CFFL Rules

League History

Required Equipment:
- Mouth guards must be worn, in order to play. If the referee notices a player without a mouth guard the referee will
stop the game and substitute for the player.
- Plastic cleats only.
General rules:
- Possession begins with a coin toss. Offensive teams begin at their 5 yard line. Offense gets 4 plays to cross
midfield which then gives them another 4 downs to cross the goal line.
- A fumble is ruled a dead ball and cannot be recovered by the defense. Ball is spotted at the place of the fumble.
- There must be a center to quarterback snap up and if the ball touches the ground by a fumble it is considered a
dead ball and loss of down.
- Substitutions can only occur at the beginning or end of an offensive/defensive series in the spirit of moving the
game along, unless injuries occur.
- The infamous “Muddle Huddle” play has been made illegal. We just feel there are better options that can be taught
for organized football.
- A touchdown as ruled six points. Extra point can be worth one or two points depending on what the coach
chooses.
- Games are two 25 minute half's with a two minute half time.
- OT: Each team gets 4 plays from midfield to score and then an extra point. If the game is still a tie at the end of
one possession for each team then it is recorded as a tie.
- Each team receives 1 timeout per half.
- In the final minute of each half the clock will stop on a score. The extra point is untimed. The clock will also stop
on a change of possession to allow the other team an opportunity. The clock will not automatically stop at 1:00, it
must be a score or change of possession or a timeout that stops the clock under 1:00. The only other time the clock
shall stop is on an injury. Otherwise it runs continually.
- K-1 and 2-3 will have an enforced 60 second clock from when the ball is spotted by the official to the snap of the
play. First violation will result in a warning, second violation will be dead ball and loss of down. Please try to be
organized and keep the game flowing.
- The 4th & 5th grade division will utilize a shorter clock between plays. A reduced play clock of 40 seconds will be
used for these older more organized teams.
-Offensive Motion is allowed for 1 player at a time pre-snap if desired.
-Rushing - No running up the middle will be allowed once the offensive team is within 5 yds of midfield or goalline,
this location will be marked UNLESS the ball carrier crosses the harsh mark line which will be marked at midfield and
goalline. (For Example) if Player A gets the handoff from within the hash marks and runs outside enough to have the
ball cross the line they will be allowed to run up the middle at that time OR if a player is handed the ball outside of the
hash marks they would be allowed to run up the middle as well.
-In an offensive series Team A run a total of 8 plays NO PLAYER is allowed to get the ball more than 4 times on a
single series. Hand-offs and passes behind the line of scrimmage count towards this rule. If a pass occurs beyond
the line of scrimmage this doesn't count towards the 4 touches rule. This will be enforced by the coaches (ref's will
not watch this) and the penalty will be on the 5th touch of the same player will be a Loss of Down and dead ball foul.
and game will resume where the play started.
IMPORTANT THAT GAMES START ON TIME. We realize we are likely to get behind but there is plenty of space to
warm up. Do that and be ready once the previous game clears your field. The coin toss will happen and the game
will start promptly thereafter.
Defense
-Defensive Offsides can occur if the defense comes across the line of scrimmage prior to hand-off or pass being
caught behind the line of scrimmage and the play will be allowed to continue and the Offense will have a choice of the
result of the play OR a 5 yard penalty and re-play of the down whatever is greater.
2-3 Division Only *New for 2025*
Teams are allowed to Blitz up to 3 different times with 1 person only in the 2 nd half of a CFFL game.
This blitz will come from the 10 yard cone with 1 person as the designated blitzer. If the intent of a
person at the hike of the ball charging the line of scrimmage will be considered one of that teams
usage of a blitz. They opposing coaches will keep track of how many times a blitz has been used
per game. The QB can run the ball if blitzed.

(4th and 5th Division ONLY)
-Rushing the quarterback is allowed from a 9-10 yard cone that one of the officials will place between plays. Rushing
can start once the ball is hiked. The blitzer can come from anywhere behind the 9-10 yard line. There will be no
"fake blitzing" allowed meaning if Team A is playing 2 safeties and you want to blitz 1 player from safety position they
must blitz and the other must stay home. You can NOT send both players up and continue to blitz whomever is
closest to the play. With a blitz: The QB can then become a runner once the line of scrimmage is crossed by the
blitzer. If there is no blitz: The quarterback cannot run with the football but can scramble behind the line of
scrimmage to throw. The throw must originate from behind the line of scrimmage. Due to limited space once the
team on offense crosses the defenses 5 yard line rushing will no longer be allowed.
Offensive penalties:
- Blocking is illegal and if noticed a first warning is issued and the second time and subsequent
times blocking is noticed it is a dead play and loss of down back at the original line of scrimmage.
- No Flag guarding/stiff arming. Penalty is an automatic dead ball placed at the spot of the foul and loss of that
down.
- No forward pass beyond the line of scrimmage. Penalty is dead ball placed at the spot of the foul.
- K-1 = No hand offs past the line of scrimmage. Same penalty as above.
- Jerseys must be tucked in to not cover the flags, one team warning and then loss of down and ball back at original
line of scrimmage.
- QB cannot run the ball, he must hand off or pass, unless he/she is blitzed.

Defensive penalties:
- If a Referee rules a tackle is intentional the ball will either be advanced to the mid field line or the 5
yd line depending on what side of the field the foul occurs on. In addition to this the player and his
coach will be given a warning about the tackle. If the intentional foul occurs again the player will be
removed from that game and the coach will be asked to remedy the situation before his/her team
plays again and the offending player is reinstated. We have always disallowed tackling but are trying
to make the penalty finally match the infraction.
- There is no rushing of the quarterback until there is a handoff or pass is caught behind the line of scrimmage. If the
line of scrimmage is crossed, then it is a replay of down.
**New for 2025**
All Divisions: There is a 8 second time limit on passing plays, once 8 seconds has elapsed the play is automatically
dead with a loss of that down and the ball returns to the original line of scrimmage.
- Safeties: there are no points for safety’s, it would instead be a loss of down if the flag is pulled and
play resumes at the goal line for the next down.
- Interceptions can be returned for a touchdown with extra point to follow. If it is not returned for a touchdown and
the ball will be marked at either midfield or returned to the defensive end zone for turnover on downs and it would
depend on the yardage gained by the defender who returned the interception.
-Defensive Offsides can occur if the defense comes across the line of scrimmage prior to hand-off or pass being
caught behind the line of scrimmage and the play will be allowed to continue and the Offense will have a choice of the
result of the play OR a 5 yard penalty and re-play of the down whatever is greater.