Indianola Youth Football League
Official Rules and Regulations
As of April 13, 2011

BOARD OF DIRECTORS REQUIREMENTS:
The IYFL Board of Directors (Board):

• Establishes and monitors fiscal controls and develops a sound financial strategy.

• TEAM DUES: All team league fees are to be paid to treasurer of the league by April 1 of the current year. If team league fees are not paid by May 31 of current year, the unpaid team will be removed from the league for the current year.
• Reviews and approves IYFL “Official Rules and Regulations” and “Code of Conduct” annually.
• Reviews and implements registration, draft procedures and team placement annually. The IYFL is not intended to promote dominance by one team; draft procedures will be utilized to address and facilitate an equitable distribution of players within the IYFL.
• Reviews and approves awards to signify participation on teams in the IYFL annually. The awards will be presented to all team members.
• Approves tie-breaker criteria to determine placement for SuperBowl weekend. 
• In event of a tie in team win/loss records (division winning percentage), tie-breaker criteria will be based on head to head competition, then overall winning percentage, then strength of schedule, and then coin flip.

COACHING REQUIREMENTS:

• Head Coaches serve from season to season, subject to review and renewal each season by the Board.  
• Indianola Head Coaches are responsible for recommending potential replacement(s) to Board for approval.
• Head Coaches will adhere to Board approved Official Rules & Regulations.
• Head Coaches are responsible for conduct of his/her team’s coaches, parents and players as outlined in the Board approved Rules and Regulations and Code of Conduct.
• Head Coaches are responsible for the care, maintenance and return of equipment issued to his/her team.
• All coaches are expected to know the rules of football and teach fair play/sportsmanship to players through good example and conduct at all times on the practice and game fields.
• Head coach and all assistant coach must complete, sign and submit an acknowledgement of rules and Code of Conduct form prior to each season.
• Head Coaches will submit a team roster to League Board prior to their first game. The roster will include the player’s jersey number, name, grade level, and weight.
• Head Coaches or a team representative will submit a game day roster to Site Commissioner and opposing coach in the press box 15 minutes before each scheduled game. The coin flip will be conducted at this time. 
• Coaches are prohibited from using game film or videotapes for scouting purposes and scouting other teams during their practices or pre-game warm-ups.

SITE REQUIREMENTS (GAMES):

• All games will be played on regulation-size high school fields.
• The Site Commissioner will secure the services of the Clock and Scoreboard Operator, Game Announcer, Game Officials and Concessions Staff on game day.
• The home team will be listed last on the league schedule and be on the sideline closest to the press box.  The visiting team will be sideline opposite the press box.  The visiting team must provide three (3) capable individuals to act as the chain crew. 
• Each team is allowed to have no more than five (5) coaches on the sidelines during a game.
• One team photographer may be on the track outside of the coaching box and provide NO coaching input or player instruction. The Board may revoke a team photographer privileges for violations.
• Team statisticians must be located in the stands.
• Site Commissioners will record and submit “recertified” weights to league secretary after completion of week 3 games.

TEAM ROSTER

• Each team will have one Head Coach and up to four official Assistant Coaches. 
• Each team may carry between 22 and 26 players on their roster.  Each team will be divided into Gold and Purple squads.  6th graders must play on Gold squad; 4th graders must play on the Purple squad.  
• Rosters should be filled from within your school district.  If there are two or more teams in the school district, rosters should be filled from within each school district using an equitable draft selection process.  If team(s) then remains short on players, the community may contact players from neighboring communities that do not have an IYFL team or youth football program.
• Each team will attempt to consist of a similar number of players from each grade. Significant variations to the number of players from each grade should be reported and discussed with the Board before the season.
• For a child to be placed on a team without going through the draft selection, the child must be the subsequent sibling of an enrolled player or have a parent as a team’s established coach. 

EQUIPMENT:

• All team equipment will be inventoried by the Head Coach at the beginning and the end of each season. The head coach will be solely responsible for the equipment. Equipment is not to be altered or defaced in any way. This includes swapping facemasks, altering jerseys, etc. The NOCSAE Seal of Certification and Warning Label will not be removed from the helmet for any reason.
• Only league issued equipment will be permitted in all league sanctioned activities. Chin straps, commercially manufactured forearm and elbow pads approved for football use, gloves, and/or a protective cup will be the only allowable additions to the issued equipment. The only exception to this rule involve situations were a player might be required to utilize additional equipment in order to protect an injury (e.g.  knee brace, additional padding to protect a deep bruise, etc). Such exceptions shall be brought to the attention of league administrators for a ruling on acceptability.
• Players must wear a mouthpiece at all times during games/practices where any form of contact is initiated.
• Shoes must be of the one-piece rubber-molded sole – no internally threaded shoes are permissible.
• The regulation size football for all league play is “Junior”.
• Jewelry of any kind is prohibited under any circumstance.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

• The season officially starts on a date designated by the Board; no practice may occur prior to that date.  Equipment handout and other administrative manners may occur prior to the designated league start date.
• Teams will be limited to three (3) practices a week for the duration of the season. 
• Practices have a maximum limit of 1 hour and 30 minutes; practices start with warm-ups. 
• Football helmets/mouthpieces are the only equipment allowed during the first two scheduled practices.  Full equipment permitted after first two practices.
• Teams allowed only 1 practice session per day.
• Scrimmages shall be counted as a practice for that week and is limited to the one hour and a half maximum.
• No player shall be permitted to participate in any practice, conditioning or other activity until all the necessary paperwork has been received in conjunction with established league registration requirements.
• Team events (e.g. homecoming parades, team party, etc.) do not count as a practice as long as no formal football instruction is being provided.
• Reported abuse of practice schedule rules will result in a written warning from the Board and potential removal of head coach for subsequent violations.

LEAGUE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS:

• Weigh-ins for all teams are conducted by and recorded by an IYFL Board Member or Site Commissioner.
• There is no maximum weight limitations for league participation, however, there shall be weight limitations pertaining to positions handling the ball (QB, Tailback, Fullback, and Wingback).
• Gold and Purple ball handling positions cannot weigh more than 125 lbs. and 90 lbs. respectively during the initial weigh-in conducted on or before a date established by the Board.
• All players certified to handle the ball during the initial weigh-in will be recertified immediately following the third game of the season. Gold and Purple ball handlers cannot weigh more than 130 lbs. and 95 lbs. respectively at recertification.
• Offensive Ends exceeding the weight limitations are allowed to catch passes.

LEAGUE PLAYING RULES:

• Except as provided herein, the League will adhere to all rules and regulations as outlined in the current, official Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Rules.  In the event one of the listed League rules is in direct conflict with the current published IHSAA Rules, League rules shall have preference.

• The Board will enforce the IHSAA rule that requires a player or coach ejected from a game to sit out the next game on the team’s schedule.

• Clock/Time Outs:

• Games consist of four (4) quarters of play, consisting of fifteen (15) minutes of continuous clock in each quarter. The clock will stop for (1) timeouts, (2) injuries, (3) point after touchdowns (from time of score until when the ball is set for play for the opposing team), and (4) 2 minute warnings in 2nd/4th quarters.  During the last two (2) minutes before halftime and the end of the game, I.H.S.A.A. clock rules will be in effect.
• Official time-out at the end of the first and third quarters to facilitate change of squads.
• Halftime will be five minutes in duration.
• A thirty (30) second play clock will be in effect for all league games.
• Each team is allowed three (3) time outs per half, the duration of which will be (1) minute each. During a charged time out, two (2) coaches may be on the field and approach the huddle.
• At the time of an injury, coaches are allowed to pull team to sideline for water or instruction.

• Gold/Purple Squads

• Purple squad, consisting of 4th and 5th graders play the 1st and 3rd quarters.
• Gold squad, consisting of 6th and 5th graders play the 2nd and 4th quarters. 
• Game day rosters should have equal number of players on each squad to the extent possible (e.g. 22, 24 or 26 man roster should have 11, 12 and 13 players on each squad respectively).
• Substituting is intended for the purpose of allowing one squad that has less than 11 players due to illness, injury or discipline matters to continue playing. In the event the a squad has less than 11 players, the following substitution restrictions apply:

• Substitution should not be used as method to provide squad a competitive advantage.
• No 4th grade player is allowed to play Gold; no 6th grade player is allowed to play Purple.
• A player is allowed to play a maximum of three (3) quarters per game (in this situation, a quarter is defined as one play in the quarter). The player may only play offense or defense in his/her third quarter of play (e.g. cannot play both ways in the quarter participating as a “substitute”).
• All weight limits for ball handlers remain in effect.
• Known situations that may impact need for substitution (e.g. illness, injury, discipline) should be discussed with Site Commissioner and opposing Head Coach before game.
• If a team is caught abusing the “substitution” rule, it could result in the forfeiture of the game in question.  This decision will be made by the Board.
  

• Scoring:

• SCORING: Touchdown = 6 points; Point After Touchdown (run/pass) = 1 point; Point After Touchdown (kick) = 2 points; Field Goal = 3 points; Safety = 2 points.
• POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN: Ball will be placed on the 3 yard line.
• SAFETY: After a safety, the defensive team credited with two points takes possession of the football “1st and 10” at mid-field (50 yd line).

• Kicking:

• EXTRA POINTS: If you decide to kick an extra point, you must kick the extra point.  No fakes.  The defense can rush after the holder has the ball set on the tee.  Referees will blow the extra point dead if the ball is not placed on the tee within 3 seconds of the snap. Regulation tee required.
• KICK-OFFS: There is no kick-off.  Play starts at the offense’s 40 yard line (e.g. receiving team puts the ball in play at their own 40 unless moved by a penalty).
• PUNTING: There is no punting.  The officials will walk off 30 yards; the ball cannot go inside the 20 yard line.  The other team will take over at that point.  The clock does not stop.

• Offense:

• Offensive formations and plays must be run from the IYFL playbook – NO EXCEPTIONS.
• There must be 7 players on the line of scrimmage for all plays; no unbalanced line formations. 
• Allowable Formations: I, Veer, Pro Set, Slot, Offset Wing).
• No power or stretch formations (Power I, T formation, Wishbone, shot gun, twins/trips).
• Interior line splits can be no further than arm length apart, with fingers touching. 
• Motion is not allowed from any offensive formation.
• Allowable Running Plays: Dives, ISO/Blast, Chase, Quick Pitch/Sweep, Crossbuck, Trap, WB Counter (via handout), Bootleg, QB Sneak, and Option (pitch occurs behind line of scrimmage).
• Allowable Passing Plays: No double passes.
• Gadget or Trick plays are not allowed. Play results in immediate penalty of 15 yards and loss of down. No warnings will be given for running plays not listed in IYFL playbook.

• Defense:

• Defensive alignments must come from the IYFL playbook – NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Straight up defensive alignments from 5-2, 5-3, or 6-2 fronts.
• Defensive formations require four distinct levels. 1) Line of scrimmage, 2) Linebackers, three yards off line of scrimmage, 3) Cornerbacks, at least one yard behind linebackers, and 4) Safety, at least one yard behind corner backs. 
• No pre-snap blitz.
• After the ball is snapped, the defensive players can go wherever they want. 
• Defensive ends may line-up no further out then the outside shoulder of the TE or WB.  In slot formation, defensive end may line up no further out then outside shoulder of the slot receiver.

• Note -  Offensive/Defensive Restrictions:
• The offensive and defensive restrictions imposed should be viewed as a means of providing a semi-controlled environment for the purpose of enhancing instruction of the players and developing their understanding for the fundamentals of the game. These restrictions should NOT be viewed as an opportunity to use bizarre and unconventional defensive and offensive schemes in an attempt to exploit the restrictions.

• Overtime::

• If regulation ends in a tie game, the ball will be placed on the 10 yard line with each Gold team having four attempts to score.  In the event of no score, the Purple squad takes the field for the second overtime with each team having four attempts to score.  If no team has scored at the end of the second overtime, then the game will result in a tie. 
• Each team will receive 1 time out per O/T per High School Rules.
• For Super Bowl Weekend, and any applicable play-offs games, all ties will be played out in the same overtime format noted above until a winner is determined.  

• Officials::

• Officials will look to head coach to accept/decline penalties.
• Judgment calls made by officials during games cannot be contested by coaches. 
• If a coach believes a league rule was misapplied, they may call time out and discuss the rule with the official and/or site commissioner.  If the official/site commissioner agrees the rule was correctly applied, the time out is charged.  If the official/site commissioner agrees the rule was wrongly applied, the time out is not charged.  The official/site commissioners’ decision is final.

INJURIES:

• Any participant injured in a game must be withdrawn for at least one (1) play.
• A player wearing any type of cast, including but not limited to a hard plastic, plaster pares or hard splint, will be allowed to practice but no contact will be allowed.  The player will not be allowed to play in a game.  Cast or hard splint must be removed and a written permission from doctor stating child is released to play must be in the possession of the IYFL Board Secretary and/or Site Commissioner before the child is able to regain eligibility.
• The IYFL has adopted requirements of an Iowa law (Iowa Code Section 280.13C; effective July 1, 2011) that address brain injuries to students in grades 7 – 12 that participate in extracurricular interscholastic activities. Requirements incldue: (1) A child must be immediately removed from participation (practice or competition) if his/her coach or a contest official observes signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion or brain injury in an extracurricular interscholastic activity, and (2) A child may not participate again until a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and other brain injuries has evaluated him/her and the student has received written clearance from that person to return to participation.

• Up to three Coaches are allowed on the field to attend to an injured player at the Official’s request.  In a game, first aid to be administered by the attending medical official only.  At the time of an injury, Coaches are allowed to pull team to sideline for water or coaches instructions.

ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW:

• Any situation or circumstance not covered by League’s Official Rules and Regulations, or the official and binding interpretation thereof, shall be referred to the Board for a final determination.