No blocking below the waist. No roll tackles, chop blocks, etc.

A two-handed touch will constitute a tackle. No argument is allowed on the referee’s judgment of a tackle. Once the whistle is blown, the play is over.

Two forward passes equal a first down. Both of the completions must cross the original line of scrimmage before a tackle is made to count as a completion. A completion is a forward pass that travels and is caught beyond the original line of scrimmage.

No metal spikes are allowed. No bare feet are allowed.

A fumble is a ball that hits the ground. It is a dead ball and belongs to the team previously in possession.

One knee on the ground is considered a tackle.

On a reception, one foot in bounds is considered a catch.

After a touchdown, the ball will be placed on the three-yard line. The scoring team will have one play to score a two-point conversion. Two points are awarded whether the ball is run in or thrown in.

Eight players may be on the field for each play. Penalties will be assessed for having more than eight players on the field, but not for less than eight players. Two of the players must be female and one may be an adult. No more than one male and one female adult may be in the game at the same time.

The player snapping the ball to the quarterback and the person to his immediate left and right are ineligible receivers and must stay in to block. They may not proceed more than five yards down field on a pass play until the ball is thrown.

Excessive contact is illegal. You must go around blockers, not through them. If a referee deems that an individual is making too much contact, the result will be a fifteen-yard penalty. If it becomes a consistent problem, the player in question will be ejected from the game or even the tournament.

There are no kickoffs. Offenses will start the game and after an opponent’s touchdown on the twelve yard line.

Punts must be punted – no fakes. The defense may not rush on a punt and may only have one person back to receive the punt. No one may move down field until the ball is kicked. A snap that is dropped or touches the ground is a dead ball and turns over to the other team. When the ball is punted it becomes a dead ball once it touches the ground and possession goes to the receiving team. The only way to advance a punt is if it caught in the air.

A penalty will be assessed and the offense will a lose a down if any player makes a forward pass once he has crossed the line of scrimmage.

All defensive players must start the play approximately three yards back off the line of scrimmage. Once the ball is inside the defense’s three-yard line, they may then line up on the goal line.

A false start on offense and encroachment by the defense immediately stops play, the penalty is assessed, and the down is repeated.

On an offensive foul, the penalty is assessed and the down is repeated unless the penalty is declined or the penalty constitutes loss of down.

All penalties are five yards, except the following: unsportsmanlike conduct and excessive contact (15 yards), and for defensive pass interference (the ball is placed at the point of the foul and the offense is awarded an automatic first down). When defensive pass interference occurs in the end zone, the ball is placed on the one-yard line and an automatic first down.

Anyone using foul language can be ejected from the game without a warning!

If any player receives two warnings in the course of the tournament, they can be expelled for the day.

Ties will be decided on the field by a “Kansas Tie Breaker” method. If the defense intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown, the game is over.

No stripping of the ball will be allowed.

Each game will have a running clock. There are no time outs.

A game may not end on a defensive penalty.

All participants must be in the sixth through twelfth grade and must have attended the church that they are playing for at least one time before the tournament. We want you to use this event as a tool to reach out to students who may not normally attend church, but blatant stacking of teams will not be tolerated.

Youth ministers and/or sponsors will be held directly responsible for their own behavior and the behavior of the participants and fans. Referees and the Competition coordinator may exercise the right to remove anyone, including but not limited to youth ministers, sponsors, players, and fans, from the competition area.

Please remember that we are representing Jesus Christ!