ASI Intramural Flag Football Rules

  1. The Game
    1. Start Time
      1. If the minimum number of players (5) is not present at game time, the game will be forfeited. All players must check in with the ASI Intramural Sports supervisor or an official before the game with their PolyCard and a green campus pass (per campus COVID-19 guidelines). Please refer to the ASI Intramural Sports Handbook for a detailed description of our forfeit policy.
    2. The Players
      1. Games shall be played by two teams of seven players. Five players are required at the start of game time to avoid a forfeit.
      2. If a team has three or fewer players at game time, that team will be assessed a forfeit fee.
      3. If at any time during the game a team has fewer than five eligible players, the game will be a forfeit.
        1. In the case of an injury, the team will be allowed to play down.
        2. In the case of an ejection, the team with the ejected individual will forfeit.
    3. Manager Meeting
      1. Prior to the start of the game, a meeting will between the two team mangers and officials will take place at midfield. The first half will start with a coin toss, or a similar decision-making method (odds/even). The winning captain shall have the option to defer to the second half—or a choice of the following options:
        1. Start on offense/defense
        2. Choose which side to defend
        3. *The other respective captain shall exercise the remaining option
      2. Team Spokesperson
        1. The team manager is the only person who may address the official and is the spokesperson for the team.
      3. Spectators
        1. Spectators who interfere with the field or play will earn their manager an unsportsmanlike penalty and ejection from the Sports Complex.
        2. Teams are responsible for their spectators. Poor spectator behavior may cause a team to receive a low behavior rating.
      4. Zero Tolerance Policy
        1. There is no alcohol or drugs allowed at ASI Intramural Sports games. If a player or fan is under the influence, they will be ejected immediately, and disciplinary action may follow. If an ASI Intramural Sports Staff feels that there is a threat to participant safety or suspects that a team might be under the influence, they are required to stop the game immediately. If there is no proof of substance use, the game will be rescheduled for another time.
    4. The Field
      1. Games will take place at the Upper Sports Complex.
      2. To ensure the safety of participants, staff, and fans, spectators will be asked to stay on the near side of the turf fields while viewing games.
      3.  Flag Football Field Dimensions:
        1. The field will be 80 yards long by 40 yards wide from end line to end line.
        2. The area of the field inside the goal lines shall be divided into four twenty-yard zones; the end zones will be ten yards long.
    5. Player Restrictions
      1. Participants may only play on one team per league (e.g., one Open and/or one Co-Rec League). If a league does not fill due to an insufficient number of teams or is not offered, the participant will be allowed to play on two co-rec teams in separate divisions. This is the only time a player may play in multiple divisions within a sport (e.g., Open D2 and Open D3, or Co-Rec D2 and Co-Rec D3).
      2. If an Interfraternity Council (IFC) Division is offered, men may play in either the IFC or Open but not both. If a Panhellenic (PHA) Division is offered, women may play in either the PHA or Women’s Division but not both.
      3. Club sports players are only allowed to play in Division 1 or the highest division offered. There may only be two club players on the field at a time, but there is no limit to the number of club players on a team.
      4. A participant who appears on a club sports roster at any time during the academic year will be considered a club player for the sport similar to their Cal Poly club sport for the remainder of that academic year.
      5. Intercollegiate athletes may not participate in a sport similar to their Cal Poly sport until three academic quarters (not including summer) after they have been removed from that sport’s active roster. However, they are eligible to play an intramural sport dissimilar to the sport they play for Cal Poly.
  2. Equipment/Dress Code
    1. Uniform
      1. The home team wears white, and the away team wears black.
      2. Players must check their schedules on access.asi.calpoly.edu to know which color shirt to wear. If there is any doubt, bring both colors.
      3. If every member of the team has the same uniform, they will be allowed to play at the discretion of the supervisor.
      4. A player with blood anywhere on their uniform will be instructed to leave the game until the uniform has been changed or approved after an evaluation by an ASI Intramural Sports supervisor or an ASI facility supervisor
    2. Dress Code
      1. Closed-toe shoes must always be worn during play.
        1. Players are not permitted to wear metal cleated shoes. All cleated shoes must be of the one-piece molded rubber type.
      2. Athletic attire must be always worn during play.
      3. Wearing a hat is not allowed during play.
      4. Pants with any belts, belt loops, pockets, or exposed drawstrings are not allowed.
      5.  It is recommended that a mouthpiece be worn by all players.
      6. Players may not wear a towel hanging from their waists as it could be mistaken for a flag.
      7. ASI Intramural Staff can remove a player for improper dress code at their discretion.
    3. Jewelry
      1. Jewelry is not permitted; players must remove all jewelry before the start of a game.
    4. Flags
      1. Each player must wear a one-piece belt at the waistline with three flags permanently attached—one flag at each side and one in the center of the back.
      2. Opposing team flags must be of contrasting colors and will be distributed by intramural sports officials on the playing field.
      3.  Jerseys must be tucked inside the flag belt.
      4. Players may not wear a towel hanging from their waists as it could be mistaken for a flag.
    5. The Football
      1. The referee shall decide the legality of any ball. The game ball will be provided. Both teams will be responsible for retrieving the ball and having it ready for each play.
      2. The offensive team may keep the ball in their huddle. During an Open game, teams shall only use a regulation-sized ball. The regular or youth size ball can be used for Co-Rec games. The referee shall be the sole judge of any ball offered for play and may change the ball at their discretion. Teams providing their own ball must have it approved by the head official prior to the start of the game.
  3. Protected Scrimmage Kick Formation
    1. All players must be on the line of scrimmage and remain motionless until the play begins.
    2. Minimum Line Players
      1. The offensive team must have at least three players on the line of scrimmage at the snap.
    3. Male to Male Completion (Co-Rec)
      1. Open Plays
        1. A legal forward pass completion between a male passer and a male receiver.
      2. Closed Plays
        1. A female player must be involved in bringing the ball across the line of scrimmage by either completing a pass or running the ball.
    4. Male to Male Completion
      1. Open Plays
        1. A legal forward pass completion between a male passer and a male receiver.
      2. Closed Plays
        1. A female player must be involved in bringing the ball across the line of scrimmage by either completing a pass or running the ball.
        2. During the offensive team’s possession, there may not be two consecutive legal forward pass completions from a male passer to a male receiver.
        3. If a male passer completes a legal forward pass to a male receiver, the next play will be a closed play and will remain a closed play until positive yardage is gained.
        4. On a closed play, if a male passer completes a legal forward pass to a male receiver, the ball is dead, returned to five yards behind the original line of scrimmage and a loss of a down is enforced.
    5. Touchdown Value
      1. All point values for touchdowns are six.
      2. All extra points are open plays.
  4. Penalties
    1. Five-Yard Penalty
      1. Enforced at the spot of the foul: Free kick out of bounds, helping the runner.
      2. Enforced at the line of scrimmage: False start, offensive player illegally in motion, required equipment worn illegally, delay of game, encroachment, illegal snap, advancement by male runner (co-rec).
    2. Five-Yard Penalty and Loss of Down
      1. Enforced at the line of scrimmage: Intentional grounding, illegal forward pass, male to male completion on closed play (Co-Rec).
    3. 10-Yard Penalty
      1. Enforced at the spot of the foul: Clipping, guarding the flag belt, hurdling any player, fair catch interference, stiff arm, illegal screen blocking, stealing or attempting to steal ball, tripping an opponent.
      2. Enforced at the line of scrimmage: Defensive use of the hands, throwing runner to the ground, unsportsmanlike conduct.
    4. 10-Yard Penalty and Automatic First Down
      1. Enforced at the line of scrimmage: Illegally secured flag belt (defensive player), defensive pass interference.
    5. 10-Yard Penalty and Disqualification
      1. Enforced at the spot of the foul: Intentional tampering with flag belt, tackling the runner.
      2. Enforced at the line of scrimmage: Unsportsmanlike conduct, intentional contact with an official.
  5. Flag Football Rules
    1. Game Length
      1. Games will be 40 minutes divided into two halves of 20 minutes. Halftime intermission is 3 minutes..
      2. During the first half, the game clock will run continuously except for enforcing penalties in the final two minutes.
      3.  During the second half, the game clock will run continuously until the two-minute warning. During the final two minutes of the second half, the clock will stop for an incomplete pass, out of bounds, score, time- out, penalty, or change of possession. The clock will also be stopped after an offensive team gains a first down until the ball is marked ready for play by the official.
      4. Each team will be granted two timeouts (60 seconds each) per half.
    2.  Tie-breaker (rules only apply to playoffs)
      1. Each team will be given four downs from the 20-yard line to score a touchdown going in the same direction. The team with second possession will always have an opportunity to score.
      2. If the game is still tied at the end of an overtime period, the team who was on offense first for the first overtime period will be on defense first for the second overtime period.
      3. Extra points will be attempted. Teams will play until there is a winner.
    3. Scoring
      1. Touchdown—————————6 points.
      2. Safety———————————–2 points
      3. Extra Points
        1. Running or passing from 3 yards—–1 point
        2. Running or passing from 10 yards—2 points
        3. Running or passing from 20 yards—3 points
        4. If a team intercepts a pass or aired fumble during the try, they cannot return it (dead ball); interceptions or aired fumbles on extra point attempts cannot be returned.
    4. Substitutions
      1. Substitutions can be made in between plays.
    5. Out of Bounds
      1. As soon as a player with the ball touches the sideline, the play is dead.
      2. Catches must be made with one foot landing in bounds before the player’s momentum takes them out of bounds.
      3. If a player goes out of bounds, they are ineligible to be the first player to receive the ball.
  6. Ball in Play, Dead Ball
    1. Ball declared Dead
      1. A live ball becomes dead, and an official shall sound the whistle or declare it dead when:
        1. Any part of the runner other than a hand or foot touches the ground.
        2. A backwards pass, fumble, or muff touches the ground. A snap which hits the ground before or after reaching the intended receiver is dead at the spot where it hits the ground.
        3. A runner has a flag belt removed legally by a defensive player. A flag belt is removed when the clip is detached from the belt.
  7. Protected Scrimmage Kick (Punt)
    1.  The team captain may request a protected scrimmage kick on any down. The captain must declare to the referee if his/her team wants a protected scrimmage kick.
      1. This choice can only be changed if: (a) A timeout is called, (b) the period ends, (c) a foul occurs, or (d) an inadvertent whistle takes place.
    2. The kicking team must maintain at least 4 players (Co-Rec: 5) within one yard of their scrimmage line until the ball is kicked. Neither team can cross their scrimmage line until the ball is kicked.
    3. The kicker must kick the ball immediately upon receiving the snap.
    4. A protected scrimmage kick which fails to cross the kicking team’s scrimmage line is dead where it hits the ground or is touched.
    5. The ball may be advanced out of the end zone.
  8. Snapping, Passing and Handling the Ball
    1. Scrimmage Play
      1. Only the center is required to be on the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.
      2. A backward pass or fumble which touches the ground between the goal lines is dead at the spot where it touches the ground and belongs to the team last in possession of the ball (unless there is a loss on downs).
      3. Motion: Anyone who goes in motion must be only going parallel or backward at the snap, and only one player may be in motion at the time of the snap.
      4. Center may snap the ball between their legs or outside their legs.
      5. The ball may only be moved with approval of the Referee due to poor field conditions.
    2. Forward Pass
      1. All players of either team are eligible to touch or catch a pass. During a scrimmage down and before team possession has changed, a forward pass may be thrown provided the passer’s feet are behind the team’s line of scrimmage when the ball leaves the passer’s hand. Only one forward pass may be thrown per down.
    3. Pass Interference
      1. Offensive Pass Interference: After the ball has been snapped and until it has been touched by a receiver, there is no offensive pass interference beyond the offensive team’s scrimmage line while the ball is in flight. Contact is required for pass interference. Penalty: 10 yards from the original line of scrimmage.
      2. Defensive Pass Interference: After the pass is thrown and until it is touched, there is no defensive pass interference beyond the offensive team’s scrimmage line while the ball is in flight. Contact is required for pass interference. It is also pass interference if an eligible receiver is de-flagged/tagged prior to touching the ball on a pass thrown beyond the offensive team’s scrimmage line. Penalty: 10 yards from the original line of scrimmage.
  9. General Rules
    1. Start of Play
      1. Unless moved by penalty, the ball shall be snapped on the 14-yard line to start each half.
    2. A team in possession of the ball shall have four consecutive downs to advance to the next zone. Prior to the fourth down, the offensive team will be given the option of a protected scrimmage kick. Teams are not allowed to fake a kick. A kick may be run out of an end zone or downed for a touchback in which the ball will be placed on the 20-yard line.
      1. The official shall use two rubber disks, one yard apart, to mark the offensive and defensive scrimmage lines.
      2. At the beginning of each down, the offensive team is required to have four players, five for Co-Rec, on the line of scrimmage.
      3. All offensive players must be at least five yards away from the sidelines and remain stationary for at least one full second before the snap, except for the player in motion.
      4. There may be only one player in motion at the time of the snap. The player in motion may not be moving toward the line of scrimmage.
      5. Once the official marks the ball ready for play, the offensive team will have 25 seconds to snap the ball. The center will hike the ball from the ground in a continuous motion—either through the legs or to the side—to a quarterback who must be at least two yards from the line of scrimmage. There are no direct snaps.
    3. All players are eligible receivers. The ball will be spotted at the ball carrier’s hips no matter their location on the field. Only one forward pass may be thrown per down. A player with the ball may not dive or hurdle another player to advance a ball. A defensive player may dive for the ball handler’s flag.
  10. Co-Rec Rules
    1. The game shall be played between two teams of eight players: four men and four women.
    2. If an injury is to occur during the game and a team does not have the personnel to continue to abide by the N+1 rule, that team may continue to play with the players already on the field. They may not, however, bring in a player that would further imbalance the N+1 rule.
    3. Regular, intermediate, youth, or junior size footballs may be used for Co-Rec games.
    4. Male Runner
      1. Open Plays
        1. A legal forward pass completion between a male passer and a male receiver.
      2. Closed Plays
        1. A female player must be involved in bringing the ball across the line of scrimmage by either completing a pass or running the ball.
        2. During the offensive team’s possession, there may not be two consecutive legal forward pass completions from a male passer to a male receiver.
        3. If a male passer completes a legal forward pass to a male receiver, the next play will be a closed play and will remain a closed play until positive yardage is gained.
        4. On a closed play, if a male passer completes a legal forward pass to a male receiver, the ball is dead, returned to five yards behind the original line of scrimmage, and a loss of a down is enforced.
    5. Mercy Rule
      1.  If a team is up 17 or more points when the official announces the two-minute warning for the second half, the game shall continue with a continuous clock. (Only a timeout will stop the clock.)
      2. If a team scores during the last minute of the second half and that score creates a point differential of 17 or more, the game shall continue with a continuous running clock and will only stop during timeouts.
    6. Explanation of Terms and Rules
      1. Fumbles
        1. Loss of player possession other than by handing, passing, or kicking the ball.
        2. Any loose ball that is fumbled into the offensive team’s end zone is a safety.
      2.  Inadvertent Whistle
        1. An official blows the whistle before a play is over.
        2. Play will stop and the offensive team will have the option of taking the play or replaying the down—unless a penalty has occurred, which will then be assessed accordingly.
      3. Screen Blocking
        1. The offensive screen block shall take place without contact.
        2. Screen blockers shall have their hands and arms at their side or behind their back. Any use of arms, elbows, or legs to initiate contact during an offensive player’s screen block is illegal.
        3. Blockers may use their hands or arms to break a fall or retain their balance.
      4. Bull-rushing
        1. An excessive use of force by rushing defenders to create space.
      5. Intentional Grounding
        1. When the quarterback is in the pocket and does not throw the ball within 10 yards of any eligible receiver.

Conduct

Individuals should play and participate with integrity and respect for others while engaging in ASI Intramural Sports. Good sportsmanship is vital to the success of the intramural sports program and the quality of experience for all participants. Teams are responsible for the actions of individual team members and spectators related to their team. Organizations will be held responsible for their behavior before, during, and after the match. In order to encourage proper conduct during the game, supervisors and administrative personnel will make decisions on whether to warn, penalize, or eject people and/or teams for poor sportsmanship. These decisions will be final. Any team receiving an unacceptable sportsmanship rating is required to have their manager meet with intramural staff before they are considered for continued participation. Any individual ejected from an intramural contest will have to meet with the intramural advisory committee before they can be considered to continue participating in intramural events.