Coed Flag Football Rules

Minimum roster size: 4
Maximum roster size: 12

A team shall consist of a maximum of six players (three men and three women) and a minimum of four (two men and two women). If playing with five players, there must be a 3:2 gender ratio. If playing with three females and two males, one of the females will score touchdowns as a male (6 points, vs. 9).

Length of field: Two 5-yard end zones and two 25-yard halves.

Length of game: Two 18-minute halves with a five-minute halftime. During each half, the first 16 minutes is running time, stopping the clock only for a touchdown, safety or team timeout.

A two-minute verbal warning is given by the IM worker. During the final two minutes of each half, the clock will be stopped any time the play is dead. There is a dead ball when there is an:

Incomplete pass
First down
Touchdown
Turnover
Player goes out of bounds
Timeout

In the last minute of the second half, the clock will be stopped for each sack.

The clock will continue to run on completed passes that do not result in a first down.

Timeouts: Each team receives two one-minute timeouts per half (not accumulative).

Possession: Each team is given four downs to advance the ball over the center line. If this is achieved, four additional downs are given to score.

KICKOFFS/PUNTING

Kickoff

At the beginning of each half and after touchdowns or safeties, kick off from the 10-yard line by a a place kick. The kicking team must stay behind the 10-yard line until the ball is kicked. The receiving team must have a minimum of four receivers behind the center line.

On a kickoff, if the ball touches the ground before it is caught, the ball is declared dead with the receiving team getting the ball wherever it touched the ground first.

Intentional short kicks are not allowed. The ball must clear the center line, and if it doesn't, the ball will be given to the opposing team one yard before the center line, giving them the chance for a first down upon crossing the center line.

Only a female may advance the ball forward from the kickoff. (Penalty: five yards from spot of start of male advance.)

Punting

Before the down, the offensive team must inform their opponents of the intention to kick.

A ball kicked past the center line, but out-of-bounds is either a foul (penalty: five yards from kick) or rekicked. The receiving team has the choice of which penalty will be enforced. If it is kicked out of bounds before passing the center line, the opposing team will have the ball one yard before the center line, giving them the chance for a first down upon crossing the center line.

Following a touchback, the ball is placed at the 10-yard line.

A muffed catch (touched ball not caught) is marked dead on that spot with the receiving team getting the ball.

A male may advance the ball forward from a free kick a minimum of two steps. He may carry the ball backwards or sideways for any length (penalty: five yards from spot of male advance is more than two steps).

NEUTRAL ZONE

There is no rushing of the quarterback. The quarterback may not run with the ball nor hand off to a running back. Passing is the only component of offense. A pass must cross the line of scrimmage to be good.

Lateral passes are allowed, as in regular football. The person receiving the lateral must be behind the person with the ball. And someone receiving a lateral behind the line of scrimmage may pass the ball. Though whoever passes the ball counts as the passer, not the quarterback who lateralled it (i.e. a female cannot lateral it to a male to throw the ball and have it count as a female to male pass, even though a female was technically the quarterback. That would be a male to male pass.).

The quarterback must pass the ball within seven seconds (one thousand 1, one thousand 2...one thousand 7). The seven seconds will be called out by the IM worker(s). If the pass is not off in that time, it is an automatic sack and loss of down. You have until one thousand 7 to make the pass.

A defensive team must have a minimum of five players on the line of scrimmage
The offensive line players must remain stationary for one second prior to the snap.
The player receiving the snap may be no more than two yards from the line of scrimmage.
If a snap hits the ground it is dead.
Two offensive players must touch the ball before it is advanced.

PASSING

All players are eligible to catch a pass.

One foot must come down inbounds on a pass.
Pass interference will be penalized with a first down. Pass interference constitutes an obvious attempt to impede (such as hands on the face).
- The ball must cross the line of scrimmage for pass interference to be called

A male may complete a pass to another male twice per set of downs: Twice before achieving a first down, and twice again after achieving a first down, for a total of two each scoring drive) (penalty: five yards from spot of release and loss of down) The PAT is also separate from this, and a male can throw to a male for the PAT.

If the ball is fumbled and hits the ground possession will go to the team who recovers it; it is a dead ball at the spot of the fumble and cannot be returned (loss of down if the offensive team recovers / new set of downs if the defensive team recovers). If the ball is stripped and does not touch the ground, but is recovered by the defensive team, it is live and they may legally advance the ball.

BLOCKING

Defensive blocking: hands may only touch the opponent inside the shoulders on the chest. No pushing.
Offensive blocking: hands and arms may be use for protection but elbows must be held in. No stiff-arming.

DEFLAGGING

The flag belt must be worn legally attached. The ball is spotted at the point of the ball when the person is de-flagged, not the end point of the dropped flag, nor the spot of the person.

An offensive player cannot guard the flag belt with his body. To avoided being deflagged, you may spin or jump.

A ball carrier who has fallen to the ground, even though not legally deflagged, is down; the play has ended.

If a player's flag falls off mistakenly during a play and that player is advancing the ball, he/she must now be "deflagged" with a two-hand touch.

SCORING

Touchdown: 6 points (scored by male) or 9 points (scored by female)
- A player scoring a touchdown must be able to legally detach his/her belt and show the IM supervisor.
Safety: 2 points
PAT: 1 or 2 points
- The ball is placed three yards from the goal for one point or 10 yards for two points. The team gets one chance to advance the ball for a PAT with either a run or pass.
- A PAT attempt cannot be run back for points if the ball is intercepted or recovered by the defensive team. The ball would then be dead on a turnover during a PAT.
- The PAT can be a male to male pass.

Mercy Rule: If a team is 23 or more points ahead when the two-minute warning is announced for the second half, the game shall be over.

Overtime: If the game ends in a tie, each team shall have one series of four downs to score from the 10-yard line. If successful, the PAT may then be attempted. If the game is still tied after the first extra set of downs, this ends the first overtime. A second set of extra down is then awarded to each team. The game is scored a tie if the score remains tied after two overtimes. In the playoffs, the set of overtime downs will continue until a winner is determined.

Sportsmanship Rules

Sportsmanship rules will be strictly enforced. Rosters will be checked regularly. Unsportsmanlike action will not be tolerated.

One no show will put your team on probation. Once on probation, either one additional no show or one forfeit will remove your team from competition.
Additional players may be added up to game time on the day of your scheduled event using the roster addition form. Email intramurals@hope.edu with questions.
Check the IM website homepage to learn of cancellations due to rain.