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Player Rules

In order to participate in games, every player must:

Be properly certified in registration with Zorts, at the appropriate age for their division (age as of January 1, 2025 applies to each division all season — no exceptions)
Wear a wristband with the correct event name (“Dallas”, “Atlanta”, etc.)
Sign Participation Waiver
Sign Code of Conduct
Play for the same team for the entirety of the event, playing on a different team in either the same or different age group, even from the same program, results in automatic disqualification for both the initial team the player was on and the team they switched to
Wear a mouthguard during the game (not required for quarterbacks)
Wear soft shell headgear (not required for quarterbacks)
Headgear must have at least a 4 rating by Virginia Tech Helmet Labs and include a fully functional retention system or chin strap
Headgear must provide full head coverage with no hard or metal component parts, and be unable to cause harm to others
Concussion Protocol: Medical assessment will be conducted by the Athletic Trainers assigned to the event. Field concussion protocol will be used to establish which course of action will need to be taken. In the event that medical transport is needed, event protocol will be followed in contacting 9-1-1. Concussion Protocol prohibits an athlete from returning to play if transported to hospital. Upon return, athlete must present hospital discharge and restriction paperwork to the coach and event medical staff. If athlete is NOT cleared to participate the athlete WILL NOT PLAY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

Team Rules

Maximum of 30 players per team, no more than 30 wristbands for players per team can be issued
Players must participate in mandatory wristband and equipment gear checks (mouthguard & headgear strapped) before every game
All teams must provide their own footballs and adhere to the standard football sizing chart for their age group
○ PeeWee - Size 5 (8U and below)
○ Junior - Size 6 (8U - 12U)
○ Youth/Intermediate - Size 7 (12U - 14U)
○ High School - Size 9 (14U and up)
Maximum of 4 coaches per team, with sideline access only during games, no more than 4 wristbands for coaches per team can be issued
Coaches and players must be 4 yards back from boundary lines to allow space for officials to move
One offensive coach may be in the huddle between plays
NO OFFENSIVE PLAYERS BEHIND THE QUARTERBACK! (first infraction is a warning, second infraction will result in a Delay of Game penalty for offense)
NO BLITZING
No defensive coach may be on the field at any time
When the opposing offense reaches the 10-yard line, the offensive players on the sideline can go behind the 40-yard line to begin getting ready for their next possession
Every team must check in with the field monitor prior to their scheduled game; if a team is more than 5 minutes late then they must forfeit

Game Rules

Event Format:

Every team will complete three games of pool play before single-elimination playoff games
For each game of pool play, coin toss determines which team will select whether they want to play offense or defense first, Visitors chooses team to call the coin toss, only players can call toss
For each playoff game, higher seeded team decides who has possession first

Referees & Field Monitors:

Every game will be officiated by a minimum of two referees, with one referee responsible for keeping the official game time and score, and the other tracking the score and monitoring the quarterback's 4.00 seconds time to throw using a handheld timer/digital stopwatch.
Referees are responsible for making decisions, enforcing rules on each play, and announcing score changes. They also take charge of tracking runs and blitzes. Conversely, the field monitor's role involves maintaining order, ensuring the proper time flow of the game, addressing disputes on rulings after the completion of pool play games, and intervening in any rule discrepancies during playoff games.

First Downs:

Offense will start on the 40 yard-line with the option of using either hash. First downs will be at the 25-yard line and 10-yard lines. Once the 1st down is achieved inside the 10-yard line you will have three (3) downs to score.
All snaps at the 40-yard line must be off the QB-TEE (No Shotgun). Upon gaining a yard or more, QB may take a shotgun off QB-TEE

Scoring:

6 points for offensive touchdown (no defensive touchdown)
1 point for PAT conversion from 5-yard line
2 points for PAT conversion from 10-yard line
2 points for a Safety
2 points for a Defensive stop
3 points for a Defensive interception +ball on the 30 yard line
2 points for PAT conversion from 10-yard line
No runbacks or “pick six"

Timing:

Every game is 25 minutes long with a running clock that can only be stopped by order from field monitor
Quarterback has 4.00 seconds to throw a forward pass, handoff ball or lateral to running player UNLESS the defense blitzes, in which case the quarterback can throw at any time
The 4.00-seconds time window is tracked by the referee and digital stopwatch , if the quarterback still has possession of the ball after the 4.00-second mark, the play is declared dead, and the referees will blow a delayed whistle, regardless of the result of the play.
In playoffs, each team gets one 30-second timeout per game
If time expires when touchdown is scored, offense is permitted to have PAT chance
The 28-point mercy rule will be implemented during Sunday bracket play

Inadvertent Whistle:

Any inadvertent whistle (whistle accidentally blown during play that was meant to continue) results in dead ball, the offense will have a choice of replaying the down or taking the result of the play of the inadvertent whistle
If inadvertent whistle occurs under 2 minutes in playoff games, clock stops until a decision have been made by the offense and will start at the ready whistle
If inadvertent whistle occurs at end of regulation, the offense will have a choice of replaying the down or taking the result of the play of the inadvertent whistle
If inadvertent whistle occurs on any play of overtime, the offense will have a choice of replaying the down or taking the result of the play of the inadvertent whistle

Ties:

No overtime in pool play games, if score is tied at end of regulation, result is a tie for both teams
In playoff games, if score is tied at end of regulation, overtime is played and referee selects which team calls coin toss
Coin toss winner selects whether to play offense or defense first, order switches for each subsequent possession (if team wins coin toss and elects to go on offense first, they then go second if score is still tied after one set of possessions)
Offense and defense have alternating possessions, if one team has higher score at end of a possession it wins the game
Each team will have 2 downs from the QB-tee from the 10 yard line, choice of hash. If you score, you receive the standard 6 points
Only offensive scoring counts in overtime, no points awarded for defensive stops or interceptions
On first possession for each offense, PAT attempts can be from either the 5-yard line (1 point possible) or 10-yard line (2 points possible); for second possession and all others, PAT attempts must be from the 10-yard line. If the coach doesn’t respond to the official on which yard-line, the official will place the ball on the 5-yard line to go for 1 point. Once this decision is made, coaches cannot overturn this decision
If neither team scores or it still ends as a tie, we will flip the coin again then back to the standard longest passing yard from the 40-yard line.
The team with the most positive yards will be declared the winner of the tiebreaker and will add 1 point to the final score

Offense:

All offensive formations must be legal sets — at least two receivers on line of scrimmage for every snap with proper alignment on and off the ball
All passes must be thrown forward by the quarterback, if the quarterback throws laterally to a receiver it counts as a run play (I.E. RB swing passes, RB tosses, WR lateral)
Reception occurs when offensive player possesses ball with at least one step inbounds
Snaps must be performed by a player, coaches are not allowed to initiate play
A muffed snap/bad snap by the QB prior to throwing a pass is not a fumble, QB may field the snap cleanly. The quarterback has all 4.00 seconds to attempt a pass, hand-off ball or lateral to running player unless being blitz
The first person to control the football off the QB-Tee or center is the QB. The QB is never eligible to run. The 2nd player to possess the ball is the runner and is not allowed to throw any forward passes.
If an offensive player fumbles the ball, the play is blown dead where the ball is fumbled
No blocking permitted, result of play is offensive holding penalty and loss of down
Laterals are not permitted after initial exchange from quarterback to running back/receiver
Offense is responsible for retrieving and returning the ball to previous scrimmage spot or new scrimmage spot, any deliberate attempt by offense to impede spot results in delay of game penalty

Defense:

It is the defense’s responsibility to avoid contact
An interception will result in an immediate stoppage of play and a change of possession with the interception team gaining possession at the 30-yard line. If an unsportsmanlike penalty is given to the interception team, they will be penalized 15 yards + loss of down
Interceptions cannot be ran back or “pick six”, immediately dead after change of possession
Defensive player is allowed initial disruptive contact/jam against offensive player at line of scrimmage but will be assigned a 5-yard holding penalty if there is prolonged or excessive contact after disruption/jam, and if contact includes shoving, pushing or striking a blow against another player, a 15-yard personal foul penalty will be assessed instead of the 5-yard holding penalty
An offensive receiver/ball carrier is considered down when a defensive player contacts the player with at least one hand below the neck and above the ankles
The defense is allowed one blitz per game, tracked by the referees, defense can blitz as many players as they want
If there is an offensive penalty on the play that the blitz is used, the defense is awarded their blitz back
If the defense blitzes after already using their one blitz, it is treated as a live ball foul. The defense will be assessed a 10-yard penalty and an automatic first down awarded to the offense

Celebration:

Players are permitted and encouraged to celebrate with teammates and coaches in-between plays and after the game has ended

Excessive celebration is prohibited directly in front of opposing players, coaches, or spectators. Actions involving taunting and disrespect will incur a 15-yard penalty for the 1st personal foul. A 2nd personal foul will lead to ejection and disqualification from the entire tournament. Any 3rd personal foul by a player from the same team will result in the entire team being disqualified from the tournament.

No kicking, punting or throwing the ball of any act similar will be permitted, actions will incur a 15-yard penalty for the 1st personal foul. A 2nd personal foul will lead to ejection and disqualification from the entire tournament. Any 3rd personal foul by a player from the same team will result in the entire team being disqualified from the tournament.

Only the highest standards of sportsmanship and conduct are expected of players, coaches and others involved in the game. There is no place for unfair tactics, unsportsmanlike conduct or actions deliberately designed to inflict harm

Penalties:

OFFENSE ASSESSED RESULT

Falst Start

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Illegal Formation/Shift/Motion

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Offsides

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Delay of Game

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Illegal Forward Pass

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Illegal Advancement

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Blocking

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Offensive Pass Interference

Line of Scimmage

Loss of Down

Unnecessary Roughness

15 Yards - LOS

Loss of Down

Unsportsmanlike

15 Yards

Loss of Down

Fumbles

Dead Ball (Offense Retains Possession at the Spot)

DEFENSE ASSESSED RESULT

Enchroachment/Neutral Zone

5 Yards

Repeat Down

Illegal Formation/Shift/Motion

5 Yards

Repeat Down

Offsides

5 Yards

Repeat Down

Provoking Offensive Cadence or Snap

5 Yards

Repeat Down

Defensive Pass Interference

15 Yards

First Down

Holding

5 Yards

First Down

Unnecessary Roughness

15 Yards

First Down

Additioanal Blitzing

15 Yards

First Down

Unsportsmanlike

15 Yards

First Down

Offensive hands to the face: Loss of down

Defensive hands to the face: 5-yard penalty, first down

Offensive delay of game: 5-yard penalty unless occurs at 40-yard line, then loss of down

Defensive delay of game: 5-yard penalty, first down

If offense commits two consecutive delay of game penalties, change of possession occurs and opposing defense is awarded 2 points

If offense commits delay of game penalty in final five minutes of playoff game, game clock stops until next snap

What Qualifies as Delay of Game:

Offense taking more than 25 seconds to snap ball once referee marks it ready for play

Quarterback throwing ball well after play is blown dead

More than 7 players on the field for either the offense or defense

Delay by either offense or defense in retrieving and returning the ball to referee

Throwing or launching ball into the air

Offensive personal foul: 15-yard penalty, loss of down

Defensive personal foul: 15-yard penalty, first down

Offensive personal foul on turnover/other change of possession: 15-yard penalty for opponent’s offense

Defensive personal foul on turnover/other change of possession: Loss of down for their offense

Offensive personal foul after touchdown is scored: Lose PAT chance

What Qualifies as a Personal Foul:

Excessive force, such as shoving, pushing or striking a blow on an opposing player

Defensive player diving at an offensive player

Unnecessary or avoidable contact with another player

Directly taunting an opposing player, coach or spectator — some trash talk is OK, but keep it clean!

Excessive celebration after any play — anything that disrupts flow of game and instigates opposing players or coaches

Kicking or punting the ball (unless done with intent to give to referee or field monitor)

Tackling or running into a receiver when a forward pass obviously is underthrown or overthrown is disregarding the ball and is illegal

Coaches that need to have conversations with officials about specific rulings within the game must do so from the Team Area. Coaches are encouraged not to enter the field of play or leave the Team Area to debate officiating decisions, and those that do so will have committed an automatic Unsportsmanlike Conduct Foul

Appeals/Roster Request:

Appeals are not permitted during pool play games, all questions and interpretations may be brought up to a field monitor for any explanation needed

In playoffs, teams must use their timeout to appeal a rule interpretation or penalty enforcement. If the appeal is successful, then timeout will be rewarded back. If the appeal is not successful, then the timeout will not be rewarded back.

In playoffs, field monitor can stop clock in game and discuss referees’ ruling with them at their discretion

All appeals and roster protests must come from coaches, not players

Requests for roster protests are allowed at any time. Coaches must notify officials and the field monitor before or during the game. Coaches are limited to protesting 1-3 players. The game will continue without interruption as tournament staff officials review the rosters. If the protest is successful, the opposing team will forfeit the game with a score of 28-0. If the protest is unsuccessful, the game will be recorded as is. Roster protests requested after the game will not be permitted.

Event Conduct

No fighting will be tolerated.Any player who initiates a fight where a punch is thrown with an open or closed hand will be immediately ejected from the tournament

No players are to leave the sideline and enter the field if a fight breaks out during a game. Those players will be immediately ejected from the current game and subject to ejection from the tournament

Parents and fans are to remain away from the bench area of teams. Any parent who instigates a fight with an opposing player or coach will be removed from the event and team may be subject to ejection from event. Sidelines are to remain clear of any non-banded personnel

Any parent or fan entering the field of play during a game for any reason (except injury) will be immediately ejected from the event and the team may be ejected from the tournament

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OVERTIME

Consists of 3 plays from 10-yard line. Each team has an attempt to score in each overtime period. All PAT’s must be 2-point attempts from the 10-yard line. Overtime periods are not timed.

SCORING

Touchdown - 6 points, 5-yard PAT – 1 point, 10-yard PAT – 2 points, Interception - 3 points (no points on PAT) AND Turnover on downs - 2 points

PENALTIES

Defensive pass interference or holding = Automatic 1st Down and 5-yard penalty from original line of scrimmage or half the distance to the goal. If a sack occurs on a pass interference or holding penalty, the sack will not count.

Offense pass interference = Previous spot and loss of down.

Illegal procedure (offense) = Loss of down.

Defensive off-sides = 5-yard penalty.

Delay of game = Loss of down and clock stops in final 1:00.

Fighting / unsportsmanlike conduct: 1st offense = ejection from game. 2nd offense = ejection from tournament. TEAM - if any

player leaves the sideline to participate in an on-field altercation, the ENTIRE TEAM WILL BE EJECTED

FROM THE TOURNAMENT.

PERSONAL FOUL PENALTIES:

Offense = loss of down and 5 yards from original line of scrimmage.

Defense = 1st down and 5 yards from original line of

scrimmage.

TOURNAMENT SEEDING & TIE-BREAKERS:

Teams will be broken into pools with equal number of teams. TOP 8 Teams will be seeded for the tournament according to overall records from pool play. Records which are tied after pool play will be broken as followed:

1.) Head – to – Head

2.) Fewest points

allowed.

3.) Most points scored.

4.) Flip of coin

Player Rules

In order to participate in games, every player must:

Be properly certified in registration with Zorts, at the appropriate age for their division (age as of January 1, 2024 applies to each division all season — no exceptions)

Wear a wristband with the correct event name (“Houston”, “Tampa”, etc.)

Sign Participation Waiver

Sign Code of Conduct

Play for the same team for the entirety of the event, playing on a different team in either the same or different age group, even from the same program, results in automatic disqualification for both the initial team the player was on and the team they switched to

Wear a mouthguard during the game (not required for quarterbacks)

Wear soft shell headgear (not required for quarterbacks)

Headgear must have at least a 4 rating by Virginia Tech Helmet Labs and include a fully functional retention system or chin strap

Headgear must provide full head coverage with no hard or metal component parts, and be unable to cause harm to others

Concussion Protocol: Medical assessment will be conducted by the Athletic Trainers assigned to the event. Field concussion protocol will be used to establish which course of action will need to be taken. In the event that medical transport is needed, event protocol will be followed in contacting 9-1-1. Concussion Protocol prohibits an athlete from returning to play if transported to hospital. Upon return, athlete must present hospital discharge and restriction paperwork to the coach and event medical staff. If athlete is NOT cleared to participate the athlete WILL NOT PLAY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

Team Rules

Maximum of 30 players per team, no more than 30 wristbands for players per team can be issued

Players must participate in mandatory wristband and equipment gear checks (mouthguard & headgear strapped) before every game

All teams must provide their own footballs and adhere to the standard football sizing chart for their age group

○ PeeWee - Size 5 (8U and below)

○ Junior - Size 6 (8U - 12U)

○ Youth/Intermediate - Size 7 (12U - 14U)

○ High School - Size 9 (14U and up)

Maximum of 4 coaches per team, with sideline access only during games, no more than 4 wristbands for coaches per team can be issued

Coaches and players must be 4 yards back from boundary lines to allow space for officials to move

One offensive coach may be in the huddle between plays

NO OFFENSIVE PLAYERS BEHIND THE QUARTERBACK! (first infraction is a warning, second infraction will result in a Delay of Game penalty for offense)

NO BLITZING AT THE 40 YARD LINE ALLOWED. IF A DEFENSE BLITZES, THIS WILL BE DEEMED AN ILLEGAL PROCEDURE AND AN AUTOMATIC 1st DOWN AND FIVE (5) YARDS FOR OFFENSE.

No defensive coach may be on the field at any time

When the opposing offense reaches the 10-yard line, the offensive players on the sideline can go behind the 40-yard line to begin getting ready for their next possession

Every team must check in with the field monitor prior to their scheduled game; if a team is more than 5 minutes late then they must forfeit

Game Rules

Event Format:

Every team will complete three games of pool play before single-elimination playoff games

For each game of pool play, coin toss determines which team will select whether they want to play offense or defense first, Visitors chooses team to call the coin toss, only players can call toss

For each playoff game, higher seeded team decides who has possession first

Referees & Field Monitors:

Every game will be officiated by a minimum of two referees, with one referee responsible for keeping the official game time and score, and the other tracking the score and monitoring the quarterback's 4.00 seconds time to throw using a handheld timer/digital stopwatch.

Referees are responsible for making decisions, enforcing rules on each play, and announcing score changes. They also take charge of tracking runs and blitzes. Conversely, the field monitor's role involves maintaining order, ensuring the proper time flow of the game, addressing disputes on rulings after the completion of pool play games, and intervening in any rule discrepancies during playoff games.

First Downs:

Offense will start on the 40 yard-line with the option of using either hash. First downs will be at the 25-yard line and 10-yard lines. Once the 1st down is achieved inside the 10-yard line you will have three (3) downs to score.

All snaps at the 40-yard line must be off the QB-TEE (No Shotgun). Upon gaining a yard or more, QB may take a shotgun off QB-TEE

Scoring:

6 points for offensive touchdown (no defensive touchdown)

1 point for PAT conversion from 5-yard line

2 points for PAT conversion from 10-yard line

2 points for a Safety

2 points for a Defensive stop

3 points for a Defensive interception +ball on the 30 yard line

○ No runbacks or “pick six”

0 points for a defensive interception on PAT attempt

Timing:

Every game is 25 minutes long with a running clock that can only be stopped by order from field monitor

Quarterback has 4.00 seconds to throw a forward pass, handoff ball or lateral to running player UNLESS the defense blitzes, in which case the quarterback can throw at any time

The 4.00-seconds time window is tracked by the referee and digital stopwatch , if the quarterback still has possession of the ball after the 4.00-second mark, the play is declared dead, and the referees will blow a delayed whistle, regardless of the result of the play.

In playoffs, each team gets one 30-second timeout per game

If time expires when touchdown is scored, offense is permitted to have PAT chance

The 28-point mercy rule will be implemented during Sunday bracket play

Inadvertent Whistle:

Any inadvertent whistle (whistle accidentally blown during play that was meant to continue) results in dead ball, the offense will have a choice of replaying the down or taking the result of the play of the inadvertent whistle

If inadvertent whistle occurs under 2 minutes in playoff games, clock stops until a decision have been made by the offense and will start at the ready whistle

If inadvertent whistle occurs at end of regulation, the offense will have a choice of replaying the down or taking the result of the play of the inadvertent whistle

If inadvertent whistle occurs on any play of overtime, the offense will have a choice of replaying the down or taking the result of the play of the inadvertent whistle

Ties:

No overtime in pool play games, if score is tied at end of regulation, result is a tie for both teams

In playoff games, if score is tied at end of regulation, overtime is played and referee selects which team calls coin toss

Coin toss winner selects whether to play offense or defense first, order switches for each subsequent possession (if team wins coin toss and elects to go on offense first, they then go second if score is still tied after one set of possessions)

Offense and defense have alternating possessions, if one team has higher score at end of a possession it wins the game

Each team will have 2 downs from the QB-tee from the 10 yard line, choice of hash. If you score, you receive the standard 6 points

There is NO running or blitzing in overtime. All plays MUST be a pass

Only offensive scoring counts in overtime, no points awarded for defensive stops or interceptions

On first possession for each offense, PAT attempts can be from either the 5-yard line (1 point possible) or 10-yard line (2 points possible); for second possession and all others, PAT attempts must be from the 10-yard line. If the coach doesn’t respond to the official on which yard-line, the official will place the ball on the 5-yard line to go for 1 point. Once this decision is made, coaches cannot overturn this decision

If neither team scores or it still ends as a tie, we will flip the coin again then back to the standard longest passing yard from the 40-yard line.

There is no running or blitzing allowed in the longest yard situations

The team with the most positive yards will be declared the winner of the tiebreaker and will add 1 point to the final score

All plays resulting in negative yards, loss of down penalties or interceptions will result in 0 positive yards. Here are a few scenarios below:

○ Offense starts on the 40 yard line and completes a pass at the 41 yard line and gets tagged immediately by the defensive player will result in a 0 positive yard gained and not -1

○ If the offense throws an interception, the play will result as 0 positive yards gained

○ If the offense false starts on the play, the play will result as 0 positive yards gained

If there is no completion, or the deepest completion is equal, the tiebreaker will be repeated with the team that lost the initial coin toss making the choice to either take offense or defense.

This format will be repeated until a clear winner is declared

This tiebreaker format will be used in SINGLE ELIMINATION GAMES ONLY

Offense:

All offensive formations must be legal sets — at least two receivers on line of scrimmage for every snap with proper alignment on and off the ball

The offense is allowed one running play per game, tracked by the referees, any offensive player except the quarterback can run

Safeties will be enforced for any plays that have the final result of the play being behind the 40 yard line. (I.E. any running plays behind the 40 yard line and player is tagged at the 41 yard line or QB fumbles)

If the offense runs after already using their one run, Illegal advancement, it is a loss of down

All passes must be thrown forward by the quarterback, if the quarterback throws laterally to a receiver it counts as a run play (I.E. RB swing passes, RB tosses, WR lateral)

○ A forward pass on a jet sweep behind the line of scrimmage is not a run play, it will be considered a run play if the QB hands off to the player in motion on jet sweep

If a team blitzes, there will be NO 4.00 second count! QB can scramble but can not run passed the original line of scrimmage

Reception occurs when offensive player possesses ball with at least one step inbounds

Snaps must be performed by a player, coaches are not allowed to initiate play

A muffed snap/bad snap by the QB prior to throwing a pass is not a fumble, QB may field the snap cleanly. The quarterback has all 4.00 seconds to attempt a pass, hand-off ball or lateral to running player unless being blitz

The first person to control the football off the QB-Tee or center is the QB. The QB is never eligible to run. The 2nd player to possess the ball is the runner and is not allowed to throw any forward passes.

If an offensive player fumbles the ball, the play is blown dead where the ball is fumbled

No blocking permitted, result of play is offensive holding penalty and loss of down

Laterals are not permitted after initial exchange from quarterback to running back/receiver

All offensive player substitutions must take place behind the line of scrimmage

Offense is responsible for retrieving and returning the ball to previous scrimmage spot or new scrimmage spot, any deliberate attempt by offense to impede spot results in delay of game penalty

If utlizing a center to snap the ball, players must snap in one continuous motion from the ground

Defense:

It is the defense’s responsibility to avoid contact

An interception will result in an immediate stoppage of play and a change of possession with the interception team gaining possession at the 30-yard line. If an unsportsmanlike penalty is given to the interception team, they will be penalized 15 yards + loss of down

Interceptions cannot be ran back or “pick six”, immediately dead after change of possession

Defensive player is allowed initial disruptive contact/jam against offensive player at line of scrimmage but will be assigned a 5-yard holding penalty if there is prolonged or excessive contact after disruption/jam, and if contact includes shoving, pushing or striking a blow against another player, a 15-yard personal foul penalty will be assessed instead of the 5-yard holding penalty

An offensive receiver/ball carrier is considered down when a defensive player contacts the player with at least one hand below the neck and above the ankles

The defense is allowed one blitz per game, tracked by the referees, defense can blitz as many players as they want

NO BLITZING AT THE 40 YARD LINE ALLOWED. IF A DEFENSE BLITZES, THIS WILL BE DEEMED AN ILLEGAL PROCEDURE AND AN AUTOMATIC 1st DOWN AND FIVE (5) YARDS FOR OFFENSE and FORFEIT THEIR ONE BLITZ

Defensive players cannot cross the line on a run play until the quarterback hands the ball off or laterals to the RB/WR

If there is an offensive penalty on the play that the blitz is used, the defense is awarded their blitz back

If the defense blitzes after already using their one blitz, it is treated as a live ball foul. The defense will be assessed a 10-yard penalty and an automatic first down awarded to the offense

In the event of a team blitzing and facing a defensive penalty on the play, the blitzing team will forfeit their blitz. However, if an offensive penality occurs on the play, the blitzing team has the option to accept the penalty, allowing them to maintain their blitz. In the case of offsetting penalties, the defense will retain their blitz.