ELIZABETHTOWN AREA YOUTH FOOTBALL
VARSITY TACKLE FOOTBALL RULES
REVISED AUGUST 31, 2014
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Football Rules shall apply to all games associated with the Elizabethtown Area Youth Football (EAYF). The following are local rules and regulations that have been implemented for our league play that are in addition to KHSAA Football Rules
WEIGHT RULES AND REGULATIONS
Each player must officially be weighed by a member of the Commission and an official witness at the time of registration. There will only be one weigh-in permitted (refer to EAYF Constitution and By-Laws Article 21, Section 5). The only article of clothing allowed to be removed at weigh in is shoes. All players on defense may play any position; there are no weight restrictions for any defensive position. Only a player 120.9 pounds and under may be allowed to receive a pass, run or advance the ball on offense and defense. All players of 121 pounds and more will receive a red strip on their helmet. Infraction to the rule of improper helmet markings will result in a fifteen (15) yard penalty and a warning to the bench. A second offense will be a penalty and a rejection of the head coach for the remainder of the game. Players with a red strip on their helmet are not allowed to play in the offensive backfield. Red stripers can lineup at TE as long as they are covered (not eligible for a pass). It is the coach’s responsibility to be sure that the players maintain proper helmet markings throughout the season. If it is discovered that the proper markings have not been maintained, the offending team will have to forfeit the game/games in question.
AGE REQUIREMENTS
The Varsity Division is for youth ages 10, 11 and 12 by or on July 31 of that year.
EAYF VARSITY FOOTBALL BASIC RULES
OFFENSE
The offense is at the discretion of the coach within KHSAA guidelines.
OFFENSIVE FORMATIONS
Seven of 11 players must line up on the line of scrimmage. Striped players are not allowed to lineup in the backfield.
DEFENSIVE FORMATIONS
The defense is at the discretion of the coach, within KHSAA guidelines. Defensive backs may lineup on the line of scrimmage and are allowed to stunt and blitz.
OFFENSIVE BACKFIELD
All formations must be within KHSAA guidelines. The penalty is five (5) yards.
BLOCKING
All blockers must be on their feet before, during and after contact. Blocking below the waist is illegal. The throwing of forearms by either team is illegal. Blockers may use their hands to block and may extend their arms during the block. The penalty for the above infractions will be a ten (10) yard penalty.
FUMBLES AND LATERALS
If the ball is fumbled either on the snap or during a run, the ball will remain in play and possession awarded to whichever team recovers the ball. If a player has gained possession and the ball is still in play, the ball may be advanced. This includes fumbles, dropped or mishandled snaps, dropped or mishandles carries, stripped balls, laterals and any other situation as ruled a live ball by the officials. Only players less than 120.9 pounds may advance the ball.
THE FIELD
All games will be played on a KHSAA regulated size field. The end zone will be ten (10) yards long. Coaches will be allowed to walk the entire length of the field, and one coach may be on the field only during timeouts. All coaches are to be positioned on their team’s sideline.
PASSING
The only players eligible to receive the ball are players less than 120.9 pounds and are running backs, quarterbacks, or offensive ends. An incomplete forward pass is a dead ball and will return to the line of scrimmage. An incomplete backwards pass is a live ball and must be recovered or possession must be gained by either team.
POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN
After a team scores a touchdown, the head coach must decide to try for a one-point PAT or a two-point PAT. A one-point PAT may be executed from the three (3) yard line by gaining the ball into the end zone or kicking through the uprights. A two-point PAT may be executed from the five (5) yard line by gaining the ball into the end zone or kicking the ball through the uprights. If the team elects to kick, there will be no free kick on this attempt. All extra point kicks will be live.
KICKOFFS
Kickoffs will be lined up on the kicking team’s 40-yard line, unless the team has been penalized. The receiving team must always lineup at least ten yards from the spot of the kickoff. Onside kickoffs should only be used as a way for teams trailing in a game to try to gain a way back into the game. Onside kickoffs are not intended for stronger teams to exploit weaker teams. When the kicking team is trailing, or tied with the receiving team, the kicking team may attempt to regain possession after the ball has been kicked and traveled 10 yards or has been touched by the receiving team. When the kicking team is leading the receiving team by less than 18 points, the ball must travel 15 yards or be touched by the receiving team before the kicking team can regain possession. If the kicking team is leading the receiving team by 18 or more points, the kicking team touches the ball or recovers the kick prior to it traveling 15 yards, the ball will be granted to the receiving team where touched.
PUNTS
Punts will be live and will follow KHSAA rules. No players are allowed to be lined up over the center and no contact is allowed with the center during a punt.
SAFETY
After a safety (2 points), the ball will be marked at the twenty (20) yard line and the kicking team will be given a free kick, which is returnable by the receiving team.
GAME CLOCKS
All quarters will be eight (8) minutes. The clock stops for incomplete forward passes, out-of- bounds plays, during penalty discussions with the officials, free punts, time-outs, extra-point attempts and change of possessions. Halftime will be eight (8) minutes.
OVERTIME
A toss of coin will be done to determine which team gets the ball first. Each team will get four (4) downs to score from the ten (10) yard line. If one team scores more points during this overtime, that team will be the winner. If both teams score the same amount of points, or neither team scores during the overtime period, then the second overtime period will begin. Each team will be given an additional timeout with each overtime period.
TIMEOUTS
Each team shall have three (3) timeouts for each half. Timeouts may be called by players or coaches.
GAMEBALL The official game ball for the Varsity Division will be the Wilson TDJ Football.