CFOA Flag Football Officiating Standards
The following standards have been adopted for CFOA games.
I. Ball Spotting
a.
The ball can be placed on a yard line to begin the next series after a change of possession. For example, if a punt return ends between the 33- and 34-yard lines, move the ball forward to the 34-yard line.
b.
Be certain that the forward-most point of the ball is used to determine the spot. Often, the official’s eyes go to the flag pull to see fouls and the exact moment of the pull. Keep your vision wide to know both the time of the flag pull and the spot of the ball.
c.
Be aware that players’ forward motion and extending the ball are often causes of officials miss-spotting the ball by 1-2 yards. Give the players every yard they earn.
II. Line Of Scrimmage
a.
The neutral zone must be free of both A and B players at the time of the snap. Any encroachment or false start is a dead-ball foul.
III. Counting Players
a.
When less than 7, palms down, below the belt.
b.
When more than 7, hamster wheel or finger whirl.
c.
When players are not legally equipped, they are immediately sent off the field of play. Use an official’s timeout if necessary.
IV. Bean Bags
a.
PUNTS: Officials shall drop the bean at the spot the kick ends or the spot of first touching.
b.
Be accurate. You are marking a potential enforcement spot, or spot of the ball.
c.
Do not drop your bean bag after an interception, except when inside the 5-yard line to mark the spot of momentum.
d.
Use a bean bag behind the line of scrimmage to help mark intentional grounding by the Passer.
V. Defensive Pass Interference
a.
Both the offensive and defensive players have an equal opportunity to catch a forward or backward pass.
b.
Actions that constitute defensive pass interference include, but are not limited to, the following five categories:
i.
Early contact by a defender who is not playing the ball is defensive pass interference, provided the other requirements for DP have been met, regardless of how deep the pass is to the receiver.
ii.
Playing through the back of a receiver in an attempt to make a play on the ball.
iii.
Grabbing and restricting a receiver’s arm(s) or body in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass.
iv.
Extending an arm across the body (arm bar) of a receiver thus restricting his ability to catch a pass, regardless of the fact of whether or not the defender is looking for the ball. Cutting off or riding the receiver out of the path to the ball by making contact with him without playing the ball.
v.
Hooking and restricting a receiver in an attempt to get to the ball in such a manner that causes the receiver’s body to turn prior to the ball arriving.
VI. Not Defensive Pass Interference
a.
Actions that do not constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to:
i.
When there are tangled feet, and both players are looking back at the ball, or neither player is looking back at the ball.
ii.
When either player is making a legitimate play on the ball or there is shoulder-to-shoulder contact, players are coming from different angles.
iii.
When the contact is so close to the touching of a pass that we refer to it as bang-bang pass interference, it will not be called.
iv.
When a defender places a hand on a receiver’s body but does not initiate a turn or twist, nor a pull or push.
VII. Offensive Pass Interference
a.
Actions that constitute offensive pass interference include, but are not limited to, the following two categories:
i.
Initiating contact with a defender by shoving or pushing off, thus creating separation in an attempt to catch a pass.
ii.
Driving through a defender who has established a position on the field.
iii.
Blocking beyond the line of scrimmage during a pass (“screen” or “pick” play).
VIII. Not Offensive Pass Interference
a.
Actions that do not constitute offensive pass interference include but are not limited to:
i.
A pick play if the defensive player is blocking the offensive player when the pick occurs. May have a foul for blocking.
ii.
After any forward pass has been touched by Team B, the conditions for Pass Interference expire.
IX. Other Passing Situations
a.
When in doubt about an action against the passer, it is considered roughing the passer.
b.
The defender must be attempting to avoid contact while pulling the flag. They are not allowed to make contact while trying to pull the flag, EVER!
c.
If an interception is near the goal line (inside the one-yard line) and there is a question as to whether possession is gained in the field of play or end zone, make the play a touchback.
X. Backward Pass
a.
When in question, the pass is forward, not backward.
b.
When the QB’s hand starts forward with the ball, rule the pass forward.
XI. Catch
a.
If the process of the catch includes going to the ground, the receiver must maintain possession of the ball when they contact the ground to be awarded a catch. The ground can cause an incompletion.
b.
These requirements are the same for interceptions and fumble recoveries.
c.
There is a difference between the ball moving within the receiver’s control and moving from a loss of control.
d.
If the receiver is contacted simultaneously with or immediately after they control the ball with one foot down and lose possession, rule the pass incomplete.
e.
A play that would be ruled a catch/fumble in the field of play would be ruled a catch/TD in the end zone.
XII. Blocking
a.
Legal screen blocking is done without contact.
b.
Use “right of place” and “right of way” when explaining screen blocking calls or no calls.
i.
Right of place is given to any stationary player who maintains normal player posture and makes no movements in any horizontal direction to change their position. Right of place supersedes right of way when determining who is guilty of a foul.
ii.
Right of way is given to a player who has regularly established a direction of movement and does not alter that direction. A player with right of way has higher privilege when determining who is guilty of a foul than all other players except those who have established right of place.
c.
Someone is always responsible for avoiding contact.
d.
The player who does not have the “right of place” or “right of way” will generally be responsible for avoiding the contact.
e.
When the blocker is moving along the same line (even if the line is circular) as the defender, it is usually a legal screen block.
f.
When the defender has passed the shoulder of the blocker with any part of their body (other than arms), the blocker is responsible for avoiding the contact.
g.
Use “in my judgment, the contact did not rise to the level of a foul” when speaking about no calls.
h.
We know this is a non-contact sport, but there will be some contact. Be alert to all contact and use your best judgment as to the calling of all fouls.
i.
The player DOES NOT have to be knocked to the ground for contact to rise to the level of a foul. When minor contact fouls are called early in a game, the teams tend to ‘clean up’ their play, resulting in fewer contact fouls later in the game.
XIII. When In Doubt
a.
The pass is incomplete, vs. the ball is caught and then fumbled.
b.
When in question, the runner did not step out of bounds.
XIV. End Of Game
a.
If an offensive team goes into a victory formation, officials should use common-sense officiating and make every attempt not to call fouls that have no bearing on the game’s outcome.
b.
Personal Fouls and Player Safety Fouls should always be called regardless of time and score.
c.
If the Referee stops play for any reason, the game is suspended and not over.
d.
The official’s jurisdiction ends when the officials leave the playing field.
XV. Miscellaneous
a.
When issuing a sideline warning, throw the flag. Make the call at the end of a down without causing an interruption but ensure the head coach has received a prior verbal warning.
b.
The ball can be placed on a yard line to begin the next possession. At all other times, the ball is placed where it is. (Exception: If the change of possession occurs on a fourth-down running or passing play, the ball will be left at the dead-ball spot to begin the next series.)
c.
5/5 axiom: To adjust the game clock when it has been running. There must be more than a five-second differential if more than five minutes are remaining in either half. Any time loss due to the clock being started erroneously, such as when a dead-ball foul is called, the clock must be adjusted.
d.
When a flag belt is worn incorrectly, the player is removed from the field of play. When the “illegal equipment” (equipment used incorrectly) affects the play, it will be a foul. A-32, the ball carrier, just returned to the game and put their flag belt on with the elbows pointing in, not out. While the B-33 attempts to pull the flag at the A35, it cannot be pulled loose. Result: Flag guarding penalty enforced at the A35.
e.
It is CFOA’s philosophy that preventative officiating will give better results. When conducting your pregame coach meetings and player equipment checks while you observe warmups, remind the coaches and players that they will be sent from the field of play if not legally equipped and that if the ball is snapped without all players legally equipped a penalty may be enforced.
f.
All pop flags must be worn as pictured (A). The elbow must be pointing out and angled down. If the belt is on incorrectly, the elbow will point in and down.
g.
All players and coaches will be reminded that players are responsible for ensuring their flags are in place as designated by the rules and their shirts are always tucked in. Any player found in violation of this rule will be removed from the field for at least one (1) down, and a delay of game penalty may be given to the offending team. The play clock will not be adjusted to accommodate the removal of a player from the field for violating the equipment rule.
h.
No jewelry is allowed per the rule (see the exception for medical and religious medallions). This includes ALL JEWELRY. Jewelry covered with tape is still considered jewelry and is therefore illegal to wear. We do not allow players to “cover” their jewelry with tape.
i.
Players may wear silicone plugs in the nose and earring holes per CIF ruling.
j.
At the official’s discretion, flag checks after scoring plays will be conducted on all players involved in the scoring play by the official nearest the player(s). A flag check is not necessary after every scoring play. Coaches have the right to stop the game and request a flag check.
k.
At the official’s discretion, a flag check on the entire team may be conducted after a scoring play. We do not want unnecessary time to run off the game clock for a flag check. The crew may elect to stop the game clock to conduct a flag check.
l.
For all flag checks, you will ask the player to remove the flags from the belt and hand them to you for physical inspection, have the player pull their flags, or have a teammate pull the flags.
XVI. Time-outs
a.
It is the responsibility of the SJ and LJ to begin moving the player onto the field of play when the first warning whistle is blown.
XVII. Reinforcing Appropriate Conduct
a.
Officials will NEVER touch players.
b.
Officials must understand that part of their responsibilities are flag checks, looking for untucked shirts, and other uniform requirements. Officials CAN DO all of these with professionalism and appropriate conduct. Please remember that they are part of your official duties. “I’m not doing that” or “I’m not comfortable” is not a reason to not perform your official duties WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND APPROPRIATE CONDUCT.