During the 10th anniversary year of the Super 8 Football League we are introducing another format to our league; after 10 years of Arena style 8 on 8 football we are opening up to the open field version of the game with an 8 man tournament featuring teams from Sacramento, San Diego, Las Vegas, and El Paso.

 

8 Man Outdoor Rules

Field Size and Marking:

1. The field is 80 yards between goal lines and 40 yards wide.
2. Field must have yard lines marked at least every 10 yards (every 5 yards preferably)
3. Fields when possible, fields should have Hash Marks placed perpendicular to those yard lines 45 feet in from the sidelines.
4. All fields must have a painted Players Box.

Penalties

All major penalties will be 10 yards instead of 15 yards if played on an 80-yard field

 

Player’s box

When possible, should be painted onto the field

     1. Will extend from the 20 to the 20-yard line

     2. Will be 3 yards from the side line.

     3. No more than two coaches may be between the player box and the side lines.

     4. Only persons with a field pass will be allow on the game field area or player box.

Roster Size  

Teams may have a total of 25 players on their Roster.

Minimum Number of Players

The game is played with 8 offensive and 8 defensive players

1. The game must start with eight (8) eligible players on each team.
2. No game may be played if a team cannot field eight (8) eligible players at game time.
3. Once a game has started, either team may play with less than eight (8) players.
4. If either team has less than eight (8) players at any time once the game has started, they may elect to:

1. Stop the game at the point from continuing
2. Continue with Seven (7) players

5. It is not a requirement that the opponent play with seven players to match their opposition

 

Game Clock

1. Each game shall be played with four (4) twelve (12) minute quarters.
2. Half-time shall consist of a total of fifteen (15) minutes with both teams to report back to their respective sidelines for a mandatory three (3) minute warm-up at the twelve (12) minute mark.
3. A team on offense or in a free kick shall be allotted twenty-five (25) seconds in which to snap or free kick the football following the referee’s ready for play signal.

 

Starting the Game – 80-yard field: Kickoffs

1.  Unless relocated by penalty, the kicking team’s restraining line on a kickoff is the 30-yard line. The receiving teams restraining line is 40-yard line. The ball must travel 10 yards on a kickoff or be touched by the receiving team before members of the kicking team are eligible to touch it.

2. Free kick after a safety – The ball is kicked from the 15-yard line. The ball must travel 10 yards on a kickoff (or place kick/punt after a safety) or be touched by the receiving team before members of the 

             kicking team are eligible to touch it.

3. A free kick out of bound between the goal lines untouched inbounds by a player of Team B is a foul. Team B may elect to have a re kick, with a five yards Penalty from the previous spot or they may put the ball in play 20 yards beyond Team A’s restraining line at the inbounds spot. MUST TRAVEL 10 YARDS.

Kick Off Alignment

Other than the kicker, no members of the kicking team may be more than five yards behind the kicking team’s free-kick line.

 

24-Point Advantage Kickoff Rule:

1. After a team has gained a 24-point lead/advantage over an opponent, the losing team may elect to have the ball place at the 20-yardline
2. No team may intentionally attempt an onside kick once they have gained a 24-point lead over an opponent.

Fair Catch – Ball Placement on Kickoffs

1. During a kickoff that is airborne inside the 20-yard line, a player my signal for a fair catch by properly waving his hand for a fair catch. After a successful catch, the ball will be placed at the 20-yard line and mark ready for play.
2. During a kickoff, a grounded ball kick inside the 20-yard line, the receiving team player may down the ball by falling on the ball.  He must maintain control of the ball and make no attempt to advance the ball. The ball will be placed at the 20-yard line and mark ready for play.

Earning First Downs

First downs require forward progress from the original line of scrimmage of at least 10 yards in a maximum of four downed plays from the offense not including penalty yardage (if any).

 

Offense Formation:

Must have a minimum of 5 players on the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap. 

1. LOS. The basic offensive line will consist of:

1. The three down linesmen that are not eligible to receive a pass and may wear any numbered jersey
2. The two Ends (uncovered Linesmen) who are eligible to receive a pass. They may be lined up in a tight formation or in a spread formation.

            Exceptions: A center may be eligible to receive a pass if:  He is uncovered on the line of scrimmage. 

2. In a basic 5-man LOS formation, there will be 3 players in the backfield. All players who are backs must be clearly established behind the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap.
3. All backs are eligible pass receivers if they are legally behind the line of scrimmage at the snap.

Blocking Zone

The Free Blocking Zone will apply:

1. The free-blocking zone is a square area extending laterally 3 yards either side of the spot of the snap and 3 yards behind each line of scrimmage.
2. The zone shall diminish once the ball leaves the area.
3. To block anyone below the waist or in the back, both players involved must be in the zone at the snap.

Substitution rule

After the ball is marked ready for play, each player on offense who participated in the previous down, and each substitution player for the offensive team must have been, momentarily, within 7-yard of the football, before the snap. Offense may not break the huddle with more than 8 players.

 

Time Outs

Each team is allotted three (3) time-outs per half not to exceed one (1) minute each.

Unused time-outs from the second half may not carry over to any overtime period.

 Authorized Time Out Conferences

1. During charged and officials timeouts, teams may choose to use one of two approved procedures.

        They may choose to: 1. confer with one (1) coach and not more than four (4) water personnel on             

          the field between the hash marks. Not more than eight (8 players may participate. Or, the head

        coach may bring his team to the sideline between the 25-yard lines, and confer with his team with  

        unlimited coaches and water personnel.

2. However, no field player may leave the field and enter the team box without being replaced.
3. If a player leaves the field and then returns during a charged or officials timeout, he will be guilty of illegal substitution and penalized five (5) yards.

Head Coach / Referee Conference

1. At any time during a game, the head coach may request and will be granted a timeout in order to confer with game officials regarding any issues that are of concern to the head coach.
2. This may include penalty enforcement, rule clarification, timing etc. Discussions on official’s judgment calls will not be entertained.
3. During this conference, both teams will have full time out privileges.
4. The timeout is charged to the team that requests the conference (assuming they have timeouts remaining in the half).
5. If it is proven that game officials were in error on penalty enforcement, timing or other documented rules, the timeout will not be charged to the team and will be ruled as an official’s timeout.

Methods of Scoring:

Touch Down – 6 points

Safety – 2 points

Point after Touchdown (P.A.T.) –

A.   Successful run or pass into the end zone from the 2-yard line is worth 1 point

B.   Successful run or pass into the end zone from the 5-yard line – 2 points

C.   Successful run or pass into the end zone from the 10-yard line is worth 3 points

 The defense may not score on a try.  During a try after touchdown the ball becomes dead when Team B gains possession or it is obvious that a try is unsuccessful.

 

 Defense Formation

1. Must have 8 players
2. Defenses may line up in any formation with no required number of down linemen.

Man in Motion

1. There must 5 players on the line of scrimmage at the snap
2. Motion player cannot be one of the players on the line of scrimmage and must be clearly establish in the back field. And must be set for one second prior to going in motion.
3. Motion player cannot turn up field prior to snap

Mercy Rule: 

1. If one team is ahead by a margin of 35 points or more at the end of the second quarter, the head coach of the team that is behind may request of the referee a running clock.
2. If, however, the differential in the score is 35 points or more at the end of the third quarter or at any point thereafter, the running clock shall become mandatory
3. Once the running clock is initiated, it shall run continuously except for during any timeout taken by a team or officials, injuries, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, a score by either team, and during the period between quarters.

Overtime Period

1. A coin toss takes place at the 40-yard line to determine which team will get first possession of the ball.
2. The coin-toss losing team can select the end of the field on which overtime will take place. Once an end of field is decided, all overtime periods will take place at that end.
3. Possession is then given to the coin-toss winner at the opponent’s 10 – yard line.
4. The team with possession of the ball is given four downs to gain a first down or score a field goal or touchdown.
5. In the event of a touchdown, a one, two or three-point conversion is attempted. The offensive team’s possession ends when it scores, fails to score or fails to gain a first down.
6. If, at the end of each teams’ first possession, the score remains tied, another overtime period takes place.
7. If, at the end of two overtime periods the score is remains tied, the ball will be moved 5-yard forwards to begin each additional period.
8. If after four (4) overtime periods during a regular season game, the game will end in a tie unless that game is a tie breaker game being played to determine a playoff berth.

Disqualified Players & Non-Players

1. If at any time a player is ejected from the game, he must leave the playing field and return to his team box.
2. The disqualified player must remove his jersey and shoulder pads. He may put his jersey back on, (at his or his coach’s discretion) but it must be turned inside out.
3. Any acts of unsportsmanlike action by the disqualified player while in the team box will be the responsibility of the head coach and may include penalizing the head coach for failure to control the ejected players conduct.
4. If a non-player (coach, parent, spectator, etc.) is ejected during a game, they must leave the playing area completely and cannot have any physical or verbal contact with the team, (including half-time) until the conclusion of the game.
5. If the head coach is ejected, an assistant coach must identify themselves to the referee indicating that he is now assuming the duties of the head coach for the remainder of the game.
6. If a disqualified player violates the provisions of this section, game officials will penalize the team may suspend or stop the game from the point of the violation.

 

Game Officials

1. All games shall be played utilizing four (3) game officials. They are: the referee, the umpire, and the line judge.
   1. No game may be played with less than three field officials.
2. When requested, an Electric Clock Operator shall be utilized and be responsible for the official game clock.
3. The ECO must be assigned by the LOA (local officials association). The management of the game clock shall be kept on the field if no ECO is assigned or at any time during the game the scoreboard clock becomes inoperable. Everyone is reminded that the official time of the game is kept by the Head Official, not necessary by the Score Board.
4. If a scoreboard is available but an ECO is not assigned to time the game, the clock shall remain at 00:00 at all times with the only operation utilizing the scoring function.
5. The game officials will officially assume control of the game thirty (30) minutes prior to kick-off and until they have left the playing field following the conclusion of the game.

 

All other rules not stated are equal to NFL rules with the exception of one foot in on receptions and interceptions.

 

Teams