7 on 7 Football Rules

POINT SYSTEM

Touchdown: 

  • 6 points

Extra Points: 

  • 1 point (Automatic)
  • 2 point (from 10-yard line)

Interception: 

  • 2 points (for intercepting team)

GAME OPERATION

Pool Play:

  • Rock Paper Scissors will determine who gets the ball first. 
  • Ball will start on the 40-yard line for each drive.
  • 20 min games with a running clock.
  • The Head Referee will check with the field manager and will announce when the game starts. The Field Manager will also give a 2 min warning.
  • A whistle will start and end each game.
  • The clock will stop only for the exception of an injury or referee timeout.
  • Once the clock is at 0:00, it is GAME OVER. There will not be an attempt for 2 points if a team scores before then. Automatic 1 still applies.
  • There is NO OVERTIME in pool play.
  • *The Field Managers will keep the official scores as the head referee communicates them. Field managers will input scores and retrieve coaches' signatures immediately after each game.

Bracket Play:

  • Highest Seed will determine who gets the ball first.
  • 25 min games with a running clock.
  • OVERTIME game operation & rules apply.

MOVING THE BALL

  • Ball will always start on the 40-yard line before each drive.
  • Offense has three (3) downs to gain each first down and another (3) downs to score when inside the 10-yard line for a touchdown. 
    • First down markers are at the 25-yard line, and 10-yard line.
  • QB can NEVER run on any play.
  • The offense may run the ball as many times, on any down during the game. QB making one exchange (ex: pass, handoff or toss). Alignment must be from backfield or outside the tackle box.
    • NO running in OVERTIME.
    • NO TRICK PLAYS (ex: toss passes, reverses or hook and ladder)

COACHING

  • Allowed are 1 Offensive coach and 3 players behind the huddle. Remaining team coaches can work from the sidelines. 
  • Coaches are not allowed to challenge any official ruling. Head coaches can communicate with referees.
  • NO defensive coaches allowed on the field
  • 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
  • Any form of cheating qualifies for automatic team disqualification at the tournament!
  • End of each game, a coaches signature will be required from both teams to confirm scores with the Field Manager.

ADDITIONAL RULES

Blitzing:

  • ONE BLITZ per game allowed.
    • From outside and around the tackle box, 3-yards behind the line of scrimmage outside of the tackle box. No limit on # of players blitzing.
    • If a defensive penalty occurs during the blitz play the blitz is considered “used” no more blitz for the rest of the game.
    • If an offensive penalty occurs during the blitz play then the blitz is awarded back to the blitzing team. If a blitz was already used and the defender crosses the line early, it will be an encroachment penalty 5 yards.
  • If the defense crosses the LOS before the QB exchanges the ball, there one blitz per game will be used.
  • The Head Referee (Referee behind the QB) and Field Manager will keep track.
  • The QB clock goes away once blitz is coming.
  • Down on blitz results in a loss of down.

No Blocking / Holding:

  • For an offensive block or hold will result in a loss of down and the ball will be returned to the previous spot.

Extra:

  • Face guarding with no contact is allowed. Any other contact will be a pass of interference. If there is contact by the offense, the play will result in a loss of down and the ball will be returned to the previous spot. If there is contact by the DEFENSE, the play will result in a 15-yard penalty (automatic 1st down) or half the distance to the GL when inside the 10-yard line.
  • Ball carrier is legally down when touched with one hand below the neck. Any contact to the head is an unsportsmanlike penalty. 
  • A player CAN leave his feet to make a play (ex: to tag, make a catch, for the 1st or TD, etc).
  • Fumbles (Including snaps) will result in a dead ball and be placed at the spot with the last team in control retaining possession at the spot.
  • Illegal formation is when players (WR / RB) are lined up inside the tackle box and will result in a loss of down and the ball will be returned to the previous spot. An RB has to line up off the LOS in the backfield. 
    • One receiver on the line of scrimmage (both sides of the ball)
  • Offensive team will have 25 sec to put the ball into play from when spotted by the referee. 
  • The QB is given 4.0 sec to throw the ball.
    • QB will be down ON the 4th sec (ex 1, 2, 3, DOWN).
    • QB clock will CANCEL if a team were to blitz. The QB can NOT run the ball.
  • An interception is 2 points for the intercepting team and a turnover. The team gaining possession gets the ball at the 40-yard line. 
    • If an unsportsmanlike penalty is given to the intercepting team, they will be penalized on offense for a loss of down and will start from the 40-yard line.
  • 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 an unsportsmanlike penalty for the offense is a loss of 15-yards and a loss of down. For the defense, the offense gains 15-yards and an automatic 1st down.
  • A game cannot end on a defensive penalty. If this occurs, the offense will have an untimed down if time has expired. 
  • KINGDOM staff WILL NOT overturn a referee’s call!

Fighting:

  • Will not be tolerated. If a player throws a punch, he is ejected immediately and CANNOT 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 Kingdom m 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 unsportsmanlike penalty
    •

    Celebrating: 

    • We encourage celebrations. However, we do not tolerate taunting. Keep it fun and keep it quick so as not to unnecessarily delay the game. If during a celebration your players approach the other team's sideline, you will be penalized for taunting. 
    • Note: Circling or touching players from the opposite team will result in a Un-sportman penalty. Second infarction may result in EJECTION at the discretion of the Field General. Unsportsmanlike is also a 15yrd penalty.

    FORMING BRACKETS / OVERTIME

    Format:

    • All teams will be seeded in the brackets based on Day 1 / after Pool Play. 
    • All teams will play a minimum of 1 round of the tournament of bracket play.

    Seeding:

    • # of Wins / losses, points scored and point differential. If after these determinations there is still a tie, the system will automatically do a coin flip to determine team seeding

    Overtime / Tie Breaker:

    • Games in bracket play (single elimination) that end in a tie will go into OT for a tiebreaker. There will be Rock Paper Scissors at the beginning. The winner will choose to be on either offense or defense first.
    • Each team will have 2 plays from the 10-yard line. If you score, you receive the standard 6 points. Extra Point Rules will follow.
    • There is NO RUNNING in overtime. All plays must be a pass.
    • The opposing team gets the same opportunity to win.
    • If neither team scores or it still ends in a tie, we will Rock Paper Scissors again and then the winner chooses offense or defense first for the longest play tiebreaker. Teams will attempt one chance for the longest play from the 40-yard line. There is NO RUNNING allowed in the longest play tiebreaker.
    • The team with the most yards will be declared the winner of the tiebreaker and will add 1 point to the final score.
    • If there is no completion, or the deepest completion is equal, the tiebreaker will be repeated with the team that lost the initial Rock Paper Scissors making the choice to either take offense or defense.
    • This format will be repeated until a clear winner is declared
    • This tiebreaker format will be used in BRACKET PLAY (SINGLE ELIMINATION) ONLY.

    PENALTIES

    Offense:

    • False Start / Illegal Motion / Illegal Formation: 
      • Loss of Down, Returned to Line of Scrimmage
    • Delay of Game: 
      • Loss of Down, Returned to Line of Scrimmage
    • Blocking / Holding: 
      • Loss of Down, Returned to Line of Scrimmage
    • Pass Interference: 
      • Loss of Down, Returned to Line of Scrimmage
    • Unnecessary Roughness: 
      • Loss of 15 yards from the Line of Scrimmage. If an offensive player commits unnecessary roughness on the 40 yard line, the result is loss of down.
    • Un-Sportsman: 
      • Loss of 15 yards and Loss of Down

    Defense:

    • Encroachment / Neutral Zone: 
      • Repeat Down, Offense gets 5 yards
    • Holding: 
      • Repeat Down, Offense gets 10 yards 
    • Pass Interference: 
      • Automatic First Down, Offense gets 15 Yards
    • Unnecessary Roughness: 
      • From Line of Scrimmage Offense gets 15 yards
    • Un-sportsman: 
      • Automatic First Down, Offense gets 15 yards & +2 points to non-offending team