MFFL PYLON RULES FOR 12U, 14U, JV, Varsity Field Dimensions:
Field Length will be 50 yards. 40-yard playing field with a 10-yard end zone. Field Width will be 50 yards
Starting Each Game:
1. A coin toss will determine which team gets the ball first. That team will begin possession of the ball on the 40-yard line with their choice of hash.
2. A whistle will begin each game.
3. Each game last 30 minutes with running clock.
4. Official will declare when the clock is under 2 minutes.
5. The clock never stops, with the exception of an injury or referee timeout.
6. A whistle will end each game.
7. The referees will keep the official score and time on the field for each game.
8. Soft Helmets are highly recommended but not required. Soft helmets will be available for purchase at the registration tent.
Moving the Ball:
1. Offense always starts on 40-yard line with their choice of the hash. After any change of possession.
2. All snaps at the 40-yard line must be off the QB-TEE (No Shotgun). Upon gaining a yard or more, QB may take a shotgun off QB-TEE.
3. Offense has three (3) downs to gain a first down. First down markers will be at the 25, and 10- yard lines.
4. Once inside the 10-yard line, the offense has 3 downs to score a touchdown.
5. The first person to control the football off the QB-Tee is the QB. The QB is never eligible to run.
6. The offense may run the ball as many times as they want on any down during the game. The QB is allowed to make one exchange (ex. Pass, handoff or toss). No toss passes, reverses or hook and ladder.
7. Defensive players cannot cross the line on a run play until the quarterback hands the ball off to the RB.
   
8. Quarterback can NEVER run the ball. The quarterback MUST release the ball from behind the QB-tee! If his foot passes the back of the tee, it will be called an illegal forward pass.
Coaching your Team:
1. There will be one offensive coach allowed on the field at any time and THREE (3) active athletes behind him only. (One warning then delay of game penalty)
2. The coach must be position behind the offensive huddle. 3. Coaches are not allowed to challenge any official ruling. 4. Remaining team coaches can work from the sidelines.
5. NO defensive coaches allowed on the field.
6. Coaches will be given 1 sideline warning during play. Second warning will result in a 10-yard penalty or half the distance to the goal. Third warning will result in coach’s ejection.
POINT VALUES:
1. Offensive touchdown = 6 points. After the touchdown, the team can elect to take an automatic 1
point or go for 2 points from the 10-yard line.
Special Rules:
1. NO Blitzing allowed at any time
2. NO blocking.
3. Face guarding is allowed.
4. Blocking will result in a loss of down, return to previous spot.
5. Ball carrier is legally down when touched below the neck with one hand or the ball carrier’s elbow/knee, or the football touches the ground. A defender CAN leave his feet to make a tag. The offensive player can leave his feet also.
6. Fumbles (Including snap) are dead balls at the spot with the last team in control retaining possession at the spot.
7. Offensive team will have 25 seconds to put the ball into play. Delay of game is a loss of down.
     
8. The offensive team is responsible for retrieving and returning the ball to the official. The clock does not stop, and any delay of the offense in retrieving and returning the ball to the official will result in delay of game.
9. Defensive pass interference will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. Defensive holding will result in a 10-yard penalty and repeat the down.
10. Offensive pass interference will result in a return to the previous spot plus a loss of down.
11. QB is allowed 4.0 seconds to throw the ball. Referees will stop play if 4.0 seconds is surpassed
12. An interception will result in an immediate stoppage of play and a change of possession with the interception team gaining possession at the 30-yard line. If a un-sportsman penalty is given to the interception team, they will be penalized 10 yards and will start from the 40-yard line.
13. Excessive celebration is not allowed and will not be tolerated. At the discretion of the referee, if a team is penalized for excessively celebrating or clearing of the sideline, the result is a 15- yard unsportsmanlike penalty and a loss of down.
14. A game cannot end on a defensive penalty. If this occurs, the offense will have an untimed down if time has expired.
15. The offense (wide receivers) has to line up outside the tackle box, and one receiver has to be on the line on each side.
16. Defenders can press, jam, re-direct with 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.
17. Fighting will not be tolerated. If a player throws a punch, he is ejected immediately and can NOT return to the game. If players are involved in pushing or shoving, they may be ejected immediately from the game at the referees’ discretion. If a second incident occurs with the same player(s), they will be ejected from the tournament in its entirety. If a team’s bench clears, resulting in a fight, both of the teams are ejected, resulting in a forfeit. The referee has the right to throw out any player, players, or team out of the game. The Pylon staff has the right in extreme cases to eject players, coaches, teams, and by-standers of any tournament and they will have to leave the facility immediately. A referee can also give a 15-yard un-sportsman penalty.
Overtime/Tie Breaker:
1. Games in BRACKET PLAY (SINGLE-ELIMINATION) that end in a tie will go to a tiebreaker. There will be a coin toss at the beginning of the tiebreaker with the home team calling the toss. The winner will choose to be on either offense or defense.
 
2. Each team will have 2 plays from the QB-tee from the 10 yard line, choice of hash. If you score, you receive the standard 7 points.
3. If the offense scores, then they MUST chose to go for 1 point from the 5-yard line, or 2 points from the 10-yard line.
4. The opposing team gets the same opportunity to win.
5. If neither team scores, or it still end as a tie, we will flip the coin again then back to the standard longest
passing yard from the 40-yard line. There is no running allowed in longest yard situations.
6. The team with the most yards will be declared the winner of the tiebreaker and will add 1 point to the
final score.
7. If there is no completion, or the deepest completion is equal, the tiebreaker will be repeated with the team that lost the initial coin toss making the choice to either take offense or defense.
8. This format will be repeated until there is a clear winner is declared.
9. This tiebreaker format will be used in SINGLE-ELIMINATION GAMES ONLY.
PENALTIES:
Offensive Penalties
False start / Illegal Motion Delay of Game
Illegal Forward Pass Blocking
Pass Interference Unnecessary Roughness
Assessed
Line of Scrimmage Line of Scrimmage Line of Scrimmage Line of Scrimmage Line of Scrimmage 15 Yards – LOS
Result
Loss of Down Loss of Down Loss of Down Loss of Down Loss of Down Loss of Down
                       
  Un-sportsman
Defensive Penalties
Encroachment/Neutral Zone Holding
Pass Interference Unnecessary Roughness Illegal Participation Un-sportsman
15 Yards
Assessed
5 yards 10 yards 15 yards 15 yards 5 yards 15 yards
Loss of Down
Result
Repeat Down Repeat Down
First Down
Line of Scrimmage Repeat Down
First Down
                          PLEASE HELP US KEEP OUR FIELDS CLEAN; EACH TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEAN UP OF WATER BOTTLES AND TRASH ON THEIR OWN SIDELINES. THANK YOU!!!