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Revised February 24, 2024
OBJECTIVE SUMMARY
The Christian Fellowship League
(CFL) was formed in 1980 to create fellowship among Christians in all areas of
sports. Since 1980 the CFL has continually progressed in growth,
spiritual fellowship, church closeness, and in its effort to create sports
programs that build fellowship among brothers in the body of Christ.
A. The by-laws, rules and regulations, and
formats of the CFL
must be followed at all
times to provide consistent and accurate programs.
B. The teams that participate in the CFL
must at all times keep the fellowship
of
the body of Christ in focus for the understanding and development of the CFL.
GENERAL CONTACT
· Contact is made by playing out of
control. Injuries can be prevented by playing under control.
FOUL
LANGUAGE (Cursing)
· Any player heard using foul language by
the referees or CFL Board Member. See penalty rule. If a player is
heard by the referee or a board member using foul language this player will be
out for six (6) play suspension. If anyone in the fan-base of your team is
heard by a referee or board member the player they are supporting will be out
for six (6) plays. If there are less
than six (6) plays left in the game those remaining suspended games will roll
over into the next scheduled game. It is the responsibility of the coach to
ensure that his players and fan base are compliant.
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
(EXCESSIVE TAUNTING)
· Any player that is consistently using
language, dance movements,
gestures whose sole purpose is to taunt or belittle the opposing team,
or who’s loud and/or obnoxious behavior is deemed inappropriate will
be charged with excessive taunting. The first offense will be considered a
warning. If the behavior continues unabated, the referee will impose a penalty
per the penalty rule below.
FIGHTING (Physical
Contact)
· 1st offense – result in suspension from
the league for a minimum of 7 games.
· 2nd offense – result in suspension from
the league entirely.
· Claims
of self-defense will be at the discretion of the referee.
* Note: Playoff
games count towards 7 game suspension. All parties must come before the CFL Board for
reinstatement.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
· Anyone clearly under the influence of
alcohol or a controlled substance at the field will be suspended from the
league for 10 games. Playoff games count toward the 7-game
suspension. The party of a 2nd offense must come before the CFL
Board for possible reinstatement.
SMOKING
· As
a courtesy to players and fans, and per City Ordinance, smoking and/or vaping
on the field is prohibited.
ATTENDANCE
· A player must play a minimum of fifty-one percent
(51%) of the scheduled games of a regular season or that player will not
be eligible for the playoffs. If an injured player attends any games
and signs in, it will be counted as a played game. Players are required to
sign-in as proof of their attendance. This and only this can be used as proof
of attendance. Team mates may not sign for another player.
WARNING
· A player who gets out of hand (at the
discretion of the referees or CFL Board) with taunting, arguing, or any other
actions that are unsportsmanlike will sit out for the next 6 plays of the
game. If the same player’s actions continue
on the sidelines, or when that player re-enters the game, the
player will be ejected from the game and must leave the fields. Any
player ejected from two (2) games will be suspended from the league for ten
(10) games. Playoff games count toward the ten (10) game suspension. The
player must come before the CFL Board for reinstatement. If a player
has been taken out 3-6 play ejections throughout the season it will result in
an automatic one (1) game suspension. The CFL Board reviews all
individual players conduct throughout the year for eligibility requirements for
the next season.
PENALTY RULE
· If a player is sent out for six (6) plays
by the referee or CFL Board, that player CANNOT be replaced until the 6 plays
have expired. However, if a player is ejected from the game, that
player CAN be replaced.
SAFETY
· As a safety precaution, anyone who has
suffered a bleeding injury during a game WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO
CONTINUE playing until the injury has been taken care
of. First-aid kit will be available.
· All players not in the field of play must
stay behind the 10 yard line (10 yards from
the end zone). This is to ensure referees have clear view of the end
zone and sideline players do not interfere with the game.
**OFFICIALS HAVE THE FINAL SAY
RESPECT ALL CALLS AND DECISIONS
OF THE OFFICIALS AND THE CFL BOARD
GENERAL RULES
1-A The offense
consists of 6 players: center and 5 other players. A
minimum of 2 players (center and a receiver) must be on the line of scrimmage.
All players can be on the line, and all are eligible to receive and/or throw
passes. For coed teams, there can never be more than three men on the field.
1-B INTERCEPTIONS
can be returned. When the defense intercepts the ball and the flag is pulled,
the defense’s offense takes over at the spot the flag was pulled. If
the defense intercepts the ball and runs the ball to the endzone they score. If
a player intercepts the ball in the end zone and attempts to run it out, but is
downed before leaving the end zone, it is a touchback. If player
runs out of the end zone with the interception, he must stay out. If
the player returns to the end zone after initially leaving the end zone and is
downed, it will be a safety. For Coed, extra point tries can be returned
for 2 pts.
1-C FUMBLES
– If the ball makes contact
with the ground (a fumble), the ball is considered dead at that
spot, the play ends. The offense remains in possession of the ball and
play continues.
In the event of
a lateral pass (behind the line of scrimmage), the ball is fumbled, it is a
turnover.
1-D POSSESSIONS
– 70 plays per game (60 plays for tournaments), 35 plays in each half (25 plays
for tournaments). Penalties will be counted as plays if the play is in progress. For co-ed play
of any version of play where extra points plays are allowed, the extra point
try is not counted as a play.
*Example: If the ball has NOT been snapped, and a
penalty occurs it does NOT count as a play.
1-E TIME OUTS –
Each team gets 2, thirty (30) second time outs per half.
1-F START OF
GAME – The team that wins the coin toss has choice of:
(1)
Whether to receive the ball or not OR (2) which goal to defend
(2) If
choice 1 is selected, the other team then has option 2 or vice versa.
*Note: depending
on the choices made at the coin toss, the second half begins with the opposite
situation in effect.
1-G HALF TIME –
5 minutes.
1-H END OF GAME
– The game is over when the allotted number of plays is
exhausted. The team with the most points is declared the
winner. If the teams are tied at the end of the game then overtime will be declared. The game cannot
end on a defensive penalty. The referee also has the discretion to
call the game if there is a risk of an injury, or any unsportsmanlike conduct.
1-I OVERTIME –
There are no blitzes or timeouts during overtime. Overtime will
begin without a coin toss. The team that won the toss at the
beginning of regulation will start with the ball. The ball is placed
on the defense 10-yard line. The offensive gets one play to
score. The opposing team then gets the ball, and they have one play
to score. The team that successfully scores then stops the other
team from scoring wins. If the game remains tied after three
overtime possessions for each team the game is declared a tie. In the case of a
playoff game, there is no overtime possession limit. Overtime will continue
until a winner is declared. If an interception occurs and is
returned for a touchdown, the game ends and the
intercepting team wins.
1-J FORFEITS –
A team must have at least 4 players to play a game. If not, a
5-minute delay will be granted. The official clock will start; the coach will be allowed to
bring in a single player from another team (other than the opposing team) for
that one game, his stats will not be counted, that player must be an
active CFL player. That player must return to his original team after the game
ends. The games must stay on
schedule. If after 5-minutes, there are still not enough players the
game will be declared a forfeit.
1-K INTERRUPTIONS
– Officials for the game may agree to interrupt the game because of inclement
weather. When/if the game is resumed, if either team has left (even
if leading) the game shall be declared a forfeit by the team at
fault. Half a game completed is an official game.
1-L TEAM FEES –
Team Fees will be stated at the time of registration. A $100.00 minimum deposit is due by the registration
deadline. Additionally, teams must pay in full by the
third game. NO REFUNDS. The CFL will post a full season schedule and
try to meet those number of games. However, the CFL cannot control
the weather and games can and will be cancelled in order finish the regular
season. One day tournaments will be rescheduled or cancelled.
(full refunds will be given for any cancellations of tournaments)
1-M FLAG
PULLING – One flag must be pulled to stop a play, and the ball is spotted where the ball is
located at the time the flag was pulled. If a player loses a flag
during the play, the player is
downed when the defensive player touches the runner. Runners are not
allowed to block the defensive player’s hands from pulling the flags (flag
guarding) or the offensive player is downed at that point. At the
beginning of each play, flags must be on each side of the hips. If the flag
belt is not tightened and the flags are not on each side, when the player
catches the ball the player is downed when
the defensive player touches the runner.
* Note: Offensive runners should
carry the ball above the waist unless running in the open field.
*Note: Please hand flags back to your opposing players.
1-N PLAY STOPS
- In general, a play is considered over when a team scores, at least one flag
is pulled, at least one knee touches the ground, or any part of the ball makes contact with the ground.
1-O TOUCHDOWN –
Ball must cross the goal line. No diving into the end
zone. A touchdown counts as 1 point. There are no extra
point tries. For coed scoring 6 pts if a man score. 7 pts if a woman
score. There are extra points for coed, one point for men and two points for
women.
1-P SAFETY – In
the event that the defense pulls the opposing player’s flag in their own end
zone then a Safety is declared. At that point, the ball is placed on
the opposing team’s 5 yard line and the team
that scored the Safety gets one play to score a point. If they score
a TD, they will be awarded
one-half point. After the safety play is complete, the team
that scored the Safety will get the ball on their 5-yard line. An
interception during a safety attempt is considered a dead ball and cannot be returned. For coed, the team is
awarded 2 pts and the scoring team gets possession of the ball on their
own five yard line.
1-Q HUDDLES –
Teams must break the huddle with six players. It is the offense
responsibility to retrieve the ball and return it to the line of scrimmage.
Once the referee has established the line of scrimmage, the offense has 25
seconds to get the ball snapped or it is a loss of that down. The offense can
set the ball on the ground or take the ball to the huddle. THE QUARTERBACK WILL BE WARNED WHEN THERE IS 10
SECONDS REMAINING TO GET THE SNAP OFF.
1-R PUNTING – Can be done on any down. If the ball goes out before the 50 yard line (first down) the ball is spotted wherever the
ball went out. If the ball goes out of bounds beyond the 50 the ball is spotted
at the 50, if the ball goes out of bounds out of the back of the endzone the
ball is spotted on the 5. You may have
two players for punt returns.
1-S ONSIDE PLAY
RULE - After you score a touchdown, instead of giving the ball back to the
opposing team, you can declare an onside play. To declare an onside
play:
1. It must
be second half
2. You must
be behind by 1 or more points
* Note: Once
you declare an onside play, the ball will be placed on your own 5-yard
line. You have one play to make it to midfield (first down
marker). If you make it, then you keep the ball and the game resumes
as normal. If you don’t make it, then the ball is placed
at your further point of completion and the ball is turned over to the opposing
team. So, if you throw an incomplete pass, then the opposing teams
get the ball on the 5-yard line. You can declare an onside play as
many times as you wish as long as you are
trailing by 1 or more points. An onside play cannot end on a
defensive penalty. In the event of a defensive penalty during an
onside play, the penalty is assessed, (either a spot foul or repeat the play)
and the offensive is allowed another attempt to complete the onside play.
1-T FLAGS –
Flags will not be supplied
by the CFL league. Teams may use their own flags if they are popper
style flags. Flags must be 12” in length. No other flag types will be allowed.
(Velcro, triple threats, etc.) If you do not have flags for your team, you will forfeit the game.
1-U UNIFORMS
– TOPS All jerseys must
be the same color. Jerseys must be tucked in
at all times. NO HALF JERSEYS. Offensive jerseys
can be disallowed at any time by any CFL Board member. SHORTS AND PANTS – Shorts
or pants cannot have pockets. If you have pockets, they must be sewn
shut or bound in such a way as to keep players from accidently dislocating
their fingers while attempting to pull flags.
1-V TEAM NAMES –Only NFL team names are allowed.
1-W BALL SIZE –
Only NFL and Collegiate ball sizes that are leather or synthetic leather are
allowed. No junior or pee wee ball sizes are allowed. (Sizes 11 to 13 lbs.)
1-X SUBSTITUTIONS
– Unlimited substitutions are allowed.
1-Y FINAL
ROSTER 1 – Team rosters are limited to 10
players. Each player
MUST sign-in at the beginning of their regular season game and sign in a
minimum of 51% times to qualify for the playoffs. If injury causes a
lack of players (5 or less) that team can add a player(s) not already on
another team roster, not to exceed 6 players. If an injured player
returns, the new player can continue playing in the regular season, but must
play in at least 3 games to be eligible for the playoffs. Once a
player has signed the roster for a team, that player cannot change teams for the
rest of the season. If an illegal player is discovery before the game starts,
that player will be required to sit. If an illegal player is discovered during
or after the game is over, that game is considered a forfeit against the
offending team.
FINAL ROSTER 2 – No player
is allowed to play on any other team in any game at any time. If a player plays on another
team that player must serve a 2 game suspension
(including playoffs) before they are allowed to return to their original
team. (Team recruiting that player will forfeit that game). EXCEPTION: (See rule 1-J Forfeits).
1-Z POST SEASON
PLAY - There will always be some form of playoffs in every league or
tournament. Playoffs will be determined by the number of teams registered to
play at the start of the season and can be adjusted at the board discretion;
however, the playoffs structure will be posted by the 3rd week. For the
tournaments, the playoffs will always be the top four finishers based on the
tournaments playoff eligibility criteria which will be determined before the
tournament begins.
1-AA The CFL
organization reserves the right to photograph and record players/teams for
player recognition and marketing. ____________________________________________________________________________
QUARTERBACK
2-A The QB is
designated as the first player to receive the ball from the center cannot cross
the line of scrimmage unless the defense blitzes.
2-B The QB has
2.5 seconds before the rusher(s) can come across the line of scrimmage.
2-C QB cannot
run the ball across the line of scrimmage unless he is blitzed. If
done so, the ball is downed at that point (a loss of that down). No two forward
passes over the line of scrimmage. Note: Forward passes can be
thrown more than once behind the line of scrimmage, but once the ball has
crossed the line of scrimmage, you cannot throw the ball forward again.
2-D The QB has 7 seconds from the snap of the ball to get the ball
into play (pass, hand-off, or pitch) or he is down at that
point. The ball to be placed at the original line of scrimmage.
2-E If the QB
gives the ball to another player behind the line of scrimmage, that player can
run or pass the ball, but has unlimited time to complete the play. The QB must make a full exchange to
another player in order for the option to be
legitimate. No tip backs.
2-F INTENTIONAL
GROUNDING – QB must have receiver in the general vicinity, or the ball must pass
the line of scrimmage. If not, the penalty is loss of down, the ball
is placed at the spot of infraction and the defense will be awarded a
sack. If it happens in the end zone, it will be declared a safety.
____________________________________________________________________________________
CENTER
3-A The center
is an eligible receiver.
3-B The
center may snap the ball from the side or from between the legs. His
legs must be split at least 1 yard apart to create the line of scrimmage for
the other players. Ball must be snapped from the ground. Penalty-
illegal formation (loss of that down).
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RECEIVERS
4-A The
receivers can line up on the line of scrimmage in any fashion as long as at
least one receiver has one foot between the center’s self-made line of
scrimmage.
4-B One
receiver can go in motion but cannot head up field until the ball has been
snapped (Penalty: loss of the down).
4-C A receiver
can run a pass pattern, but if the defensive back is stationary, the receiver
must go around or change the pass pattern without making contact. If
the defensive back is moving, then he must allow the receiver to run the pass pattern
without making contact.
4-D A receiver
can set up a non-moving pick 3 yards in the area of
the defenders.
4-E A receiver
cannot create a moving pick that hinders the defensive back the right to get
position on the ball, nor can he create a check pick, which is when the
receiver uses his arms and/or hands to slow or prevent the defender from
getting the ball.
4-F A receiver
must come down with at least one foot inbounds to be considered a completed
reception. A reception is not considered complete if the
receiver is unintentionally forced out of bounds.
4-G Receiver
must line up at least 3 yards from the out of bounds line.
4-H A receiver
cannot go out of bounds without being forced out and then return to the field
of play to complete a catch.
4-I Running and
pitching, such as an option play and/or in an option pass pitch, the player
must stop.
*Note: The option
must be done with the receiver of the option beside or behind the player
creating the option. A forward lateral will stop play at the spot of
the infraction. Ball is placed at that spot. The option
runner must stop running at the moment or it
is considered a block and the player is downed at the point.
4-J RUNNING THE
BALL – When running the ball, the runner must avoid making
contact with the other players, He cannot hurdle or dive with the
ball. He can leave his feet only in a manner not harmful to
others. Jumping side to side and backwards is okay, but only jumping
forward is not allowed to avoid injury.
______________________________________________________________________________
DEFENSE
5-A The defense
consists of 6 players that can line up in any formation, such as man-to-man,
zone, or man-zone, and rush as many players as they desire.
5-B The
defensive player must give the right-of-way to the offensive player to run the
pass pattern, unless the defensive player(s) are stationary.
5-C Defensive
players being picked must play under control to keep from injury and to be able
to go around the pick and complete the defensive play; unless the offensive
player is running a moving pick, the official will stop the play at that point. All
picks must be stationary before the runner crosses the line of scrimmage.
5-D Defensive
players must not make contact by coming across the arm, hitting the body, or
coming across the back. These defensive positions can be made as long as the contact is not included. If the
defensive player has gotten the position, then this rule applies to the
offensive player.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
DEFENSIVE RUSHER(S)
6-A The rusher
must have an unobstructed route to the QB. Any offense player that (whether
intentionally or unintentionally) interferes with the path of the rusher will
be penalized with impeding the rusher.
6-B The defense
can rush as many players as needed. But no defensive player can
cross the line of scrimmage before the ball is put into
play. Otherwise, it is considered to be defensive
offside.
6-C The
rusher(s) must pull the QB’s flag to down him. If the QB is in the
process of releasing the ball (arm is moving forward) before the flag is
pulled, then the QB is not considered down. The rusher(s) cannot cross the line
of scrimmage until the 2.5 second whistle has been blown, unless the QB hands
off, pitches, or shuttle passes the ball. If the rusher crosses
before the 2.5 second whistle, then the defense will be charged one
blitz. The 2.5 second whistle will blow on every play.
*Note: the
2.5 seconds start when the ball is snapped.
6-D The
rusher(s) cannot line up right in front of the center. He must give a 1 yard radius on either side before the snap of the
ball.
*Note: No
contact is allowed.
6-E Roughing
the passer is defined as: Making contact in such a way that may result
in injury (arm, head, face, leg whip, etc.) If flagrant, this will
result in ejection from the game and/or suspension from the league.
6-F Blitzing: Defense
can blitz as many players as needed. There are 5 blitzes per
game. A blitz is defined as leaving before the 2.5 seconds. If the
rusher(s) comes across the line of scrimmage before 2.5 seconds it will be
counted as one of the team blitzes. Be aware that if the defense
blitzes, the QB is eligible to run or pass.
*Note: If
the defensive has used up their allotted number of blitzes and you blitz, the
QB is still eligible to run or pass. The play will be allowed to
continue, and the offensive will have the choice to take the result of the play
or repeat the down. If there are 10 plays
left in the half or the game, then the offense will have one play added back on
the play counter unless the offense declines the penalty. Continuing to blitz
when the defense is out of blitzes will result in an unsportsmanlike penalty.
_____________________________________________________________________________
DEFENSIVE BACKS
7-A The
defensive backs cannot bump off the line or go through the receiver to make a
play.
7-B The defensive
back must let the offensive players run the pass patterns, unless the defensive
back is stationary, then the offensive players must run the pass patterns
around the defensive players.
*Note: No
contact is allowed.
7-C The defensive
backs cannot strip the ball from the offensive players.
*Note: The
hands and arms are not considered part of the ball.
ARTICLES OF PENALTIES
ARTICLE A-1
GENERAL CONTACT
1) NON-FLAGRANT CONTACT-Incidental contact
is made and cannot be avoided; no penalty is assessed. Referee’s discretion.
2) FLAGRANT CONTACT WITHOUT INTENT –
Offensive penalty: Is a loss of down plus and extra
down. *Example: 1st
becomes 3rd, 2nd becomes 4th, 3rd becomes 1st for the other team, unless a 1st
down is gained. Then, defense has choice of either accepting the
play as it stands, but the down becomes 3rd instead of 1st, or replaying the
down from the original line of scrimmage. Defensive
penalty: Automatic 1st down or result of play.
3) FLAGRANT CONTACT WITH INTENT – Contact is
purposely done. That player is ejected from the game and will be
brought before the CFL Board for ejection from the league. Penalty
assessment is the same as Article D2
ARTICLE
B-1
DEAD BALL PENALTIES (play
stops, loss of that down)
1) Flag Guarding
2) Jumping or diving
3) Illegal forward pass by the QB
4) Moving Picks/Blocking
5) Shoulder/Head dips (Non-Flagrant)
6) Forward Lateral
7) QB Delay (7 Seconds)
ARTICLE
C-1
OFFENSIVE (Loss of down)
1) Offensive offsides
2) Illegal formation (two men not on the
line of scrimmage)
3) Illegal motion/False Start
4) Delay of game
5) Illegal reception (player stepped out and
stepped back in and was the first person to touch the ball
6) Illegal huddle
ARTICLE C-2
DEFENSIVE (Offensive
gains a down)
1) Defensive offside *Note: Offense can gain 1st and five if infraction happens
on the offenses' 1st down.
2) Delay of game, (referee will provide warning to
QB and rushers).
ARTICLE C-3
DEFENSIVE (Repeat the
down)
1) Illegal rush (defense out of blitzes)
2) Illegal Flag pull (Intentionally pulling
the flag of a player who is not the ball carrier) Warning issued for poor sportsmanship
ARTICLE D-1
OFFENSIVE (Loss of that
down plus one extra down, 1st goes to 3rd, 2nd goes to 4th, 3rd or 4th is an
automatic turnover)
1) Offensive holding
2) Offensive Pass Interference
3) Illegal Contact
4) Illegal forward pass by Non-QB
5) Intentional grounding
6) Illegal Pick play/impeding the rusher
7) Shoulder/Head dips (Flagrant)
ARTICLE
D-2
DEFENSIVE (Automatic
first down, ball placed at the line of scrimmage)
1) Defensive holding/Illegal contact before
ball is released
2) Roughing the Passer (If the QB is hit
(face, head, arm etc.) non-flagrantly or flagrantly, it is considered roughing
the passer.)
ARTICLE
D-3
DEFENSIVE (Automatic
first down, ball placed at the spot of infraction)
1) Defensive Pass interference
2) Tackling (non-flagrant or flagrant)
3) Defensive holding on ball carrier
*Note: Offense can gain 1st and five if
infraction happens if the ball carrier picks up a first down on the same play.
4) Stripping
ARTICLE E-1
SPIKING
1) No spiking is
allowed. Penalty: Add or lose a down for the penalized
team. EXCEPTION: If spiking after a touchdown the
offensive team starts their possession at mid-field. Also, on the
last play of the game, the offensive team gets one play from mid-field; the
game cannot end on a spiking penalty.
ARTICLE F-1
FOUL LANGUAGE
1) Any
Player using foul language on the field of play will have to sit for six plays.
That player cannot be replaced. The team will have to play short for the
duration of the penalty. If the foul language was heard but its undetermined
who said it, the team captain or Coach must sit one player of his choosing for
six plays. Upon imposing the penalty, this player cannot be replaced for the 6
six plays. If any person in the fan base is heard using foul language that
player will be sat for six (6) plays. It is the discretion and of the referee
or board member who heard the language.
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED IN THESE
RULES AND REGULATIONS ALL DECISIONS ARE TO BE
MADE ACCORDING TO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES
______________________________________________________________________________
FIELD DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 60
YARDS
END ZONES: 10 YARDS
TOTAL: 80
YARDS
WIDTH: 40
YARDS
First down markers, one on each side, are
placed at the middle of the field. Goal line markers, one on each
side, are placed at the front of each end zone.
1
Corinthians 9:24-25 (NIV)
Do you
know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the
prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone
who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to
get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last
forever.