GAME PLAY RULES

These rules aim to ensure fair play, strategic moves, and responsible conduct on the field for a thrilling and safe football experience. Canadian Amateur Football rules apply for unmentioned cases.

1. Coaches' Conduct: Coaches must ensure good conduct, can assist in play calls. No coaching is allowed after the ball is snapped. On-field coaches may communicate with the referee and receive ruling explanations.
2. Downs and Increments: Teams have five or six downs to cross an increment, earning five or six more downs upon success. Re-crossing an increment doesn't count as a first down.
3. Coin Toss and Rotations: Winning team chooses possession; the losing team selects the field end. In lower divisions, equal ball possession is ensured; late-game situations adjust positions to maintain equal possessions.
4. Player Spacing and Responsibilities: Receivers must be balanced, 5 yards apart. Running close patterns leads to an illegal crossing penalty the most common penalty.
5. Touchdowns and Possession Change: After a touchdown and point-after attempt, the opposing team takes possession on their 20-yard line.
6. Point-After Attempts: Only passing plays are allowed for PAT attempts, from the 3 or 10-yard line, earning 1 or 2 points respectively.
7. Game Play and Dead Balls: The play stops if anything other than the ball carrier's hands or feet touch the ground; protecting flags during runs is not allowed.
8. No Punting: A team forfeits possession after their last down, with the ball placed at center field.
9. Center and Rusher Rules: Centers have a clear path for 4 yards (lower division) or 7 yards (Midget); rushers have specific starting positions to avoid interference.
10. Forward passes: Only one forward pass is allowed per play.
11. Passing Rules: Forward passes must travel at least 5 yards in the air; no lateral passes are allowed behind the line or in lower divisions.
12. Tipped Ball: If a player tips the ball towards the opponent’s goal to a teammate, the catch is legal unless deliberately directed forward, in which case, the ball is not advanced and is scrimmaged at the point of direction
13. No Blocking: Blocking is prohibited.
14. Flag Management: Players must ensure flags are properly attached; loss of a flag results in being considered “tackled”.
15. Offensive and Defensive Actions: Penalties apply for flag pulls without possession, protecting flags, and charging the opponent.
16. Defensive Play: Man-on-Man Defense is standard, with exceptions in Midget teams allowed Zone Defense but mandated Man-on-Man on conversions. No helping teammates in lower divisions during Man-on-Man Defense.
17. Defensive Obstruction: Illegal when a defensive player impedes a receiver’s intended path without contact. Results in a five-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage and a repeat of the down.
18. .Offensive and Defensive Penalties in Target and Non-Target Areas: Penalties vary, including yardage deductions, loss of down, automatic first downs, or ball placement based on the infraction's location.
19. Double and Dual Fouls: Non-offending teams choose penalties; roughing added if one of the fouls is roughing. Penalties are applied based on the order they occurred or the moment the ball was held for the first foul.
20. Game Ejection: Players will be ejected for fighting, extreme rough play, or two roughing penalties in a single game.
21. Divisions that have a set number of plays in a half: Penalties within the last 8 plays of the game or half will not be counted as a play if they repeat the down.

Inadvertent Whistle if the ball is:

Possession with offense- Choice to place the ball at line of scrimmage and repeat the down OR at the point of possession, continuing downs.

Defensive possession - Ball is placed at the point of possession, granting a first down.

In the air on a forward pass - Ball is placed at the line of scrimmage, repeating the down.

Penalties during a Convert - No yardage penalties unless it's a dead ball foul or a roughing call.

1. Overtime Rules: Lower-seeded team starts; overtime plays from the 20-yard line, with 4 plays per team. If tied, repeats with 3 plays, alternating who starts. Normal player rotations must continue during overtime.