MMRFL - 2015 Practice Guidelines and Restrictions
Effective 2015 MMRFL Season
The purpose of this Guideline is to clarify for Staff, Coaches, and Parents the effect of NFHS /
MHSAA and MMRFL rules and policies with regards to what they are, and are not allowed, to do at
different times of the season. It will also give the coaches some recommended actions or options under
different circumstances based upon guidelines from USA Football. These will be highlighted in blue
italics text.
Definition of Terms: To level set everyone on terminology used in these guidelines please review
the following to clarify differences in Contact Levels and Practice Types.
A. Contact Levels:
0) "AIR" - Player runs drill unopposed with no contact of any sort. (Example: Pass pattern
drills, three and four point stance to sprint, and set position to 1 step blocking play pattern)
1) "BAG" - Player runs drill to make light contact with soft bag or blocking pad, grasping bag
to control and carry it.
2) "Control" - Drill is run at assigned speed (typically half or 2/3rd speed) until the moment
of contact, one player is pre-determined the "winner" by coach. Contact remains above the
waist and players stay on their feet (no take down to ground). Could also be run with
blocking dummy but at full speed to blocking pad contact. NOTE: 3 key elements - Set
Speed, Pre-determined Winner, and above the waist contact with No takedown to ground.
Note: If any of the 3 are missing it moves up one level to "Thud"
rd
3) "Thud" - Drill is run at competitive speed (typically 2/3 to full) through the moment of
contact, No Pre-determined "winner", and contact remains above the waist with players
staying on their feet and quick whistle by coach to end drill. NOTE: 3 key elements Competitive speed (greater then half-speed), No pre-determined winner, no takedown to
ground with quick whistle.
4) "Live" - Drill is run in game-like conditions and is only time players go to the ground.
Key elements - Competitive speed, No Pre-determined winner, Players take to ground.
B. Drill Type:
The Drill type is based upon the highest "Contact Level" that any part of the drill
falls into based upon key elements noted above. Thus if you are going 1/2 speed
Player-on-Player and you have no pre-determined, or players go to ground, it
becomes a "Collision" drill. Here we have defined the Drill Types and referenced
them to Contact Levels above:
o "Non-Contact" Drill or Practice  This is a No-contact drill where no contact is made
with anything (Level 0 - "Air" above) or light-contact and grasp drill with soft pad to
show technique (Level 1 - "Bag").
o "Contact" Drill or Practice  Drill at less than full speed to point of contact ,with Predetermined winner, and no takedown (Level 2 - "Control") or drill is against Blocking
Dummy/Pad only (no Player on Player ).
o "Collision" Drill or Practice  Drill is at Competitive Speed, No Pre-Determined
Winner, and No takedown to ground (Level 3 - "Thud") or Game-Like drills with no predetermined winner and takedown may got to ground (Level 4 - "Live").
Rev: 04/15/15
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MMRFL 2015 Practice Guidelines
MMRFL - 2015 Practice Guidelines and Restrictions
Effective 2015 MMRFL Season
Section I
 MMRFL Pre-Season Conditioning Week {1 Week}
Purpose: This is a "Heat Acclimatization" and general conditioning practice period to get
participants accustomed to the heat and humidity during active workout periods. Most activities
should be aimed at Heat Acclimatization and Conditioning. In doing so coach may use drills
focused on teaching play stance, blocking and talking technique, blocking and play patterns, and
general dynamic exercises to stretch muscles, elevate heart rate and build strength & endurance.
In the MMRFL the equipment and contact restrictions noted below are true the full 5 day
period of conditioning week (Monday thru Friday). Unlike MHSAA school ball participants
our participants may not use shoulder pads on day 3 & 4 and may not go to full pads if 5th day of
practice is run.
Player Equipment: Limited to Football, Helmets, and Football Shoes (No Shoulder Pads or
piece Body pads .)
Field Equipment: Limited to Cones, Hand held Pads, and Blocking Pads. NO Blocking
Sleds and other Tackling Blocking Mechanized Equipment.
Contact: The rule is no contact to "Limited or Light Contact" to blocking pads to teach
blocking and tackling technique and positioning only. For reference purposes this would
be USA Football Level 0 - "Air" or Level 1 - "BAG" contact. NO contact with
opposing players period and only Light contact to bags when teaching "Heads Up
Football" Blocking and Tackling techniques.
NOTE: USA Football would further recommend the following restrictions at this time.
1st.
2nd.
3rd.
No "Two-a-Day" practices should ever be held (Conditioning, Pre-season, or Mid-Season)
No more than 4 days of practice in the first week.
Days 1 and 2 of practice should be limited to maximum of 90 minutes of practice, moving
to maximum of two hours on days 3 through 6.
Section II
 Pre-Season Practice Weeks {3 weeks -- From
Conditioning week to practice prior to 1st weekend of games}
Purpose: This period may still involve some "Heat Acclimatization" and general conditioning
during the first week of contact practice. The primary objectives during this period is to improve
overall conditioning and endurance, to teach and improve basic football techniques of Blocking
and Tackling, and to teach and practice formations and plays. Reminder in MMRFL each player
should learn at least three general positions (Line, Offensive backs, Defensive Backs, Ends &
Receivers, etc.) and at least one offense and one defensive positions. Coaches should use a
combination of stretching/conditioning, Non-Contact, Contact, and Collision Drills.
In the MMRFL, you may go to full pads and all contact levels as of the Saturday
immediately following Conditioning week if you desire. This is also classified as Pre-Season
practice in MHSAA terminology for the purposes of practice restrictions and guidelines.
Rev: 04/15/15
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MMRFL 2015 Practice Guidelines
MMRFL - 2015 Practice Guidelines and Restrictions
Effective 2015 MMRFL Season
Player Equipment: Full Equipment Allowed
Field Equipment: Full Equipment allowed
Contact: Contact during these three weeks of practice may vary from Level 0 - "Air" through
Level 4 - "Live". Remember that the Drill Type is defined by the highest Contact Level
key elements involved. Likewise a Practice Type is defined based upon the highest Drill
Level during the practice (or Contact Level if you follow it down). Thus one drill that is
Player-on-Player with No Pre-determined winner and/or a takedown to the ground will
result in the entire practice considered a "Collision" Practice. The MHSAA has placed the
following restrictions on ALL Pre-season Practices:
 In pre-season, prior to first regular season game, this is week of games not your
teams first game, Teams may not have more then one (1) "Collision" Practice in a
day. (Note: "Collision" practices include scrimmages, includes player vs player
drill at competitive speed with no pre-determined winner (takedown to ground or
not), or player-vs -player at competitive speed with takedown to ground).com or
competitive speed drills, player vs player and either no predetermined winner or
takedown to the ground.
 A single practice may not be longer than 3 hours and if doing "Two-a-Day"
practices the total practice time may not exceed 5 hours in a day with a minimum
of 1 hour between practices. (Note: Minimum qualifying practice is considered 1
hour).
NOTE: USA Football would further recommend the following restrictions at this time. These are
their suggestions, they are not mandatory restrictions in MMRFL or MHSAA at this time.
1st.
2nd.
3rd.
No "Two-a-Day" practices should ever be held (Conditioning, Pre-season, or Mid-Season)
No more than 4 days of practice in a week for Youth in Pre-Season Practice.
"Collision" Contact time ("Thud" or "Live" Contact levels 3 and 4) should be limited to no
more than 30 minutes per day and no more than 120 minutes per week during Pre-Season.
Section III
 Mid-Season Practice Weeks
1 games until end of season.}
{7 weeks - After Week
Purpose: Properly varying the levels of contact during a football practice is an important skill
for youth coaches to learn. This is completed by adjusting the distance between players, the speed
at which they conduct a drill and modifying the “winner” of a drill. In doing this, coaches can
better accomplish specific teaching objectives during practices and decrease the chance for injury.
The primary objective during this period is to continue to teach and improve basic football
techniques of Blocking and Tackling, refine instruction on formations and plays, and encourage
players to learn from their mistakes and improve. Many of the MMRFL's better coaches have
focused on improving the skills of players to achieve a goal of maximizing the number of unique
starters (22 unique starters if they had more than 22 players) and instill confidence in players.
Rev: 04/15/15
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MMRFL 2015 Practice Guidelines
MMRFL - 2015 Practice Guidelines and Restrictions
Effective 2015 MMRFL Season
Remember this is a Teaching League and should be focused on teaching and improving the skills,
sportsmanship, and insure they have fun. Take the focus of "winning" the game or the best record
and championships.
In the MMRFL we are following the MHSAA rules with regards to number of practices,
number of "Collision" vs "Contact" or "Non-Contact" practices, and length of practice as
noted below. We have included the suggestions of the USA Football Task Force, which did
include high school and youth level coaches, for your information and consideration as a
"best practice" vs. a mandate at this time.
Player Equipment: Full Equipment Allowed
Field Equipment: Full Equipment allowed
Contact: Contact during these seven weeks of practice may vary from Level 0 - "Air" through
Level 4 - "Live". It is important to vary the drills in intensity, who is winner in "Control"
level drills, and the speed of the drills to maintain players interest and teach them without
overextending them. Again -Remember that the Drill Type is defined by the highest
Contact Level key elements involved. Likewise a Practice Type is defined based upon the
highest Drill Level during the practice (or Contact Level if you follow it down). Thus one
drill that is Player-on-Player with No Pre-determined winner and/or a takedown to the
ground will result in the entire practice considered a "Collision" Practice. The MHSAA
has placed the following restrictions on practices after the first regular schedule game
(after first game of the season anywhere in the MMRFL for our purposes):
 After the first regular-season game, teams may conduct no more than two
"Collision" practice days in any week, Monday through Sunday. Again remember
one drill player-on-player at competitive speed (anything over 1/2 speed can be
competitive if other factors exist) either without pre-determined winner or with
takedown to ground is makes a "Collision" drill / practice.
 During other days of practice, players may wear helmets and other protective pads
(neither is mandatory). Blocking and tackling technique may be taught and
practiced at competitive speed but is limited to players vs. pads, shields, sleds or
dummies. NO Player on Player.
 A single practice may not be longer than 3 hours and if doing "Two-a-Day"
practices the total practice time may not exceed 5 hours in a day with a minimum
of 1 hour between practices. (Note: Minimum qualifying practice is considered 1
hour).
NOTE: USA Football would further recommend the following restrictions at this time. These are
their suggestions, they are not mandatory restrictions in MMRFL or MHSAA at this time.
1st.
2nd.
3rd.
Rev: 04/15/15
No "Two-a-Day" practices should ever be held (Conditioning, Pre-season, or Mid-Season)
Reduce to no more than 3 days of practice in a week for Youth once games have started.
"Collision" Contact time ("Thud" or "Live" Contact levels 3 and 4) should be limited to no
more than 30 minutes per day and no more than 90 minutes per week during Season when
games are being played.
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MMRFL 2015 Practice Guidelines
MMRFL - 2015 Practice Guidelines and Restrictions
Effective 2015 MMRFL Season
Section IV
 Other Limitations and Restrictions to Note.
Purpose:
This section is here to note other restrictions with regards to practice sessions in the MMRFL that
you as a Coach in the MMRFL need to know about. Some of these are restrictions from the NFHS /
MHSAA or from the MMRFL. But these are all requirements and compliance is mandated for you as a
Youth Coach in the MMRFL.
A. You must meet and comply with the following restrictions regarding number of practice
sessions for players and/or individuals in order to qualify to play in different situations:
1. If a player misses practice or starts later in season that individual player must complete 2
days of "Heat Acclimatization" "Non-Contact" type practice only, with no pads except
Helmet and Football Shoes. That is then followed by 2 additional days with shoulder pads
and girdles added but restricted to contact Level 2 - "Control" only before they are allowed
to make "Collision" (Player-on-Player full contact). Minimum of 60 minutes each day.
Note: This is a change from previous 3 days of conditioning before contact as a result of
change in MHSAA rules on "Heat Acclimatization" that require they wait until day 5 for
full pads and contact.
2. The "Team" must have 9 days of practice before they can participate in a scrimmage with
any team from outside their school district. This includes Conditioning week practices
and all Contact Levels.
3. The "Team" must have at least 12 days of practice in not less than 16 Calendar-days
before they may play in a game.
4. A "Player" must have at least 1 contact practice (Control Levels 2 thru 4 during a
"Contact" or "Collision" practice) in the 6 days preceding a game to be eligible to play. In
the MMRFL your Area Board may set other requirements for number of practices or
absences allowed for restricted play during game -- See your Area Head Field
Commissioner).
5. Each "Team" is allowed 4 scrimmages with a team or "squad from another school district
during the season. No more than two of these may be before their first game.
Note: Scrimmages with other teams in your Age/weight Division (FR, JV, Var) from
your area do not count and Multi-Team scrimmages at one sight on one day only
count as one scrimmage.
6. You may not scrimmage a team or "squad" that has players that do not meet the
eligibility requirements for your Division. (Example: Freshman team cannot scrimmage a
JV team nor may you scrimmage a team / "squad" from a non-MMRFL area that has
players that exceed our maximum ages/weight combinations) Note: This is an Insurance
Liability issue that could cost you and the MMRFL Millions.
7. Coaches may not organize nor may players play in an "All-Star" or "Championship"
competition either during or at the end of the season. This could result in Suspensions of
Coaches, ineligibility of players, and possible forfeiture of games.
Rev: 04/15/15
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MMRFL 2015 Practice Guidelines