Game Rules

Intramural Flag Football

Rules are adopted from the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association Flag and Touch Football Rule Book.

1. Team Captain Duties and Responsibilities:

   1. Make sure the team roster has been submitted to the Intramural Office and that substitutes are added.

   2. Fill out the game roster at least five minutes before game time.

   3. Meet with the game official for coin toss and last minute instructions.

   4. Must be on the playing field or sidelines at all times. Must designate an on-file captain if he/she is not playing.

   5. Only captains may address officials for interpretations of rules.

   6. File protest of game if needed. Protests may only be filed concerning an ineligible player or a misinterpretation of a rule. The protest must be submitted in writing to the Intramural Office by 4:30 p.m. the day following the contest in question.

   7. Make sure that a ref is provided for the game following each of your games.

   8. The team captain is responsible for all players behavior on the field and on the sidelines.
      

2. Uniforms and Equipment:

   1. Players must wear pants without belt loops, pockets, or exposed drawstrings. Long pants are recommended but not required. No spikes will be allowed on the playing field. Tennis shoes or soccer shoes are recommended for safe play. No regular football equipment will be allowed. Shoes with hard plastic cleats are acceptable metal tipped shoes are not.

   2. A ball will be provided but you may use your own ball if the intramural manager and the officials approve.

   3. Teams will be determined by the color of flags worn.

   4. Flags will be provided and must be worn by all players. Wrapping, tying, or illegal wearing of the flags will result in a 10-yard penalty, loss of down, and player disqualification.
      

3. The Game:

   1. Each team will consist of seven players. A game cannot start with less than five players.

   2. Each half will start at their own 10 yard line.Prior to the start of the game, there will be a coin toss. The winner of the toss shall choose whether to defer or receive, or which goal his/her team is to defend.

   3. Game time: Each game will consist of four (4) ten-minute quarters, the clock running continuously until the last two minutes of the second and fourth quarter. At this time, the clock will stop for:

      1. Incomplete pass - starts on the snap.

      2. Out-of-bounds - starts on the snap.

      3. Score (touchdown or safety) - starts when the kickoff is legally touched.

      4. Team time-out - starts on the snap.

      5. Fair catch - starts on the snap.

      6. Penalty & Administration - dependent upon the previous play (execution delay of game - starts on the snap.)

      7. Referee’s time-out - starts at his/her discretion.

      8. Touchback - starts on the snap.

      There will be five minutes between halves and one minutes between quarters and over-time (if necessary).

   4. Each team will be allowed three (3) one-minute time-outs per half. The clock will begin at the completion of each time-out when the ball is snapped.

   5. Overtime: Each team will be given four downs from the same 20-yard line. The object will be to score a touchdown. If the first team awarded the ball scores, the second team will still have four downs to attempt to score. If the defense intercepts the ball and returns it for a touchdown, the ball will be placed at the 10-yard line to begin their series of four downs. Each team is entitled to one time-out per over-time. If the score is tied after the first over-time, a second will be played, etc.

   6. Fouls and penalties are administered similar to the regular game. Team “A” shall be awarded a new series of four (4) downs when the penalty for defensive pass interference or roughing the passer is accepted. Live ball foul by the defensive team during a down that ends in a touchdown or successful try-for-point will be penalized from the succeeding spot, the ten-yard line, if accepted. Dead ball fouls following a touchdown or successful try-for-point will be penalized from the succeeding spot, the ten-yard line, if accepted.

   7. Illegal Delay of Game: The ball must be put into play promptly and legally and any action or inaction by either team that tends to prevent this is illegal delay of game. This includes:

      1. Consuming more than 25 seconds putting the ball into play after it is prepared for play.

      2. Deliberately advancing the ball after it has been declared dead.

      3. A coach-referee conference after all permissible charged time-outs for coaches team has been used and during which the referee is requested to consider the application of rule and no charge results.

      The penalty for delay of game is five yards from the spot of the snap.

   8. Unfair tactics: The referee may order the game clock started or stopped whenever, in his/her opinion, either team is trying to conserve or consume playing time by tactics which are obviously unfair. The penalty is five (5) yards. This includes a 25 second delay that is a stall at the end of the game.

   9. All players must remain in their team areas. The team areas will be between the 20-yard lines.

   10. Substitutes must be listed on the game roster before entering the field. All substitutions must be made between downs and must enter the playing field from their team areas. Penalty is five yards.
       

4. The Playing Field:

   1. The playing field will be 100 yards long, including end zones, and 40 yards wide. The field will be divided into four 20-yard zones and two ten-yard zones.

   2. The lines bounding the sidelines and the end zones are considered out-of- bounds.
      
      

      End Zone 10 yards

      20 yards

      20 yards

      20 yards

      20 yards

      End Zone 10 yards

    

Offensive Play:

1. Placement of the ball will be on the 10 yard line to begins each half of the game and begins play following a touchdown or safety. The offense will have four downs in which to reach the next 20-yard line.
2. The offensive team must have at least four players on the line of scrimmage. The remainder of the players must be either on the line of scrimmage or behind the backfield line.
   Penalty: Illegal procedure - 5 yards.
3. Shift: On a snap proceeded by a huddle or shift, all offensive players must come to a complete stop and remain stationary in legal position without movement of feet, body or arms for at least one full second before the snap.
   Penalty: Illegal shift - 5 yards.
4. Motion: One offensive player may be in motion, but not in motion toward the opponent’s goal line. If such a player starts from their scrimmage line, that player must be at least 5 yards behind that line when the ball is snapped. Other offensive players must be stationary in their positions without movement of the feet, body, head or arms. The offensive team must still have four players on their scrimmage line.
   Penalty: Illegal Motion - 5 yards.
5. No Direct Snap: The player who received the snap must be at least 2 yards behind the offensive line. Direct snaps are illegal.
   Penalty: Illegal procedure - 5 yards.
6. Stances: Players use a two, three or four - point stance.
7. Legal Forward Pass: All players of either team are eligible to touch or catch a pass. During a scrimmage down and before a team possession has changed, a forward pass may be thrown provided the ball, when it leaves the passer’s hand, is behind the line of scrimmage. Only one forward pass can be thrown per down.
8. Illegal Forward Pass: A forward pass is illegal if:
   1. The passer is beyond the line of scrimmage when the ball leaves his/her hand.

   2. Thrown after team possession has changed during the down.

      Intentionally thrown to the ground or out-of-bounds to save loss of yardage.

   3. There is more than one forward pass per down.
      Penalty: Five yards from the spot of the foul, and a loss of down, if by Team A before possession changes during a scrimmage down.
9. Simultaneous Catch by Opposing Players: If opposing players simultaneously catch a legal forward pass, the ball becomes dead and belongs to the team that snapped the ball.
10. Offensive Screen Blocking: The offensive screen block shall take place without contact. The screen blocker shall have his/her hands and arms at his/her side or behind the back. Any use of the arms, elbows, or legs to initiate contact during an offensive player’s screen block is illegal. A blocker may use his/her hands or arms to break a fall or retain balance. A player must be set on his/her feet before, during and after screen blocking.
    Penalty: Personal foul - 10 yards.
    

Screen Blocking Fundamentals:
A player who screens shall not:

1. When he/she is behind a stationary opponent, take a position closer than a normal step from him/her.

2. When he/she assumes a position at the side or in front of a stationary opponent, made contact with him/her.

3. Take a position so close to a moving opponent that his/her opponent cannot avoid contact by stopping or changing direction.
   Penalty: Personal foul - 10 yards.

Defensive players must go around the offensive players screen block. The arms and hands may not be used as a wedge to contact the opponent.

Flag Belt Removal:

1. A player may be legally ‘deflagged’ only when he is in possession of the football.

2. If the runner loses his/her flag belt, play continues and a one-hand touch between the thigh and shoulder is equivalent to ‘deflagging.’

3. If flag is removed intentionally, ball will return to spot with a loss of down.
   

Inadvertent Whistle:
The ball is in player possession:

• Team in possession may elect to put the ball in play where declared dead, or replay the down.

Loose ball from fumble:

• Is a dead ball.  There are no fumbles. The ball can not be picked up and ran back.

During a legal forward pass:

• The ball is returned to the previous spot and the down replayed.
  There is no time added to the clock during a down with an inadvertent whistle.

Scoring:  Before a score can be counted the player scoring must immediately raise their hand in

the air and on official must remove flagbelt to insure proper wearing of flags. 
Touchdown -    6 points
Extra Points -  1 point from 3-yard line
                      2 points from 10-yard line 3 from the 20-yard line
Safety -           2 points

Summary of Fouls and Penalties

 
Disqualification Associated with Certain 10 yard Penalties

1. Unsportsmanlike conduct on a team or individual.
2. Spiking, kicking, throwing or not returning ball to official.
3. Unsportsmanlike conduct by coaches, substitutes, or followers.
4. Personal fouls.
5. Fighting
6. Verbal and abusive language toward official's, opposing teams, other players and recreational services staff.

Rule Changes & Additions

Missouri Western State University Intramural Rules

1. Injuries and Insurance: Students, faculty and staff are reminded that their participation in intramural sports and free-time recreation activities is completely voluntary and the intramural/Free-time Recreation staff assumes no liability or responsibility during participation. It is strongly recommended that all participants have a satisfactory health status and appropriate personal accident insurance coverage for any injury which might occur during participation in these activities. Insurance is available for students through the Dean of Student Affairs Office.
   
   In the event of an injury, the injured player is required to sit out one play and then re-enter the game at the referee’s discretion. In the event of a serious injury, the player is required to sit out the rest of the game.
    

2. A student must be currently enrolled for at least one hour of credit at Missouri Western State University to be eligible for intramural participation. A faculty or staff member is eligible as long as they are officially recognized by the University as faculty or staff.
    

3. Any person who has been red-shirted or a member of a freshman, junior varsity or varsity athletic team in the fall or spring at any college or university is ineligible to participate in that specific intramural activity or related activity that school year. Only two former varsity athlete is allowed on any one intramural team. If the team has a former athlete on it the team must play in the upper division if there is one.  For further clarification contact the Intramural Office.  An individual is considered to be a member of a varsity squad if he practices with the team, his name appears on a roster for a regular season game or if he plays spring ball.
    

4. A player may not transfer from one team to another during a particular activity once they have played in the first game. At the start of a new activity, he/she is then able to transfer to a new team.
   

5. A player ejected from a game may not play again in that activity. If a player is ejected from two contests, he/she may not participate in Intramurals.
   

6. Additional names may be added to the roster as an activity progresses, provided the names are added to the roster 24 hours before the player participates in their first game. Names may not be added to the roster after the last regular season game.

More detailed information on eligibility for Intramural Sports can be obtained from the Intramural Sports Handbook.