BYLAWS
Article I Eligibility of Players Article III Assignment of Players to Teams Article V Equipment Article VII Insurance Article IX Playing Rules: Article XI Protests
HELENA SMALL FRY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, INC.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I Eligibility of Players
Section 1. There shall be two (2) divisions in the Small Fry Football program. One division shall be called the Junior Division. The second division shall he called the Senior Division. Each division shall have specific eligibility requirements that must be met for participation. The physical size of a player shall have no hearing on which division he plays. Grade level is the sole criteria.
Section 2. Junior Division Eligibility Requirements. Only students in the fifth and sixth grades are eligible. ,junior Division players with a strip weight of over 110 pounds are allowed to play center, offensive guard, or offensive tackle. They may not play a quarterback, back field, or end position. Junior Division players, regardless of size, may play all defensive position. They may legally advance the ball if they intercept a pass or recover a fumble.
Section 3. Senior Division Eligibility Requirements. Students in the seventh and eighth grade are eligible. Senior Division players with a strip weight of over 150 pounds are allowed to play center, offensive guard, or offensive tackle. They may not play a quarterback, backfield, or end position. Senior Division players, regardless of size, may play any defensive position. They may legally advance- the ball if they intercept a pass or recover a fumble.
Section 4. Determination of Player Weight The weight restriction imposed on certain offensive players is meant to prevent injuries. The determination of player weight will be made only once during each football season. Each player will be weighed at sign-up. That weight measurement will be the sole criteria for determining whether a player is eligible to advance the ball on offense.
(REV. 1-20-93)
ARTICLE II Game Officials
Section 1. The Board will attempt to secure the best game officials for each game. Whenever possible that will be M.O.A. officials. When these officials are unavailable, the Board will use individuals with football experience to serve as officials. In some situations, the opposing coaches may be asked to find a knowledgeable parent or spectator to assist.
Section 2. Whenever possible, all Junior Division games will be officiated by a referee, an umpire, and a head linesman. One of' those officials will serve as official timekeeper.
Section 3. Whenever possible, all Senior Division games will he officiated by a referee, an umpire, it head linesman, and a line judge. One of those officials will serve as official timekeeper.
Section 4. Other required game officials include three ot1icials to operate the sideline chains and down marker.
Section 5.Game fees will be paid to all referees, umpires, head-linesmen and line judges.
ARTICLE III Assignment of Players to Teams
Section 1. Head Coach and (1) Assistant Coach may have their child play on their team even if they live in a different geographical area than the team they coach. Teams are composed of a]) eligible players who reside in specific geographic areas, Those geographic areas are set by the Board. They generally follow grade school boundaries. Maps of the geographic areas will be available for coaches and the public. Players who reside within the geographic areas can only play on the team designated for that geographic area unless an exception is approved by the Board.
Section 2.Exceptions will generally be approved for the following reasons a.) A hardship exists with which the Board concurs, or b.) A player who has moved during the season may continue to play for his original team for that year only.
(REV. 9-21-06)
ARTICLE IV Registration Process
Section 1. Prior to completion of team registration material, all players shall he weighed by an individual approved by the Board. The scale used (il!. weighing each player shall also he approved by the Board.
Section 2. Registration responsibilities of the player's parents or guardians include:
1. Completing the player. registration slip and signing as the player's parent or guardian;
2. Paying the appropriate player fee set by the Board.
Section 3. Each team shall have one adult (head coach, assistant coach or parent) designated by the head coach as the team registrar. The team registrar's responsibilities include:
1. Providing full explanations to parents and players regarding the team, practices, equipment requirements, game schedules and other aspects of the Small Fry Football program;
2.Examining all registration documents for completeness and accuracy;
3.Determining whether the player lives within the team geographic area;
4.Preparing the certified team roster;
5.Collecting registration fees and remitting those fees to the Treasurer.
Section 4. Registration shall take place at least one week prior to the opening of the regular season practice. Depending on the Board's direction, there may be multiple registrations. A copy of the "Certified Team Roster", shall be supplied to the Secretary and to the Treasurer by the head coach prior to the first scheduled game.
1. The "Certified Team Roster" must include name, birth date, address and phone number of each player and names, addresses and phone numbers of all coaches. . .
2. Head coaches shall obtain and present the home location of any team player when requested to do so by the Board.
Section 5. Players added to a roster after the "Certified Team Roster" has been compiled must be approved by the Board. Signed registration items am. registration fees must have been received by the Secretary and Treasurer prior to the first game. All fees must be paid before equipment is issue to a player.
ARTICLE V Equipment
Section 1. The Board will issue protective equipment for each player in the Small Fry Football program. Exceptions to use of that equipment must be made in writing and be approved by the Board. Coaches shall continually inspect and approve the equipment used by each player on their team. The following required equipment shall be worn by all players in the Junior Division and the Senior Division beginning with the first contact practice and throughout the remainder of the football season. Failure to wear the required equipment will result in the disqualification of the player from participation until correction is made, A player shall wear:
Helmet - A helmet which met NOCSAE test standards at the time of manufacture and has a visible exterior warning label regarding the risk of injury, The helmet shall be secured by a properly fastened chinstrap;
Face Protector - The multiple bar type is recommended, The {ace protector shall be made of material designed to be nonbreakable with rounded edges, and those constructed of metal shall have the surface covered with resilient material designed to Prevent chipping, burrs or abrasiveness which would endanger players. The face protector must have met NOCSAE test standards at the time of manufacture;
Intraoral Mouth and Tooth Protector - The intraoral (within the mouth) mouth and tooth protector shall include an occlusal (protecting and separating the biting surfaces) portion that covers all upper teeth. The protector shall be constructed and fitted to the individual by impressing his teeth into the mouth and tooth protector itself. The Board shall supply each player with one intraoral mouth and tooth protector, All players must wear the mouth and tooth protector during practice and games; .
Soft Knee Pads - Soft knee pads at least 1/2-inch thick or 3/8 inch thick if made of an approved shock absorbing material worn over the knees;
Hip Pads - Hip pads with tail-bone protector;
Shoulder Pads - Shoulder pads fully covered by a jersey;
Thigh Guards - Thigh guards which must have any hard surface covered with material such as closed-cell vinyl foam which has a minimum compression resistance of 4 to 8 pounds for 25% compression or other material with equivalent specifications and is at least 1/4inch thick on the outside surface and at least 3/8-inch thick on the inside surface and the overlap of the edge;
Pants - Football pants which cover the knees;
Jerseys - Teams can only wear jerseys purchased and approved by the Board. Practice jerseys can be of the player's own choosing, but shall- not be the game jerseys;
Shoes - Any soft or semi-soft soled tennis or basketball shoe will be allowed. Cleats WILL be allowed as long as they are molded non-removable RUBBER cleats only.
Section 2, The Board shall not allow illegal equipment to be worn by any player. Types of equipment which shall always be declared illegal include:
- Projecting metal or hard substance on clothes or person;
- Any substance such as leather, rubber, plastic, plaster or fiberglass which is hard in its final form and worn on the elbow, hand, wrist or forearm must be covered in a minimum of 1/2 inch padding. Padding must be inspected and thickness must be agreed upon by coaches from both teams before the game. If a coach does not think the thickness meets requirements then the padding must be inspected by a board member before the player can take the field. Any player in a cast must have written permission from a parent to be playing in the cast.
- Knee braces made of hard unyielding material, unless hinges are covered on both sides and all of its edges overlapped and worn under the pants. Unless covering is provided by the manufacturer, any portion of the brace made of hard material and extending below the pants must be covered. Any other hard substance across the front of the leg must be covered with at least « inch of closed-cell slow recovery rubber or other material of' the same minimum thickness and having similar physical properties;
- Forearm pads, hand pads or gloves, unless made entirely or soft nonabrasive, non-hardening material which poses no danger to the wearer or other players. Athletic tape may be used at each end to anchor such pads;
- Tape, bandage or support wrap on the hand or forearm, unless made of non-hardening, nonabrasive, and necessary to protect an existing injury. Non-hardening, nonabrasive tape, bandage, or support wrap, not to exceed three thicknesses, and sweatbands, when any of these are worn on the wrist beginning at the base of the thumb and extending not more than 3 inches toward the elbow, are legal without inspection or sanction;
- Shin guards which are not covered in the same manner as thigh guards;
- Ball colored towels, pads or gloves;
- Any slippery or sticky substance of a foreign nature on equipment or exposed part of the body;
- Plastic material covering protective pads whose edges are not rounded with a radius equal to one-half the thickness of the plastic;
- Tear away jerseys or jerseys that have been taped, tied or altered in any manner which produces a knot or knot-like protrusion;
- Uniform adornments other than a single, one-color plain towel.
- Helmet adornments unless approved in advance by the Board.
(REV. 9-21-06)
ARTICLE VI Football Practices
Section I. There shall be no Small Fry Football practices before the second Monday in August. The sole exception shall be a Small Fry Football camp scheduled and sponsored by the Board.
Section 2. Players shall not engage in physical contact (blocking and tackling) until they have had at least 3 days of physical conditioning.
Section 3. All players shall wear required equipment at all practice sessions involving physical contact.
Section 4. After the second Monday in August, practice sessions may be held Monday through Friday, at the discretion of the coach. No practice session shall be longer than two hours. It is recommended that after school begins, practice sessions be held Monday through Thursday with "B" team players being given credit for a practice by virtue of playing in the "B" team game. It is further recommended that the Friday practice be a one-hour, no-pads, pre-game practice.
ARTICLE VII Insurance
Section 1. The Small Fry Football Association, Inc. shall secure an appropriate level of health insurance, liability insurance and storage insurance to adequately protect players, officials, members, uniforms and equipment of the Association. Insurance is intended to supplement, not replace,. the personal insurance coverage of the participants in the program. A copy of the league insurance policy will be available to all head coaches in the event a question arises concerning coverage.
Section 1. The size of the playing field is 80 yards between goal lines and 40 yards wide with 15 yard side zones. End zones shall be 10 yards.
Section 2. The team box boundaries are between the 30-yard lines. They shall be 5-yards deep from the side line. These areas are reserved for players and coaches.
Section:3. Goal posts must be approved hy the Board. Only portable goa1 posts shall he allowed. The top edge of' the crossbar shall be 9 feet from the ground, measured from the base or each upright to the top of the crossbar at the intersection or at each end of the crossbar perpendicular to the ground when a single pedestal is used. The crossbar shall be 20 feet long. Each upright may not exceed 4 inches in width. The uprights shall extend a minimum of 7 feet above the crossbar.
ARTICLE IX Playing Rules
Section 1. All games shall be governed by current year official football rules as adopted by the National Federation Rules Committee, except where those rules are specifically amended in writing by the Board.
Section 2. Free kick lines.
- The kicker's free kick line is its 30-yard line and the receiver's free kick line is the 40-yard line. At least five players of the receiving team must be within 5 yards of its line.
- The ball is snapped after a touchback and is free kicked after a safety from the 15-yard line in the JR. Division and the 20 yard line in the SR. Division..
- Any kick-off that goes out of bounds untouched by the receivers or was last touched by the kickers, shall be automatically put in play at the out of bounds point or at the 30-yard line, whichever is closer to the kicker's goal.
Section 3. Amendments to National Federation Rules.
Game Ball: The official game ball shall be a good grade rubber ball. For the Junior Division, the football shall be a "Baden Junior Official" football, Model F 1 00 or an equivalent football. For the Senior Division, the football shall be a "Baden-Junior Official" football, Model F200 or an equivalent football. The Board shall furnish the official football for each game.
Punts: For the Junior Division, a free punt shall be enforced. That is, the punter shall be allowed to kick with no rush from the defense. Both lines may charge after the hall is kicked. Fake punts are not allowed. .
For the Senior Division, all punts will he "live" at the snap. Fake punts shall be allowed.
Extra Point & Field Goal Attempts: For the Junior Division, when the team elects to use a scrimmage kick to attempt an extra point or when it attempts a field goal, the kicker will be allowed to kick with no rush from the defense. Both lines may charge after the hall is kicked. Fake extra point kicks and fake field goal attempts are not allowed. All extra point attempts shall be made from the 3 yard line (anywhere between the hash marks). .
For the Senior Division, extra points attempted using a scrimmage kick and all field goal attempts will be "live" at the snap. Fake extra point and fake field goal attempts shall be allowed. All extra point attempts shall be made from the 3 yard line (anywhere between the hash marks).
Field Conditions: The Board shall have sole discretion to decide whether fields are un playable on the day of the game.
Quarters & Intermissions: All quarters shall be I5-minutes in length. Except for timeouts and injuries, the time will run continuously until . the final 2 minutes of the second (2nd) and forth (4th) quarters. During the final 2 minutes of the second (2nd) and fourth (4th) quarters, the clock will be stopped for charged timeouts, incomplete passes, injuries and situations where the player goes out of bounds. Time-outs between quarters shall be 2 minutes in length. Half time shall be 10-minutes in length, with a 3 minute warm-up period prior to the start of the second half.
Playing Time: All teams will play a B game weekly, unless granted a waiver by the Board due to travel considerations. No player will play in a B game if they started in an A game unless there are not enough players to till a B squad. In that situation the A team player shall not play a similar position to his normal position in A team games.
Injuries: Any injured player who requires medical attention away from the football field whether it be at practice or on game day, may not re-enter that practice or game or play again until the coach has received a written release from a doctor
Formations: JR. & SR. division can use the following formations: Wishbone, Power I or any formation where there are three backs in the backfield not counting the quarterback. (ALL other rules in regards to formations stay the same). In the Junior Division. the offensive team shall he allowed to use only a Pro or I-hack offensive set. In those offensive sets, only 2 backs are allowed (not counting the quarterback). There can be no more than two potentially eligible receivers on each side of the offensive line. One of the eligible receivers must be a tight end who shall be aligned adjacent to the tackle. The offense may not have any player in motion prior to the snap. The defensive team shall he allowed to use any defensive set approved hy the Board. During scrimmage kick situations, the defensive linemen are not allowed to retreat from the line of scrimmage until after the hall is snapped. Violations will be enforced as illegal procedure penalties.
In the Senior Division, the offensive team shall be allowed to use only a Pro or I-back offensive set. In those offensive sets, only 2 hacks are allowed (not counting the quarterback). There can he 110 more than two potentially eligible receivers on each side of the offensive line. One of the eligible receivers must be a tight end who shall be aligned adjacent to the tackle. The offense way not have any player in motion prior to the snap. The defensive team shall be allowed to use any defensive set approved by the Board.
Scoring Values: Touchdown........................ 6 points Extra Point (running)........ 1 point Extra Point (kicking)........ 2 points Field Goal....................... 3 points
Early Termination of Game:
(REV 5-11-2010)
When one team is 35 or more points ahead at the end of the 1st half or if it secures such a lead during the 2nd half, the score at that point shall be recorded as the final score. Play shall continue with B squad players participating until the remainder of the time left in the game has elapsed with the play clock running continuously for the remainder of the game, including the final 2 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters.
(REV. 9-21-06)
ARTICLE X Regular & Post Season Games
Section 1. The Board shall schedule all regular season games. Season standings will be determined using the following point system:
Win.............. 2 points Loss............. 0 points Tie............... 1 point
During the regular season if a game ends in a tie then a Montana Overtime will be played. A 2nd overtime will be played if still tied after 1st overtime. After 2nd overtime game will result in a tie. Montana overtime consists of the following rules: Each team will receive 1 timeout per overtime, each team will get 4 attempts to score from the 10 yard line. A coin flip will determine who gets the ball first in overtime. If a 2nd overtime is needed than the team that was on defense to start the 1st overtime will begin the 2nd overtime on offense.
Section 2. The Board shall schedule all post season games. Post season games shall consist of two quarter-final, two semi-final playoff games and one championship game in both the Junior Division and the Senior Division. Pairings for the quarter-final playoff games shall be based on the following criteria:
Game 1 - Best overall record in Western Conference versus forth best overall record in the Eastern Conference.
Game 2 - Best overall record in Eastern Conference versus forth best overall record in the Western Conference.
Game 3 - Second best overall record in Western Conference versus the third best overall record in the Eastern Conference.
Game 4 - Second best overall record in Eastern Conference versus the third best overall record in the Western Conference.
Pairings for the semi-final playoff games shall be based on t:w following criteria:
Game 1 - Winner of' quarter-final Game 1 versus winner of quarter-final Game 4.
Game 2 - Winner of' quarter-final Game 2 versus winner of quarter final Game 3
Section 3. The standings for post season quarter-final playoff games will normally be determined by the scoring values specified in Section I of this Article. In the event there is a tie in the season ending standings, the tie shall be resolved as follows:
1. The winner of the regular season game played between the tied teams will be designated the higher ranking, Record's for seeding will only count within conference games. Out of conference loses will NOT affect seedings.
2. In the event the tied teams did not meet during the regular season or there is a tie among more than two teams, the ranking shall be determined first, by which team allowed the fewest points within conference games only during regular season and second by which team scored the most points within conference only during regular season. In the event there is still a tie it will be decided by a coin flip between the coaches involved. For the championship game teams with higher seeding will be home team. In event 2 teams with same seeding play in the championship game first tie breaker will be OVERALL record, second total points scored against and last total points scored.
Section 4. Tie scores in quarter-final playoff games, semi-final playoff games and championship games will be resolved by an immediate play off. The tie shall be resolved by the 10-yard line overtime procedure approved by the Montana High School Association. That playoff system is commonly referred to as the "Montana Play Off'.
Section 5. Association teams must play only other Association teams unless approval to play a non-Association team is granted by the Board.
(REV. 9-21-06)
ARTICLE XI Protests
Section 1. All protests shall be resolved by the game officials, A coach may request and be granted a time-out for the purpose of' the coach and the referee reviewing a decision which may have resulted from misapplication or misinterpretation of a rule, provided the request is made prior to the time the ball becomes alive following the play to be reviewed. When a time-out is so granted, the referee will confer with the coach at the sideline in front of his team box outside the field of play- If the conference results in the referee altering his ruling, the opposing coach will be notified, the revision made, and the time-out shall be an official's time-out. If the referee's ruling prevails, the time-out remains charged to the team requesting the time-out for the conference, Coaches may not request a review or protest judgement calls by game officials.
ARTICLE XII Conduct of Coaches & Players
Section 1. No player or coach shall act in an unsportsmanlike manner immediately before, during or after a game, Specific types of unsportsmanlike behavior that must be identified and that are allows unacceptable include:
Insulting language or gestures or baiting acts or words that engenders ill-will;
Intentionally kicking or swinging at any player even though no contact may or may not be made;
Attempting to influence a decision by a game official by disrespectfully addressing the official or vehemently objecting to his decision;
Coaches who address their own players or the players on other teams in an abusive or unprofessional manner;
Players who address their own teammates or players on other teams in an abusive or degrading manner;
Use of unfair acts which in the opinion of the game official and/or the Board tend to make a travesty of the game.
Section 2. The penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct include:
First violation: 15 yard penalty;
Second violation: 15 yard penalty and ejection from the game if the violation involves a player or coach who previously received a similar penalty;
Flagrant violations - Ejection from the game and a :30 yard penalty. If involved parties refuse to accept the game official's decision, the game shall be forfeited.
Section 3. Any player who is ejected from a game shall not be allowed to play in the next regular season game. For" A" team players that means the next regularly scheduled "A" game as well as any intervening "B" team and practice games. For "B" team players that means the next regularly scheduled "B" team game and any intervening "A" team game and practice games.
Section 4. Any coach who is ejected from a game shall not be allowed to attend the next regularly scheduled "A" game. In addition the coach shall explain his actions before a special meeting of the Board. Depending on the severity of the coaches actions, the Board may decide to take additional disciplinary action, including dismissal.
(REV. 1-20-93) |
||