Rules

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MTFFL (updated January 2013)

1) Team Structure: Teams will consist of up to 12 players. Play will be 6 on 6 with the additional teammates rotating in as needed. A team must have a minimum of 5 players to play. In the event they do not have another player, they will have to forfeit.Player Eligibility Requirements: You must be a male, 18 years old at the time you sign up to be eligible to play. Your sign up fee must be paid when you turn in your enrollment form… no exceptions!
2) Equipment: Cleats are strongly encouraged. No metal cleats will be allowed. Protective cups and mouthpieces are recommended. The ball will be any size Junior or larger and must be leather. Try to avoid wearing shorts with pockets. Game jerseys (T-Shirts) will be provided by the League and must be worn during games. Shirts cannot be oversized due to the possibility of someone grabbing the shirt rather than the flag. Triple Threat Flag belts with a flag on each side and one in the back are required for all players. The flags are the property of the League and must be returned to the League President at the end of the season. If a Team Owner loses any belts during the season, they must pay $5 per belt, for the replacement of the belt(s).
3) Game Ball: Each team will be allowed to use their own ball during their possession times during the game as long as the ball is of Junior size or larger and must be leather.
4) Scoring:

Touchdowns: 6 pts; and may be ran or thrown.
Extra point conversions*
1 pt from 3 yards out and may be ran or thrown.
2 pts from 10 yards out, and may be ran or thrown.
3 pts from 15 yards out; and may be ran or thrown.

*If a team is attempting an extra point conversion and the defense acquires a live ball, they may return it to their end zone for the amount of points that would have been awarded to the offensive team.

Safety: 2 points;

Game Days/ Times/ Location: up to 6 games will be played on Sundays at 1 pm, 2:30 pm, 4 pm on three separate fields, with a 4th time slot at 5:30 pm for any needed make up games. All games will be played at the Sharp Springs Park fields off Sam Ridley Parkway in Smyrna.
Practices: It will be at the Team Owners sole discretion as to where, when, and how often they practice. The League will NOT assign fields or practice times to any teams. The League is NOT responsible for any circumstances, injuries, etc. during practice times.
Game Play: Bracket winners will be determined entirely by win loss record and not by total points scored. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the result of their regular pool play (the winning team in heads-up play becomes the higher seed). If a tie still exists, the team with the highest total points scored will be the higher seed. No game can end in a tie.
Start of Game (Coin Toss): A coin will be tossed to determine which team is Home Team. The Home team will then call the coin and choose to either kick or receive the ball. Visiting team will choose which side of the field they want to defend first. Sides of field will be switched at half. Coin will be tossed again in the event of overtime to determine which team has ball possession first.
Overtime (tie) Play: In the event of a tie, a coin will be flipped to determine who is on offense first. The ball will be placed on the defenses 20-yard line and the offense will be given 4 plays to convert a touchdown. Both teams will be given the chance to score. If a team scores, they will be given an extra point attempt as defined for regular play. If a tie still exists, this will continue until one-team scores on their possession and the other fails.
Length of Play: Games will consist of 2 Twenty-Five (25) minute halves and a 10-minute half time.
Play Clock: There will be 25 seconds between plays for the offensive team to execute their next play. Failure results in a 5 yard Delay of Game penalty.
Clock Stoppage: Clock stops for the following reason only (except during the last 2 minutes of each period): Timeouts, injury, touchdown or halftime. Clock will not run during extra point attempts. ALSO SEE 2 Minute Warning
2 Minute Warning: Clock will be stopped as close to the final 2 minutes of the game as possible. During this time, the clock will additionally be stopped for out of bounds, first down conversions, and incomplete passes. Spiking the ball to stop the clock is never permissible.
Timeouts: Each team will have two (2), two-minute timeouts per half. Real field injuries will not count against either team. If the referee believes the injury is faked, he can charge a team with a time out. In the event there is no timeout to be taken from the team, he may assess a 15-yard penalty with replay of down. Each team will be giving one (1) additional timeout for each overtime period.
Blocking: Players may block using hands, shoulders, or forearms. All contact must be below the neck and above the waist. Contact to the head or legs will be penalized at the discretion of the referees. Contact will be allowed within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. If the play is a pass play, no downfield blocking will be allowed until the receiver has possession of the ball. Picks will NOT be allowed on pass plays.
Kickoffs: At the beginning of each half, the ball will be placed on the offensive team’s 10-yard line. The team receiving the ball (offensive team) on opening kickoff will be the kicking team (defensive team) at the start of the second half.
Stiff Arming: Stiff Arming is allowed but must be done below the neck, from shoulder to shoulder. Shoulder is defined from the junction of the Shoulder muscles and the bicep muscles upward. Stiff-arming on the arm, below this mark, can be considered flag guarding at the refs discretion.
Field Goals: There will be no field goals. SEE Scoring.
Touchbacks: In the event of a touchback, the ball will be marked on the 15-yard line for an 80-yard field and on the 20-yard line for a 100-yard field.
Fumbles: Stripping the ball to cause a fumble is allowed. A fumble is a live ball and may be advanced by either team.
Rushing: Defensive players may rush the quarterback immediately upon snap from the Line of Scrimmage. Defenders cannot slap the ball at point of snap in an effort to foul the snap.
Safety: If an offensive player is downed in their own end zone, 2 points will be awarded to the defensive team. SEE Scoring.
Punting: All punts must be verbally declared. There are no fake punts. The punter cannot be rushed. The punter cannot hold the ball more than 3 seconds. It must be immediately kicked or a delay of game penalty will be assessed and the lost time added back to the game clock. Ball may be thrown, drop kicked, or punted. A fair catch may be called and cannot be advanced. Ball is marked where it is fair caught, downed, or stops rolling. In the event the receiving player touches a punted ball, the ball is then live and may be recovered and advanced by either team.
Dead Ball: A play is considered dead if whistled dead by a referee, ball carriers flag has been pulled, or ball carriers knee contacts the ground (even if the carrier accidentally slips).
Spot of the Ball: The ball will be spotted where the referee determined ball location when the flag was removed from the ball carrier (not necessarily where the flag falls or is thrown). If a runner’s knee hits the ground, the ball is placed where the knee touches the ground. If the ball breaks the plane of the goal line, the ruling on the field will be a touchdown.
Diving: NO DIVING WILL BE ALLOWED. This does not change the rule about the spot of the ball. The ball is to be spotted at the position that the ball is located when the flag is pulled or the player goes out-of-bounds. The ball can be stretched out, but no player can advance the ball by diving (whether the player dives into the endzone or for a first down)
Pass Reception: A pass will be considered complete if the receiving player has one foot inside the field of play. All players are eligible receivers. If a player has his flag pulled or losses a flag prior to a catch, the play is still live and the receiving player can be downed with a single touch (this is true for run plays as well).
Touchdown: A player can score by having the ball cross the plane of the end zone. The player must be in control of the ball. Any diving into the end zone with negate the touchdown and incur a penalty.
Quarterback: He may throw or run the ball, even if he is not rushed, unless the defense is playing with one less player than the offense. In that case he may run only if rushed. The ball must be snapped to the quarterback from the ground. It may not be self-snapped. If the quarterback’s flag is pulled while in the act of making a pass, the referee will determine if he was downed prior to release.
First Downs: A first down is earned by running or throwing the ball past the 20-yard incremental markers on the field. This is true if on an 80 or 100-yard field.
Responsibilities of Each Team: Each team will be required to do the following: Bring your teams League provided Flag belts to each game, assure that each player wears a League provided Jersey in their team colors at each game.
Team Owners Responsibilities: You will be assigned flags at the beginning of the season. All flags must be returned at the end of the season. Any lost flag belts or flags must be paid for by the Team Owner. You will be responsible for coordinating any practices, relaying League info to your team, and being active in Board of Commissioners Meetings.
Player Recruitment: Team Owners can recruit all of their ten (10) players. The recruited players must fill out a Signup Sheet and submit their payment to the league at the time they sign up. All recruited players must have completed this prior to the draft date. If not, they will not be allowed to play in the League. Team Owners must strictly enforce this to assure the draft isn’t compromised and that we don’t chase people to get their fee.
Placement of Players: The president and the vice-president will place all individual sign-up players on teams. Any team that doesn’t have 10 players will be assigned additional players, if available. The teams with the lowest active team members will be given highest priority for assignment of individual sign-up players until all individuals have been placed. The specific individual to be placed on each team will be determined by random draw.
Referees: Each game will be officiated by two or three referees.
Games and Tournament: First games will be played on or about March 1st. Each team will play all other teams once during league play. At the end of the regular season there will be a single elimination tournament with a “Super Bowl” (1st and 2nd places from the tournament) and a “consolation game” (3rd and 4th places from the tournament) to end the season.
Cost to play: Enrollment fee of $75 per player covers the following: cost of field stripping, cost of the field rental each weekend, jerseys, and refs.
Waiver: Every player will be required to sign a waiver, which holds harmless the league and the Town of Smyrna. Players assume full responsibility for playing in this league.
Miscellaneous:
ALL calls are at the referee’s discretion! Do not debate the officials!

Flagrant fouls will result in a 10-yard penalty and the down will be replayed with a verbal warning to the offending player. Should there be a second foul by the same player for the same or a similar offense, there will be a 10 yard penalty assessed and the offending player will be required to sit out the rest of the game. In the event a player is asked to leave the game and the team no longer has enough players to finish the game, they will have to forfeit the game.
No contact will be permitted above the shoulders (head and neck) or below the waist.
If a player losses his flag belt during play, the defender may down the player by one hand touch anywhere on the body.
Although some foul language is expected, aggressive or insulting language or actions will not be tolerated. The referee may warn the player once but will be ejected upon a second offense. If the act is determined by the referee (and solely at his discretion) to be excessively bad, he may elect to eject the player without warning.

Specific Penalties: All penalties are assessed from the line of scrimmage unless otherwise indicated herein.

Flag Guarding- Play will be dead and ball will be marked at the point of infraction.
Illegal Motion (advancing the line of scrimmage prior to snap) = 5 yard loss, replay down.
False Start (infringement of the line of scrimmage) = 5 yard loss, replay down.
*All players may move and will not be required to be in a “down” position but they may not advance the LOS prior to the snap.
Illegal Block (clipping) = 10 yard loss, replay down
Offensive Pass Interference = 10 yard loss, loss of down
Defensive Pass interference = Ball will be marked at the point of infraction, first down. If the infraction is committed in the endzone, the ball will be spotted on the 1 yard line and play resumed.
Illegal Forward Pass = 5 yard loss and loss of down
Unsportsmanlike Conduct = 10 yard penalty, replay down
Roughing the passer = 10 yard penalty, 1st down
Holding = 10 yard penalty, replay down
Illegal Contact = 10 yard penalty, replay down
Defensive offsides = 5 yard penalty, replay down. If the ball is snapped while the defensive player is offsides, the play will be allowed to continue and be a “free play” for the offense. The offense can choose to keep the result of the play or to take the 5 yard penalty and replay the down.