Flag Football Rules

Code of Conduct

• All players must follow the Carleton University Intramural & Adult League Player Code of Conduct.
• Sportsmanship and respect are mandatory.
• Taunting, dangerous aggression, or intentional infractions are not tolerated.
• Fighting or deliberate injury results in immediate removal from the league (zero-tolerance policy).

Eligibility & Registration

• Open to Carleton students, staff/faculty, and alumni with active gym memberships.
• Players may play for only one flag football team per semester.
• Team shirts are provided and must be worn for each game.
• All players must be registered on the Fusion IM portal and check in with the league official before each game.
• A valid student or membership ID must be presented at check-in.
• Players must participate in at least 5 games to be playoff eligible (approved spares count).
• Spares must be pre-approved by the League Supervisor and added to the team roster.
• Players may not play for multiple teams in the same division without approval.

Game Supervision

• Each game is officiated by one league official.
• Officials are responsible for sign-ins, rule enforcement, and timekeeping.
• All official decisions are final.
• Team captains handle communication with officials and are accountable for team conduct.
• Abusing officials or organizers results in ejection or suspension.

Equipment

• No jewelry, casts, or braces made of hard substances are allowed.
• The league provides flags, cones, and one football per field.
• Only regulation-size NFL or CFL footballs are permitted.
• Players must wear shorts without pockets and non-metal cleats.
• Shirts must be tucked in, and flags must remain visible on the hips.

General Play

• The game will follow the 5v5 section of The Canadian Amateur Rule Book Flag Football with some modifications.
• The game begins with rock-paper-scissors or coin toss to decide possession.
• Possession starts from the team’s own 5-yard line, except in the case of an interception, when it starts from the spot.
• Fumbles are dead balls and remain with the offense.
• Players may lateral pass, throw or hand off the ball only behind the line of scrimmage. Only 1 forward transaction is allowed per play.
• The center must snap the ball from the beanbag to the quarterback. The quarterback is the first person to gain possession after the snap and cannot run until they have received a handoff or lateral.
• The quarterback has 7 seconds to throw the ball unless there is a fake or real handoff or lateral at which point any defensive player can rush.
• Flags must remain visible; concealing, blocking, or hiding a flag stops the play.
• If a player’s flag falls off unintentionally, the play is stopped at that spot.
• Players may dive to catch the ball but cannot dive or jump while running.
• Defensive players cannot block or obstruct running lanes intentionally. A player’s right of place comes before another player’s right of way.
• Minor incidental contact is permitted, but safety comes first.

Scoring

• Touchdown: 6 points (the ball must break the plane of the goal line).
• Teams have 3 downs to reach midfield and another 3 downs to reach the end zone.
• Teams are not permitted to run the ball within 5-yards of the end zone
• On 3rd down, teams may punt or run a play (no fake punts).
• Teams may attempt:
  • 1-point convert from the 5-yard line
  • 2-point convert from the 10-yard line

Picks & Blocking

• Full list of penalties and enforcements in 5v5 section of The Canadian Amateur Rule Book Flag Football.
• Pass interference – both contact and non-contact that interferes with an offensive player catching a ball while it is in air.
• Illegal contact – physical contact such as impeding, redirecting, obstructing, blocking, holding, and tackling.
• Illegal flag pull – pulling a flag of a player before they have the ball.
• Flag guarding, jumping or diving – ball carrier uses any part of their body or ball to prevent flags from being pulled or advancing the ball.
• Rusher interference – impeding a rusher’s direct path to the quarterback.
• Interference – impeding, redirecting, obstructing, blocking with no contact.

First Point of Contact

• A catch is valid if the receiver’s first point of contact is in bounds.
• A one-foot in bounds catch counts; if the player lands straddling the line, it’s incomplete.
• If a player falls and any body part besides the hand touches the ground, the play is dead.

End of the Game

• When 5 minutes remain, the referee will announce 4 plays left (kickoffs and converts excluded).
• Regular season games may end in a tie.

Timeouts

• Each team is allowed one 1-minute timeout per game.

League Standings & Points

• Win: 2 points
• Tie: 1 point
• Loss: 0 points
• No overtime during round-robin play.
• Standings are updated weekly on the Fusion Play App.
• Regular season games may end in a tie.

Forfeits & Defaults

• A forfeit is declared 10 minutes after the scheduled start time if a team cannot field enough players.
• Captains may use the default (no penalty) or forfeit (point penalty) function in Fusion IM 10 hours before the game.

Tie-Breakers

If Two Teams Are Tied:

1. Head-to-head result
2. Most wins
3. Point differential
4. Most points scored
5. Fewest points allowed
6. Coin flip

If Three Teams Are Tied:

1. Winning percentage between tied teams
2. Most wins
3. Goal differential (For and Against)
4. Coin flip

Playoff Format

• Format depends on the number of teams and facility availability.
• Playoff schedules are posted on the Fusion Play App.
• If a playoff game is tied, play continues until one team scores a touchdown.

Cancellation Policy

• First cancellation: no reschedule or refund.
• Second/Third cancellation: games rescheduled or partially credited to the next season if rescheduling isn’t possible.

Injury Policy

• Injuries must be reported to the official immediately.
• Bleeding players must leave the game until the issue is resolved.
• Participation is voluntary — players assume responsibility for injury or property damage costs.