Women's Contact Flag Football Rulebook
Updated April 2023

INTRODUCTION & SPORTSMANSHIP

Before diving into the rules, please remember this is a non-contact social league filled with competitive personalities. PlayMakers Club exemplifies competition as well as respect and sportsmanship. As a non-profit, we hold our players to a high standard when it comes to respect for everyone (other players, referees, spectators, etc.).
Failure to adhere to such standards will result in disciplinary action per PlayMakers Club’s authority. PlayMakers Club officials have the power to dictate what classifies as a violation of the above expectation.
Some violation examples include:
- Intentionally targeting players, referees, fans during active play
- Cursing at players, referees, fans
- Fighting players, referees, fans
- Taunting players, referees, fans
- Offensive Behavior
PlayMakers Club supports and promotes individuals representing all races, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, religions, sexual orientations, and genders. PlayMakers Club does not tolerate any crude behavior made towards individuals’ backgrounds/identities. Any individual who violates this will immediately be removed from Playmakers Club indefinitely.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY, ROSTERS & SUBSTITUTES

Each player must be 14 years old to play on a registered team. If under the age of 18, parental consent is required.

Players are to register and play as the gender that is on their state or federal issued identification documents.

Each player must accept the waiver beforehand to be eligible to play during the season.

Each player that is listed on the roster is regular season and playoff eligible.

Substitutes or (non-registered) players not listed on the roster are INELIGIBLE for playoffs.

Players from other teams can act as substitutes (if need be) for teams that do not have enough players during regular season games. Teams are also able to find substitutes outside of the league, however, said substitutes must sign the waiver before playing.
Teams with enough players are allowed to get a sixth (6th) player from another team to substitute to prevent injury, take breathers/rest breaks, and have water breaks during regular season games. That substitute cannot receive more playing time, meaning a captain is not allowed to sit a player that does not want to sit.

CAPTAINS
The team captain will represent the team at the coin toss and for the remainder of the game (regular season & playoffs).

The officials will address any pre-game questions with the captain. If a disagreement within the game happens, the official will only speak with the team captain.

FORFEITS
Teams must have three available rostered players for a game to be played. If a team only has two available rostered players, they can still play (with subs) but with only four (4) players on the field. Anything less will result in an automatic forfeit.
Each forfeited game will result in both a loss and a -21-point differential towards the respective team’s standings.

Teams can still use their impacted time slot(s) to play a full scrimmage.

OVERTIME
There is no overtime in regular season (pool play) games.
There is only overtime in playoff games.

OFFICIALS
PMC will provide two (2) officials for each game.

Officials have the authority to make any call they deem necessary. Calls can be discussed by captains and officials and must be done in a respectful manner.

Officials have the authority to eject any player from the game for unnecessary behavior or violating any protocol.

5V5 NON-CONTACT RULES

EQUIPMENT
A junior size or intermediate size football is allowed.

SECTION 1. THE FIELD

Article 1. Standard dimensions of the field are 60 yards long by 25 yards wide with 7 yard endzones. Approved field sizes may fluctuate from 53-64 yards long when necessary, or 23-30 yards wide. Endzones should not be shorter than 5 yards.

SECTION 2. THE GAME

Article 1. Game Time is FORFEIT TIME – upon approval by a USA Flag director. Guaranteed schedule blocks in scenarios where fields may be behind are the only exception, where teams will be given reasonable time to get to their next games at the discretion of the USA Flag directors.

Article 2. Minimum 3 players to start a game. May only have up to 5 players on the field at any one time.

Article 3. A coin toss determines 1st possession. The team can elect to have offense, defense, defer or direction. Choice in the 2nd half will be awarded to the team that did not have the choice 1st half.

Article 4. The offensive team takes possession of the ball at their 5-yard line and has three plays to cross mid-field. Once a team crosses mid-field they have three plays to score. If the offensive team fails to cross mid-field, the ball changes possession. If the offense does not score, the ball changes possession. All drives start from the 5-yard line with the exception of an interception.

Article 5. Blocking is allowed.

SECTION 3. ATTIRE

Article 1. Teams also must have the same color shirts and have an alternative color (one dark color/one light color). They do not have to be official uniforms. If both teams are wearing the same color, there will be a coin toss, and the losing team will need to change into a different color. Failure to provide a secondary uniform or unwillingness to change will result in a forfeit.

SECTION 4. GAME CLOCK FORMAT

Article 1. Tournament clock is 25 minutes long. Two 12 minute halves and 1-minute halftime.

Article 2. Each team has two 30 second timeouts PER GAME. If a time out is called after a TD the clock will not run until the change of possession and the offense snaps their ball.

Article 3. The play clock is 25 seconds from the end of the previous play.

SECTION 5. FIRST HALF CLOCK

Article 1. The clock will run continuously during the 12 minutes of the first half unless a team timeout is used or play is stopped by an official (e.g. deal with an injury, challenge, referee conference, game management purposes, etc.)

Article 2. The head official will give a verbal one-minute warning.

Article 3. The clock will run during point-after-touchdown attempts (PATs) in the first half unless either team opts to use a team timeout.

SECTION 6. SECOND HALF CLOCK

Article 1. In the second half the clock will run continuously for the first 11 minutes unless a team timeout or an official’s time out is used.

Article 2. The one-minute warning will stop the clock in the second half if the score difference is 8 points or less.

Article 3. The head official will give a verbal one-minute warning as close as possible to the actual marks but will not interrupt a live play.

Article 4. At the one minute warning officials will use a ‘stop’ clock mechanic for the remainder of the contest.

SECTION 7. MERCY RULE

Article 1. No Mercy Rule during pool play games. If a team is up by 28 points or more during bracket play at any time, the game will be over.

RULE 2. OFFENSE

SECTION 1. RUNNING

Article 1. All offensive players may run the ball at any time, except in the no-run zones which are located 5 yards before mid-field and 5 yards before the goal line only in the direction that the offense is going.

Article 2. Teams may handoff (unlimited), pitch, or throw back in the backfield. UNLIMITED laterals or throwbacks behind the LOS are allowed for the player to remain eligible to pass.

Article 3. Pitching (backwards/laterally) is allowed downfield (unlimited). Handoffs are allowed forward or backwards when behind the line of scrimmage, and only backwards beyond the line of scrimmage. A handoff DOES NOT count as a lateral/throwback.

Article 4. A forward pass DOES NOT have to cross the LOS to be a legal play.

Article 5. If the ball is placed on the “Back” of ANY player, the player MUST run the ball (no give and go to the QB on the back)

Article 6. Ball is spotted where the ball is at the time of the flag pull. The ball must break the plane of the midfield or goal line to be considered a first down or touchdown.

Article 7. Only the center needs to be lined up on the LOS

SECTION 2. BLOCKING

Article 1. CONTACT IS ALLOWED: Open hand contact allowed between shoulder and waist. Blocking in the back is not allowed.

Article 2. Players may block down field. Blocking downfield is only allowed once the ball is completed downfield. Players may block downfield for all running plays or when the pass is behind the LOS except when the LOS is established inside the no run zone. Offensive players blocking downfield before the ball is thrown downfield will be assessed a pass interference penalty (5 yards from the LOS).

Article 3. Crackback Blocking and Blindside blocking is NOT allowed. Crack-back block is a blind-side block on a player by an opponent who starts downfield and then cuts back toward their own goal line to make contact. A blind-side block is engaging an opponent other than the runner who does not see the blocker approaching.

SECTION 2. PASSING

Article 1. There is no 5 second count to pass the ball if not rushed.

Article 2. There is no arm in motion, if the ball is in hand when the quarterback’s flag is pulled then it will be ruled a sack.

Article 3. Interceptions may be returned.

Article 4. The rusher may not have any contact with the QB (no hitting the QB arm or knocking the ball out of the QB hand).

Article 5. If ANY part of the players body is behind the LOS it is a legal pass

SECTION 3. RECEIVING

Article 1. All players are eligible to receive a pass, including the quarterback, if the ball has been pitched or handed off in the backfield.

Article 2. Players must have at least one foot in bounds when making a catch.

RULE 3. DEFENSE

SECTION 1. RUSHING THE QUARTERBACK

Article 1. Players may rush from anywhere as long as any part of their body is not across the LOS.

Article 2. The Center is protected when he snaps the ball. The Center cannot be touched until he/she picks up their head and takes one step towards his/her pattern or assumes a blocking position.

SECTION 2. PASS COVERAGE

Article 1. Defensive players can Jam the receiver at the line and up to 5 yards downfield. However, you cannot hold, trip or grab the receiver.

Article 2. Pass interference normally occurs above the waist; entangled feet are not considered pass interference. Incidental contact is not considered pass interference.

Article 3. A player may “find” their opponent by reaching out and placing a hand on them as long as touching does not delay, impede, twist, or turn their opponent. This is not considered pass interference.

Article 4. A player may use their arms or hands to intentionally obstruct the receiver’s view (face guarding) of the ball without turning their own head to play the ball as long as noteworthy contact is not made with the receiver.

Article 5. If defensive pass interference occurs in the end zone the ball will be placed on the one-yard line, automatic first down.

Article 6. Interceptions may be returned. Interceptions in the end zone that are not returned to the field of play will result in a touchback and the ball will be spotted on the 5-yard line.

Article 7. Contact away from the direction of the pass is not considered pass interference but may be considered illegal contact.

Article 8. Whether a pass is catchable or uncatchable has no bearing on pass interference. The benefit of the doubt is given to the receiver. Examples of pass interference include:

Shoving or pushing off to create separation.
Playing through the back.
Hook and turn: grabbing the torso and turning an opponent before the pass arrives.
Arm bars, hooking, restricting, grabbing wrists, or turning a receiver.
Blocking downfield before the ball has been touched, commonly seen through “pick plays”.

RULE 4. SCORING

SECTION 1. POINTS

Touchdown: 6 points
Point After Touchdown:
- (PAT) 1 point from the 5-yard line (no-run zone in effect)
- 2 points from the 12-yard line, run, pass (outside of no-run zone)
- Interceptions returned on PAT’s are worth 2 points
Safety: 2 points

SECTION 2. POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN (PAT)

Article 1. Following a touchdown, once the scoring team has informed an official of which point conversion choice they want to attempt, the decision cannot be changed unless the scoring team uses a team timeout.

Article 2. If a penalty occurs during an extra point attempt, the penalty will be assessed but the extra point value remains the same.

Article 3. Decisions cannot be changed after a penalty. For example, if the offense attempts a 1-point PAT and is penalized five yards for a false start, they cannot change their mind and go for a 2-point PAT. They will still be attempting a 1-point try even if they call a timeout.

Article 4. Defensive unsportsmanlike conduct, personal fouls, or roughing penalties during a successful touchdown attempt will be assessed at half the distance to the goal during the PAT attempt (e.g., 2-point PAT attempts will be spotted at the 6-yard line, 1-point PAT attempts will be spotted at the 2.5-yard line). All other defensive penalties may be declined by the offense and the score will stand.

Article 5. Dead ball fouls committed by the offense that do not carry a loss-of-down penalty (false start) may result in penalty yardage assessed and the down replayed.

Article 6. Fouls by the offense during a successful PAT attempt that carry a loss-of-down penalty (flag guarding, illegal advancement, illegal forward pass, etc.) will result in the PAT being no good.

Article 7. Fouls committed by the offense in unsuccessful PAT attempts will be declined by the defense and the PAT will be “no good” and will not be replayed.

Article 8. Fouls by the defense during an unsuccessful PAT attempt will result in a retry after the options are administered.

Article 9. If the PAT-attempting team throws an interception and then commits a flagrant foul after the interception during the attempted return (physically contains the ball carrier; bear hugs, aggressively holds, tackles, etc. without making a clear, legal attempt to pull the ball carrier’s flag, the ball carrier will be awarded two points).

SECTION 3. OVERTIME EXTRA POINT SHOOT-OUT

Article 1. A coin flip determines first possession, 1 timeout per OT period

Article 2. Teams will go in reverse order if more then 1 OT is required

Article 3. Teams can elect to go for 1 or 2 points

Article 4. Winner will be determined once the value of the extra point exceeds the other team’s attempt.

Rulebook