MEN’S 5 ON 5 RULES
(Courtesy of Iron City Athletics – www.ironcityathletics.com)
THE 5 ON 5 GAME
- No Contact or Blocking is allowed. (Incidental contact is a judgment
call by the referee.)
- The Quarterback has seven (7) seconds to attempt a pass.
- The player who rushes the Quarterback must start seven (7) yards off
the line of scrimmage.
- The Quarterback cannot run the ball. Running plays are only permitted
after there has been a direct handoff (no pitches) behind the line of
scrimmage and outside of the designated “No Run” zones.
- All players are eligible to receive a pass.
- Offense has three (3) downs to cross midfield for a first down and then
has three (3) plays to score a touchdown.
- No kicking or punting.
- All possessions except interceptions start at the five (5) yard line.
- Games are divided into two (2) fifteen (15) minute halves. The game
clock will stop at the 1 minute warning in the second half and inside of
one (1) minute left in the game on incompletions, penalties, change of
possessions, and out of bounds.
- Interceptions can be returned.
- All penalties are ten (10) yards and assessed from the original line of
scrimmage unless otherwise indicated. Offensive penalties are loss of
down and defensive penalties result in automatic first downs for the
Offensive team.
- Unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated.
- If a team is more than two (2) minutes late for a scheduled game it will
be forfeited. The score in a forfeit is considered 28-0.
- Field dimensions are sixty (60) yards in length and twenty-five (25)
yards in width. Forty-six (46) yards in play with two (2) seven (7) yard
end zones.
THE COIN TOSS
- The game referee will flip a coin before the start of the game. The
referee will designate a team captain to call heads or tails.
- The team that wins the coins toss has the choice to take the ball first,
defend a goal or defer choice to the second half. If a team chooses to
take the ball, the other team will then choose the direction for the half.
PENALTIES
Defensive Penalties
(All defensive penalties are ten (10) yards and an automatic first down.)
- Offsides (includes lining up within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage.)
- Interference (Face Guarding is not a penalty.)
- Illegal Contact (holding, blocking, or in any way contacting an eligible
receiver unless the referee determines that the contact was incidental.)
- Illegal contact with the quarterback (includes hitting the arm, running
into the quarterback, or any other contact with the quarterback deemed
inappropriate by the referee.)
- Illegal flag pull (pulling of an offensive player’s flag when they don’t
have the ball.)
- Illegal rushing (beginning the play within 7 yards of the line of
scrimmage and crossing the line of scrimmage, unless the ball was
handed off.)
- Attempting to hit the ball while an offensive player has possession
(including the quarterback, the ball can’t be touched by a defender until
the ball is completely released by the quarterback.)
- Holding or tackling a player with the ball
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
Offensive Penalties
(All offensive penalties are ten (10) yards and loss of down)
- Illegal motion (more than one (1) person in motion at the same time)
- False start
- Illegal forward pass (pass received behind line of scrimmage or pass
thrown after crossing the line of scrimmage.)
- Offensive Pass Interference
- Illegal pick (Offensive players are not permitted to intentionally set
picks and/or screens. The referee has full discretion with regard to the
intent.)
- Flag Guarding (Penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul if it is
beyond the line of scrimmage. See below for description.)
- Stiff arming (Penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul if it is beyond
the line of scrimmage. See below for description.)
- Blocking (moving near the ball carrier or in the path of a defender is
considered blocking, all players must stop after their player receives
the ball.) (Penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul if it is beyond
the line of scrimmage. See below for description.)
- Illegal Run
- Impeding the rusher (as long as the rusher lines up a minimum of one
(1) yard to the right or left of the ball, the rusher has the right of way in
the path to where the quarterback is lined up at the time of the snap.)
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
- Pulling off a defensive player’s flag
- Stripping the ball.
- All penalties will be assessed from the original line of scrimmage.
Exceptions:
1.) Interception returns – penalties will be assessed from the point of
interception or, if the penalty is for flag guarding, from the spot of the foul;
2.) If the Referee judges that a foul is intentional or flagrant the team has
the choice of taking (10) yards from the point of the infraction or ten (10)
yards from the line of scrimmage. Both result in an automatic first down;
3.) An intentional tackle also results in ten yards from the spot of the foul
or from the line of scrimmage if the foul occurred behind the line of
scrimmage;
4.) Less than ten (10) yards from the end zone results in half the distance
to the goal being assessed.
- Extra point attempts: If the defending team commits a penalty, the
offensive team gets another try from half the distance. If the offensive
team commits a penalty, the point is no good because the offense
loses a down on all penalties. If a flagrant foul or intentional foul occurs
on the extra point play, the penalty will be assessed after the change of
possession.
- Only team captains may approach the Referee about rule clarification
and interpretations. Players cannot argue judgment calls, but the
captain may ask the referee to stop the clock to ask for a rule
clarification. (This must take place before the next play or the
team waives their right to protest.)
- Games cannot end on a defensive penalty.
- Any offensive penalty in the Offense’s own end zone will result in a
safety (2 points)
- Flag guarding will be called any time the ball carrier’s hand, arm, ball,
shirt block the flags regardless of the intent of the ball carrier.
SCORING/TIME/TIME-OUTS
- SCORING:
- Touchdowns = 6 points,
- Extra point (5 yards) = 1 point,
- Extra point (12 yards) = 2 points,
- Safety = 2 points.
If the defense intercepts a pass on an extra point attempt and the player
returns it to the end zone, the team will be rewarded 1 or 2 points based
on what the offensive team was attempting on the extra point.
- Games are divided into two (2) 15 minute halves. There is a 1-minute
half-time.
- Each team has one 60 second time-out per half.
- 20 second huddle clock. The huddle clock will start once the line of
scrimmage is marked or the ball is back in the huddle.
- Referee may stop the clock at his or her own discretion.
- The clock will stop for a one minute warning in the second half only.
- The clock will stop after each play inside of one minute in the game.
Further, inside of one (1) minute left in the game, the game clock will
stop for incomplete passes, penalties, touchdowns, and change of
possessions. In those situations, the clock will not start again until the
next play starts. The clock will not run on extra point plays inside of
one minute left in the game. A penalty by the offensive (if they are
trailing in the last minute) results in a 10 second run-off of time.
- If a team is up by more than 16 points, then the clock will not stop
inside of one minute.
ATTIRE
- No metal cleats are allowed.
- Shirts must be worn and tucked in all times. If a player’s shirt is
hanging over their flag belt, flag guarding may be called if the referee
feels that the shirt interfered with the play (This is a judgment call.)
- Do not wear pants/shorts with pockets or straps. Drawstring
pants/shorts are recommended.
- PSL will provide footballs and flag belts. Flag belts must be clipped in
the front and may not be tied or tucked into clothing. We will use the
Nike 1205 Y football (youth sized).
- Players may wear a protective mouthpiece and/or receiver gloves.
- All players must wear matching color shirts to their teammates.
PASSING
- All passes must be forward and received beyond the line of
scrimmage.
- Shovel passes are legal, but must be beyond the line of scrimmage.
- Only one forward pass per down.
- QB has a seven (7) second “pass clock.” If a pass is not thrown within
seven seconds, the play is ruled dead, with loss of down; however, the
ball is placed back at the original line of scrimmage. Once the ball is
handed off, the seven second clock is no longer in effect.
RECEIVING
- All players are eligible to receive passes (including the QB if the ball
has been handed off behind the line of scrimmage.)
- Only one player is allowed in motion at a time.
- Receiver is down where his or her flag belt is pulled. In order to
achieve a first down or a touchdown, the ball carrier’s flags and the ball
must cross the plane of the first down or goal line.
- Receiver is down at the point of reception if flag belt falls off before a
catch is made. If a ball carrier’s flag falls off without being pulled off,
he or she is down where the belt came off.
- Receiver must have at least one foot in bounds when making a catch.
If the first foot down comes down is out of bounds, the receiver is
considered out of bounds and the pass is incomplete.
- A player may tip the football to a teammate, as long as the initial
receiver does not show possession of the ball.
RUNNING
- The QB cannot run the ball. The QB can only run if he has taken a
hand-off.
- Only direct hand-offs behind the line of scrimmage are legal. Anyone
behind the line of scrimmage can receive a hand-off. Exception: The
ball cannot be handed off between the centers legs.
- No laterals or pitches of any kind, anywhere on the field are allowed.
- The player who takes the hand-of can throw the ball, as long as he or
she does not pass the line of scrimmage before doing so.
- “No Running Zones” are designed to avoid short yardage power
running situations. “No Running Zones” are located five (5) yards
before the end zone and five (5) yards on before the mid-field first
down mark.
- “No Running Zones” come into effect only when offensive team is
approaching a first down or the end zone. Exception: If the offensive
team has already achieved a first down, but has been pushed back
into a “No Running Zone,” then the “No Running Zone” is no longer in
effect.
- Once the ball has been handed off, all defensive players are eligible to
rush from anywhere on the field.
- Once the ball has been handed off, the seven second pass rule is no
longer in effect.
- Defensive players cannot pass the line of scrimmage, during a direct
hand-off play, until the ball is handed off, unless they started the play
from 7 or more yards away from the line of scrimmage.
- Spinning to avoid the defender attempting to pull a flag is allowed.
Jumping or diving to advance the ball is not allowed. (The ref has
complete discretion as to the intent of the jumping player. Players may
jump or dive to avoid injury to themselves or another player.)
BEFORE THE PLAY STARTS AND AFTER THE PLAY ENDS
- All players must start the play with their flag belts on. (offense and
defense)
- All defensive players must line up at least one yard off the line of
scrimmage.
- Ball must be snapped from the center to start play.
- A play is ruled dead when: Ball carrier’s flag is pulled, ball carrier’s flag
falls off, ball carrier steps out of bounds, ball carrier’s knee touches the
ground, ball carrier lets the ball hit the ground, ball carrier fumbles the
ball, ball carrier’s elbow touches the ground, or after a touchdown or
extra point is scored.
- There are no fumbles. The ball will be spotted where the player loses
control of the ball.
- If the ball does not pass the line of scrimmage on an attempted pass,
the play is ruled a dead ball.
RUSHING ON THE QUARTERBACK
- All players that rush the passer must be a minimum of seven yards
from the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. Any number of
players can rush the QB.
- Players not rushing the QB may defend the line of scrimmage, as long
as he or she is at least one yard from the line of scrimmage.
- The Referee will designate the seven yard rush line with a marker.
- The rusher must line-up at least one (1) yard to the left or the right of
the ball to have the right of way in a direct path to where the
quarterback is lined up before the play. If the rusher is not at least one
(1) yard to the left or right of the ball, the offensive players have the
right of way and the rusher may be penalized for illegal contact.
- Once the ball is handed off, the seven yard rush rule is no longer in
effect. Any player may rush beyond the line of scrimmage, from any
position on the field, once the ball has been handed off.
OVERTIME
- If the score is tied at the end of regulation, teams move directly into
overtime.
- Coin toss determines possession. The team that did not call the
opening coin toss will call the overtime toss.
- The team that wins the coins toss has the choice to take the ball first,
or defend first. Both teams will drive into the same end zone.
- Each team will start from the 12 yard line, driving into their end zone.
Each team will have two plays to attempt to score. If a team scores,
they may attempt an extra point afterwards.
- The game is over when each team has had possession of the ball an
equal number of times and one team has scored more points than the
other.
- If the score is still tied after the first overtime, the team that defended
first will start the second overtime on offense. If the score is still tied
after the second overtime, there will be another coin toss to determine
who starts first. The two teams will then each have one play, from their
own 5 yard line, and whoever gains the most yardage in their one play
will receive one point and the victory. If the ball is intercepted and
returned past the original line of scrimmage, it is considered a loss of
yards for the offense. If the ball is intercepted and returned for a
touchdown, the defensive team automatically wins the game.
SPORTSMANSHIP RULES
- Unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated. A player must be
ejected from the game if any of the following occur: abusive language
towards officials, opponents or fans, trash talking, taunting, cheap
shots or unnecessary roughness. If a player is ejected from the game
then the player will also be suspended for one additional game in a
tournament or ejected from the entire tournament, depending on the
severity.
- Any player who throws a punch or kick will automatically be suspended
for the remainder of the tournament.