Player Rules
In order to participate in games, every player must:
- Be properly certified in 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)
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Headgear must have at least a 4 rating by Virginia Tech Helmet Labs and include a fully functional retention system or chin strap
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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
Game Rules
Event Format:
- Every team will complete three games of pool play before single-elimination playoff games
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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.
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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)
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1 point for PAT conversion from 5-yard line
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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
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2 points for PAT conversion from 10-yard line
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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.
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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
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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:
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