4 on 4 Flag Football
Rosters Due: March 14th
Info Meeting: March 17th
Bruin Cup Points:
1st - 300 pts.
2nd - 150 pts.
3rd - 75 pts.
RULES
RULE 1. THE GAME
A) The game shall be played between 2 teams of 4 players each. Three players are required to avoid a
forfeit.
B) Zone Markings: The field measures 40 yards in length (goal line to goal line) with ten yard end
zones, and 40 yards in width.
C) Coin Toss: The captain winning the coin toss shall select offense, direction, or defer their choices
to the second half.
RULE 2. TIMING & TIME OUTS
A) Game Time: Playing time shall be two 12 minute halves.
B) First 11 minutes: the clock will start on the snap to begin each half. It will run continuously for the
first 11 minutes unless stopped by a team or Referee’s time-out.
C) One Minute Warning: Approximately one minute before the end of each half the Referee shall
stop the clock and inform both teams of the playing time remaining in the half. The clock starts on
the snap.
D) Each team is entitled to one charged time-out per half. A team is allowed one time-out per
overtime period.
RULE 3. TIE BREAKER
A) Each Team will attempt to score by passing from the 3 yard line for 1 point or from the 10 yard
line for 2 points. If the defense intercepts a pass or fumble, the attempt is over.
RULE 4. SERIES OF DOWNS
A) A team shall have 3 consecutive downs to advance to the next zone by scrimmage.
B) A new series of downs is awarded when a team moves the ball legally into the next zone or the
opponent obtains possession of the ball by penalty, pass interception, or failure to advance to the
next zone.
C) Putting the ball into play: the ball shall be placed at the Team “A” 10 yard line to begin each half
of a game and following a Try, touchback, or safety, unless moved by penalty. Note: There are no
kickoffs or punts.
RULE 5. THE PLAYERS
A) Minimum Line Player: the offensive team must have at least one person on their line of
scrimmage (first ball spotter—orange) at the snap.
B) Runner: A Team “A” runner cannot advance the ball through Team “A”‘s scrimmage line (first
ball spotter-orange). There are no restrictions after a change of possession or once a legal forward
pass has been caught beyond Team “A”‘s scrimmage line.
C) Legal Forward Pass: There must be a legal forward pass each down. The receiver must catch the
ball beyond Team “A”‘s scrimmage line. The passer has 7 seconds to release the ball. If not, it is
a loss of down and the ball is next snapped at the previous spot.
RULE 6. PENALTIES
A) All ten yard penalties are 5 yards and all five yards are three yards.
B) Summary of Penalties
a. Loss of Three (3) Yards
i. Equipment Violation
ii. Delay of Game
iii. Encroachment
iv. False Start
v. Illegal Snap
vi. Infraction of scrimmage formation
vii. Illegal Motion
viii. Illegal Shift
ix. Illegal Handling the ball forward (Loss of Down)
x. Intentionally throwing a backward pass or fumble out of bounds (Loss of Down)
xi. Helping the Runner
xii. Intentional Grounding
xiii. Player receiving the snap within 2 yards of the line of scrimmage
xiv. Player out of bounds when ball is snapped
xv. Offensive player not within 15 yards of ball
xvi. Advancement across the line of scrimmage by a runner
xvii. Illegal Forward Pass—2 consecutive forward passes
b. Loss of Five (5) yards
i. 2 or more consecutive encroachments during the same interval between
scrimmage downs
ii. Offensive pass interference (Loss of down)
iii. Defensive pass interference (Automatic 1st Down)
iv. Illegally secured flag belt on a touchdown (Loss of Down)
v. Unsportsmanlike Conduct
vi. Attempting to steal, strip, or strike the ball
vii. Unfair tactics
viii. Hurdling a player
ix. Illegal contact
x. Aggressive running
xi. Tackling the runner (Automatic Ejection)
xii. Roughing the Passer (Automatic 1st Down)
xiii. Flag Guarding
xiv. Illegal Participation
RULE 7. PLAYERS UNIFORMS
A) Players may not wear jewelry of any kind.
B) All players must wear Athletic shoes.
C) An approved headband is the ONLY type of head gear that is permissible to wear.
D) All players must be in appropriate athletic wear: No jeans, boots, non-athletic shoes, or hats
approved head gear.
E) All scrimmage vests MUST be worn with a shirt underneath.
F) All members must be dressed in same/similar uniforms with at least a 4" number on the back of each
uniform shirt. If one player on a team does not have a uniformed shirt, the whole team will have to wear the
scrimmage vests supplied by the intramural department.
G) All Players are required to keep his or her shirt & shorts (No underwear showing) on at all time. Players
must wear a shirt underneath scrimmage vests.
RULE 8. TEN MINUTE FORFEIT RULE & DEFAULTS/FORFEITS
A) The Ten Minute Forfeit Rule is used when a team(s) is given a 10 minute grace period before a game is
forfeited. During this time the clock will run and for each minute that passes a six-point touch down will be
charged to the team that is not ready to play the game. (Example: A team is five minutes late so they will be
losing 30 to 0). After the 10 minute grace period has passed the team that is prepared to play will be
awarded the victory.
If a team is ready to play before the entire ten minute time limit has expired the current score will be the
official score and both teams will begin the game with the time that is left on the clock left in the period.
(Example: If six minutes have passed there will be 6 minutes remaining in the first half, each half is 12
minutes long). If neither team is able to play before the ten minute grace period is over then both teams
may receive a forfeit.
B) If you are unable to field a team, you may use your DEFAULT OPTION before you forfeit a scheduled
game. If your team is unable to play a game you can come into the Intramural office and fill out a
DEFAULT CARD. You may also fill out a DEFAULT CARD at the game site if you are unable to field a
team. You are allowed two defaults per season. If you default a game your team will be charged a loss. You
cannot default a playoff game unless you are in the winner's bracket of a double elimination tournament.
C) If your team has used up its two defaults and you are unable to field a team or you do not fill out a
Default Card for a scheduled contest you will be charged a forfeit and you will lose your $10.00 forfeit fee.
You MUST give the Intramural Sports office another $10.00 forfeit fee in order to participate any
further. If your team forfeits a second game your team will be removed from any further competition. Two
forfeits =Your team being automatically dropped from competition.
Game Misconduct
D) If a game is called due to misconduct or an uncontrollable sportsmanship situation, the game will be
considered a "loss" for each team. This situation, will result in either one or both teams being put on
disciplinary probation for the remainder of the intramural basketball season.
RULE 9. COACHES & PLAYERS ON THE SIDELINES
A) ONLY Coaches & Players shall remain in the team sideline area which will be from the 20 yard line
marker to 5 yards from the goal line except to:
a. Confer with the team during a time out.
b. Confer with personnel with the scorekeeper to specifically request a time-out for a correctable error.
c. Attend to an injured player when beckoned onto the field by official
d. Other special circumstances
e. Coaches MUST be placed on the roster as "COACH" to be permitted on the sideline during games.
f. Each team is limited to (1) one coach.
RULE 10. EJECTIONS
A) All EJECTIONS are Minimum one (1) game suspension. Any player ejected from a game will be
ineligible to participate in the next scheduled game. Any player ejected from a game for the second time in
a season will be suspended from further play for the balance of the season. An ejected player must make
arrangements to meet with the Intramural Director before their suspension will be take effect.
B) Violations for Automatic Ejection = Automatic minimum one (1) game suspension.
1. Cursing (plus unsportsmanlike conduct foul)
2. Fighting (plus unsportsmanlike conduct foul) Banned from All Intramural Sports
3. Continued verbal abuse toward officials (plus unsportsmanlike conduct foul), i.e., questioning a call after the official has made his or her decision.
C) A player, coach, substitute, or fan/observer who is ejected from the game after being charged with his or
her second unsportsmanlike conduct foul during a game or is ejected by an official for conduct must leave the complex within 3 minutes of their ejection.
D) If an official charges a technical foul against a team's bench, the technical will be credited to that player
or coach, if applicable, and will also count toward the team foul totals and team technical foul limit.
RULE 11. PROTESTS
A) Eligibility protests must be submitted (TYPED) to the Intramural Office before 1 p.m. the next day.
Only the opposing team may protest eligibility. If a team has any questions about an opponent's eligibility
status, they should advise the referee and obtain that player's name before, during, or after the game. If a
team uses an ineligible player they will forfeit every game that the ineligible player participated in.
B) If a coach/captain desires to question rule interpretation, he or she may use one of his or her time-outs. If
the decision favors that of the coach, the time-out will be not charged. If decision doesn't favor the coach,
he or she will be a charged time-out. Any questions relative to the particular rule interpretation will be
solved on the court. The supervisor in charge may be utilized as a resource person at the request of the
referee. NO PROTEST WILL BE ACCEPTED CONCERNING THE JUDGEMENT CALLS OF THE
OFFICIALS.
RULE 12. BLOOD RULE
A) If and when an official observes that a player is bleeding, has an open wound, or has an excessive
amount of blood on his or her uniform, the player must leave the game. (In an instance when a substitute is
not available, the official may allow time for the player to receive medical attention, but the time may not
be excessive in the judgment of the official.) If a substitute is available, the player must leave and may not
reenter until after the clock has run and a substitution opportunity occurs. The injured player is not to return
until the bleeding has stopped, the open wound is covered, and excessively bloody uniform is changed. An
excessive amount of blood on a uniform would mean it is saturated to the extent the blood might transfer to
another player or the blood could soak through to the skin. If a player must change a shirt and this
necessitates a change to another number, or no number, the scorebook will be changed.
MERCY RULE
A) 19 Points at the one minute warning in the second half.
The Intramural Staff will intervene in any game situation when they deem it necessary.
