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IFL
Official Rulebook

League Rules

These are the official rules of the Intramural Football League. Every game is played under them — captains are responsible for making sure their teams know them.

Game Time

  1. 18 minute halves, running time until the last 1 minute.
  2. 1 timeout per half and 1 stop clock.
  3. Play clock — 10 seconds to snap from when the ball is placed on the line of scrimmage.
  4. In the last minute, clock stops for the following: offensive player runs out of bounds, incomplete pass, first down, change of possession.

Offense

  1. Six players play at one time.
  2. Play begins when Snapper lifts the ball off the ground, not when the QB calls “hike”.
  3. One foot must be in bounds on a catch.
  4. QB can run at “3-rush” regardless of whether defense crosses. He can also pitch the ball to someone else, who can run right away.
  5. When the play starts within 10 yards of the end-zone, there is no running. There must be a pass that crosses the line of scrimmage in the air.
  6. The snapper is ineligible as a receiver. If he is thrown to, play is ruled dead. (No loss of yards, no replaying the down)
  7. The snapper — no contact to the shoulders or above. No raised elbows. Just open handed pushing. No pushing from behind.
  8. YES spinning & jumping.
  9. NO stiff-arming & blocking flag. But it’s not a loss of yards. Play is just dead at spot of the stiff-arm.
  10. NO running straight into the defender. Since they can’t tackle you, you can’t charge them. Again, play is dead at the spot. IF THERE IS INTENT TO HURT — loss of 10 yards.
  11. Offensive off-sides — loss of 5 yards & replay the down. It will be called right away, and the play will immediately be ruled dead. No option to run the play anyways and decline the penalty.
  12. Offensive holding — replay down & loss of 5 yards.
  13. A block in the back — replay down & loss of 5 yards.
  14. After a TD, there is a 5 yard conversion for 1 pt, or a 10 yard conversion for 2 pts.
  15. Receivers cannot set stationary picks; they must be moving at all times or stay out of the way.
  16. Offensive pass interference — replay down & loss of 10 yards.
  17. If a player’s flag falls off on its own in the middle of a play, (without the defender touching it), the play continues until the offensive player is touched by a defender.
  18. If the ball carrier falls to the ground, the play is not immediately dead. The defender must touch the offensive player while he is down. If the offensive player gets up before he is touched, the play continues until someone removes his flag.
  19. The spot of the down is where the ball is at the moment the flag was removed.
  20. 4th down — a “punt” has to be punted, not thrown.
  21. Kickoffs / Safety — can be thrown or punted.
  22. Fumbles — play is ruled dead when the next person touches it. The exceptions: bad snap — play continues but defense can cross line; kick-off or punt — if the returner touches the ball but never catches it, it is a live ball, and the first person to recover it gets possession; a lateral that is intercepted by the other team is treated as an interception, not a fumble.

Defense

  1. One blitz per set of 4 downs. On other plays, you must wait until the line judge counts to 3.
  2. Defense must return the flag to the offense. 5 yard penalty for leaving it on the ground.
  3. D-line — 1 player must line up directly opposite the snapper.
  4. D-line — no contact to the shoulders or above. No raised elbows. Just open handed pushing. No pushing from behind.
  5. D-line — no Bull-Rushing (i.e. a running charge, from farther back than the line of scrimmage, straight at the Offensive lineman).
  6. D-line off-sides results in a 5 yard penalty and a replay of the down. It will be called right away, and the play will immediately be ruled dead.
  7. If the offense didn’t get 1st down yet, then they can get a new 1st down 20 yards from the spot of the foul.
  8. Defensive pass interference — redo the down from the spot of the foul. (On 4th down, it becomes an automatic first down)
  9. Cornerbacks — no bumping receivers within first 5 yards.
  10. No pushing out of bounds — you must always go for the flag. 5 yards added to the end of play.
  11. Can’t strip the ball. But you can block the ball as the QB throws.

Special Teams

  1. Kick off / throw off at the beginning of each half.
  2. Touchbacks start at the 10 yard line.
  3. If the kickoff goes out of bounds — it is a 10 yard penalty.

Overtime

  1. 4 downs from the 20.
  2. Each team gets the ball.
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