Whitman College Intramural Flag Football Rules
Eligibility:
1. Anyone employed or enrolled at Whitman College is eligible to play Intramurals. Spouses of Faculty and Staff have same privileges as Faculty and Staff.
2. Every team must submit a roster before the deadline. Entry forms are available under the IM information board in Sherwood Center. The Intramural Committee must approve additions to roster after the first game. Before the first game, roster moves may be amended at any time.
3. Each person on the team must sign a liability waiver before the first game. Failure to sign waiver makes you ineligible to compete in Whitman Intramural Sports/Events.
4. Any eligible person may play for any team regardless of division and/or fraternal organization. However, after the first game, no player on a roster is eligible to play for another team, regardless of division.
5. Every team must submit a $20.00 entry fee at the start of each season.
6. If a team does not have enough players’ (7) at game time, they will be given 10 minutes to get them. In the event they are unable to get them, a team may start a game with just 6 players.
7. Re-scheduling of games is very difficult due to the enormous demand for field space. Make up games will be allowed only if the team wanting a forfeit receives the permission of the opposing team. Rescheduling should be done by team captain. The IM committee is busy, so make-up games will be the sole responsibility of the team’s involved. If a score is not reported for each game within a week of its scheduled date, BOTH teams will receive a forfeit.
Equipment:
1. Each team will be expected to provide the following equipment and meet the following standards:
a. Your own flags for each team member on the field of play
b. Flags MAY NOT BE SHORTENED. Flag lengths of less than an outstretched hand will not be permitted…
c. Shorts must be a color that contrasts with the color of the flags
d. Shirts must be tucked into shorts
e. Flag belts must be tight enough to facilitate flag pulling
f. Flags may not be wrapped around belt
g. Mouth guard for each team member. If an athlete does not have a mouth guard, he/she will not be able to participate in the game. The mouth guard rule will be strictly enforced. These are available in the training room in Sherwood Center for less than $1.00
h. Cleats are allowed and recommended for traction.
2. Knee braces and other medically necessary equipment may be worn, but must be adequately padded. All exposed metal and hard parts of braces must be padded.
3. NO WATCHES!
Time:
1. A game consists of two 25-minute halves with a 10-minute halftime.
2. Each team is allowed two, 1-minuted timeouts per half.
3. The clock will run continuously for the first 23 minutes of each half, except for injuries and time-outs. Touchdowns and change of possession DO NOT stop the clock. During the last two minutes of each half, the clock will stop for (a) out of bounds (b) penalties, and (c) incomplete passes.
Scoring:
1. Touchdown is worth 6 points.
2. 1-point conversion is spotted at the 2-yard line.
3. 2-point conversion is spotted at the 10-yard line.
4. Safety is worth 2 points and a change of possession.
Officials:
1. Two officials will be assigned to each game. Play-off games will have 3 officials. Officials will be paid $7.00 per game. If a game is forfeited, officials will not be paid. Scores must be turned in immediately after a game so that updated standings can be kept and officials can be paid.
2. Officials will be paid at the end of the football season unless a special request is made on an individual basis.
3. All officials must have the required paperwork on hand in the Business Office Annex located in the basement of the Memorial Building in order to receive a paycheck. If you have never received a paycheck from Whitman before, you need to go to this office to fill out the paperwork…ASAP!
4. It is the job of the officials to ensure the safety and fair play of the teams involved. As an official, you have discretion over what happens on the field. The IM Committee will support your on-site decisions.
5. Committee members and officials will mark off the field and set the cones in the proper places. Field size is 40’ X 90’.
6. Officials must carry a copy of the rules with them at the games. Officials are expected to know the rules of the game and use their copy as a reference tool in the case of a disagreement or conflict.
7. There will be no instant replay in IM Flag Football this year. So do not ask.
8. Any ejection made by an official should be reported by that official to Richard Harris (harrisra) following the completion of the game in a short email involving the circumstances of the ejection. This procedure should also be taken for any other conflict the official may have with a player.
Rules and
Penalties:
Note: All automatic 1st downs have been eliminated. If an infraction takes place while the ball is in play and a team accepts the penalty, the ball will be brought back to the original line of scrimmage, the yardage will be marked off, and the down will be played over.
1. 5 downs to score
2. 25 seconds between plays (5 yard Delay of Game penalty)
3. No kick-off…Ball is spotted at the 15-yard line (55 yards to score).
4. 7 players on the field for each team (at least 3 on offensive line of scrimmage). All players on the field are eligible to take a hand off, including the center. The center may run with the ball after an eligible offensive player has touched the ball. The center is the only ineligible receiver on the field.
-More than 7 players on the field = 5 yard penalty
-Less than 3 players on the line of scrimmage = 5 yard penalty
5. Fumbles – Ball is dead at the spot it hits the ground. If the snap is fumbled in the end zone, it is a safety.
6. Punts – Team must declare its intention to punt or try to advance the ball on the 5th down. No surprise quick kicks. A team may punt before the 5th down, but it must be declared. You may not rush on punts and the punting team may not release off the line of scrimmage until the ball is punted. A punted ball may hit the ground before being advanced as long as the receiving team has not touched it. If the punting team touches the ball, it is dead at the spot. No down field blocking on a punt – period.
-Blocking downfield will be a 10 penalty from the spot of the catch
7. A player is down when:
a. Player with the ball goes out of bounds
b. Knee hits the ground
c. Flag is pulled or falls off while player has the ball
d. Player catches ball with flags off
e. Player without flags receives snap from center
f. Ball touches the ground in player’s possession
Note: If a defensive player pulls the flag of an offensive player before the player has the ball to intentionally force letter “d” above, the offensive player will be considered down, however this will constitute pass interference and will be penalized from the point of the reception. This call is based solely on the discretion of the official.
8. A forward lateral or pass in front of the line of scrimmage will be down at the spot of the infraction.
9. At least one foot has to be in bounds to be a legal catch. The line is considered out of bounds.
10. Quarterback will be considered down if flag is pulled before the release of a pass.
11. Intentional Grounding – An obvious attempt by a quarterback to throw the ball away, with no receiver in the vicinity, to avoid a sack. 10 yard penalty and loss of down
12. No diving by the offensive team in an attempt to advance the ball. Dead at point of infraction
13. No spinning. Dead at point of infraction
14. No flag guarding. Dead at point of infraction
15. No hurdling except when jumping over a player on the ground to avoid injuring downed players. 10 yard penalty
16. No blocking below the waist or above the shoulders – 10 yard penalty
-this includes chop blocks and any contact with an opponents’ face as illegal
17. Spiking or throwing the ball after a play – 10 yard penalty
18. Verbal abuse toward opposing team or officials by players or coaches – 15 yard penalty and possible player removal from game. Good sportsmanship is necessary for Intramurals to continue. Thus, unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED!
19. Touching an official or continued verbal abuse by players or coaches – expulsion from game.
20. Expulsion from 2 games in same season – suspended from Intramurals for 1 year (subject to appeal, intramural committee will review appeals and vote, with final tiebreaking decision resting with the Intramural Chairperson).
21. In cases of physical abuse or severe verbal abuse toward players, coaches or officials by participants, the Intramural Committee has the right to impose immediate suspension, even if the officials have not expelled the participant or coach from a game.
22. Defensive Pass Interference – 10-yard penalty and replay of down. If interference is in the end zone, then the ball is placed on the one yard line.
23. Offensive Pass Interference – 10 yard penalty and loss of down.
24. Bumping offensive receivers: Defensive players may only bump receivers within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. Contact beyond 5 yards will be considered pass interference.
25. Illegal Motion * Whistle will blow before play – 5 yard penalty
-This will include an illegal shift as well. The basics of these two penalties are for having players moving toward the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.
-Only one player may be in lateral motion when the ball is snapped, no one may be moving forward.
26. Defensive Offside – Whistle will blow when defense breaks the plane before the snap, even if no contact is made – 5 yard penalty.
27. Offensive Offside – The offensive team is considered offside if the center lines up with any part of his/her body past the nose of the football. Once the ball is moved, the defense may cross the line of scrimmage. 5 yard penalty.
28. Defensive holding – 5 yard penalty
29. Offensive holding – 10 yard penalty, replay down
30. Intentionally running through a defender – It is the responsibility of the runner to avoid contact with the defender. 10- yard penalty.
31. Straight-arming or pushing a defender – 10 yard penalty and loss of down.
32. Clipping – Blocking player from behind – 10 yard penalty.
33.
Tackling – No tripping or
grabbing a
runner. You must go for
the flags
ONLY! Remember that the
runner is
trying to avoid contact with the defender.
– 15 yard penalty from point of infraction or line of
scrimmage,
whichever is closer to the offense’s goal line. There will
be a lesser 5
yard penalty that can also be enforced on the official’s
discretion. This may include a defensive
player holding
up the player with the ball or accidentally tackling the ball
carrier while
grabbing shorts/shirt.
34. 2 live ball penalties on opposite teams – Offsetting penalties, replay the down
35. 1 live ball penalty and 1 dead ball penalty – Both penalties will be enforced.
36. In the case of an inadvertent whistle by one of the officials, the offensive team can choose to play the down over or have the ball spotted where it was when the whistle blew. If an official’s inadvertent whistle prevents an obvious touchdown, that touchdown can be awarded based on the discretion of the officials.
PLAYOFFS:
1. Division I men and Women’s Division: up to 5 teams will make the playoffs if there is a tie for fourth and extra time in the season schedule. The four and five seed teams will play each other and the winner will advance to the semifinals with the top seed playing the lowest seed, and the two other seeds squaring off as well. The winners of each game will advance to the championship game.
2. Division II men: top 4 teams make the playoffs (unless only 5 teams exist, then all 5 will make playoffs). If the division is divided into pool play, then the top two teams from each pool will make the playoffs with the #1 in pool A playing team #2 in pool B, and vice versa.
3. The IM committee decides seeding based on the following criteria in the following order: season record, head to head competition, point-spread, coin-flip…there will be no games for tiebreakers.
For
clarification of the rules, comments, suggestions, etc.,
contact: