General

Playing Rules

Playing rules are to be the same as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), with the exception of those items specifically noted within this document, as ratified by the YFL Presidents Council. During AAU regional and national competitions the playing rules as set forth by the National Federation of High School (NFHS) shall prevail. All competition within the YFL (including preseason, regular season, and YFL playoffs) shall use the NCAA rules.

Game/Practice Field Control

Organization Presidents and/or CEOs are responsible maintaining control at their game fields including coaches, staff, parents, and other spectators.

Protest Rulings & Penalties

In the event of a protest regarding the violation of any provisions of the YFL Official Playing Rules, the Office of the League Commissioner may consider all facts associated with the alleged violation to determine the validity of said violation and the resultant penalty to be imposed. The penalty may range from an official sanction from the league, which may include fines, up to and including game forfeiture. In rare occasions, immediate membership termination may also be considered. 

Mandatory Player Check-In

All eligible football players are required to check in prior to participating in every regular and post season game. The following provisions should be followed by each participating member and player:

A.      Mandatory Player check-in must be held 15 minutes prior to the scheduled game time.

B.       Team Registrar(s)/Team Mom(s) must be available at the field entry gate to check-in any late-arriving players through the 1^st quarter of the game.

C.       After the 1^st quarter of the game, further late-arriving players will be allowed to check-in during the half-time only, which is the last opportunity for the day.

D.      All players must check-in prior to taking the field. In the event that a legitimately registered player participates in a game without checking in, the applicable organization/team will be assessed a $100 fine payable to the League prior to the next week’s game. If an illegal player plays at any time will result in a game forfeiture.

Age Divisions and Weight Restrictions

Under no circumstances can a single player participate in more than one (1) age division in a single season, including all post-season play. Violations of any age/weight/participation restriction are subject to forfeiture of all games in which the player participates and substantial fines to be determined by League Football Commissioner.

Weight Restrictions

Definitions

1.        Ball Carrier - Offensive players who may, through normal play, catch, carry, and/or advance the ball while in play. Only eligible offensive ball carriers may lineup in a position that could potentially carry the ball. Defensive players of any size may recover turnovers and advance the ball, regardless of weight.

2.        Tackle to Tackle - Players are restricted to playing on the offensive and/or defensive line between where the offensive tackles would normally line up.

           NOTE: Ball Carrier weights do NOT apply to any defensive player positions.

Players Moving Up

Players are allowed to move up to the next higher age division if they are in the upper age range of their eligible division and if granted permission by the Parent and supported by organization’s/team’s leadership. Once a player has been registered to play on the next higher level he/she will be unable to move down to a lower level for his/her remaining tenure in YFL.

Practice Sessions

Pre-Season Practice

Practice sessions and/or conditioning drills shall not begin prior to the first full week of June. Each player should have participated in a minimum of five (5) practice sessions and/or conditioning drills prior beginning any full contact activity. Up to the period within two (2) weeks of the first regular season game, teams are restricted to five (5) practice sessions and/or conditioning sessions per week. Practice sessions in full pads may not commence until four (4) weeks prior to the first scheduled game or until determined differently by the Executive Board.

Regular Practice

Within two (2) weeks of the first regular season league game, teams shall be permitted only three (3) practice sessions per week. Any team with an open date or bye shall be permitted the same number of practice sessions that they would have normally had, in addition, the team may have one additional practice in lieu of the game not played. This rule applies to all regular season games and post-season games.

Practice Details

All practice and conditioning sessions shall not exceed two (2) hours in duration. This period shall include any and all supervised group or individual instruction or activity. No more than one (1) session shall be permitted per day. No sessions are allowed on Sundays.

Pre-Season Games / Exhibitions

Opening Day / Jamboree Games

All teams/organizations must participate in the League’s scheduled Opening Day activities that may/may not include a Jamboree game. All Jamboree games are exhibitions only, and will be controlled via official game referees. All Jamboree games shall be played in two (2) halves of five (5) minutes for the Freshman/Developmental and Jr. Varsity divisions, and two (2) halves of eight (8) minutes for the Varsity and Sr. Varsity divisions.

Exhibition Games

All teams are permitted one (1) and only one exhibition game against another league team as agreed to by the presidents of participating teams. This applies to each division. Exhibition games shall be controlled by the head coaches of the respective teams or other designated authority.

Non-League Competition

It is strictly prohibited for a team/organization or player to participate in any game or scrimmage outside the Youth Football League without prior approval of the League’s Executive Board. Violations of this rule may result in significant fines, forfeiture of regular season and/or playoff games, forfeiture of funds distribution from the League, and/or expulsion from the League.

Written requests for an exception to this rule must be submitted in writing to the League, and approved by the Executive Board. Written requests must include the date, time, and anticipated location of any exhibition against a non-YFL team/organization. It shall also include any significant reasons why such a contest is being requested and/or necessary.

Competition in AAU District, Regional, or National Championship events are to be considered sanctioned by the YFL if the competing team is the official representative of the YFL to said events.

Games

Scheduling & Length

All regular season and playoff games shall be played on a Saturday, unless otherwise required to make up games. The Super Bowl shall be played on a Saturday or Sunday. All schedules will be developed by the League Football Commissioner(s).

The regular season schedule shall be a minimum of 6 games, and a maximum of 10 games for all divisions. The Opening Day/Jamboree Game, if played, shall not count as a regular season game. Games postponed due to inclement weather or emergency situation such as an approaching hurricane, tropical storm, or terrorist alert conditions shall be rescheduled or cancelled by the League Football Commissioner(s).

All regular season and playoff games will consist of four equal quarters. Game length for each division shall be as follows:

* Halftime breaks shall be equal to the quarter length for each division.

Conferences

The YFL shall be separated into two (2) conferences, the American Conference and the National Conference. Teams will be assigned to a conference by the Football Commissioner(s) after the League makeup is determined. Based on the number of participating teams within the League, the League Commissioner may determine if the conference alignments shall be used for determining playoff eligibility and standings.

Game Officials

Licensed adult officials will be provided by the League to officiate all League games. During all games, the Referee or Head Official will have the authority over all actions on the playing field, including the sidelines. Their decisions will be binding to all concerned and they will have final authority. The officials may take required action, including ejection of persons from the game or stadium area. A YFL League representative and/or security shall carry out the removal decisions of the officials.

Authorized Personnel

The following personnel will be allowed on the sidelines during games:

1.        Coaches and Staff: Each team is allotted one (1) head coach, ten (10) assistants, three (3) water persons, two (2) team moms or designees, and one (1) medic.

2.        Cheerleaders and Staff: All cheerleaders and staff are permitted on the sidelines, however should take all reasonable steps and precautions against interfering with game play and avoiding potential injury.

3.        Chain Crew: Chain crew members are required to be 15+ years old. The visiting team must furnish two (2) people, and the home team must provide one (1) person to operate the chains and down markers along the sidelines. Chain crew members are not permitted to use a mobile phone, Bluetooth earpieces, or other communication device or send any type of hand gestures while working the chains. Any unsportsmanlike conduct by any member of the chain crew will result in a penalty of fifteen (15) yards against the offending team. Payments to chain crew members are optional and at the discretion of the affected organization Presidents.

4.        Press: Any person(s) with press credentials may enter the sideline area. All press must be in an area that will not interfere with the coaches, players, or game officials.

YFL-Specific Playing Rules

1.        Play Clock: Each division will be granted a 30-second play clock. Any extension of this for placement of the ball is at the discretion of the game officials.

2.        Kickoffs: All divisions will kickoff from the 40-yard line, with the receiving team lined up on or on the opposite side of the 50-yard line.

3.        Punting: Punting is not mandatory for any division under any circumstances.

A.      Freshmen and Sophomore divisions must announce their intentions to punt before the play begins. No fake punts are allowed in the Freshmen and Sophomore divisions. If a team announces their intention to punt, rushing the punter is not allowed.

B.       Jr. Varsity and Varsity divisions are not required to announce their intentions to punt before the play begins. Fake punts are allowed in the Jr. Varsity and Varsity divisions. If a team lines up in a punt formation, rushing the punter is allowed.

C.       No defensive player is allowed to line up directly over the long snapper. Players may line up in the gaps around the center and may engage the center.

4.        Extra Points: The ball will be placed on the 3-yard line.

A.      Extra points will be awarded as follows:

·         Kick through the uprights - 2 points

·         Run beyond the goal line - 1 point (includes a pass in the field of play and run into the end zone)

·         Pass into the end zone - 2 points

B.       Freshmen and Sophomore divisions may not rush the kicker in the event a kick attempt is made. No fake kicks are allowed.

C.       Jr. Varsity and Varsity divisions may rush the kicker in the event a kick attempt is made. Fake kicks are allowed.

D.      No defensive player is allowed to line up directly over the long snapper. Players may line up in the gaps around the center and may engage the center.

5.        Overtime: Overtime is not allowed during any type of pre-season/exhibition game. Overtime is required during any type of regular season or post-season game, and will be conducted as follows:

A.      Each overtime period will provide an offensive opportunity for each team. There are no provisions for sudden-death overtime.

B.       The ball will be placed at the 15-yard line.

C.       Each team will have four (4) downs to score. No first downs can be earned.

D.      The team with the most points at the conclusion of any overtime period will be the winner of the game.

6.        On-Field Coaches: Only the Freshmen divisions may have coaches on the field during game play. Each team is allowed two (2) coaches on the field. The coaches on the field are restricted from interfering with or physically maneuvering any player after the offensive huddle is broken. In the event an official determines that a coach interferes with the normal play of the game, that team will be subject to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of fifteen (15) yards. If any team receives three such infractions during the course of one game, the Head Coach will be removed from the field of play and assessed another penalty. There are no provisions to replace the Head Coach on the field of play during the applicable game.

7.        Fields: Games will be played on a regulation football field. The only provision for non-use of a regulation football field depends on availability, and the field must be a minimum of 80 yards long x 40 yards wide. 

8.        Team Introductions: Team introductions are only permitted by a team at the beginning of their Homecoming game or the beginning of each post-season game. 

9.        Minimum Play Rule: The League will NOT enforce any minimum play rule or standard. It is, however, desirable that each and every child plays during each game. As a guideline, each player should play a minimum number of plays based on the total number of players on the team roster. Special teams (Kickoff & Kick Return) plays count toward this guideline. Non-compliance will not result in fines, game forfeitures, or any other sanctions from the League. The only exceptions to this rule will be recognized hazards to the player by the coach, game official, or parent.

10.     Other General Playing Rules:

A.      The game clock shall operate as a normal football game clock in accordance with NCAA regulations regarding clock operations.

B.       The clock will be stopped for timeouts, penalties, and injuries. The clock will also be stopped for positioning the ball and player lineup for a kickoff or free kick after a score. The game officials may call an officials timeout at their discretion.

C.       Players must enter and exit the field between the 20-yard lines.

D.      Coaches and Staff are required to stay between the 20-yard lines during game play.

E.       All coaches and other personnel are prohibited from entering the field of play beyond the numbers on the field or beyond 10 yards of the sideline during timeouts or injury breaks. The only exceptions shall be coaches caring for an injured player [after notified by officials] and the Freshmen (6U) on-field coaches.

F.       League Board Members, Football Commissioners, or game officials may call a game if severe weather conditions exist. The general guideline is that games will proceed on schedule in the event of rain, however, if lightning is seen in the area, all on-field activities will be halted (temporarily until any dangerous conditions pass or for the remainder of the game/event).

G.       All teams must have at least 11 players on the field to play a scheduled game. If the required number of players is not available within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, the offending team will forfeit the game.

H.      Team rosters should be available from the League website. Teams are not required to provide a roster prior to the game, however, teams may want to provide an updated roster if a player is not active for the game due to injury or other personal issues that may prevent him/her from participating on a given game day.

I.         In the Freshmen division, it is not allowed to line up a nose guard directly over the offensive center. Any defensive formations with a nose guard in the Freshmen division must line up the nose guard to either side of the offensive center with a minimum of 1-2 feet in distance. A linebacker or defensive back may line up directly over the center position, but must be a minimum of 3 yards off the line of scrimmage.

Conduct & Sportsmanship

Use of Tobacco and Alcohol

Smoking, chewing tobacco, and use of alcohol by anyone on the sidelines, stands, and/or facility parking areas is strictly prohibited. Officials may assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for any violation and individual(s) may be ejected from the playing field area. Anyone found to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol may be suspended from all League activities until a review and decision by the Executive Board.

Physical Altercations

Any person involved in a physical altercation with any other person on or near the playing field area shall be subject to immediate ejection from the field and/or stadium. All such altercations are subject to review by the Executive Committee, which may levy fines and other penalties up to and including lifetime bans from YFL activities. Any persons involved in such an altercation due to self-defensive means only to avoid injury from an attack may be exempt from this rule if evidenced by notable parties or League officials.

Abusive Language & Gestures

No coach, player, or spectator shall use abusive language toward other coaches, players or officials or should they indulge in any conduct, which might incite players or spectators against officials. No coach, player, or spectator shall use gestures or engage in acts that provoke ill will; Penalties will be determined at the discretion of the officials. They have the option to call the game and offenders will have lost the game.

Threats

Any and all individuals on any property where League activities are scheduled and/or occurring are prohibited from making any threat of physical harm. Anyone threatening any League official, coaches, parents, or kids with firearms or weapons will be permanently banned from the League. No appeals shall be granted on this matter.

Use of Enhancements

The use of energy enhancing drinks or supplements are strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to substances containing high amounts of caffeine and/or herbal additives to increase performance or endurance. Coaches found to be encouraging such use or allowing use of such substances are subject to immediate and/or permanent expulsion from YFL activities.