Tournament Rules
2024 Football Rule Amendments
Amendment 1: Referee Communication Protocol
Player Interaction with Referees
● Player Restriction: Only designated team captains may address game officials.
● First Offense:
○ Offense: 10-yard penalty and loss of down.
○ Defense: 10-yard penalty and repeat of down.
○ Individual Basis: Penalties are assessed individually; multiple players from a team can be penalized.
● Second Offense: Any player committing a second violation will be disqualified from the game.
Event Disqualification & Enforcement
● Discretionary Ban: Officials may ban a player from the event after a second offense, depending on severity.
● Team Disqualification: Possible if a team fails to comply.
● Responsibility: Officials enforce the rule, and teams must ensure their captains understand and follow it.
● Objective: Maintain sportsmanship, improve game management, and discourage direct player-referee
interactions.
Amendment 2: Flag Guarding Expanded
Definition: Runners lowering shoulder(s) below natural football/running motion. Penalty: 5-yard penalty from the spot
of the infraction.
Amendment 3: Substitutions
● Players must enter the field from the same sideline throughout the game. Teams select the sideline at the start
of the game.
● If a player needs to enter from a different side, they must declare themselves to the referee and the defense.
● Infraction: Illegal Substitution resulting in a 5-yard penalty on the offense.
2024 Game Play
Section 1: Personal Conduct Policies
● Fighting: Results in ejection from the tournament; lifetime ban possible.
● Contact Responsibility: Players must avoid purposeful contact; three-strike rule for excessive contact. A 10-yard
penalty can be assessed for each instance.
● Substance Policy: Alcohol and drugs are prohibited; ejection without refund.
● QB Tee Contact: Purposeful contact by a defensive player will result in ejection from the game.
Section 2: Basic Structure
● Team Size:
○ 7v7: Maximum 16 players, minimum 6 to play.
○ 5v5: Maximum 10 players, minimum 4 to play.
● Tournament Formats:
○ Classic Tournament: Double elimination; games continue consecutively until a champion is decided.
○ Pool Play Tournament: Pool play to decide bracket placement, followed by a single elimination
tournament.
● Player Eligibility: Must be 16 years old and cannot be part of another roster.
● Equipment: Teams provide a regulation size game ball and matching jerseys/shirts.
● Gameplay: Passing league only; no hand-offs, kickoffs, or punts.
● Championship Game (Tournament Play Only): Winner of the winners’ bracket will automatically select to take
the ball or defer to start the championship game instead of using rock-paper-scissors to decide possessions.
● Uniforms: If two teams have the same color, one team must change uniforms or wear a penny. This applies to
individual players as well.
Section 3: Game Clock Structure & Opening Possessions
● Tournament Play: Two 15-minute halves with a continuous clock.
● League Play: Two 20-minute halves with a continuous clock.
● Opening Possession: Determined by rock-paper-scissors.
● Timeouts: 2 one-minute timeouts per half; 5-minute halftime; 25-second play clock.
● Clock Stoppage: Inside the last minute of the second half for close games (within 8 points at the 1-minute mark)
with stoppages for scores, out of bounds, incompletions, first downs, change of possession, and sacks.
● Clock Stoppage (continued): Clock will be stopped by the referee for a 1-minute warning for games within 8
points. 2-point conversions are untimed. Teams are still allowed to use timeouts.
Section 4: Scoring & First Downs
● First Down: Achieved by crossing the mid-field line.
● Change of Possession: Referees pause play for 5 seconds before the offense is allowed to proceed.
● Touchdown: Worth 6 points; point after attempt is worth 2 points.
● Two-Point Conversion: Defense can score 2 points on an interception return during the conversion try.
● Two-Point Conversion Infraction: If an interception occurs during a 2-point attempt, the offense is not allowed
to hold or impede the progress of the returning player beyond what is considered normal play. Doing so results
in an automatic 2 points being awarded to the returning team.
Section 5: Flag Rules
● Flag Wear: Each player must wear a flag belt with 2 flags.
● Penalty: 10-yard penalty and loss of down for the offending team if not wearing flags.
● Flag Colors: Flags worn by each team can be different.
● Down Definition: A player is down when one knee, elbow, or wrist touches the ground.
● Flag Removal: The ball carrier is down when their flag is cleanly removed.
● Catch Without Flags: A catch made with less than 2 flags results in the player being declared down at the spot of
the catch. A 10-yard penalty is assessed if a defender pulls the flag before the catch.
Section 6: Offensive Use of Hands, Holding, Pass Interference, & Blocking
● Ball Carriers: No protection by stiff-arm, slapping, or lowering the shoulder outside of the natural running
motion.
● Flag Guarding: Immediate stoppage and a 5-yard penalty against the offensive team from the spot of the
infraction.
● Blocking: No extension of arms or legs beyond the body frame; movement is permitted.
● Pass Interference:
○ Defensive: 10-yard penalty and repeat of down (no automatic first down).
○ Offensive: 10-yard penalty and loss of down.
● Holding:
○ No Advance: 5-yard penalty and repeat of down.
○ With Advance: Adds 5 yards to the end of the play.
Section 7: Overtime
● College Overtime Rules: Teams are guaranteed 1 possession each.
● Rock-Paper-Scissors: Determines possession; the ball is placed at mid-field with no first downs (4 plays to score).
● Possession Order: Teams reverse possession until one fails to match the opponent’s score.
● Pool Play Championship Games: Applies if the tournament format includes Pool Play Championship.