2016 AAU TACKLE FOOTBALL

National Championship

Rules of Play

The 2016 AAU Tackle Football National Championships will be run using the most current High School Football Rules as published by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) except where specifically amended in the sections to follow or the tournament packet. It is strongly recommended that coaches have a copy as it is the responsibility of the Head Coach to be knowledgeable of the rules.

DIVISIONS:The tournament shall consist of four age divisions, 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U with the age requirement being the age that the athlete is at 11:59pm on August 1, 2016. An athlete may play in a higher division provided he or she has done so throughout the season. An athlete may not play in a lower division for any reason.

ATHLETES:A team shall consist of a minimum of 16 players and a maximum of 35 players. Any exceptions must be in writing to the tournament host. See the Divisions section for age determination. All athletes must be in compliance with the AAU Membership section of this packet. Any athlete found to be ineligible prior to the start of the tournament will be expelled from the tournament. Once the tournament has begun, any athlete found to be ineligible will be expelled along with the Head Coach. The team will forfeit all games in which an athlete participated illegally and will be seeded accordingly.

NON-ATHLETES:A team may carry up to 8 persons on the sideline that are allowed inside the coaches’ box. This may consist of any combination of Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Trainer, or Team Mom. All shall check in at team registration and must have tournament provided sideline credentials. All AAU membership rules regarding non-athletes apply and any violation will result in removal from the sidelines up to and including team expulsion from the tournament. No exceptions.

FOOTBALLS:Sizes:

8U – Pee Wee

10U – Pee Wee

12U – Junior

14U – Youth or Official High School

All games must use the ball provided by the tournament committee. Every effort shall be made to provide additional balls for the purpose of warm ups, however, will be contingent upon quantity provided by sponsors.

TIEBREAKERS:NFHS Rules shall apply with the exception of the initial spot of the ball. Overtime play shall begin with the ball spotted on the 10 yard line with no possibility of a first down.

SIDELINE STAFF:The sideline staff may consist of 8 adults and 2 Junior Coaches. Junior coaches should be of high school age, hold a current AAU Athlete Membership, and be in proper coaching attire. The 8 members of the sideline staff shall hold a current AAU Non-Athlete Membership and have proper tournament credentials for the sideline. This staff may include any combination of coaches, trainers, team mom, etc… All must be in proper coaching attire and match the team colors.

DIVISIONAL RULES:8 AND UNDER DIVISION

• 10 minute halves (Pool and Bracket)
• 8 minute quarters (Final Game)
• 1 coach allowed on the field. The coach must conduct actions as if coaching from the sideline. The on field coach may NOT physically touch or move players after the huddle is broken and must remain at a distance so as to not interfere with the play or the officials. PENALTY: Dead ball foul and a 5 yard penalty. 2^nd PENALTY: Unsportsmanlike Conduct and a 15 yard PENALTY. 3^rd PENALTY: Ejection.
• No lining up directly over the Center. Face mask must be in the “A” Gap.
• 6 Defensive players are permitted on the line of scrimmage and must be in either a 3 point or 4 point stance if inside a 7 technique. Any player in a 2 point stance must be 6 feet (2 yards) off the line of scrimmage.
• No Kickoffs. The ball will be spotted at the offense’s 35 yard line.
• Declaration of a Punt. The offense and defense will leave the playing field. One player shall remain on the field for the purpose of punting the ball. The player punting the ball will line up 5 yards behind the spot of the ball. Upon lining up the player will be given the ball by the head referee and shall have no more than 5 seconds to punt the ball. The ball will be considered down where it stops or the point in which it rolls out of bounds.
• No rushing of Extra Points
• A PAT is 2 pts. if kicked and 1 point if run or passed.
• If a 2 point conversion is desired by not kicking the offense must declare the intentions to the “white hat” and the ball will be spotted at the five yard line. The offense may run or pass from the five yard line for a 2 point conversion.

10 AND UNDER DIVISION

• 10 minute halves (Pool and Bracket)
• 10 minute quarters (Final Game)
• No lining up directly over the Center. Face mask must be in the “A” Gap.
• No rushing of Punts or Extra Points
• A PAT is worth 2 points if kicked and 1 point if run or passed.

12 AND UNDER DIVISION

• 10 minute halves (Pool and Bracket)
• 10 minute quarters (Final Game)
• No lining up directly over the Center. Face mask must be in the “A” Gap.
• A PAT is worth 2 points if kicked and 1 point if run or passed.

14 AND UNDER DIVISION

• 10 minute halves (Pool and Bracket)
• 10 minute quarters (Final Game)

CONDUCT:Head coaches will be responsible for the conduct and sportsmanship of their players, sideline staff, and fans. Any misconduct during the game of play, immediately after, or in between games will be reviewed. The committee, at its discretion, may impose suspension, forfeiture, or expulsion where it sees applicable. All teams will line up on the 50 yard line and meet in the middle of the field to shake hands. All teams will participate in award ceremonies following the applicable award games. Failure to follow these rules will be considered misconduct.

EJECTIONS:Any player or sideline staff that is ejected from a game will serve an automatic one game suspension of the next available game played by his/her team. If an athlete, then the athlete will be identified to the head official and shall be in plain “street” clothes and not in uniform other than jersey. If a non-athlete is ejected then an automatic review by the tournament committee will take place to determine if a one game suspension is adequate. The committee may impose additional penalties if it sees applicable. Any fan or spectator that is asked to leave the premises for misconduct will not be allowed to return to the tournament. No exceptions.

PROTESTS:NFHS rules may not be protested. Protest during the game will follow NFHS rules. The field will be cleared and 5 minutes givenfor the Head Coach to discuss the protest with the Head Official. If the tournament director or tournament football director is required to be present then their time to arrive shall not be counted against the 5 minutes. Regardless of the outcome of the protest, the protesting team shall be charged with a timeout. If a game is to be protested then the head official must be notified immediately. A $100 cash fee (refunded if upheld) shall accompany a written protest and presented to the Tournament Football Director. All decisions of the protest committee shall be final and no protest shall be allowed in matter solely involving the officials’ judgment.

WITHDRAWAL:Deadline for withdrawal from the tournament shall be the tournament entry deadline. Any withdrawal after the entry deadline will result in forfeiture of tournament fees. Teams will not be scheduled for play until entry criteria is met.

SPECTATOR ADMISSION:The tournament entry fee covers the cost of spectator admission for the pool play and bracket play games only. For teams making it to Championship Saturday, the admission to the Game will be $20 for adults and $10 for kids.

COOLERS:One cooler per team may accompany the sideline staff and be kept on the sideline for the purpose of additional hydration for athletes. Coolers in the fan areas are strictly prohibited. The tournament committee may ask that coolers be removed from the facility. Refusal may result in the removal of the individual from the tournament.

TRANSPORTATION:Teams are responsible for their own transportation to and from tournament facilities. All parking is complimentary.