SECTION 1: GENERAL
THE GAME
Article 1. The game will be played between two teams of unlimited rosters. Gameplay will be 6v6
THE FIELD
Article 2. The size of the field is 50 yards by 35 yards
SUPERVISION
Article 3. Games will be under the supervision of 1 or 2 referees
TEAM CAPTAINS
Article 4. Each team must designate a speaking captain to the official. The speaking captain will be the ONLY player who will speak for his team in all dealings with the officials. Officials will make the final decisions on all calls on the field.
SECTION 2: THE FIELD
TEAM AREA
Article 1. On each side of the field a team area is designated between the 10 yd lines. Both teams must stay in their designated area
Article 2. Each team must remain on their sidelines at all times unless a player is subbing in or out. At no time are players to enter the field to argue a call or for any other reason than to substitute. Failure to do so will result in a 10 yd unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
DOWN MARKER
Article 3. There will be no down marker. The officials will be in charge of keeping track of the down and informing the players of what down it is. A cone will be used to mark the spot of the ball
SECTION 3: PLAYERS AND EQUIPMENT
UNIFORM
Article 1. All players must be in uniform with the rest of their team (Same Color) failure to be in uniform will reward 3 pts to opposing team. Numbers and/or names are not required.
EQUIPMENT
Article 2. NO HATS ARE ALLOWED. Skull caps are permitted. All players must have either shoes or cleats . No metal cleats.
FLAGS
Article 3. Each player on the field is required to wear a belt at the waistline with two flags attached, but not tied there to. One flag must hang from each side (hip) of your body.
ILLEGAL EQUIPMENT
Article 4. Any player wearing illegal equipment will not be permitted to play.
Watches, bracelets
Metal shoes or cleats
Baseball style caps or any caps with a bill.
Note if illegal equipment is discovered by an official (1) it may be removed or replaced in between downs (2) the player shall leave the game
SECTION 4: DEFINITIONS
THE BALL
Article 1: There will be no loss ball. The ball cannot be striped. Shall the ball be fumbled by the offensive player or dropped during a backwards lateral the play will be dead and spotted where the ball lands. If the ball is fumbled forward the ball will be down at the spot of the player. The only turnover from a fumble can occur if it is an unforced fumble in which the opposing team recovers the ball before it touches the ground.
WHEN BALL IS READY TO PLAY
Article 2: The ball is in play once the official signals and blows the ball in to play. Only then can the ball be snapped.
CATCH, INTERCEPTION, RECOVERY
Article 3. If a player attempts a catch, interception, or recovery while in the air the ball must be in control of the player when he returns to the ground inbounds. He must have at-least one foot inbounds with control of the ball in order to be a completed catch.
BLOCKING
Article 4. Blocking is only legal at the line of scrimmage when protecting the quarterback from oncoming blitzes. There is NO DOWNFIELD BLOCKING ALLOWED. A downfield block will result in a 10 yd penalty from the spot of the foul and a loss of down.
Article 5. There is no high or low blocking. The blocker must block the opponent in between the waist and shoulders. The blocker may not swing, throw, or flip their elbow or forearm.
Article 6. There is no finishing of blocks or pancaking. If a player is blocked to the ground he must be allowed to return to his feet before he can be blocked again. The blocker may not jump on or block the defender while he is on the ground. This will result in a 10 yd penalty from previous spot for illegal blocking and a loss of down.
BULL RUSH AND TRUCKING
Article 7. No defensive player is allowed to lower his shoulder or attempt to go through an offensive player at any point in the game. He must pick a side and work his way around the blocker. An illegal bull rush will be a 10 yd penalty from the spot of the foul.
HURDLING
Article 8. There is NO hurdling of any players. Hurdling will result in a 5 yd penalty from the spot and a lost of down. Hurdling is defined as an attempt by the runner to jump over any player who is still on their feet.
FORWARD AND BACKWARD PASS
Article 9. A forward pass is a live ball until it is caught or recovered by a player or becomes a dead ball. A backward pass, lateral, or pitch is legal as long as it is thrown parallel or backwards to the passer. There is no limit to the amount of backward passes. A dropped lateral will be downed at the spot where the ball lands.
PULLING THE FLAG
Article 10. When a flag is pulled from the ball carrier the play is dead and the ball will be downed at the spot. A player who pulls the flag should immediately hold the flag up to assist the official in locating the spot where the capture occurred. The ball will be spotted at the ball’s location at the time the flag is pulled.
Article 11. Defensive player may leave his feet to secure a flag. Offensive player may not protect or guard his flag. Result for flag guarding will be 5 yd penalty from the spot of the foul.
Article 12. In an attempt to remove a flag from a ball carrier, defensive players may not hold, push, or knock the ball carrier down. If so an unnecessary roughness penalty will be called resulting in a 10 yd penalty from the spot.
SCRIMMAGE LINE
Article 13. The scrimmage line runs from the spot of the ball and it’s vertical plane. There is no formation penalty and the ball may be placed any where along the line of scrimmage at the choice of the offense.
SHIFTS AND MOTIONS.
Article 14. A shift is the simultaneous change of position by two or more offensive players. A shift can not happen simultaneous to the snap. Illegal shift will result in a 5 yd. Penalty from the spot of the ball. Motions is the change of position by on player. A motion may happen simultaneous to the ball bing snapped.
TRIPPING
Article 15. Tripping is using the lower leg or foot to obstruct an opponent below the knew. Defensive tripping will result in a 10 yd tack on to the end of the play. Offensive tripping will result in a 10 yd penalty from the LOS and replay down or defense can choose to decline the play and replay the down.
SECTION 3:
PERIODS, TIME FACTORS, SUBSTITUTES
COIN TOSS
Article 1. Three minutes before the start of the game the referee will hold a coin toss with opposing team captains.
The visiting team or lower seed captain will call the toss
The winner will choose either offense or defense
The loser of the toss will choose which end zone they will defend.
GAME TIME
Article 2. Pool play clock will be a running 15 min clock with no halves, no clock stoppages, no timeouts, no overtimes. Pool play games can end in a tie.
Article 3. Elimination playing time will be a 20 min play clock duration, divided into two 10 minute halves. Both halves will have a running clock of 9 minutes until it reaches the final minute warning. There will be a one minute halftime period before the start of the second half.
OVERTIME
Article 4. No overtime in Pool Play. Elimination OT: each team will have an opportunity to score similar to college overtime rules. The ball will be placed at the middle of the field and each team will have four downs to score. After a touchdown the offense must attempt an extra point conversion.
1st OT - Go for one or two point extra points
2nd OT - Must go for two point conversion
3rd OT - Longest yard
FINAL MINUTE WARNING
Article 5. From the final minute warning on the time will be kept on the field by the referee. Who will give a time check before he sets the ball on every play. At this point in the game the clock will be stopped for an incomplete pass, ball carrier runs out of bounds, change of possession, first down, sack, or timeout.
PLAY CLOCK
Article 6. After the ball has been set in play the offense has 30 seconds to run an offensive play or there will be a delay of game.
DELAY OF GAME
Article 7. Delay of game will result in a 5 yd. Penalty and an untimed down. If there is a delay of game outside of the two minute warning there will be a 5 yd. Penalty and a loss of down.
UNFAIR TACTICS
Article 8. The refere may penalize any team who in his opinion is trying to conserve or consume playing time by tactics obviously unfair. Resulting in a delay of game penalty.
TIME OUTS
Article 9. Each team will have two time outs per half to use at their dispense inside of the final minute warning. The timeout will be 30 seconds long. The referee shall warn each team five seconds before the time-out expires. After a team has expired all of their time outs the referee shall notify the team. No timeouts in Pool Play
GAME CLOCK
Article 10. Outside of the final minute warning the clock will continue to run at all times. If there is a discretionary or injury the clock will continue to run. There are no timeouts available outside of the final minute warning.
NO KNEES
Article 11. Inside of the final minute warning all plays must gain positive yards in order for the clock to continue running. Kneeling the ball will result in a clock stoppage.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Article 12. Both teams are allowed to make substitutions between downs. Between downs any number of substitutes may replace players provided the substitution is complete by having the replaced players off the field before the ball becomes live.
SECTION 4:
GAME PLAY
DOWNS
Article 1. The offense has three downs to successfully make a first down. Each yard marker represents the next first down. When you reach the red-zone there is no first down. The offense will start at 2nd and goal.
PUNT OR SCORE
Article 2. If a first down is failed to reach the offense will have to let to punt or score on fourth down. If the offense selects to go for it on fourth down they will have to score a touchdown on that down or will turn over the ball at the spot of the ball even if it is pass the original first down marker. If a team elects to punt, the ball will be placed at the opponents 5 yd line.
Article 3. If there is a defensive penalty on the play we will asses the penalty and replay the down. There is no first downs once you get to fourth down.
EXTRA POINT
Article 4. Following a touchdown the offense must elect to either go for a one or two point conversion. One pt conversions will be from the 5 yd line. And two point conversions from the 10 yd line.
Article 5. If a pass is intercepted on an extra point and returned for a touchdown. The defense will be awarded 3 points.
QB RUN/ RUN PLAY
Article 6. The Quarterback nor any other player is allowed to run the ball or handoff the ball for a run play. In order to advance the ball it must be thrown over the line of scrimmage.
RUSH LINE
Article 7. Any defensive player is allowed to rush the quarterback as long as he is behind the 3 yd rush line at the snap of the ball. If he is not he must reset himself behind the rush line before blitzing.
QB CLOCK
Article 8. The Quarterback will have four seconds to throw the football. Failing to do so will result in a sack. However if the defense elects to blitz there will be no qb clock. A sack will only come from the defensive player pulling the qb’s flag.
ROUGHING THE PASSER
Article 9. At no time is a defensive player allowed to touch the quarterback in any way that obstructs his throwing motion. Batting a pass down is legal as long as it does not affect the quarterbacks throwing motion. You may not touch the quarterback’s arm. Result of a roughing the passer will be a 10 yd penalty from the LOS and a replay of downs.
PASS INTERFERENCE
Article 10. There is no face guarding rule in place. A defensive player can do his best to obstruct a receiver without touching him. Once there is contact bumping a receiver off of his path and denying him his right to the ball will result in a pass interference call and a spot foul. If the foul occurs in the end zone it will be placed at the 3 yd line.
Article 11. Any defensive player is allowed to bump a receiver at the line of scrimmage as long as he is not pass the line of scrimmage before the snap of the ball. When the receiver has gone 5 yds from the los it is now illegal to bump. Contact after this point will be a pass interference call resulting in a 10 yd penalty from the LOS and replay of down. Or the offense could choose the result of the play.
ILLEGAL TOUCHING
Article 12. Once a receiver has gone out of bounds he is no longer eligible for that play. It does not matter if the receiver was forced out or not, he is still ineligible.
NO TACKLING
Article 13. If the offensive player who is carrying the ball is brought down to the ground by the force of any defensive player whether purposefully or accidentally (tripping included) it will be a 10 yd penalty from the spot of the foul.
LAST MAN
Article 14. If there is a holding or tackling penalty committed by the last defensive player on the field to prevent a player from scoring the offense will be awarded a touchdown. This also included shoving a player out of bounds.
SHOVING.
Article 15. You cannot shove the ball carrier out of bounds in order to stop his run. That will be a shoving penalty resulting in a 5 yd penalty from the spot of the ball.
FIGHTNING
Article 16.There is an ABSOLUTE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FIGHTING. EACH TEAM WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF YOUR TEAMMATES. Shall a fight occur your team will be disqualified and any individuals involved in the fight will be suspended Indefinitely from any future Drip Mission events.
