RULES FOR
YOUTH FLAG
FOOTBALL
Introduction
The purpose of The Rules is simply to help players and spectators become
familiar enough with the rules of Youth Flag Football to play or enjoy the
game.
October 1st, 2015
Table of Contents
Mission Statement
2
Facility Rules
2
Weather Policy
3
Practice Policies
3
Equipment
4
Communication
4
Age Verification
4
Sport Rules
5, 6, 7, 8
Drills
9
The Virginia Beach Field House would like to thank you for being a coach in one of our leagues. Without the
help of individuals like you, our leagues would not be able to run as smoothly as they do now. In order to help
new coaches become more comfortable and to assist them, we have created this coach’s packet to provide
some general information, sport specific rules, and ideas for drills and practices.
Mission Statement
It is our mission to provide an inviting, community oriented sports and fitness facility that offers a variety of
activities, competition, education, and fun for athletes and guests of all ages and ability levels. We strive to be
the best entertainment venue in the community, inspiring excitement, social and physical activity, and superior
guest service. With a focus on the highest standards of quality, we deliver memorable experiences to everyone.
We are committed to:
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Your fun and enjoyment
Building your self confidence
Enhancing your fitness for a higher quality of life
Uniting people and communities through our programs
Providing a safe, family oriented environment
Facility Rules
-Individuals utilizing the Virginia Beach Field House facility do so at their own risk. The property owner(s), league
operators, officers, and staff of Virginia Beach Field House assume no liability for any injuries or accidents which
may occur. Please reference the Liability / Injury Waiver and Release Forms.
-Conduct within the facility should be in the spirit of good sportsmanship at all times.
-At no time shall spectators enter the field to speak with officials, coaches, or players. Any spectator that enters
the field to confront an official or another player will be suspended from the facility.
-Rude, inappropriate, and disrespectful language is not tolerated, and will result in facility suspension.
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-All players must be paid in full and registered on a roster to play on a team.
-Late registrations are defined as registrations accepted less than 2 weeks prior to the first game of the season.
-No refunds will be given. Virginia Beach Field House credit may be issued if warranted.
-The Virginia Beach Field House reserves the right to change league and games schedules and days as it deems
appropriate based on field and court availability.
-No Alcohol use is allowed prior to playing. Drug use is prohibited at all times.
-Should you find or lose any items please report the incident immediately to a Virginia Beach Field House
employee. The Virginia Beach Field House owner(s) and staff do not assume responsibility for any items lost or
stolen.
-No food or drinks on the fields or volleyball courts. Outside food and drinks are not permitted in the Virginia
Beach Field House. Players and referees may bring a water bottle.
-No chewing tobacco, chewing gum, sunflower seeds, or similar type products permitted in facility.
-No glass containers on the field, volleyball courts, or in the player boxes.
-Video recording from the player boxes is not allowed.
-Please no pets inside the facility.
-Children must be supervised at all times.
-Violation of any of the above regulations may result in suspension from the facility.
-Balls shall not be kicked, thrown, or hit against the building walls (interior or exterior) unless on the playing
field. Damage caused by these actions shall be the financial responsibility of the individual, or their parents or
legal guardians.
-Substitution policy: A substitute is allowed for any league game. The fee is $15 per game. A substitute may play
on any team in any night, but may not play on two different teams in the same league on the same night. No
substitutes will be allowed during playoffs or post-season play.
Weather Policy
As an indoor sports facility, we try to stay open in all weather conditions. Our facility does not follow any of the
city or county cancellation policies. Cancellations will be posted on our website and phone system. If we remain
open for league games and you feel that it is unsafe to travel, please stay at home.
Rescheduling criteria for inclement weather cancellation:
• Playoff games will be rescheduled
• 1 game missed due to weather- NO RESCHEDULE
• 2 games missed due to weather- we will reschedule games
• 3 games missed due to weather- we will reschedule games if time allows
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• No refunds will be given for missed games due to inclement weather
Practice Policy
Practice is not guaranteed. Virginia Beach Field House leagues are designed to be “game only” and are meant for
players to have fun and be physically active each week. Practice may be available if field space and time allows.
All scheduled practices must be requested in writing by the coach of the team, and must be submitted to the
League Director at least 3 days prior to the requested practice date.
All REC teams will be given FOUR (4) free practices to use throughout the season, these will be based upon field
availability. Teams will be asked to split the field if more than 4 teams are practicing at the same time. Any
practices beyond this will be at our discounted rate of $54/hour.
Flag Football Equipment
All Players Should Have:
- Sneakers or Football Cleats - Cleats must be plastic molded, no screw-ins or metal cleats.
- Athletic Shorts - NO POCKETS ALLOWED - This is to ensure the safety of players when pulling flags.
- Players wearing shorts with pockets will have to sit out that game or change.
- No earrings, necklaces, or jewelry of any kind is permitted on the fields
Communication
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please contact the Youth Flag Football Director.
Dustin Rutz
[email protected]
We recommend that you create some sort of phone tree to help communicate with your players and parents.
This will keep you from having to call every person on the team whenever you need to get information out.
Email can also be a quick and affective way to communicate. You may use your MySam account to
communicate with players through the Team Page and Message function.
Injury Policy
As with all leagues at the Field House, there is an inherent risk to playing sports. Although the Virginia Beach
Field House staff and the referees do everything we can to help prevent injuries, players do get hurt from time
to time. If a player gets injured and cannot play the rest of the season, another player may take their roster
spot. Please contact your Sports Director if this occurs.
Refund Policy
The Virginia Beach Field House does not issue refunds. If an event is cancelled, we may offer a credit for use for
future events. Injured players can receive a credit to their account if they are injured prior to the completion of
the halfway point of their season. Teams may also find a replacement player to take the roster spot of an
injured player.
Roster Sign-In/Age Verification
Before each game, every team will be asked to line up by a VBFH employee or the official. At this time we will
check in every player for each team, and ensure everyone is wearing proper attire and has all jewelry removed.
All players must be paid in full and registered onto the team, as well as have a signed waiver on file before
playing. If a player’s age ever comes into question, the parents of that player will be required to show proof of
age (Birth Certificate, etc.) prior to the player playing their next game. It is expected that all participants in our
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leagues exercise honesty and integrity when registering, and are expected to be in the correct age group. If
there is a player of the wrong age on a team, such team will forfeit all games played until this player is removed.
Ineligible Players
All players participating in leagues here at the Virginia Beach Field House must have a signed waiver on file, must
have paid a league registration fee, and / or obtained a sub/guest pass for the team they are playing with prior
to the game starting. Players may only play for the team they are registered for, and guest/sub passes are only
good for one game. Failure to follow these procedures will result in the player being asked to leave the field
and player’s box, and can result in the forfeiture of the game by the offending team. If we find that a coach
knew of the ineligible player prior to the game beginning, and chose to allow the player to play, further
disciplinary action will be taken at the discretion of the League Director. Repeat offenders will be banned from
playing for the remainder of the season.
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Youth Flag Football Rules
1. The Basics:
a. Each team will be given 4 downs to either make a first down or make a touchdown.
b. A coin toss determines first possession. The home team is listed on the left of the schedule. The
visiting team will call the coin toss. The winner of the coin toss will have two options, receive (play
offense) or defer (play defense). The team that receives the ball in the first half will play defense to start
the second half.
c. The offensive team takes possession of the ball at its 5-yard line and has four plays to cross midfield.
Once a team crosses midfield, they have four plays to score a touchdown. If the offense fails to score,
the ball changes possession and the new offensive team takes over on its 5-yard line
d. If the offensive team fails to cross midfield, possession of the ball changes and the opposition starts its
drive from its 5-yard line.
e. All possession changes, EXCEPT interceptions, start on the offense’s 5-yard line. Interceptions MAY
be returned and will be ruled down at the spot where the ball carriers flag is pulled unless the result of
the interception is a touchdown.
f. Teams change sides after the first 20 minutes. Possession changes to loser of coin and the clock does
not stop.
g. There are no kickoffs, and no blocking is allowed.
h. Team rankings: 1. Points for win and tie 2. Head to head. 3. Points against 4. Coin toss
2. Players/Game Schedules:
a. All age groups will be playing 7 on 7. Teams must field a minimum of 5 players at ALL times for
ages 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18
b. The Field House has the option to combine ages if needed in order to fill teams to have enough teams
to run a league for that season.
c. Players may play up in age divisions but not down into a lower age division
3. Timing/Overtime:
a. Games are 2 – 20 minute halves which consist of a running clock. If the score is tied at the end of a
REGULAR season games the game WILL end in a tie.
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b. If the score is tied at the end of REGULATION, during the playoffs, teams move directly into
overtime. First possession in overtime will be determined by a coin toss as discussed in rule 1b.
HOWEVER, in overtime the first team to score wins.
c. Each time the ball is spotted, a team has 30 seconds to snap the ball. Teams will receive one warning
before a delay-of-game or penalty is enforced.
d. Each team will have two 30-second time-outs per half.
e. Officials can stop the clock at their discretion.
4. Scoring:
a. Touchdown -6 points
b. Extra point: -1 point (played from 5-yard line is a PASS/RUN) or -2 points (played from 12-yard line
is a PASS/RUN)
c. Safety: -2 points
d. If a team attempts to pass for a one or two point conversion and the defense intercepts the ball and
runs it back for a touchdown, this will result in two points for the defensive team.
5. Running:
a. The quarterback cannot run with the ball over the line of scrimmage.
b. The quarterback is the designated player that lines up directly behind the center. (Note. In the event
that the ball is hiked over the head of the designated quarterback where one of the offensive players
catches the ball and is the first offensive player to maintain control of the ball, then he/she is now
considered to be the quarterback.)
c. Laterals and pitches ARE allowed.
d. The player who takes the handoff can throw the ball from behind the line of scrimmage.
e. Once the ball has been handed off, all defensive players are eligible to rush.
f. Spinning is allowed, but players CANNOT leave their feet to avoid a defensive player (diving is not
allowed by offensive ball carriers).
g. The ball is spotted where the ball carrier’s feet are when the flag is pulled, NOT where the ball is.
6. Passing:
a. Only 1 forward pass allowed (Shovel passes are allowed). Shovel pass is a forward pass.
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b. Interceptions may be returned.
c. There is no time limit on how long the QB has to throw the ball. All players are eligible to receive
passes (including the quarterback if the ball has been handed off behind the line of scrimmage). Only
ONE player is allowed in motion at a time.
7. Starting and Ending a Play:
a. The ball must be snapped between the legs, not off to one side, to start play.
b. The clock will stop after a dead ball, or change of possession, ONLY in the 2nd half in the last minute
of regulation.
c. Substitutions may be made on any dead ball.
d. A Play has “ended” when: — Ball carrier’s flag is pulled — Ball carrier steps out of bounds —
Touchdown or safety is scored — Ball carrier’s knee hits the ground (NOT hand) — Ball carrier’s flag
falls off. Note: There are no fumbles. The ball is spotted where the ball hits the ground. If the flag falls
also, you have to touch the player in order for him/her to be considered down.
e. Coaches are required to stand 5 yards from the furthest player on both offense and defense. (example:
if your quarterback is in the shotgun you should be 5 yards behind the quarter back or if your safety is
line up as the deepest defender than you shall be 5 yards behind the safety).
f. Coaches CANNOT direct the offense or defense once the play has started. (example: you know that
the offense is going to run a sweep to the left/right you CANNOT yell out they are going left or they are
going right).
g. Coaches CANNOT assist (hold or push) a player to a spot in an attempt to help them either make a
play or prevent them from making a penalty. (example: holding a player who keeps jumping off-sides
or assisting (pushing) a player to make a play on another player).
h. Any violation of the above rules will result in illegal participation by the coach and the penalty will be
administered as outlined in 10/n under penalties.
i. Coaches can be on the field for age groups 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, and 11-12. Any age division 13 and older
coaches cannot be on field, and must make all coaching actions from the player’s box.
8. Rushing the Quarterback:
a. All players who rush the passer must be a minimum of SEVEN yards from the line of scrimmage. If a
player who is lined up seven yards from the line of scrimmage and is drawn off sides by a false snap
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count by the offense MUST reset seven yards from the line of scrimmage prior to him/her rushing the
passer.
b. Any number of players can rush the quarterback, as long as they are seven yards from the line of
scrimmage.
c. Once the ball is handed off, the seven-yard rule is no longer in effect, all defenders may go behind the
line of scrimmage. It is the coaches’ responsibility to have their rushers mark off SEVEN yards from the
line of scrimmage.
d. Remember, NO blocking or tackling is allowed.
9. Sportsmanship/Roughing:
a. If the field monitor or referee witnesses any acts of tackling, elbowing, cheap shots, blocking or any
unsportsmanlike act, the game will be stopped and the player will be ejected from the game.
b. FOUL PLAY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Trash talking is illegal. Officials have the right to
determine offensive language. (Trash talk is talk that may be offensive to officials, opposing players,
teams or spectators.) If trash talking occurs, the referee will give one warning. If it continues, the coach,
player or players will be ejected from the game
c. Attire cleats are allowed, except for metal spikes and screw ins. Inspections must be made.
10. Penalties: All penalties will be called by the referee.
a. Defense: Offside Five yards and automatic first down
b. Interference 10 yards and automatic first down
c. Illegal contact (holding, blocking, etc.) 10 yards and automatic first down
d. Illegal FLAG pull (before receiver has ball) 10 yards and automatic first down
e. Illegal rushing (starting rush from inside 7-yard marker) 10 yards and automatic first down
f. Unsportsmanlike Conduct- 15yds - Penalty will be assessed from the end of the run. If the penalty
occurs to prevent a touchdown, then it is at the referee’s discretion to award a touchdown.
g. Illegal motion (more than one person moving, false start, etc.) Five yards and loss of down
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h. Illegal forward pass (pass thrown beyond line of scrimmage) Five yards and loss of down
i. Offensive pass interference (illegal pick play, pushing off/away defender) 10 yards and loss of down
j. FLAG guarding 10 yards (from line of scrimmage) and loss of down
k. Delay of game 5 yards and loss of down.
l. All penalties WILL be assessed from the line of scrimmage unless otherwise stated.
m. Coaches or players cannot question judgment calls. The official will provide interpretation of any
rule that the coach may have (RULES ONLY).
n. Illegal participation by a coach – 10 yards and loss of down.
***Regulation Clock during final (1) minute of the game (2nd half only) unless there is a 21 point lead.
***During the regulation clock, the clock will stop only on dead balls. A dead ball only consists of
incomplete passes, when a player steps out of bounds, a penalty or a change of possession. The clock
will also stop when first downs are achieved (after the referee sets the ball for play - the clock will start).
The clock will not stop if there is a 21 point lead EVEN during time outs).
Referees determine incidental contact that may result from normal run of play. Games cannot end on a
defensive penalty unless the offensive team declines the penalty.
Drills
Jingle - Jangle
Place cones at the corners of a 15-yard square. Line up players at one corner of square. Players then:
1. Sprint to first cone 2.Side-step to second cone 3.Backpedal to third cone 4.Sprint to beginning of line.
• Throw a football to each player as he or she finishes the drill. Repeat drill to other side after everyone has
had a turn.
Flag Pulling Drill
Form two lines. One will be the defenders and one will be the runners. Each player should have their flags on
and a ball. Line the first defender up in a 8 x 8 rectangle.
The offensive players will take off one by one against each defender. The offensive player must stay within the
rectangle, after each turn have the players switch lines.
Coaching points: Make sure that the offensive player is not flag guarding. Make sure the defender gets into
position. The defenders should be focused on 1.) Pulling the flag 2.) Getting a good angle to get in front of the
runner so that the defender is better positioned to pull the flag.
Variation: Run the drill without flags so that the focus of the defender is getting a good angle and moving their
feet to keep in front of the offensive player.
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Sharks and Minnows
This is a very easy drill to set up and run and because of the competitive nature you will find that the kids usually
give a 100% effort so it makes it great for conditioning.
Set up an area 20 yards wide and 30 yards long (the zone). One player is the shark and their job is to pull
everyone's flag before they can make it from one end of the zone to the other. The other players (minnows) all
line up at one end and on the coaches command try to make it from one end of the zone to the other without
getting their flag pulled. Once their flag is pulled they are out until the next round. Variation: Add multiple
sharks.
Agility Drills
Shuttle Runs:
Start with 10 yards, the players sprint 10 yards and then jog back, continue increasing the length of the sprint
through 30 or 40 yards depending on the age of your players..
Pro Agility Drill:
In this drill you set up three cones 5 yards apart in a straight line. Have your players start in a three point stance
at the middle cone. On the whistle they must power out of their stance and sprint in the direction the coach
points (right or left) to the first cone. After reaching the cone they must sprint to the cone on the other end and
then turn back and sprint back to the middle cone.
One Leg Squats:
Have your players perform one leg squats. This can be done with or without weights and should be done in a
controlled up and down manner. (2 sets of 25 reps).
Vertical Leap:
Have your players start in a squatting position. On the whistle they should explode into a vertical leap. The goal
is to get as high as they can. 5 to 10 reps are good.
Up Downs:
Players start with chopping their feet in place as fast as they can. On the coaches whistle they dive to the ground
and then jump to their feet as fast as they can and continue chopping their feet in a ready position. 15 to 20 reps
are a good starting point.
Interval Sprints
Interval training improves endurance and speed, according to Happy Living Magazine. Have players start by
sprinting for 15 yards, then go into a jog for 15 yards, then sprint 15 yards, then finish with a 15-yard jog.
Another option is to start with a 15-yard jog and then sprint for 15 yards, as long as you do an equal number of
jogs and sprints. Perform four or five repetitions, resting for about one minute between sets.
Please visit these websites below for more helpful tips
http://www.play4funsports.com/files/P4FS%20AHYFFL%20NFL%20Flag%20drills.pdf
http://www.livestrong.com/article/363628-youth-flag-football-drills/
http://www.y-coach.com/CD/Flag_Football_Drills.htm
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