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The following Special Provisions are used in the Thurston County Youth Football League ("TCYFL") and supersede any conflicting provisions of the current National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Book.
The Special Provisions may apply to any or all of the League’s age divisions. Special Provisions can be identified by the following:
Some Special Provisions will be accompanied by an explanation of the rule being changed and/or the intent of the Special Provision. This text will be identified by italic text, and will immediately follow the Special Provision to which it applies.
Art.1 is revised to read:
(Minors) The ball shall be an American Youth Football recommended brand and model that is designated for ages under 9 years old.
Minor balls are designated as "Pee Wee" by most manufacturers.
(Majors) The ball shall be an American Youth Football recommended brand and model that is designated for ages under 13 years old.
Major balls are designated as “Junior” by most manufacturers.
(Seniors) The ball shall be an American Youth Football recommended brand and model that is designated for ages under 15 years old.
Senior balls are designated as “Youth” by most manufacturers.
Art.6 is revised to read:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) A timing device referred to as "the game clock" or "the clock", if provided, shall be operated by a designated member of the visiting team from the previous game or the visiting team, if the game is the first game of the day at that venue.
The visiting team shall be responsible for the operation of the scoreboard and clock for the following game at that venue.
If the venue is not equipped with a timing device, the officials will keep time on the field.
Art.1.b.2. is revised to:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) Delete the reference to the color "white."
Teams are provided only one colored jersey style by the TCYFL. If either of the coaches feels there will not be adequate contrast between the teams, he may contact the League’s Director of Equipment for alternate jerseys for that contest. Contact must be made within 24 hours of the posting of the schedule to request alternate jerseys. Alternate jerseys may not be available. In that case, the game shall be played to the best abilities of the players, coaches, and officials.
Art.1.b.2.(e) is deleted in its entirety.
(Minors, Majors, Seniors)
Art.1.b.3. is revised to:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) Delete the reference to the color "white."
Teams are provided only one colored jersey style by the TCYFL. If either of the coaches feels there will not be adequate contrast between the teams, he may contact the League’s Director of Equipment for alternate jerseys for that contest. Contact must be made within 24 hours of the posting of the schedule to request alternate jerseys. Alternate jerseys may not be available. In that case, the game shall be played to the best abilities of the players, coaches, and officials.
Art.1.b.3.(e) is deleted in its entirety.
(Minors, Majors, Seniors)
Art.3.a.1(a) is amended with the following:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) A logo located on the sleeve and depicting the TCYFL logo, the team sponsor, or a TCYFL-sanctioned memorial shall be allowed.
Art.3.a.1(b) is deleted in its entirety:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors)
The TCYFL logo shall be worn on one sleeve and a sponsor or memorial logo may be worn on the other sleeve.
Art.1. is revised to read:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) Communication devices including but not limited to audio recorders, Local Area Network (LAN) phones and/or headsets, mobile phones, still photograph(s), film, analog or digital video(s), and/or internet depictions, shall not be used to communicate with a player.
Communication devices shall not be used on the sidelines except in the case of emergencies. No communication between a player and a sideline coach or a coach or spectator in the stands or scorer’s booth for the purpose of gaining any tactical advantage is allowed.
Art.2 is deleted in its entirety.
(Minors, Majors, Seniors)
Communication devices shall not be used on the sidelines except in the case of emergencies. No communication between a sideline coach and a coach or spectator in the stands or scorer’s booth, for the purpose of gaining any tactical advantage, is allowed.
Art. 2: (Minors, Majors) Players on B that exceed the ball-carrier weight for their division must align on the line of scrimmage and with any part of their body within four (4) yards on either side of the spot of the snap.
Art. 3: (Minors, Majors) No players on K nor R during a free kick may exceed the ball-carrier weight. If a team does not have 11 weight-eligible players, the remaining positions may be filled beginning with the lowest-weight player remaining on the roster.
Art. 4: (Minors, Majors) The ball-carrier weight for Minors is 85 lbs. maximum.
Art. 5: (Minors, Majors) The ball-carrier weight for Major J.V. is 110 lbs. maximum.
Art. 6: (Minors, Majors) The ball-carrier weight for Major Varsity is 120 lbs. maximum.
Art. 7: (Minors, Majors) All players that exceed the ball-carrier weight for their age division shall wear a distinctive helmet sticker provided by the TCYFL. Wearing the sticker during games is mandatory.
Weight restrictions for offensive and defensive ends, backs, backers, kicking teams, and kick return teams have been implemented in the Minors and Majors for player safety. The intent is to have players that exceed these weight limits play on their respective lines.
Art. 1: (Minors) The restricted area is a rectangular area extending laterally from sideline to sideline beginning at the line of scrimmage and extending four (4) yards into the defensive side of the field.
Art. 2: (Minors) Only six (6) of B's players may be aligned in the restricted area at the snap.
Art. 3: (Minors) No player in the restricted area may align directly behind or "stacked" behind another player in the restricted area.
Minors football is aimed at player development where 11-man box defenses and stacked blitzes are not appropriate.
Art. 1: (Minors) No man's land is a rectangular area extending laterally between the outside of the closest feet of the linemen nearest the snapper and extending from the line of scrimmage to the defense's end line.
Art. 2: (Minors) The maximum distance between the snapper and the next closest lineman is 18", meaning that no man's land can be no wider than the snapper's feet plus 36".
Art. 3: (Minors) No B player may align with any part of their body in no man's land.
Minors football is aimed at player development where the fundamentals of executing a snap can be a challenge. No man's land is intended to provide the snapper with the opportunity to complete the snap without distraction. No man's land is not intended to allow the quarterback to run unimpeded. Therefore the split limitation was added.
Art.1 is revised to read:
(Minors) The clock running time for a game shall be 40 minutes with periods and intermissions as indicated in Table 3-1.
(Majors, Seniors) The clock running time for a game shall be 32 minutes with periods and intermissions as indicated in Table 3-1.
Art.2 is revised to read:
(Majors, Seniors) At the end of the first half, or at any point in the second half, if the point differential between the teams is 21 points or greater the game will continue with a running clock. If the 21-point differential is reached in the first half, the running clock may be used at the agreement of both head coaches. If at any point the differential drops below 21, the clock will resume normal operation.
Table 3-1 is revised to read:
| Period of Timing | Clock Time Minors |
Clock Time Majors & Seniors |
|---|---|---|
| First Half: First Period | 10 minutes | 8 minutes |
| First Half: Intermission for changing goals | 1 minute | 1 minute |
| First Half: Second Period | 10 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Intermission: When teams leave the field | 5 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Second Half:First Period | 10 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Second Half:Intermission for changing goals | 1 minute | 1 minute |
| Second Half:Second Period | 10 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Charged Time-outs | 1 minute | 1 minute |
Section 1 is amended with the following:
Art. 6 : (Minors) An overtime period is an untimed play after a regulation playoff game has ended with the score tied. During an overtime period, each team has an opportunity for an offensive series of downs. However, an overtime period may include only one offensive series of downs if the defensive team scores a safety or touchdown.
Minor games only extend to overtime in the playoffs. Otherwise, a tied game at the end of regulation ends in a tie.
Art. 6: (Majors, Seniors) An overtime period is untimed play after a regulation game has ended with the score tied. During an overtime period, each team has an opportunity for an offensive series of downs. However, an overtime period may include only one offensive series of downs if the defensive team scores a safety or touchdown. A maximum of three (3) overtime periods will be played during regular-season games. If the score is still tied at that time, a tie game will be awarded to both teams. (Minors, Majors, Seniors)
Art. 7: (Majors, Seniors) When the score is tied at the end of the fourth period, and overtime is warranted, the referee will instruct both teams to return to their respective team boxes. There will be a three-minute intermission during which both teams may confer with their coaches. All officials will assemble at the 50-yard line, review the overtime procedure, determine the number of the second-half time-outs remaining for each team, and discuss how penalties, if any, including any carry-over penalties from the regulation contest will be assessed to start the overtime procedure. (See 8-3-5,6) At the end of the intermission, the linesman will go to the team on the side of the field where the line to gain equipment is located and the line judge will go to the other team. They will inform the coaches of the number of time-outs each team has remaining and any special penalty enforcements that apply.
The first sentence of Art.1 is revised to read:
(Minors) Each half of the game shall be started by a play from scrimmage commencing from A's 35-yard line.
Minors do not kick-off to begin the game or after scoring.
Art.3.a is revised to read:
(Minors) To choose whether his team will begin on offense or defense.
Minors do not kick-off to begin the game or after scoring.
Art. 5: (Minors, Majors, Seniors) At the coin toss in the center of the field prior to an overtime period, the visiting team’s captain shall be given the privilege of choosing “heads” or “tails” before the coin is tossed. The winner of the toss shall be given his choice of defense or offense first, or of designating the end of the field at which the ball will be put in play for this set of downs. The loser will have his choice of the other options. The referee will indicate the winner of the toss by placing a hand on his shoulder. To indicate which team will go on offense, the referee will have that captain face the goal toward which his team will advance and indicate this with the first-down signal. The other team captain will face the offensive captain with his back toward the goal he will defend.
Art. 2a is revised to read:
(Majors, Seniors) 1. For an official’s time-out.
Art. 3 is revised to read:
(Majors, Seniors) The clock shall start with the snap or when any free kick is touched, other than the first touching by K if the clock was stopped because:
The ball goes out of bounds.
A legal or illegal forward pass is incomplete.
A request for a charged or TV/radio time-out is granted.
A period ends.
A team attempts to consume time illegally.
The penalty for a delay of game foul is accepted.
Middle school clock rules shall apply in order to expedite games. The clock will start after spiking the ball after a change of possession.
Art. 4 is revised to read:
(Minors) The clock shall be stopped when:
An Official’s time-out is taken for an injured player, and the injured player remains on the field for longer than one (1) minute of clock time.
An Official’s time-out is taken for any other reason.
A charged time-out is granted.
The period ends.
A score occurs.
Minor games shall have a running clock.
The first sentence of Art.1 is revised to read:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) Two time-outs only may be charged to a team during each half of a regulation game
Art. 12: (Minors, Majors, Seniors) Each team shall be permitted one additional time-out during each overtime period (a series for A and a series for B). The team scoring the greater number of points in the overtime shall be declared the winner. The final score shall be determined by totaling all points scored by each team during both regulation time and overtime periods.
ART. 13: (Minors) During the final two minutes of the second half, if the point differential is 12 or more, the leading team shall not request or be granted a time-out.
Art. 2.a is revised to read:
(Minors) Failure to snap or free-kick within 35 seconds after the ball is marked ready for play.
Minors games shall have a 35-second play clock.
Art.1 is revised to read:
(Minors) To start each half and resume play after a field goal or after a try, the ball shall be put in play by a snap from scrimmage at A’s 35-yard line.
Minors do not kick-off to begin the game or after scoring.
Art. 2 is revised to read:
(Minors) To resume play after a safety the ball shall be put in play by a snap from scrimmage at A’s 35-yard line.
Minors do not free-kick after a safety.
Art.5.b is deleted in its entirety.
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) The TCYFL does not enforce numbering by position.
Art. 5.d is revised to read:
(Minors, Majors) B players may be anywhere on or behind their line of scrimmage as long as they meet any ball-carrier weight restrictions.
(Minors) B players must align in accordance with the restricted area and no man's land as defined in Rule 2.
Art.2.a is revised to read:
(Minors, Majors) A ball-carrier-weight eligible lineman who has clearly faced his end line by moving both feet in a half-turn and is at least one (1) yard behind his line when he receives the ball. The spirit of the ball-carrier weight rule shall not be circumvented by this rule.
Art.2 is amended with the following:
(Minors, Majors) A backward pass shall not be intentionally directed at a non-ball-carrier weight player. The spirit of the ball-carrier weight rule shall not be circumvented by this rule.
Art.6.a is revised to read:
(Minors, Majors, Seniors) All A players eligible by position include those who, at the time of the snap, are on the ends of their scrimmage line or legally behind the line (possible total of six). The TCYFL does not enforce numbering by position.
| Scoring Play | Points |
|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 points |
| Field Goal | 3 points |
| Safety | 2 points |
| Successful Try: 1. Touchdown | 1 point* |
| Successful Try: 2. Field Goal or Safety | 2 points |
| Forfeited Game | Offended Team: 1, Opponent: 0 |
| *(Minors) A completed forward pass resulting in a touchdown during a try is worth 2 points | If offended team is ahead, the score stands |