Tru2form Hoops

The Event 7v7 Official Rules of 7v7 Football Competition:

1. Field Dimensions/Specs
a. 40 yards in length – 40, 25 & 10 are the first down lines
b. Between 145’ - 160’ in width
c. 10 yards deep in End Zone
d. Field hash marks are of high school dimensions

2. Team Members
a. Players
i. Each team has a maximum of 24 players. Players will not be accepted into the
event as individuals. All players must be a part of a team.
ii. Teams are not required to utilize an offensive center.
1. If utilizing one, the offensive center is not an eligible receiver.
2. The center will be responsible for setting or re-positioning the football at
the line of scrimmage. If no center, the QB will be responsible.
iii. Boy's Only
iv. Age Requirements
1. All players must be under the age of 19
2. Seniors who have graduated from high school may only play until July 31
of the season directly following high school graduation.
3. Seniors who graduated and have started college are not eligible.
b. Coaches
i. Each team has a maximum of 4 coaches. Coaches will be allowed on the
sidelines only during games.
ii. One offensive coach may be in the huddle with players between plays but when
the huddle breaks the coach must move outside the hash on the side of his team
bench to not interfere with the operation of the official or gameplay.
iii. Defensive coaches are not allowed on the field at any time.

3. Officials
a. Each game will have a minimum of two (2) officials. Positions are Referee/Field Judge
and Back Judge.
b. Each game needs to have a scorekeeper/timekeeper.
c. Field manager – The event must have one for every two 7v7 fields to assist with crowd,
player, coach, and referee control on/around the game fields.

4. Game Times
a. Teams must be onsite and ready to start on time. If a team is late or cannot start on time,
the game clock will begin and whatever time is left on the clock will be where the game
starts. The late team will begin on defense. If a team is late by 10 minutes or more
they will forfeit the game.
b. Games are played with an eighteen (18) minute running clock. After the initial 18
minutes, the last 2 minutes are played as a regulation football game with clock stoppages
per regulation NFHS football rules. During the last two minutes, all completions must be
advanced past the line of scrimmage, otherwise the clock will stop. Sacks in the last two
minutes stop the clock as well
c. 1 timeout per team (30 sec) – during tournament bracket play only
d. Overtime: During tournament bracket play only
i. If overtime is required, teams will alternate three (3) plays from the ten-yard line.
Each team has an attempt to score in each overtime period.
ii. Starting with the 3rd and subsequent overtimes, all PATs must be 2-point
attempts from the 10-yard line.
iii. Overtime periods are not timed.
iv. Each team is awarded one timeout during the overtime period.

5. Scoring
a. Six (6) points for a touchdown
b. One (1) point for a PAT from 3-yard line
c. Two (2) points for a PAT from 10-yard line
d. Two (2) Points for Defensive Stop on downs
e. Three (3) Points for Interception (no runbacks or “pick 6” for safety reasons)
f. Turnover on a PAT is a dead ball (including INT)
g. Official scores will be kept by the field referee and sideline scorekeeper.

6. Penalties
a. Offense
i. Off-sides = Loss of Down
ii. Delay of Game = Loss of Down
1. Each team will have 25 seconds to snap the ball once it has been marked
ready for play; the delay of the game penalty will be assessed.
iii. Pass interference = 5-yard penalty and Loss of Down
iv. No penalty may be assessed more than the 40-yard line. If a penalty would move
the offense beyond the 40-yard line, the offensive team shall be charged with a
loss of down.
v. If the referee sees that the clock has exceeded 4.0 seconds, the play is blown dead.
The ball should be returned to the original line of scrimmage with a loss of down. If
the QB proceeds to throw the ball after the play has been blown dead, a penalty
for offensive delay of the game will be assessed.
vi. The offensive team is responsible for retrieving and returning the ball to the previous
spot or the new scrimmage spot. The clock does not stop and any delay by the offense in
retrieving and returning the ball TO THE REFEREE will result in a delay of the game
and will be a 5-yard penalty from the succeeding spot.
vii. If defensive holding occurs on the same play as a sack, the defense will be
penalized and the sack is void.
b. Defense
i. Off-sides = 5-yard penalty
ii. Defensive Holding = 5-yard penalty
iii. Defensive Pass Interference will be a spot foul (1st down at the spot).
1. If Defensive Pass Interference occurs in the end zone, it will result in a 1st
down at the 1-yard line.
iv. Any dead ball penalty on the defense AFTER a change of possession would result
in a loss of down for that team’s offense when they begin their ensuing
possession.
v. Responsibility to avoid contact is with the defense. The defense is allowed an
INITIAL disruption, and then must cover. Excessive or prolonged contact will
result in a “tack on” penalty at the end of the play (5-yard penalty).

7. Turnovers/Deadballs
a. Receiver/Ball carrier is legally down when touched below the neck with one or both
hands. (Excessive force by shoving, pushing, or striking a blow will be penalized by
automatic first down and 5 yards. The player can be expelled if ruled unsportsmanlike &
flagrant).
b. Fumbles that hit the ground are dead balls at the spot with the last team retaining
possession. A muffed snap is not a fumble/dead ball. The 4.0 second count remains in
effect on snaps.
c. The QB is allowed 4.0 seconds to throw the ball. Time starts on the snap of the ball and
stops as soon as the QB releases the ball. If the release is under 4.0 seconds, the play
continues. The play is blown dead after 4.0 seconds.
d. Interceptions may not be returned – 3 points are awarded on an interception. Points for
defensive stops and interceptions are not “added together”. One or the other ends a
possession with defensive points.
e. The offense must gain at least 15 yards in the first 3 or fewer plays or the defense takes
over. No 4th downs. (3) downs in all zones.

8. Appeals
a. If during gameplay a coach or player disagrees with an official’s call, they may not
dispute that call with the official at that time.
b. For consideration, the coach must report all gameplay ruling discrepancies to the Field
Manager no more than 20 minutes after that game has ended. Any reversal or game-changing decisions will be made at the Field Manager’s discretion.

9. Additional Game Format Rules
a. Pool Play – Team sides must be chosen before opening possession.
b. Bracket Play - Higher seed gets choice of offense/defense for opening possession
c. Ball is always placed on the right hash mark when at the 40-yard line. The offense has choice of
hash once off of the 40-yard line.
d. No kicking or punting
e. No passer may run with the ball.
f. All passes must be thrown forward. A pass caught behind the line of scrimmage must be
advanced by that receiver past the line of scrimmage in the final 2:00 minutes or the
clock stops. The only laterals that will be allowed will be laterals that occur after the
completion of a forward pass.
g. Hand-offs in the backfield are not allowed.
h. All offensive formations must be legal sets. Receivers’ alignment should respect the
tackle box.
i. No blocking.
j. No taunting or "trash talking." (See Code of Conduct for penalty).
k. Fighting: All players must abide by the NFA 7v7 Code of Conduct. See the Code of Conduct
for more details.

10. Tiebreakers
a. If two teams are tied at the end of pool play, the tiebreaker is head-to-head records.
b. If three or more teams are tied at the end of pool play, the following criteria will be used
to determine winners:
i. Head-to-head records
ii. Points allowed
iii. Points scored
iv. Coin flip
Appendix: The Event 7v7 Tournaments
1. Uniforms
a. All teams are required to wear the designated tournament uniform
b. Players are permitted to wear standard football cleats with plastic or rubber
spikes. No metal spikes are allowed.
1. Qualifying/Advancing
a. Roster Changes
i. Each qualifying team is allowed to make (4) substitutions to the roster for
each successive tournament.
ii. Keeping the 24-player maximum in mind, the team may utilize (2) of their
(4) substitutions to add new players to the roster
iii. If one organization enters more than one team into a qualifying event, and
one of those two teams qualifies, the roster of that team cannot be
interchanged with the other for future events
b. If a single team plays in more than one qualifying event and qualifies multiple
times, they may not give one of their spots up to another team
1. Helmets
a. Please follow the respective state high school athletic association rules about the use of helmets in competition.