NCAA rules will govern play unless modified or changed for the purpose of intramural play.
The intramural program is not responsible for injuries that may occur during intramural participation. Players are urged to obtain accident insurance. Please have all players read the note concerning injury and the intramural program on the scoresheet prior to each contest.
1. TEAM - MEN'S and WOMEN'S need 7 players to start a game - 6
will be allowed - never 5
COED must have 8 players (4 men, 4 women) - 6 and 7 will be
allowed - never 5
EACH TEAM MUST SUPPLY SOMEONE TO HANDLE THE DOWN MARKER - IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH YOU MAY HAVE TO FORFEIT.
2. FIELD - 100 yards long, 40 yards wide, has two 10-yard endzones and is marked by 20 yard first down lines.
3. TIME - There will be two halves of 17 minutes each. RUNNING clock will be used except in the last 30 seconds of each half. Then the clock will stop on all dead balls (a team has 30 seconds to put the ball in play). PENALTY - LOSS OF DOWN (EXCEPT ON EXTRA POINTS AND FIELD GOALS WHERE IT WILL BE 5 YDS)
Each team gets one time-out per half
Note on Kicks: clock does not start until the ball leaves
kicker’s foot
4. START OF GAME - Winner of the coin toss decides possession. The 2nd half start will be reversed. Play is started by placing the ball on the 20 yard line each half and after each score. No kickoffs.
5. SCRIMMAGE PLAYS - The following are dead ball fouls, which are called immediately.
A) All offensive players must come from the huddle to be eligible to partake in that offensive play. There must be a huddle prior to all offensive plays - if you run a hurry-up offense you still must all meet at the line of scrimmage for a brief second. PENALTY-ILLEGAL PROCEDURE: 5 YARDS
B) OFFENSIVE team cannot move after set except for one player in motion. PENALTY - ILLEGAL PROCEDURE: 5 YARDS
C) If either offense or defense enter the neutral zone after team is set. Neutral zone is an area 1-yard between the offensive and defensive lines. PENALTY - OFF SIDES: 5 YARDS
6. 1st DOWNS - A team has 4 downs to advanced the ball beyond the first down line (there are 3). First downs are recorded and used to determine the winner if the game is tied.
7. DEAD BALL
A. Removal of the flag belt ends the down (if belt is off the
runner one hand touch will end the down). Help the official by holding
the belt over your head. UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS (tackling, etc..) will result
in a 15 YARD PENALTY (from spot) or TOUCHDOWN if the runner had a clear
path to the goal.
B. When part of the body other than hands or feet touch the ground, the ball becomes dead and you are considered down at the spot where your knees touch the ground.
C. During an extra point attempt the defending team gains possession of the ball, It is dead.
D. FUMBLE - Ball becomes dead at THE POINT WHERE IT TOUCHES THE GROUND. A ball fumbled FORWARD will be put into play at the POINT IT WAS FUMBLED. All fumbled balls remain in the possession of the team which has fumbled (except on an unsuccessful 4th down attempt). Either team may advance any fumble caught in the air. An incomplete lateral is treated as a fumble and is dead at the spot where it touched the ground.
8. CENTER SNAP - A center snap that hits the ground is treated as a fumble.
On a punt or field goal if the snap touches the ground it will NOT be treated as a fumble and may still be kicked. Since there is no rushing on any kicks the following applies: If ball is snapped before 30 second clock expires the kicking team has the balance of the 30 second clock to kick if the ball is snapped just as the 30 second clock expires the play continues as normal.
9. ADVANCING THE BALL
A. PASSING (MEN'S & WOMEN'S) - All forward passes must be
thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. All players on offense
are eligible receivers. Direction of the ball, not the method of
throwing, determines lateral (parallel or behind thrower) and forward pass.
PENALTY - 5 yards and loss of down (from line of scrimmage)
B. COED PASSING - 1. MALE TO MALE completed pass only once in
a series of downs. 2. FEMALE TO FEMALE OR MALE anytime.
3. MALE TO FEMALE anytime.
PENALTY - 5 yards and loss of down (from line of scrimmage)
C. RUNNING (MEN'S & WOMEN'S) - Anybody, anytime.
D. RUNNING (COED) - FEMALE anytime. MALE only on completed pass and interception (NOT from behind the line of scrimmage unless a completed forward pass and NOT on a punt return). PENALTY - 5 yards and loss of down (from line of scrimmage)
E. There will no center sneaks – all hand-offs must be the result of a clean transfer from one player to another. PENALTY - 5 yards and loss of down (from line of scrimmage)
F. You may dive or jump to gain yardage as long as you are not diving or jumping over other players (judgement will be made when someone has slipped and fell in your path) If you do jump or dive to gain yardage and your flag is pulled while in flight, you are down at the spot where the flag was pulled or if your flag is not pulled your are down where your knees touch. PENALTY - 5 yards and loss of down (from spot)
10. PUNTING
A. Kicking team must announce intention to punt and receiving
team must have 4 players on line of scrimmage. NO ONE MAY MOVE until ball
is kicked. Kicker must kick ball within 30 seconds of ball being put into
play. A punt which touches the ground may be picked up and advanced,
however, once the ball is touched it becomes dead the next time it touches
the ground.
B. COED RECEIVING PUNT - Male may catch the kick but MAY NOT advance the ball forward. PENALTY - 5 yards and loss of down (from spot)
11. FIELD GOALS - Kicking team must announce intentions. No one may
cross the scrimmage line. The kick may
not be teed up in any manner and the kick must be made directly behind
where the ball was