped and the play
has started. Defensive players cannot cross the line of scrimmage until 10
seconds have passed. It is also the
location where the ball is spotted (placed) after running a play or being
assessed a penalty. If either team
crosses the line of scrimmage before the football is snapped, the referee
should call out “offside” and simply have a redo.
Getting Started
Start out
with 7 kids on each team. Have the rest
of the kids be subs. Sub in about every
5 minutes.
To start
play, the offensive team takes possession of the ball at its 5-yard line and
has four plays (called downs) to cross the midfield line. If the offensive team fails to cross the
midfield line in four downs, the ball changes possession.
Once the
offensive team crosses midfield, it has four more downs to score a touchdown. If the offense fails to score in four downs
after crossing the midfield line, the ball changes possession.
Teams change
sides at half time. We’ll have two 20
minute halves. The parent marking the
scrimmage line should keep the time and notify the students when the end of the
half is approaching.
Scoring
Each touchdown
will be counted as one point. After the
touchdown, the team who didn’t score will take possession of the ball at their
5 yard line. There will be only one
point awarded for each touchdown. In the
past, when girls scored a touchdown we awarded 2 points, but when boys scored
only 1 point was awarded. We’d like to
discontinue this this year and see how things go.
Running & Passing
To start the
play, the quarterback must say, “Hike.”
Then the center must handoff the ball to the quarterback. It isn’t necessary for the center to snap the
ball from between his legs, he may side snap the ball to the quarterback.
The center
cannot take a direct handoff back from the quarterback (no center sneak play).
The
quarterback cannot run with the ball past the line of scrimmage, but he can run
around behind the line of scrimmage as he looks for a way to handoff or pass to
another teammate.
The defense
may not rush the quarterback until 10 seconds have passed. In other words, the quarterback has 10
seconds to pass or handoff the ball to a teammate. During this 10 second time period the defense
cannot pull the quarterback’s flag. As
soon as the quarterback gets the ball, an assisting parent should start to
count out, “1,2,3,…10,” at one second intervals. If the quarterback still has the ball after
10 seconds, the defense may pull the quarterback’s flag then.
The
quarterback may pass the ball to a teammate who has run across the line of
scrimmage. This is called a “passing
play”. The teammate who catches the ball
and then runs down the field in an attempt to get a touchdown is called the
“receiver”. A receiver must have at
least one foot in bounds when making a reception.
The
quarterback may handoff the ball to a teammate who runs across the line of
scrimmage in an attempt to get a touchdown.
This type of play is called a “running play,” or we’d say the team “ran
the ball” (rather than passing the ball).
The
quarterback may handoff the ball to a teammate.
Then that teammate may then pass the ball over the line of
scrimmage. That teammate could also
handoff the ball to another teammate who can then run or pass the ball down the
field. So, the offense may use multiple
handoffs behind the line of scrimmage.
Defense
The goal of
the defensive team is to stop the offensive team from getting a touchdown. The defense can do this in two ways: 1) by
pulling a flag from the ball carrier 2) by intercepting the ball.
The ball is
spotted where the ball carrier’s feet are when the flag is pulled, not where
the ball is.
Interceptions
Interceptions
change the possession of the ball. If a
defensive player catches (intercepts) a ball thrown by an offensive player, she
will attempt to run the ball back down the field for a touchdown for her
team. If her flag is pulled before she
can make a touchdown, the ball is spotted from where her flag was pulled. Her team now has possession of the ball and
is the offensive team.
If an
interception occurs in the end zone and the intercepting player remains in the
end zone, the intercepting team will take possession of the ball at its 5-yard
line.
If an
interception occurs in the end zone and the intercepting player decides to run
the ball back down the field rather than stand still in the end zone, the ball
will belong to the intercepting team at the spot the intercepting player’s flag
was pulled.
So, if a
defensive player intercepts the ball in the end zone, begins to run down the
field, but has her flag pulled at the 2-yard line, her team will take
possession of the ball at the 2-yard line.
If she would have intercepted the ball in the end zone and then stood
still, her team would have taken possession at the 5 yard line.
Dead Balls
Conditions
under which the play is ruled “dead”:
· The official blows the whistle.
· The ball carrier’s flag is pulled.
· The ball carrier steps out of bounds.
· A touchdown is scored.
· Any part of the ball carrier’s body,
other than a hand or foot, touches the ground.
· If the ball carrier drops the ball
(called a fumble). The ball will be
spotted where the ball carrier’s feet were when the fumble was made.
· If the ball carrier’s flag falls off. The play will be whistled dead and the ball
will be spotted at the spot where the flag fell off.
· If a player’s flag falls off before
she catches the ball, the play will be whistled dead and the ball will be
spotted at the place where she caught the ball.
Penalties
Penalties
will be blown by the referee for unsportsmanlike conduct or illegal
contact. The following will result in a
5 yard penalty:
- Holding (defensive): In an attempt to remove
the flag belt from the ball carrier, defensive players may contact the
body of an opponent with his or her hands. A defensive player may not
hold, push or knock the ball carrier down in an attempt to remove the
flag. He may not pull on the ball
carrier’s clothes or flag belt.
- Holding (offensive): When an offensive player holds,
pushes, or knocks down a defensive player prevent that player from
moving.
·
Illegal blocking: Blocking, as in regulation tackle
football, is prohibited. A screen block
without any contact is the proper block for flag football. The screen blocker must have her hands behind
her back. Any use of the hands, arms, elbows, legs, or body to initiate contact
during a screen block is illegal.
- Pass interference: When a defender contacts a
pass receiver after the ball is in the air to prevent him from catching
the ball. Pulling the receiver’s
flag before the receiver catches the ball also counts as pass
interference.
- Personal foul: An illegal, flagrant foul
considered risky to the health of another player. This includes any
pushing, grabbing, tripping, etc. In addition to the 5 yard penalty, the
student should also be subbed out for a while or for the rest of the game
if he or she has already been warned but continues to foul others.
- Stiff Arming: The ball carrier may not stiff
arm or guard his flag by blocking it with his hands.
·
Swatting: The ball carrier may not guard her
flag by swatting at a defensive player’s hand so her flag can’t be pulled.
