Basic Rules Created and Played
by the Long Island Flag Football League

 

LIYFFL YOUTH LEAGUE RULES

2023  FALL  SEASON                                        

FIELD SIZE

  • 30X60 with two 10-yard end zones.
  • Fixed 1st downs at 15/30/15 yard lines.

EQUIPMENT

  • NFL FLAG equipment.Jerseys must be tucked in
  • Rubber cleats/mouth guards suggested.
  • Belt, as well as flags, must not be covered by the jersey.
  • No hard casts, helmets, or braces of any kind.
  • Only the balls provided to us by the NFL may be used. No personal footballs.

ON FIELD TEAM SIZE

  • 6 & Under/8 & Under: 8-on-8.
  • 10 & Under/12 & Under/14 & Under: 7-on-7.
  • 17 & Under: 6-on-6.
  • If one team has less than the required number you can play, but the team with the full complement of players gets to decide to play with a full team or match the other team (e.g. it can be 7 on 5).

GAME CLOCK

  • (2) 24 minute halves.
  • Running-time.
  • One 2-minute warning at the 22 minute point of the 2nd half.
  • During the 2 minute warning the clock becomes NFL rules, it stops for change of possession, incomplete passes, out of bounds, penalties, and 1st Downs (until ball is set and whistle blown).

RAIN-OUTS

  • Go to flagfootball.com
    • Players Zone – Weather Alert, Sundays at 7:00 am.

STANDINGS

  • Go to flagfootball.com
  • Ties decided by Defensive Points allowed.

PLAY-OFFS

  • All teams make the playoffs.
  • We then separate winning records & losing records and create two or three separate (A/B/C)postseason brackets for each division including separate Super Bowls.

TOSS

  • Winning team chooses the ball, direction, or to defer.
  • Losing team has the same options at the beginning of the 2nd half.

SCRIMMAGE

  • One coach is allowed in the huddle.
  • Team w/ball starts at their own 15 and has 3 downs to get 1st down or ball gets walked down to defensive team’s 15 and they take over.
  • On interceptions, Defense can advance the ball and take over at spot.

CONTACT

OFFENSE

  • No offensive blocking at any time (l0 yards from spot/loss of down).
  • No picks (l0 yards from spot/loss of down).
  • Everyone is eligible to catch passes

DEFENSE

  • No defensive bump of receivers.
  • No contact to break up a pass.
  • No contact prior to pulling the flag.
  • No holding the ball carrier prior to pulling the flag.

ALL of these will result in an automatic 1st Down and a “Contact Penalty.”

  • Two (2) Contact penalties in a game will result in an ejection for the game.
  • Two (2) ejections will result in a suspension.

ON-FIELD BEHAVIOR

  • Coaches are responsible for their sidelines.
  • Coaches/Players/Parents are not allowed to yell at referees, each other, or players.
  • 1st offense will result in a 15 yard penalty, 2nd offense will result in game expulsion plus 1 week’s suspension.
  • Players are not allowed to bully or personally insult other players.
    • 1st offense will result in a 15 yard penalty.
    • 2nd offense will result in game expulsion plus 1 week’s suspension.
  • More than one parent committing offenses will result in that team not being allowed to have parents present at the following week’s game.
  • ALL garbage must be picked up after each game.

OFFENSE

  • The referee sets the ball, blows his whistle, and the offense has 30 seconds to snap the ball or it’s a delay of game (5 yards/down over).
    • In the 6 under & 8 under there will be a 40 second clock.
  • Offense Has 6 Seconds for the ball (pass or run) to cross the line of scrimmage.
    • If the ball is blown dead at 6 seconds, it’s marked at the spot, like a sack.
  • Offense can only run the ball one play per set.
  • Laterals & backwards passes behind the line scrimmage are considered run plays.
    • A lateral or backwards pass over the line of scrimmage is not considered a run play.

Real simple – if the ball isn’t thrown over line of scrimmage by the QB, it’s a “run” play.

  • Once the offense is in the Red Zone (last 15 yards), it’s pass only.
  • You cannot lateral or hand off any time in the Red Zone, including after reception.
  • Ball carriers cannot shield flag belt or stiff-arm (dead at spot/minus 10 yards/loss of down).
  • Ball must be snapped between legs.
  • Receiver must have 2 feet inbounds.
  • Receivers must line up one arm length apart or a “Pick” will be called.
  • Ball carrier cannot run over the defender (Charging – dead at spot, loss of down, 10 yard penalty).
  • If the ball carrier falls to the ground, he can get up unless he’s tagged with one hand while on the ground.
  • If the ball carrier loses his flag belt, it becomes one hand touch.
  • The spot of the ball in flag football is the body, not the ball.
  • There is no diving to advance the ball and that is defined as leaving your feet and not landing on your feet (10 yards from spot/loss of down).
  • “Hurry-Up” offense is allowed only in the 17U & 14U divisions.
    • Otherwise the offense must wait for the ref to say “Call Your Play”.
  • On-field Coach must be out of the way at snap.

QB SACKS

  • The QB is allowed to move 5 yards laterally, left or right. This is called the “pocket”.
  • Only the one (1) Rusher may pursue him/her.
  • If they are flagged inside the pocket, it’s a sack, not a run play.
  • Once outside this pocket any defender may rush them and when they’re flagged, it counts as the Run Play.

FUMBLES

  • Ball is dead anytime it hits the ground, including bad snaps.
    • (except 6 & 8 Under – they can pick up the ball)

 

TIME-OUTS

  • Each team gets 2 time-out per game

DEFENSE

  • The referee lines up next to the Rusher.
  • The defense has one (1) rusher who lines up 5 yards off line of scrimmage and waits for the ref to count “3 Mississippi” before rushing, unless it’s a run play, then all can rush.
  • If the rusher comes in early it’s a free play.
    • The offense will choose the play or a 5 yard penalty.
  • The “rusher” is not allowed in the secondary, he must rush or stay on line of scrimmage. Secondary can line up on the line of scrimmage but can’t rush unless it’s a run play.
  • If the QB rolls out more than 5 yards to his left or right (ref’s judgment) from the point of snap/drop-back at any time, the rusher can come in and will be released by the ref.
  • The secondary is not allowed to bump receivers or use contact to break up pass plays (1st down at spot).
  • The defender cannot hold the jersey (1st down + 10 yards) in order to pull the flag and cannot tackle the ball carrier (1st down + 10 yards).
  • A Tackle or jersey hold that prevents a TD will be called a TD.
  • The defense, as in the NFL, can go off-sides on purpose and there is no decline allowed by the offense.

EXTRA POINTS

  • Pass only (no laterals or hand-offs after pass).
  • 1 pt from the 3 yard line.
  • 2 pts from the 10 yard line.
  • No more 3pts from the 15 yard line.
  • Interceptions are live, can be returned out of the end zone, except during Extra Pts.

SAFETY

  • 2 pts and defense takes over on their own 15 yard line.

 

MERCY RULE

  • If any time a team is losing by 18 pts, that team gets an extra down on offense and an extra run play per set.
  • If any time, in the 2nd half, a team is leading by 36 pts, the game is over.

OVERTIME

  • There are no ties in Youth games.
  • If the game ends and the score is tied, the following takes place:
    • Each team gets one play from the 15 yd line – the longest yard wins.
    • Pass only – no run
    • You have a coin toss and the winner opts for offense or defense.
    • The winner gets 1 point added to the score.
    • Negative yards count.
  • In the playoffs, you do not use the longest yard rule, you have a coin flip and the winner chooses offense or defense first and you play it out from the Red Zone.
    • Equal number of chances per team.
    • If the game isn’t over after 2 rounds, the ball gets moved up to the 10 yard line for the 3rd round, the 5 yard line for the 4th round.

SPECIAL NOTES

  • 2 Run plays per set will be allowed in the 6U when there is no score at half time.
  • Ball must be thrown over the line of scrimmage by the QB or it’s a run play.
  • When a turf field is divided into 4 fields, both teams go the same direction, taking the ball in play from the 45 yard line. Interceptions are not returned but awarded 3 pts and possession of the ball at the 45 yard line.
  • Once in the Red Zone- there are no run plays, laterals or double passes. The only acceptable play is the QB throwing the ball over the line of scrimmage.
  • QB rolls out more than 5 yards the rusher may come in.
  • Offensive players cannot run alongside (screen block for) the ball carrier.
  • There is no left or right rule, but the Center cannot impede the path of the Rusher.
  • On the TOSS, options for the winner are ball, direction or defer. If you defer, you can wind up going the same direction for the entire game.
  • Fields must be left clean.
  • A bad shot gun snap can be picked up by the QB and played.
  • ONLY the QB can play the ball, no other offensive player.
  • The ball is snapped to the QB, the QB cannot give it back to the center. That would be an illegal forward hand-off. All hand offs must be behind or lateral to the QB
  • .
  • Rusher doesn’t have to rush, but can’t drop back into the secondary.
  • No defensive coaches are allowed on the field in the 14 under and 17 under divisions.
  • In 6U & 8U only:
    • A 40 second play clock.

 


Complete rules are given out to all that register. The rules of the Long Island Flag Football League were copyrighted in ©1990 and are the property of LIFFL, Inc. Any copy or transmission of these rules without the permission of LIFFL, Inc. is prohibited.

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