All players must play 10 minutes of each half. This is half of half’s 20 minutes. The coach is responsible for having a method to ensure that this happens.
Rule change: The penalty for flag guarding and jumping is 10 yards back from original line of scrimmage and loss of down. If the position of the ball is over the line to gain for a first down then a first down is awarded.
Loss of down penalties (flag guarding, jumping, diving, initiating contact, offensive pass interference) on third down for the offense result in a turn over. This is can be confusing at first, it’s third down, your player runs half way down the field and then flag guards. This results in a turnover on downs and the other team getting the ball on their 5-yard line.
Upper only: Pitching is allowed behind the line of scrimmage in the upper division. Once the ball leaves the quarterback’s hand any defender can cross the line of scrimmage. Only one pitch per down is allowed. Hook and ladder-style plays, across the line of scrimmage, are still illegal.
Lower only: All passes must be thrown over the line of scrimmage. No pitching is allowed.
Offensive ball carrier must avoid the defender. The runner cannot initiate contact, as this can be dangerous. In the 6-8th grade this will be a point of emphasis, as some bigger kids will want to “truck” the smaller kids. Multiple infractions will result in ejection.
Defensive player defending pass cannot make contact with the receiver even after the ball has arrived. It will look legal from a tackle football point of view though the defender cannot crash into the receiver after the ball has touched their hands.
If the quarterback does not throw the ball within 7 seconds they will be penalized with a loss of down at the original line of scrimmage.
Fumbled snaps or handoffs result in a loss of down at the original line of scrimmage (not at the spot of the fumble.)
If a quarterback has his flag pulled then the play is down at that spot. The quarterback can be safetied.
No diving for the line of gain. This is effectively jumping which is against the rules and results in loss of down and minus five yards. This is a big penalty if your kid is diving for the goal line. Teach the players to not dive or extend the ball when having their flags pulled. The spot the player is down is where there hips are when the flag is pulled. A touchdown is achieved when the players’ hips cross the goal line, not the ball.
The quarterback can not run though they can go out for a pass after they hand off. A runner who has received a handoff from the quarterback can pass or run the ball. RPO plays are legal as long as the QB has handed off the ball to the option (RB) player.
One timeout per half. Timeouts are not saved across halves.