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Flag Football

Overview

  • Play consists of 8 players (Max of 5 men) in the field at one time.
  • Games consist of two 23-minute halves. Running clock until the final 2 minutes of the second half if a team is within 16 points (2 possessions).
  • 2-hand touch – Non-contact league. Excessive contact (blocking, grabbing, pushing, etc) will result in penalties or removal from the game/league depending on severity.
  • Teams must use a female player as a primary player (qb or intended receiver) at least once every 3 consecutive plays.
  • Teams receive a first down after passing each of the multi colored sideline cones on the field.
  • Teams may gain up to 3 first downs per possession (this does not include first downs due to penalty).
  • 5 Mississippi rush count (at a reasonable speed)
  • Unsportsmanlike behavior and physical play are not tolerated and will result in penalties and potentially having players/teams being suspended or removed from the league.

GAME CLOCK

  • Two 23 minute halves
  • Running clock until the last 2 minutes of the second half if a team is within 16 points.
    • Clock will stop on:
      • Clock will stop on:
      • Incomplete pass
      • Out of bounds
      • Touchdown
      • Change of possession
    • A max of 10 seconds can be run off during an extra point
  • Each team receives 2 timeouts per game

TEAM SIZE

  • Teams play with 8 players on the field at one time
  • No more than 5 men on the field at any time. There is no limit to the number of female players (up to 8).
  • Teams need 5 players to avoid a forfeit (at least 1 female)
  • Teams can pick up subs from other teams in the league during the regular season.
    • The penalty for picking up a player from another team is 6 points per player
    • Teams can not pick up more than 2 players
  • DURING THE PLAYOFFS, ONLY PLAYERS ON YOUR ROSTER ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY.

Mixed Gender Rules

  • Teams must use a female player as one of the primary players involved in the play at least once every 3 downs.
  • A primary player is defined as:
    • The intended receiver
    • The primary runner
    • A quarterback who attempts a pass

SCORING

  • Touchdowns are 6 points
  • Extra points are 1 point for a 2 yard conversion, 2 points for 8 yard conversion
    • 2 point conversions may be returned by the defense for 2 points.
  • Safeties are 2 points

FIRST DOWNS

  • Teams have 4 downs to score or earn another first down
  • First downs are earned by crossing the multi sideline color cones on the field.
  • Teams can only earn 3 first downs per possession.

GAME PLAY

  • The ball must be snapped into play from the ground by the center to the quarterback
  • After hiking the ball to the quarterback the center is not allowed to block or go out for a pass.
  • Teams have 25 seconds to hike the ball after it’s been spotted by the referee.
  • Players must be set before the ball is hiked – no motion allowed.
  • If a hiked ball hits the ground, it will be whistled dead and the clock will continue to run.

RUSHING THE QUARTERBACK

  • Each defensive team with 8 players on the field, must keep at least 1 player on the line of scrimmage (Within a 2 yards from where the ball was snapped).
    • At no point may the Defensive Line player drop back into coverage.
  • 5 Mississippi counting – The defense may not pursue the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage until completing a 5 Mississippi count at normal speaking cadence, as determined by the referee
  • After the five-second count is completed, any number of defensive players may rush even if the defender on the line does not rush
  • The quarterback is allowed to run once the defense crosses the line of scrimmage.
  • Defensive teams can enter the backfield immediately if there is a hand off or pass behind the line of scrimmage.

PENALTIES

  •  Blocking – 10 yards & loss of downs
  • Offensive Picks – 10 yards & loss of downs
  • Illegal contact/holding – 10 yards & replay the down
  • Hard Tags – 10 yards from the end of the play & Automatic 1st down
    • 2 hard tags will result in a player being removed from the game.
  • Defense Fast Rush – 5 yards & replay the down
  • Defensive Offsides – 5 yards & replay the down
  • Defensive illegal formation – no player on the line of scrimmage – 5 yards & replay the down
  • Offensive Center Goes Out for Pass – 5 yards & replay the down
  • QB illegal pass/run – 5 yards & loss of down
  • Offensive Off Sides/Illegal Motion – 5 yards & play blown dead at the snap
  • Not using a female player – 5 yards & loss of down
  • Delay of game – 5 yards & play blown dead
  • Too many people on the field – 5 yards & replay the down
  • Intentional grounding – 5 yards & loss of down
  • Illegal forward lateral – 5 yards from the spot of the lateral.
  • Defensive Pass Interference – 1st down at the spot of the foul
  • Offensive Pass Interference – 10 yards & loss of down
  • Unsportsmanlike Conduct – 15 yards
    • 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties by one player will result in ejection and 1 week suspension
  • Grabbing of any kind other than the flag: 5-yard penalty
  • Hand swatting: 5-yard penalty
  • Flag guarding 5-yard penalty
  • Jumping over defender 5-yard penalty
  •  Aggressive physical play – 15 yard penalty

INADVERTENT WHISTLE

  • If a referee inadvertently blows their whistle, the play is immediately dead.

LEAGUE POLICIES

FORFEITS:

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call (201-528-5129) or email (info@hiveathletic.com) our office, so that we can notify your opponent.

STANDINGS:

The updated standings will be posted weekly online.

PLAYOFFS:

  • Playoffs will begin immediately following the end of the regular season and will typically be played in one night.
  • No substitutes will be allowed during playoffs. All players must have signed the waiver by the third week of the season in order to be eligible for playoffs.
  • Playoff eligible teams will be determined on a league by league basis.
Any questions regarding rules, policies, or eligibility of players must be addressed before the start of the game. Any team that would like to challenge the eligibility of an opposing player must do so before the start of the playoff game. No protests will be considered valid after a game has started.

WAIVERS:

In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the online waiver. Waivers are provided and must be completed and submitted in no later than the first night of play. Players must sign the waiver in order to be eligible for playoffs.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:

Players who have been placed on the roster and signed the waiver are eligible for playoffs. A formal protest may be filed before a playoff game if an opposing player’s eligibility is in question. The player in question will be required to provide his/her player information (name, address, phone #) in writing to a HIVE ATHLETIC staff member prior to the start of the game. This qualifies as an official protest. Any protest made during a game or after a game will NOT be considered a formal protest. The game will then be played in its entirety as scheduled. If the protest is proven to be legitimate, it will result in the forfeiture of the game in question.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

The idea of HIVE ATHLETIC is to have fun. We hope that all participants keep that in mind when becoming involved. Although the games may become intense, you still can be competitive while maintaining good sportsmanship. With this said, any behavior deemed unacceptable by staff may result in suspension and/or ejection from a game or the league. Abuse of staff will not be tolerated. HIVE ATHLETIC reserves the right to remove a player from a game or a league if they are considered to be bringing down the quality of the league. HIVE ATHLETIC will not tolerate fighting! Fighting will be an automatic ejection from any game and in most cases ejection from the league for the remainder of the season

LEAGUE CANCELLATION/RAINOUT:

Please call our weather hotline for the most up to date information on any cancellation (201-528-3271). Leagues may be postponed due to existing weather conditions, dangerous or unplayable field conditions, facility constraints, etc. HIVE ATHLETIC staff makes every effort to play all scheduled games, thus we will not cancel games until absolutely necessary. Therefore, if you are calling concerning a decision on a cancellation, remember we will not have an answer until close to the start of the league.

If a game is postponed, HIVE ATHLETIC will change the weather hotline immediately. HIVE ATHLETIC will then email/text all of the captains to let them know if possible. It is then the captains’ responsibility to inform all teammates of the cancellation. If a league is canceled on site, HIVE ATHLETIC staff will attempt to contact those teams still scheduled to play the remainder of the league day/night. Depending on the time of cancellation, some teams will have to be notified on site or not at all. If we do cancel, follow next week’s schedule (ex. If April 13 is canceled teams should follow the April 20 schedule for their next game). The games that are canceled will be made up towards the end of the season. In extreme circumstances, HIVE ATHLETIC reserves the right to move games or weeks to an alternative location or schedule games on days other than your regularly scheduled league day/night if necessary