🏈 Beach City Sports 5v5 Non-Contact Flag Football Rules

(USA Flag Approved + Beach City Sports Additions)

RULE 1. OVERVIEW

SECTION 1. The Field

1. The field dimensions are 60 yards long by 25 yards wide, with 7-yard endzones.
2. Blue Cone Midfield Line: Midfield is marked by blue cones and serves both as the first-down line and a special scoring zone (see Rule 4).

SECTION 2. The Game

1. Team Rules:
   • All teams must meet the roster limit of 8 players.
   • Maximum 5 players on the field at one time.
   • Minimum 3 players required to start.
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2. Offensive Possession:
   • Begins at the 5-yard line.
   • Offense has 3 plays to cross midfield.
   • After crossing midfield, offense has 3 additional plays to score.
   • All drives start at the 5-yard line, except after interceptions (which start at the spot of the return).
3. No blocking and no intentional contact are allowed at any time.
4. Sportsmanship:
   • Unsportsmanlike conduct, taunting, or profanity directed at players or officials will not be tolerated.
   • Referees may assess penalties, ejections, or forfeits at their discretion.
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SECTION 3. Game Clock Format

1. Game Duration: 40 minutes total
   • Two 20 minute halves with a 3  minute halftime.
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2. Timeouts:
   • Each team receives two 30-second timeouts per half.
   • If called after a touchdown, the clock resumes once the next offensive snap occurs.
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3. Play Clock:
   • Teams have 25 seconds from the end of the previous play to snap the ball.
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SECTION 4. First Half Clock

1. The clock runs continuously for all 20 minutes unless:
   • A timeout is used, or
   • The referee stops play (injury, rule clarification, equipment issue, etc.).
2. The clock runs during PAT attempts (point-after-touchdown) unless a timeout is called.

SECTION 5. Second Half Clock

1. The clock runs continuously for the first 18 minutes of the second half.
2. A two-minute warning will stop the clock if the score difference is 20 points or less.
3. Inside the final two minutes, referees will revert to NFL clock stoppage rules (clock stops on incomplete passes, out of bounds, penalties, etc.). ((if they lead is within 20 points))
4. Referees will give two-minute and play will stop at the next dead ball.  Play will then resume on the referees' mark  

RULE 2. OFFENSE     

SECTION 1. Running

1. The quarterback may not run unless the ball has been handed off, pitched, or thrown back.
2. Teams may handoff, pitch, or throw back behind the line of scrimmage an unlimited number of times.
3. Unlimited laterals are allowed behind the line of scrimmage and downfield.
   • Handoffs behind the line of scrimmage may be forward or backward.
   • Beyond the line of scrimmage, handoffs must be backward only.
4. A handoff does not count as a lateral.
5. A forward pass does not need to cross the line of scrimmage to be legal.
6. No-Run Zones:
   • Located 5 yards before the end zone.
   • In these zones, only forward passes may advance the ball beyond the line of scrimmage.
   • Laterals and handoffs behind the line of scrimmage are allowed but cannot result in a run crossing the line of scrimmage.
7. The ball is spotted where the ball is located when the flag is pulled.
   • The ball must break the plane of midfield or the goal line for a first down or touchdown.
8. No downfield blocking in any form is allowed.
9. Intentional contact, screening, or interference by offensive players will result in penalties or loss of down.

SECTION 2. Passing

1. The quarterback has 5 seconds to release the ball if there is no defensive rush.
   • If the ball is not thrown within that window, the play is ruled dead, and the ball returns to the line of scrimmage.
2. Once the ball is handed off or pitched, the 5-second clock no longer applies.
3. If the defense chooses to rush, the 5-second rule is automatically void.

SECTION 3. Receiving

1. All players are eligible receivers, including the quarterback (after a handoff or lateral).
2. Only one foot needs to be in-bounds for a legal catch.
3. Players must maintain control of the ball through the catch; bobbles that touch the ground are incomplete.

RULE 3. DEFENSE

SECTION 1. Rushing the Quarterback

1. Defenders who choose to rush must start at least 7 yards off of the line of scrimmage
2. The 7-yard mark will be clearly indicated or measured by the referee before each play.
3. Players not 7 yards back may not enter the backfield until there is a change of possession or lateral behind the line of scrimmage.
4. The rusher must rush immediately and directly after the snap to maintain right of way.
   • Late, delayed, or looping rushes lose right of way but can still pursue normally.
5. Contact with the quarterback, intentional or not, will result in a personal foul.

RULE 4. SCORING

SECTION 1. Points

SECTION 4. Sportsmanship & Conduct

1. Beach City Sports promotes a family-friendly, respectful environment.
   • Excessive profanity, racial slurs, or harassment will result in immediate ejection and possible suspension.
2. Teams are expected to show respect to referees, opponents, and staff at all times.
3. Any unsportsmanlike behavior may lead to yardage penalties, loss of down, disqualification, or forfeit.

 SECTION 3. Penalties 

• There are no Automatic First Downs in BCS.
• Penalties can be accepted or declined at any time.
• NOTE: During certain enforcement situations, the Offense or Defense will be given the option to accept or decline the penalty yardage and replay the down.

Diving - Occurs when the ball carrier leaves his/her feet in an attempt to outstretch the ball.

False Start - Occurs when there is any movement by any offensive player (QB included) who is set at the line of scrimmage. False Start is a dead ball penalty.

Flag Guarding - Occurs when a ball carrier uses their hands, arms, body or the ball to deny the opportunity for an opponent to pull or remove the flag from the flag belt.

Illegal Batting/Swatting - Occurs when a player knocks or hits the ball out of a player’s hands, when a player has full possessional control of the football.

Illegal Blitz - Occurs when the blitzing player crosses the line of scrimmage before the ball touches the QB’s hands, or crosses the line of scrimmage before the ref’s 5-count (Beach Flag Football Only) or 3-count (Turf Flag Football only).

Illegal First Touching - Occurs when a player steps out of play (outside the lines of the field) and is the first player to touch the ball after it leaves the QB’s hands.

Illegal Forward Pass - Occurs when the Quarterback throws the ball past the line of scrimmage (his or her whole body must be across the line of scrimmage, or the ball initially moves forward (to a point nearer the opponent’s goal line) after leaving the ball carrier’s hand(s).

Illegal Motion - Occurs when a player on Offense is in motion, and is moving toward the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap.

Illegal QB Rush - Occurs on plays, after the offense has passed the blue cone, when the Quarterback runs across the line of scrimmage before a defensive player breaks the line of scrimmage.

Illegal Screen Block - Occurs when a player from the team in possession of the ball, impedes the ability or route of the defending team’s player from being able to pursue or pull the ball carrier’s flags. 

Illegal Shift - Occurs when two offensive players are in motion at the time of the snap.

Illegal Substitution - Occurs when a team has 9 or more players on the field when the ball is snapped. If the penalty is on the offense, it is a dead ball penalty. If the penalty is on the defense, it is a live ball penalty.

Intentional Grounding - Occurs when the QB throws the football, in an attempt to avoid a sack & the ball lands on the ground where a receiver is not within 5 yards of that spot. 

Offsides (Offense) - When a player on Offense, is in front of the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. Offsides by the Offense is a dead ball penalty.

Offsides (Defense) - When a player on the Defense, is lined up behind the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. Offsides by the Defense is a live ball penalty.

Pass Interference - An attempt to impede the catch by any player.*^

Roughing the Passer - Occurs when a defensive player, who is rushing the QB, runs into or knocks down the QB, touches the QB’s arm, impedes the QB’s throw or blocks the QB’s pass while the ball is still in the QB’s hand.