Southern Illinois University Recreational Sports and Services

1. SIU Flag Football
Captain’s Meeting
SIU COMPETITIVE SPORTS OFFICE

2. Follow Us On Social Media
@SIURecCenter

3. Download the IMLeagues App

4. Eligibility
 Student
 SIU student must be taking a minimum of 4 credit hours
 Students taking less than 4 credit hours can purchase recreational membership
 Faculty/Staff & Others
 Faculty or staff is eligible to play
 Spouse of student or faculty member (Must acquire SIU membership card)
 Alumni of department

5. Captain Roles
 Ensure team members follow all eligibility requirements
 Communicate game time, location, and ID policy
 All members have valid SIU ID card
 Communicating with officials in respectful manner
 Return any rented equipment
 Good team sportsmanship
 Cooperating with the supervisor on duty concerning protests, incidents or accidents

6. Divisions
 Co Rec
 Thursday, Tuesday, & Wednesday
 Greek
 Thursday, Tuesday, & Wednesday
 Men’s A
 Thursday, Tuesday, & Wednesday
 Men’s B
 Thursday, Tuesday, & Wednesday

7. Defaults, Forfeits, & Grace Periods
 Defaults – An unplayed game without penalty to either team. To receive a default,
the team captain must notify (by e-mail or in person) the Intramural Sports Office by
4:00 PM on the day of the contest.
 Forfeits – Failing to field a team without contacting the SIU Sports Office
 Not enough players
 Eligibility
 Sportsmanship
 Grace Periods – If at least one team member has signed in at game time, the team
will be granted a 10 minute grace period. – At the conclusion of the grace period,
the team shall forfeit the match if they do not have minimum members present.

8. Postseason Eligibility
 The league will consist of a pool play section followed by a postseason tournament.
 Team records, results, and overall sportsmanship rating will be considered final at
noon on the day following the end of the regular season.
 Team captains should notify the IM Sports Office of any errors before the deadline.
 Please note that postseason eligibility and inclusion is subject to change due to
unforeseen circumstances (.g. weather, time constraints etc.)
 Have 1 or less forfeits
 All teams will make postseason, but will vary by division

9. ID Policy
 ALL players must show their SIU ID
card to be eligible to play
 If SIU ID card is not shown,
participant will not be able to play

10. Policies and Procedures
 Proper Attire
 All attire and equipment is subject to the approval of Intramural Sports staff.
 Any clothing or equipment that is deemed unsafe or illegal must be removed
prior to competition.
 Intramural staff reserves the right to ask participants to remove or conceal
clothing that, in the opinion of IM staff, displays offensive or demeaning
language or imagery.

11. Protests
 Protests
 Rule protest
 The officials’ judgement is not subject to protest.
 If team captain feels the rules were misinterpreted or
misapplied, before the start of the next play, the captain
must petition the referee.
 The team captain can discuss the situation with the
officials and supervisor
 Eligibility Protest
 If team captain notices that a player on the other team
is playing while ineligible, he or she needs to inform the
officials and supervisor.
 This protest can occur before, during, or after the
contest.

12. Flag Football Basics

13. Team Requirements
 Single gender leagues
 Maximum of 7 players on the field
 Minimum of 6 players to avoid a forfeit
 Co Rec
 Maximum of 8 players on the field
 Minimum of 6 players on the field
 No more than 4 per gender are allowed at once
 At least 2 per gender is required to start the game
 Examples: 6 males: 2 females or 6 females: 2 males

14. Playing Field
TEAM BENCH
TEAM BENCH
Players, Fans,
and Spectators
should avoid
standing in the
red areas.
Our officials and
players need
clear sidelines
for safety
reasons.

15. Equipment
 Jewelry is not allowed
 Medical or religious medallions can be taped down
 No hats or bandanas
 Can wear headbands
 Elastic bands to hold hair are permitted
 No beads, barrettes, and bobby pins
 Knee and ankle braces are permitted
 All pants must have NO pockets
 SIU Competitive Sports will not provide tape
 Participants will not be allowed to play with untaped pockets
 Can be taped
 Can wear rubber or molded cleats
 No metal cleats (e.g. baseball spikes and track spikes)

16. Equipment
 Jerseys/Shirts
 Similar in color but distinguishable from other team
 Must be either long enough to remain tucked in or short enough so there is a minimum of four (4”) inches from the bottom of the
jersey to a player’s waist
 Athletic Shorts or Pants
 Flags and Shorts must be different colors
 Flag Belt
 Flags on each side and back
 Clipped, NOT tied
 Preventive Officiating: Check flag belts often
 Sunglasses
 Non-rigid material
 Hats
 No billed hats or any headwear with knots
 Headbands as well as knit or stocking caps are legal.
 Hard materials such as bobby pins are illegal.

17. The Game
 Players
 Seven players on the field
 Six required to avoid a forfeit
 The Ball
 Men may only use the regular size ball.
 Women may use the regular, intermediate, youth, or junior size ball.
 Line of Scrimmage
 The snapper is the only required player to be on the line of scrimmage

18. Timing
 Game will begin with coin toss
 Two Twenty Minute (20:00) halves
 The clock will run for the first eighteen minutes (18:00) of each half.
 Clock will stop for the last two minutes (2:00) of each half.
 Teams have 1 timeout per half
 The clock will ALWAYS stop for team and official timeouts.
 Injured Player – If the clock is stopped by any official due to an injury, that player
must be removed from the game for at least one play.

19. Timing: Two-Minutes and Under
 The clock will stop for the two-minute warning.
 The clock may have less than two minutes when stopped if a play is currently
in progress
 Inside the two minute warning, the clock will stop for the following:
 Incomplete Pass
 Out of Bounds
 Scores/Touchback
 Change of Possession
 First Down
 Penalties

20. Timing: Two-Minutes and Under
 Clock will start accordingly:
 On the snap
 Incomplete pass
 Out of bounds
 Scoring play (e.g. touchdown, safety)
 Change of possession
 Ready for play whistle
 First downs when the previous play ends in bounds
 For all penalties, the clock will restart dependent on the previous play
 Example: At the end of the previous play, the ball was spotted in bounds. After
administering penalty, the clock will start on the ready for play whistle.

21. The Game: Overtime
 A coin toss shall be conducted, and the winning captain
may choose offense or defense.
 Each team shall receive a possession to score.
 Each team shall have four downs, unless changed due
to penalty, to advance the ball from the 10 yard line to
the goal line.
 An intercepted pass shall be declared dead
immediately, and the defense, if required, shall
transition to offense.
 Overtime periods shall be played until the score is no
longer tied at the end of the second team’s possession.

22. Possessions and Downs
 Possessions will START on the 14 Yard Line
 At the beginning of each half
 After all scoring plays (try and safety)
 Touchbacks
 Teams will have Four Downs to advance the ball to the Next Zone Line-To-Gain
 On 4th down, teams may elect to Punt or Attempt to go for the Next Zone Line-To-
Gain.
 Once a decision had been made, that decision may only be changed in the following
situations:
 Either team calls timeout
 A foul occurs
 Inadvertent whistle occurs

23. Scoring
 Touchdown (TD)
 Value: Six Points
 Nose of the ball crosses the plane of the Goal Line with possession by an
offensive player
 Receiver catches the ball in the end zone with at least 1 foot in bounds (1st
foot must land in bounds).
 Safety
 Value: Two Points
 Runner carries the ball from the field of play to or across his/her own goal
line and becomes dead in their own end zone in his/her team possession.
 Player punts, passes, fumbles, snaps, muffs, or bats a loose ball from the
field of play into the end zone (includes on the goal line).
 Any accepted offensive penalties committed in the end zone.

24. Scoring
 The Try (Extra Point Attempts)
 After a Successful TD (unless
moved by penalty)
 1 point from 3 yard line
 2 points from 10 yard line
 3 points from 20 yard line
 Once the scoring team selects
how many points they will be
attempting, they can not change
their decision without using a
timeout.
 If the defense intercepts the
pass, the play is dead.

25. Screen Blocking
 Flag Football is a NONCONTACT sport. Contact should be avoided within
reason.
 Incidental contact will occur every play. By definition, incidental contact
does not give an advantage to anyone on the field.
 Time and Space are both factors that are considered in determining who is
responsible for any contact.
 The rules and guideline of the charge/block rule in basketball apply.
 Example: Runner and defender colliding.
 No player may use their hands or arms to gain an advantage on another
player.

26. Fumbles
 There are no fumbles in flag football.
 When a fumbled ball touches the ground, it is
dead immediately.
 Fumbles will be spotted where they hit the
ground.
 Failed lateral and backwards passes shall be
treated as fumbles.

27. Penalties

28. 5 Yard Penalties
 Delay of game
 False start
 Encroachment
 Illegal snap
 Offensive player leaving field on wrong side
 Illegal procedure
 Illegal formation
 Illegal motion
 Illegal shift
 Player receiving snap within 2 yards
 Illegal forward pass (Loss of down)
 Intentional grounding (Loss of down)
 Illegal substitution
 Aiding runner by teammates
 Male advancing ball through neutral zone
(Co-Rec)
 Two consecutive male to male forward
passes (Loss of down, Co-rec)
 Equipment worn illegally
 Player out of bounds when ball is snapped
 Intentionally throwing a backward pass or
fumble out of bounds (loss of down)

29. 10 Yard Penalties
 Illegal contact
 During play, going out of bounds and coming
back in to play
 Offensive 7 defensive passing interference
 Stiff arm
 Flag guarding
 Illegal flag belt removal
 Personal foul
 Roughing the passer (automatic first down)
 Illegally secured flag belt on touchdown
 Illegal participation
 Illegal punt
 Illegal stripping
 Unsportsmanlike conduct
 Illegal player equipment
 Quick kick
 Spiking, kicking, or throwing ball during dead
ball
 Batting a loose ball
 Hurdling
 Kick catch interference
 Unfair act
 A non player deflags ort interferes with runner
(disqualification and touchdown awarded)

30. Flag Guarding
 Flag Guarding is an illegal action or actions by
a runner to prevent a defender from removing
the runner’s flag belt.
 A normal running motion can be considered
flag guarding.
 Tell runners to run with hands up and the ball
extended forward.
 If a runner attempts to guard his or her flag
and deflagged, there is no penalty.

31. Penalties: Unsportspersonlike Conduct
 Some examples of unsportspersonlike conduct:
 Taunting
 Spiking or kicking the ball
 Excessive or unnecessary contact
 Inappropriate language directed towards a player or
official
 Disrespectfully addressing an official
 Fighting (Immediate Disqualification)
 Contacting/hitting an official (Immediate Disqualification)
 Illegally secured flag belt (Immediate Disqualification)

32. Penalties: Unsportspersonlike Conduct
 Player Disqualification
Two unsportsmanlike penalties
One flagrant unsportsmanlike penalty
 Team Disqualification
Three unsportsmanlike penalties

33. Co Rec Modifications

34. Co-Rec Modifications
 Scoring
 If a female scores a touchdown, the value of the touchdown will be 9 points.
 The value of Extra Point Attempts shall not change.
 Mercy Rule
 If a team has a 25 point lead at or under the two minute warning in the second
half, the game shall end.

35. Co-Rec Modifications: Passing
 Open vs. Closed Plays
 Open Play
 A male or female may be a legal passer or receiver.
 Closed Play
 A female must be the passer or receiver during a play that ends in positive yardage.
 A male cannot complete a pass to another male player (Illegal Male Reception).
 Completed passes may or not affect the Open/Closed status of a play.
 Running plays not preceded or followed by a completed pass do not affect the
Open/Closed Status of a play.
 Penalties do not affect the open or closed status of a play.

36. Co-Rec Modifications: Passing
 Examples
 1st Down, ZLTG 40 yard line – OPEN status
 Female  Male: Next play will be OPEN
 If a female is always involved in a play with a completed pass for positive yardage, the status
shall always remain OPEN.
 Male  Male: Following play shall be CLOSED
 2nd Down, ZLTG 20 yard line – CLOSED status
 Male  Male: Illegal Male Reception (Five Yards from the previous spot, Loss of Down) &
the play remains closed
 Female  Male for positive yardage: Next play shall be OPEN
 Male  Female for positive yardage: Next play shall be OPEN
 When a play is closed, (1) a female must be involved as the passer or receiver and (2) the play
must result in positive yardage to change the status of the next play to OPEN.

37. Co-Rec Modifications: Passing
 A male runner cannot advance the ball beyond the offensive line of
scrimmage until the following has occurred:
 A legal forward pass has occurred
 The ball has been beyond the scrimmage line
 A change of possession
 A female runner has crossed the line of scrimmage