BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL AREA YOUTH FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATION RULES
MISSON STATEMENT
The Association’s mission is to promote youth football in the Bloomington-Normal and surrounding areas, and teach football fundamentals using a positive manner with an emphasis on fun, participation and sportsmanship.
1) THE ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE BOARD
A) The Executive Board shall be made up of one Representative from each program involved.
B) ROBERT RULE OF ORDER shall be the format for all meetings.
C) The Executive Board shall elect a President who shall serve a one-year term and may not follow with another elected term. The President shall maintain order in all meetings and ensure all questions regarding the rules of the association are covered. This President will be a nonvoting member of the Executive Board, except when there is a tie. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote will determine the outcome.
D) The Executive Board shall elect a Secretary who shall serve a one-year term and may be reelected. The Secretary shall record and maintain the minutes of all Executive Board meetings.
E) The Executive Board shall meet a minimum of three times a year. Two of these meetings shall be prior to the first game and one after the last game.
F) The Executive Board will have full authority to dismiss or discipline a team for misconduct of the rules.
G) Each team is responsible for establishing and enforcing good sportsmanship between their team (administration, coaches, players, and parents) and the other teams. When a conflict arises between teams, the leadership of the teams involved should attempt to resolve the conflict; this should be successful in most cases. When a conflict is unable to be resolved between the leadership of the involved teams, a petition can be filed with the Executive Board.
1) Upon receipt of a petition, the Board investigates both sides of the disputes, reviews the facts and rules of the dispute. Recommendations are made to the offending leadership. It is the responsibility of the offending team’s leadership to correct the causes for the misconduct or poor sportsmanship.
2) The Executive Board will review any team with three or more violations in a single season. The Executive Board will have the authority by majority vote to suspend the offending team from being scheduled in games for the next football season. After a one year suspension from scheduling, an offending team can apply to the Executive Board for reinstatement. The application must show that the offending problems have been solved with their organizations.
II) REFEREES
A) Referees shall be assigned by the BNOA scheduling chairman. This assignment shall be printed and mailed to each Team Representative at least seven days prior to the 1st set of games.
B) Each game shall have a minimum of three referees present. If less than three referees are present for a game, then the teams may agree to play with fewer referees. If a team chooses not to play with fewer than three referees, then the game(s) will be rescheduled.
C) Effective with the 2004 season no new referees will be allowed to referee for an organization that his or her on own child plays on.
D) The fee paid to these three Referees shall be $30.00 for the Bantam and Junior games, and then $45.00 for the J.V. and Varsity games. Referees will only be paid for the games that they work and will be paid at half-time of the Varsity game.
E) If only 2 referees have officiated the games, they should be paid at the end of the Varsity game.
F) Effective with the 2012 season there will be a 4th referee for the JV and Varsity games. This 4th referee is to be at the home field by 3:00 pm, and shall be paid $75. This referee will be paid at the end of the Varsity game as well.
III) AGE LEVELS FOR YOUTH ATHLETES
A) The youth football association shall have four (4) levels of competition.
1) BANTAMS – ages shall be eight (8) to nine (9) years of age.
2) JUNIORS – ages shall be ten (10) to eleven (11) years of age.
3) JUNIOR VARSITY – ages shall be twelve (12) to thirteen (13) years of age.
4) VARSITY – ages shall be fourteen (14) to fifteen (15) years of age. All 8th graders must play at the Varsity level and are eligible to play for one year when in eighth grade. No second year 8th graders will be allowed to play. A player sixteen (16) years of age prior to the season or turns sixteen (16) during the playing season is ineligible to participate at the youth football level. ALL ninth (9th) graders are ineligible to play.
B) Age cutoff date: Players ages are determined using the 5th game of the season as a cut-off date. If a youth athlete attains a greater age on or before the fifth (5th) game of the season he/she must play at the level determined b that greater age. If a youth athlete attains a greater age after the fifth (5th) game of the season; he/she may either stay down at the lower level determined by the lesser age or move up to a higher level determined by the greater age.
C) Moving up: All levels. A player may be moved up from one level to the next at any time during the season. Once players are elevated, they are no longer eligible to play down with their original team. EXCEPTION: It will be agreed upon between two opposing teams, if necessary to elevate players one level to ensure a roster of sixteen (16) in order to play a game. Those players may then return to their original team for the remainder of the season.
D) Transferring: Once a player is signed with a team and issued equipment, the player is ineligible to move to another football program during the current season without a written release from the original team. If a player owes another team equipment or money they will not be allowed to sign up for another team until such issues are handled with the original team.
E) Birth Certificate: On each game day a photocopy of each player’s birth certificate should be present in case a question of age eligibility arises. If a player’s certificate is not present, then that player is ineligible to play that day.
IV) COMPETITION AND YOUTH ATHLETES
A) The BANTAM and JUNIOR level teams shall be teaching teams, with emphasis on teaching the fundamentals of football. In this light there shall be participation of all athletes at these levels.
B) Except where stipulated differently in these BNAYFA rules, the games will be played by the current Football Rules of the National Federation of State High School Association.
C) The teams shall strive to provide parity in the playing of youth football. When a team attains a lead of eighteen (18) points or more, the subsequent offensive possessions will be first and goal regardless of field position. If this team lead is decreased below eighteen (18) points, then the normal rules will assume at their next possession (first and ten, etc.). This rule will be for ALL levels. EX. Team A is winning 28 -10. Next offensive possession for Team A, receives the ball on their 30 yard line, it will be first and goal from that point. Team B scores 6 points; the score is now 28-16 with Team A winning. With the spread of the score being less than 18 points Team A’s next offensive possession will be first and ten.
D) KICKING – If any team elects to kick for an extra point after a touchdown, a successful kick will count 2 points.
E) 40 POINT SLAUGHTER RULE
If a team has a 40 point advantage the following rule will be used. It only applies in the second half of the game. Even if a team is up by 60 in the second quarter the rule will not be used until the start of the second half. Once it has been applied it will not revert to a regular clock even if the team trailing cuts the lead under 40. While the SLAUGHTER RULE is in effect, the clock will run except during a timeout, injury, officials time, and after a score.
F) PLAYING TIMES:
1) BANTAM and JUNIOR levels will have nine (9) minutes quarters with a running clock. Time outs and touchdowns scored will stop the clock. After a touchdown has stopped the clock, the clock will not restart until the kickoff. There will be a 2 minute stop clock at the end of the 1st half and at the end of the game.
2) JUNIOR VARSITY level will be eight (8) minute quarters with a stop clock.
3) VARSITY level will be nine (9) minute quarters with a stop clock.
4) HALFTIME – 5 minute halftime is recommended.
V) GAME BALLS
1) BANTAMS – K2 size or larger, but nothing smaller than a K2.
2) JUNIORS – K2 thru TDY (this includes the Spalding ball used by the Tigers)
3) J.V. – TDJ or TDY, but nothing smaller than a TDJ.
4) VARSITY – TDY size only.
VI) PRACTICE
A) The official start of practice shall be the same as or the first Monday prior to the date established by the IHSA and shall be considered as the official start of the season. The start of the season for 2012 shall be July 30th.
VII) TEAM ROSTERS
A) NO team shall hold tryouts or weigh-ins for participation in youth football. Players shall be selected in the following order.
1) Players having played on the team the previous year.
2) All other’s shall be first come, first serve.
B) NO team shall maintain a waiting list after their rosters are full. Keeping in mind the importance of participation, these roster limits will be set at the discretion of each individual team. Having filled an age level, parents should be encouraged to contact the other teams for a possible position.
VIII) SCHEDULE OF GAMES
A) The Executive Board of the Association shall meet and by combined decision make the schedule of games. This Executive Board shall print and distribute the schedule to each Team Representative for dissemination to the teams.
B) The official start of games shall be on Saturday, August 25th, 2012.
C) The official start of all Bantam games each Saturday is 1:00 p.m.
IX) WEATHER
A) If the scheduled HOME field is unplayable due to conditions caused by weather, the games should be played at the VISITORS field, (if playable, available and ready). Both teams will split payment for the referees and the concession will stay with the field on which the game is being played.
October 15, 2012
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