the official playing rules for the cfl 2005
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THE OFFICIAL PLAYING RULESFOR THE
CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
2005
CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUETHIRD FLOOR
50 WELLINGTON STREET EAST
TORONTO, ON
M 5E 1C8
TELEPHONE: 416-322-9650FACSIM ILE: 416-322-9651
www.cfl .ca
CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2005
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Canad ian Footba ll Lea gue D irec to ry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
CFL Rules Com m itt ee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
CFL Offic iat ing Obs erve rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
2 0 0 5 CFL On-Field Offic ial s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
CFL Tie-Brea king Proc edure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Legen d Of Abbr evia tio ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2 0 0 5 CFL Rule Cha nges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Plan Of The Fie ld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Sum m ary Of Pen alt ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
RULE 1 CONDUCT OF THE GAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-22
Section 1 The Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0
Section 2 The Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Section 3 Possession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1
Section 4 Dead Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1-12
Secti on 5 Team s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2
Section 6 Team Captains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Sect ion 7 Star t ing & Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 -16
Section 8 Tie Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6
Section 9 Out Of Bounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6-18Section 10 Playing Uniform s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8 -2 0
Section 11 Team Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 0-21
Section 12 Other Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 1-22
RULE 2 OFFICIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23-24
Section 1 Designation Of Off icials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 3
Sect ion 2 Jur isdiction & Dut ies Of Off icia ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 -24
RULE 3 SCORING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 -27
Section 1 Table Of Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 5
Section 2 Definit ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 5-27
Section 3 Terminating A Play In Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Section 4 Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
RULE 4 SCRIM M AGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28-33
Section 1 Definit ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Sect ion 2 Method Of Scr imm age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 -30
Section 3 Interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Sect ion 4 Placement Of The Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Section 5 Player Restrict ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 -3 2
Section 6 Series Of Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 3
RULE 5 KICKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34-39Section 1 Definit ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 4-35
Section 2 Kickoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 5-36
Section 3 Blocked Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 6-37
Section 4 K ick From Scr imm age & Open-Field Kick . . . . . . . . . . .37 -39
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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RULE 6 PASSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-45
Section 1 Lateral Or Onside Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 0
Section 2 Handoff Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Section 3 Offside Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 0-41
Section 4 Forward Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 1-45
RULE 7 FOULS & PENALTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46-50
Section 1 Illegal Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 6-47
Section 2 Major Fouls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 7-49
Section 3 Disqualif ication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Section 4 Objectionable Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
RULE 8 APPLICATION OF PENALTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51-55
Section 1 Definit ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Sect ion 2 Fouls Af ter Legal Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Section 3 Dual & Double Fouls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 1-53
Sect ion 4 Restrict ions Near A Goal Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Section 5 Foul On Convert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 4
Section 6 Foul In Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 4-55
RULE 9 INTERFERENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56-57
Section 1 Definit ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 6
Sect ion 2 Inter ference On Scr immage Plays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 -57
Section 3 In terference Af ter Gaining Possession
Witho ut Scrim m age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Section 4 Interference on Loose Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 7
REFEREES SIGNALS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 8 -61
STATISTICAL SCORING RULES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 -71
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72=7 7
Canadian Football League 20 05
The CFL Official Playing Rules is pub lished annu ally by the
Canad ian Football League.
Any inquiries regarding the CFL Official Playing Rules may be directed to
the Canadian Football League at:
Third Floor, 50 Wellington Street East
Toron to, ON
M5E 1C8
Tel: 41 6-322 -96 50
Fax: 41 6-322 -96 51Email: scoates@cfl.ca
Attn: Shawn Coates, Director of Football Operations
or George Black, Director of Officiating
Produced by the Canadian Footba ll League
Cover Design by the Canad ian Football League
Printed by Spalding Creative Comm unicat ions Inc., Toronto, ON
Cover Photograph courtesy of John Sokolowsk i, Mississauga, ON
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EXECUTIVE
Com m issioner Tom E.S. Wright
Secretary Edward S. Chalupka
Treasurer Jam es E. Grundy
FOOTBALL OPERATIONS
Sen ior Vice-Presid en t, Foot ball Operat ion s Ed ward S. Ch alu pk a
Director, Football Operations Shawn Coates
Director, Off iciat ing George Black
M an age r, Foo tb all Op era tion s/ Pla yer Person ne l K evin M cDo na ld
Coordinator, Off iciat ing Josh Oubadia
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Senior Vice-President, Business Operat ions Jam es E. Grundy
Director, Finance and Adm inistrat ion Doug Allison
Financial Accountant Nora Rigodon
MARKETING
Se ni or Vic e-Pre sid en t, M a rk et in g & Pa rt ne rs hi ps Br en t Sc rim s ha w
Senior Director, Broadcast ing Chris M cCracken
Director, Com m unicat ions Alexis Redm ond
Senior Project Lead & Web M aster Christopher Sonnem annOnline Ed itor/ Com m unicat ions Specialist Jessica Young
Senior Director, Partnerships Dana Gladstone
Senior Director, Partnerships Gavin Roth
M anager, Partnerships Natalie Agro
M anager, Partnerships Jordan Vader
Coordinator, Cham pionships & Events Devon Guest
ADM INISTRATION
Sen io r Execu t ive Assistant / HR Administ ra tor Lee-Anne Part chenko
Recept ionist Debbie Sousa
CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
CFL RULES COM M ITTEECHAIRPERSON/ SECRETARY:
VOTING M EMB ERS:
Don M atthews, Montreal Alouettes
Joe Paopao, Ottawa RenegadesAdam Rita, Toronto Argonauts
Ron Lancast er, Ham ilton Tiger-Cats
Jim Daley, Winnipeg Blue Bom bers
Danny Barrett, Sask. Roughriders
CFL SUPPORT STAFF:
Shawn Coat es, CFL
Kevin M cDonald, CFL
Edward S. Chalup ka
Tom Higgins, Calgary Stam peders
Danny Maciocia, Edm. Eskim osWally Buon o, B.C. Lions
George Black , CFL Offic ials
Bud Steen , CFL On-Field Offic ials
M oe Elewon ibi, CFLPA
Josh Oubad ia, CFL
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NAM E # POSITION RESIDENCECarey Anderson 4 2 Back Judge Langley, BCIan Bain 3 6 Um pire Calgary, ABDarryl Baron 4 9 Field Judge Sherwood Park , ABRon Barss 2 5 Um pire Regina, SKAl Bradbury 7 2 Head Linesm an Winnipeg, M BHeinz Bradem ann 4 0 Side Judge Sherwood Park , ABBrent Buchko 5 0 Head Linesm an Regina, SKLarry But ler 5 9 Back Judge Sherwood Park , ABDon Carm ichael 2 1 Back Judge Stouffville, ONBruce Carter 6 8 Back Judge Windsor, ONFrank Chapm an 4 3 Head Linesm an Ottawa, ONHenry Chiu 7 1 Line Judge M arkham , ONBrian Chrupalo 7 3 Line Judge Winnipeg, M B
M urray Clarke 2 2 Field Judge Victoria, BCGrant Collard 4 4 Back Judge Spruce Grove, ABDon Cousens 3 5 Head Linesm an Georgetown, ONSteve Dolyniuk 5 6 Line Judge St. Andrews, M BBarclay Easton 7 5 Line Judge Ottawa, ONDon Ellis 7 0 Back Judge Newm arket, ONDave Foxcroft 3 0 Head Linesm an Burlington, ONDale Goertzen 6 5 Line Judge Regina, SKBill Hagans 2 4 Um pire Toronto, ONJeff Harbin 2 7 Side Judge Toronto, ONRob Hill 6 3 Line Judge Edm onton, ABDave Hutton 4 1 Um pire Ham ilton, ONJohn Ireland 6 2 Referee Townsend, ON
Glen Johnson 3 2 Referee Toronto, ONShawn Kerr 6 1 Line Judge Calgary, ABJim Koshm an 4 5 Field Judge Okotoks, ABKen Lazaruk 5 3 Referee Winnipeg, M BJason M aggio 3 7 Side Judge Burlington, ONBenoit M ajor 3 1 Line Judge Notre-Dam e, QCAlan M cColm an 5 4 Field Judge Ham ilton, ONDean M cNeill 4 7 Side Judge Winnipeg, M BKim M urphy 4 8 Field Judge Beam sville, ONM ichel Pinsonneault 3 3 Line Judge Chateauguay, QCAndre Proulx 2 8 Referee St. Charles, PQFrank Pryal 3 4 Line Judge Kingston, ONBob Reddekopp 3 9 Um pire Calgary, ABRoss Saunders 6 7 Um pire Ottawa, ONRobert Skaggs 4 6 Side Judge Edm onton, ABBud Steen 6 6 Referee Edm onton, ABBryan Taylor 5 1 Field Judge Welland, ONTom Vallesi 6 0 Side Judge Ham ilton, ONBoris Velcic 5 2 Head Linesm an Calgary, ABDave Yule 6 4 Referee Nanaim o, BC
RETIRED NUMBERS
2 6 - Don Barke r, 16 - Ross Perrier, 38 - Lorne Woods
CFL OFFICIATING OBSERVERS
Jacques Dcarie M ontral, QC
Ken Green Toronto, ON
Turk Trtany Ham ilton, ON
Art M cAvoy Winnipeg, M B
Ken Picot Regina, SK
Vern Heath Calgary, AB
Bill Wright Edm onton, AB
Larry Rohan Vancouver, BC
2005 CFL ON-FIELD OFFICIALS
Director of Off iciat ing George Black Toronto, ON
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When two or more member Clubs are t ied in the f inal Division standings
at the conclusion of the regular season schedule, preferential ranking for
playoff purposes shall be determ ined on the basis of t he fol lowing priori-
t ies and shall be awarded to the club that:
a) has won the greater number of games played against al l member
Clubs of t he League or,
b) has won the greater num ber of games played against the other t ied
Club(s) o r,
c) has scored the higher net aggregate of points (i.e. points scored forless points scored against) in games played against the other tied Club(s)
or ,
d) has scored the higher net quotient of points (i.e. points scored for
divided by points scored against) in games played against the other tied
Club s(s) or,
e) has won the greater number of games (or percentage of games)
played against all mem ber Clubs of th e Division or,
f ) has scored the h igher net aggregate o f po in ts in games p layed
against all mem ber Clubs of the Division or,
g) has scored the higher net quotient of points in gam es played against
all mem ber Clubs of the Division or,h) has scored the h igher net aggregate o f po in ts in games p layed
against all mem ber Clubs of the League or,
i) has scored the higher net quotient of points in gam es played against
all mem ber Clubs of the League or,
j) has wo n a co in tos s aga in st the ot her t ie d club.
AFD Autom at ic First Down L2 5 Loss of 2 5 yards
AR Approved Ruling LB Loss of Ball1 D First Down LD Loss of Down
1 2 D First or Second Down LS Line of Scrim m age
3 D Third Down PBD Point Ball Dead
Team A Team putt ing ball into play PBH Point Ball Held
Team B Other Team PF Poin t of Foul
DR Down Repeated PLS Point of Last Scrim m age
L5 Loss of 5 yards PPG Point Possession Gained
L1 0 Loss of 1 0 yards YG Yards Gained
L1 5 Loss of 1 5 yards YNG Yards Not Gained
CFL TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURE
LEGEND OF ABBREVIATIONS
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PLAYER FOOTWEAR
Rule 1, Section 10, Art icle 7(f) amendment & addit ion,
remove Rule 1, Sect ion 10 , Arti cle 1, Paragraph 3
Shoes of a standard football design, with appropriate football cleating,
which have not been altered, deliberately or otherwise, in any mann er and
judge d su itab le by the Re feree for t he p laying su rface, m ay be used.
Sneaker type shoes with no cleating may also be u sed.
BLOOD HAZARDS FROM OPEN WOUNDSRule 1, Section 1 0, Art icle 5 addit ion
I f a player has an open wound that, in th e opinion of t he Referee, is bleed-
ing significantly, then that player will be required to leave the Field of Play
to have the wound proper ly dressed by club medical staf f . The player
would be permitted to re-enter the Field of Play after receiving clearance
from th e Referee.
LATE SUBSTITUTION Rule 1 , Sect ion 1 1, Art ic le 4 addi t ion
When, on a kicking play, Team A has only 11 players on the field and the
gates have gone up, a player may enter the f ield and part icipate in the
play without being penalized for Illegal Substitution, if he is able to enterthe close l ine play area and then assume a posit ion, inside or outside
this area, prior to the snap.
NUM BERING CHANGES
Rule 4, Section 5 , Art icle 3 & Rule 6, Section 4 , Art icle 4 am endment
Eligible receivers will wear numbers from 0-49 and 7 0-00 .
Ineligible receivers wil l wear numb ers from 50 -69 .
PASS INTERFERENCE ON UNCATCHABLE PASSES
Rule 6, Sect ion 4, Articl e 9 (c) addit ion
I f a player commits pass inter ference when a forward pass is deemeduncat chable, it sha ll be ruled a s Illegal Conta ct On A Receiver.
FOREIGN OBJECTS ON THE FIELD
Rule 7, Sect ion 4, Article (g) addit ion
I f a player is in possession of a foreign or extraneous object that is not
part of the un iform or equipm ent, during a game, either on the f ield or on
the Sideline, he will be subject to an Objectionable Conduct penalty. If the
object is deemed a safety hazard by the Referee, the player will also be
disqualif ied.
SPITTING Rule 7 , Sect ion 4 addit ion
Spitt ing at an opponent, off icial or occupant of the team bench area wil l
result in a 2 5-yard penalty and disqualif ication from the game.
2005 CFL RULE CHANGES
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5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
GOAL LINE
DEADLINE
GOAL AREA
24 YDS
65 YARDS
GOAL LINE
DEADLINE
40
10
186
PLAN OF THE FIELD
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5-YARD PENALTIESIllegal Handoff Pass Kickoff Out Of Bounds
Illegal Procedure Pyram iding
Offside Time Count
No Yard s
10-YARD PENALTIESContact ing the Kicker Object ionable ConductDelay Of Gam e Holding
Pass Interference Illegal Block
Ill ega l Co nt ac t On A Re ce ive r Se co nd Fo rw ard Pa ss On A Pla y
Illegal Part icipat ion Taunt ing
Sleeper Play Too M any Players
Illegal Substitut ion Tripping
Ineligib le Receiver Use Of An Illegal Substance
Late Start Unauthorized Person On Field
15-YARD PENALTIES*Chop Block Hazardous Equipm entClipping Piling On
Crackback Block Roughing The Passer
Cut Block Roughing The Kicker
Face M ask ing Unnecessary Roughness
No Yard s
25-YARD PENALTIES*Illegal Deploymen t Of Rough Play
Designated Quarterback Object ionable Conduct
Or Designated Im port Physical Abuse Of Off icialSpitting
DISQUALIFICATION*Hazardous Equipm ent Rough Play
Excessive Object ionable Object ionable Conduct
Conduct Physical Abuse Of Off icial
Spitting
AUTOM ATIC FIRST DOWNPass Interference Unnecessary Roughness
Rough Play Illegal Interference On Loose Ball
LOSS OF DOWNTim e Count Intent ional Grounding
(in last 3 Minut es of a Half,
except on 3 rd down)
* NOTE: The penalty shall be applied in addition to any yardage gained or
score made.
SUMMARY OF PENALTIES
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SECTION 1 THE FIELD
Article 1 Regulation Fields
The f ield shall be 110 yards long by 65 yards wide. It shall be dist inctly
marked as indicated herein:
The l ines marking the sides of the f ield shall be nam ed Sidelines.
The l ines marking the ends of the f ield shall be named Goal Lines.
The area bounded by these two sets of l ines shall be called the Field
of Play.
Twenty yards beh ind ea ch Goal Line, and para l le l to i t , sha l l bemarked a l ine nam ed the Dead Line.
The Sidelines extended from Goal Line to Dead Line shall be nam ed
the Sidelines in Goal.
The area bound ed by the Goal Line, the Dead Line and the Sidelines
in Goal shall be nam ed the Goal Area.
The bounds shall be defined as the inside of the Sidelines, Sidelines
in Goal and Dead Lines.
The Field of Play shall be m arked every 5 yards with l ines extending
from Sideline to Sideline and pa rallel to the Goal Lines.
Twenty-four yards in from each Sideline each 5-yard stripe shall be
marked by a short cross str ipe parallel to the Sidelines (Hash Marks). Markers sha l l be p laced oppos i te each 5-yard l ine f rom the Goal
Line, indicating the distance of each such line from the Goal Line toward
the centre of th e f ield.
The four intersections of Goal Lines and Sidelines and the four inter-
sections of Dead Lines and Sidelines in Goal shall be indicated by flexible
markers that m ust be placed so that they are not touching the surface of
the playing field.
Vert ical posts (goal posts) shall be placed and centred on each Goal
Line. The distance between the posts shall be 18 feet 6 inches. The goal
posts shall extend 40 feet above ground level and shall be joined by a
crossbar parallel to the ground at a height of 10 feet. The diameter ofeach post above the crossbar shall be not less than 3 inches or greater
than 4 inches.
At the extreme top of each post, there shall be attached a colored
ribbon 4 inches wide and 42 inches long. A wishbone type or single-shaft
goal post assembly may be used, provided that i t complies with the above
standards and the base of the assembly is not fur ther than 75 inches
from t he Goal Line.
Artic le 2 Fields Less Than Regulati on Size
I f the regulation length of a f ield is not available because of a fence, a
running t rack or any other object , a c lear l ine of demarcat ion shal l be
established at least one foot toward the p laying surface from such f ence,
track or object.
A line shall be painted on the playing surface and shall be considered as
the bou ndary l ine. A player who t ouches this l ine, the surface outside the
line or any object outside the l ine shall be ruled as having gone Out of
Bounds.
RULE 1 CONDUCT OF THE GAM E
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SECTION 2 THE BALL
The game is played with a ball made of Horween red leather in four pan -
e ls tha t sha ll be in f l a ted to a p ressu re no t l ess than 12 1 / 2 ps i no r
greater than 1 3 1 / 2 p si. The circumference of the long axis shall be not
less than 27 3/ 4 inches nor greater than 28 1/ 4 inches. The circumfer-
ence of the girth or short axis shall be not less than 20 7/ 8 inches nor
greater than 2 1 1 / 8 inches. The length of the long axis shall be not less
than 1 1 inches nor greater than 11 1/ 4 inches. The total weight of the
ball shall not be less than 14 ounces nor greater than 15 ounces. The
exposed laces shall be not more than 4 3 / 8 inches in length and 1 1 / 8
inches in width.The ball shall be painted with 1-inch white stripes around the short axis,
commencing 3 inches away from the point of greatest circumference of
the short axis.
A minimum of seven balls shall be used in a game and changed at the
discretion of the Referee. The balls shall be kept clean and in playable
condit ion.
The off icial football for a Canadian Football League game shall be the
Wilson CFL Official Gam e Ball, which shall be in scribed with the signat ure
of the Comm issioner.
SECTION 3 POSSESSION
Possession means having the ball f irmly held in hand or hands, arm or
arm s, leg or legs, or under th e body.
When players of the opposite teams have possession of t he ball, i t shall
belong to the player who f irst gained possession and who has not lost
possession.
If players of both tea m s legally gain possession of the ba ll simult aneou sly,
it shall belong to the team that last previously had possession.
A ball not in possession of a player is still in play. A ball shall be consid-
ered to have been fu mb led if the player last in possession has lost controlof i t .
I f a kicked ball other t han a kickoff is legally touched by a player of either
team, such touching shall be deemed to be possession.
SECTION 4 DEAD BALL
The ba ll is dead:
Whenever a f ield off icial blows the whistle
When an off icial has signaled a score
When the ball goes Out of Bounds
When a forward pass is declared incomplete
When a k icked ba l l s t r ikes the opponent s goa l post assembly in
flight, without first tou ching the ground , a player or an official
When the ball carrier is tackled and the forward progress has been
halted (tack ling is defined as the act of graspin g or encircling a ball carrier
with hands and arms)
When the ball carrier behind the l ine of scrimm age is f irmly in the
grasp and control of a tackler to the extent that the ball cannot be thrown
When a ball carr ier is tackled and driven back towards the ball carri-
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ers own Goal Line, an off icial must assume that an attempt was being
made to advance the ball and that only the actual contact with an oppo-
nen t p reven ted such advance . There fo re , t he mos t f o rward po in t o f
advance shall be considered the point where the ball became dead
When the ball carrier is contacted by an opponent and loses balance
so that a por t ion o f the body, o ther than hands or feet touches the
ground, the ball shall be dead at the point where it was held when touch -
ing the ground, or the point where the bal l was held when contacted,
whichever is the furthest point of advance
When the quarterback, in possession of the ball, intentionally kneels
on the ground during the last three m inutes of a half
When the quarterback, in possession of the ball, dives in a feet f irst
sl iding motion, the ball shall be declared dead at the point i t was held
when another part of the quarterbacks body, other than hands or feet,
touch the ground
When a player, having possession of the ball in own Goal Area, inten-
tionally kneels on the ground
When a ball carr ier is on the ground and, in the judgment of the off i-
cial, is not attempting to advance the ball, the off icial shall immediately
declare the ball dead.
NOTE: A ball lying on the ground and not in possession of a player is notdead.
A ball striking an of ficial is not dead except on a forward pass.
SECTION 5 TEAMS
For reference hereinafter, the team that pu ts the ball in play shall be iden-
t if ied as Team A and the other team shall be nam ed Team B. The game is
played by teams of 1 2 players.
SECTION 6 TEAM CAPTAINS
At all t im es, each team mu st have on th e f ield a player designated as cap-
tain, and so identif ied to the referee.
The captain shall be the sole communicator between the team and the
off icials (through the referee) and m ay appeal to the referee only on qu es-
t ions of interpretation an d application of rules. Such consultations should
be held apart f rom other p layers on the f ield.
The captain m ay request the referee to call in the yardsticks to determine
whether a f irst down has been m ade or how m uch distance is required. If
in the judgm ent of t he referee, the posit ion of the ball is within one yard of
the f irst down marker, t ime out shall be signaled and a measure called
for. Otherwise, the request shall be denied and play resumed.
The referees decision cannot be disputed. A captain is ent i t led to anexplanation of an y decision but no prolonged argument is to be allowed.
When the yardsticks are called in from th e Sidelines to determine wh ether
a f irst down has been gained, the on-f ield captain for each team shall be
the only players permitted in t he vicinity of the m easurement.
In case of a foul, the captain of the non-offending team shall be given the
choice of the pen alty or the option provided.
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SECTION 7 STARTING & TIMING
Article 1 Start ing
T h e g a m e s h a l l s t a r t p r o m p t l y a t t h e t i m e p r e s c r i b e d b y t h e
Comm issioner. If the team is late appearing on the f ield at the start of the
first or third p eriods, they will be penalized.
PENALTY: L1 0
At the start of the game, the captains of b oth team s shall meet th e refer-
ee at centre f ield. The referee shall toss a coin with the visit ing team cap-
tain m aking the call. The captain of t he team winning the coin toss shall
declare whether to have f irst choice at the start of th e f irst or second half.
The captain of team having f irst choice at the start of the f irst half shall
choose between:
(a) kicking off or receiving the kicko ff or,
(b) which end of t he f ield to defend.
The captain of the other team shall have f irst choice at the start of the
second half, when both captains shall again meet the referee at centre
field to mak e their choices.
Article 2 Playing & Rest Periods
The length of game shall be 60 minutes of actual playing t ime, dividedinto four periods of 15 minutes each. The scoreboard clock shall be the
off icial t ime for the game and shall be operated under the direction and
control of the Timeke eper. (See Rule 2 , Section 2 , Article 1 0).
Goals shall be changed at the end of the f irst and third periods. At the
start of the second and fourth periods, the ball shall be put into play at apoint corresponding exactly to the point at t he other end of the f ield where
the ball became dead at the end of the previous period. It shall be put
into play in exactly the same m anner as if play had not been int errupted.
The kickoff to start the second half shall take place at exactly 14 minu tes
after the conclusion of the f irst half and a team shall be subject to penalty
if the players are not l ined up on the f ield ready to start the second half at
that t ime.
PENALTY: L1 0
Artic le 3 Time Out
Time shall start when the ball is touched fol lowing the k ickoff at th e start
of a half, or after a scoring play, and shall continue until the ball is ruled
dead and an off icial signals to the t im ekeeper that t im e shall stop for any
of the following reasons:
When a score has been made
When the ball goes Out of Bounds
When a forward pass is incomplete For the application of penalt ies
For player substitut ion
For delay caused by player injury
When t ime expires at the end of each per iod
When the ba l l becomes dead a f ter the three-minute warn ing has
been given in any half
When a player requests a team t imeout
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For a convert attempt during the last three minutes of a half
When the referee deems it necessary to suspend play.
If in any period the ball becomes dead with only a short period of t ime
remaining, the team in possession shall be entit led to one com plete play
even though that play may extend beyond the normal termination of that
period.
If a touchdown is scored on the last play of a period, the period shall be
extended to include the convert attempt.
If in any period time expires during a play in which a foul occurs, the non-offending team ma y:
(a) accept the penalty, in which case the team entit led to possession
shall be required to put t he ball into play or,
(b) decline the penalty and accept the play as it terminated to end the
period or,
(c) elect to have the penalty applied on the first play of the following
period, if the foul was a Ma jor Foul.
NOTE: For the purpose of this rule, an Offside Pass shall not be consid-
ered to be a foul.
Should the play be terminated by an of f ic ia l s whist le pr ior to the bal lbeing put into play, the penalty shall be applied and the period extended
for another play.
Article 4 Time In
After a t im e out for any reason, t ime shall start again on the signal of the
referee for any of th e fol lowing reasons:
When the ball is touched following a kickoff
When it is ready to be scr imm aged
When i t is snapped immediately af ter a t ime count foul
When it is snapped on the play imm ediately fol lowing a t ime out due
to crowd noise When it is snapped fol lowing a team t ime out
When it is snapped after Team A creates two consecutive fouls prior
to the ball being put legally into play prior to the last t hree minu tes of any
half
When it is snapped on the play imm ediately fol lowing a kickoff or a
kick from scrimm age or an open-field kick during the last three minut es in
any half
When it is snapped imm ediately fol lowing a play during which pos-
session changed in the last three m inutes in any half
When i t is snapped immediately fol lowing an incomplete legal for-
ward pass in the last three minu tes in any half
When it is snapped imm ediately fol lowing a t ime out caused by the
ball being carried Out of Bounds during the last th ree minut es in any half
When i t is snapped im mediately fo l lowing a score dur ing the last
three minutes in any half
When it is snapped imm ediately fol lowing the application of a penalty
for a foul that occurs after the three-minute warning signal has been given
in any half however, the non-offending team may decline the penalty
and perm it t ime to resum e as though a foul had not occurred
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When i t is snapped imm edia te ly fo llow ing the app l icat ion o f dua l
penalt ies during the last three m inutes of a half.
I f , dur ing the las t th ree m inutes o f a h a l f , an in f ract ion is comm it ted
before the ball can be snapped t he non-offending team may:
(a) accept th e penalty, in which case tim e shall resume on t he snap or,
(b) decl ine the penalty and elect whether t ime shal l resume on the
snap or when the Referee declares the ball in play.
After a touchdown, t ime shall stop and shall resume when the Referee
declares the ball in play for a convert attempt, except during the last threeminutes of a h alf, when t im e shall resum e when the ball is touched on the
ensuing kickoff.
Artic le 5 Team Time Out
During a half, a team shall be permitted to call one t ime out, subject to
the following:
(a) the t ime out may be requested by any player on the f ield and may
be directed to any off icial on t he f ield,
(b) the t im e out shall be 30 seconds in duration,
(c) the game time wil l resume on t he snap.
Article 6 Ball In Play
The ball shall be considered in play unti l an off icial stops the game by
sounding the whistle.
The game shall not be stopped because of player injury until the ball is
dead.
The referee shall not stop the game to impose a penalty unti l the ball is
dead.
Artic le 7 Delay Of Game
The game shall not be delayed except by permission of the Referee. Anyunauthorized delay shall be subject to pen alty.
(a) If the Referee finds it necessary to suspend play while a player in
the game has equipment repairs, that player shall be required to leave
the game for a minim um of three plays.
(b) If the Referee finds it necessary to suspend play while an injured
p laye r rece ives med ica l a t ten t ion on the f i e ld , t ha t p laye r sha l l be
required to leave the game for a m inimum of three plays, except when th e
injury had occurred as a direct result of an infraction for which the oppo-
nent was penalized, in which event the Referee may waive the require-
ment for the player to leave the game.
(c) On a k ickoff, Team A shall be required to k ick the b all within 20 sec-
onds of notif ication by the Referee that play is to comm ence.
(d) If a Team B player interferes with the placement of the ball after it
has been declared in p lay by the Referee, that team shall be penalized.
PENALTY: L1 0
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Article 8 Crowd Noise
The Team A captain m ay request the referee to st op the gam e if excessive
crowd noise prevents Team A from putting the ball into play. The referee
may permit Team A to return to its huddle. The referee shall allow reason-
able t ime but under no circumstances shal l the play be delayed more
than three t imes.
In the event that the home team permits in its stadium the use of either
electronic equipm ent or h igh volum e loudspeakers when t he visit ing team
is a t tempt ing to put the ba l l in p lay, w i th the resu l t that the game is
delayed, the hom e team shall be subject to penalty for delay of game.
PENALTY: L1 0
Article 9 B all In Goal
The ba ll is in goal if it is on or behind t he Goal Line, even in the air.
SECTION 8 TIE GAME
In the event that the score is t ied at the end of the second half of a game,
each team wil l be given the opportunity to score using the fol lowing proce-
dure:
The f irst team, as determined by coin toss, shall scrimm age the ball
at the opponents 3 5-yard l ine and m ay advance by consecutive series of
downs unti l i t mak es a score or loses possession. The second team wil l then scrimm age at the same 35 -yard l ine and
proceed as above.
If the score is st i ll t ied, the procedure shall be repeated at the oppo-
site end of the stadium .
A winner is determined only if both teams have had equal opportuni-
ties to score.
I f a winner is not determined af ter two at tempts the game wi ll be
declared a t ie.
I f the game is a playoff or championship game and a winner must be
determined, the same procedure shall continue unti l a winner is f inally
declared.
SECTION 9 OUT OF BOUNDS
Article 1 Definit ions
The ball is Out of Bounds when it touches a Sideline, Sideline in Goal,
Dead Line or the ground or any other object on or beyond these lines. The
ball is Out of Bounds when a player in possession of the ball touches a
Sideline, Sideline in Goal, Dead Line or the ground or any other object on
or beyond these l ines.
NOTE: The ball shall remain in play when it is knocked or batted back into
the F ie ld o f P lay by a p layer who is o f f the ground and who has not
touched the ground or any object Out of Bounds, see Rule 1, Section 9,Article 3.
NOTE: I f a player gains possession of the bal l whi le of f the ground in
bounds and is contacted by an opponent and lands Out of Bounds in pos-
session of the ba ll, such player shall retain p ossession.
NOTE: A player who gains possession of the ball near the Sideline and
touches the ground in bounds with the f irst step shall retain possession
even if the n ext step is Out of Bounds.
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Article 2
When the ball is kicked Out of Bounds in the Field of Play, it shall belong
to the opposite team , subject to the penalty applicable on a kickoff.
Article 3
When, on any play, the ball is fumbled Out of Bounds, or touches a player
in the Field of Play and then goes Out of Bounds, i t shall belong to the
team that last tou ched the ball in the Field of Play.
A team shall be entit led to possession when a player of the team, while
off the ground, knocks or bats the ball directly Out of Bounds, provided he
lands in bounds.
The ball shall next be scrimm aged:
(a) at the p oint where the ball went Out of Bound s or,
(b) at the point where the ball was last touched in the Field of Play,
whichever point is closer to the Goal Line of the t eam entit led to p osses-
sion.
Article 4
When a player directs the ba ll, other than b y kickin g, from the Field of Play
over the opponents Goal Line and hence Out of Bounds in the Goal Area
without the b all touching an opponent, i t shall be ruled as a fum ble Out of
Bounds in the Field of Play, with the ball declared dead at the point whereit was last tou ched in t he Field of Play.
Article 5
When a player fumbles or directs the ball from the Field of Play into his
own Goal Area, where the ball goes Out of Bounds without possession
being gained by either team, a safety touch score shall be awarded.
Article 6
When a player directs the ball other than by kicking, from the Field of Play
over the opponents Goal Line where it is recovered by an opponent, or is
touched by an opponent before going Out of Bounds in the Goal Area,there shall be no score and the ball shall be awarded to the opponents
team at i ts 25-yard l ine. If in attempting to run the ball out of the Goal
Area, the opponent s team commits an infract ion the penalty shal l be
applied from th e 2 5-yard l ine.
Article 7
When a team in its own Goal Area fum bles or directs the ball, other than
by kicking, across the Goal Line and Out of Bounds in the Field of Play
without touching an opponen t, the non-offending team m ay:
(a) accept a two-point score if the offending team had previously direct-
ed th e ball into it s own Goal Area or,
(b) accept a one-point score if the non-offending team had k icked theball into t he Goal Area or,
(c) decl ine the score and require the team ent i t led to possession to
scrimm age the ball 24 yards in from the point where the ball went Out of
Bounds or,
(d) i f pr ior to the fumble or offside pass Out of Bounds, the players
team had gained possession in its Goal Area by intercepting a forward
pass or recovering an opponents fumble from the Field of Play, it shall be
awarded the ball at i ts 25 -yard l ine without opt ion.
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Article 8
A player of either team who goes Out of Boun ds, except as a result o f bod-
i ly contact, must remain out of that play.
PENALTY: L1 0
If such player should en ter the field an d touch or recover a loose ball:
PENALTY: LB PF
Article 9
When a team in its own Goal Area kicks the ball Out of Bounds in its own
Goal Area, the ball shall be deemed to have become dead in the Goal
Area and th e opponent sha ll be awarded:(a) a single point if the ball had been kicked into the Goal Area by the
opponent or,
(b) a safety touch score if the ball had been kicked, passed or carried
into th e Goal Area by the team scored against.
If the team in its own Goal Area had gained possession through intercep-
t ion of a forward pass or recovery of an opponen ts fum ble, there shall be
no score and the t eam shall take possession at i ts 25 -yard l ine.
If, under similar circumstances, a team should kick th e ball Out of Bounds
in the opponents Goal Area without gaining possession, the play shall be
ruled as though the opponent had kicked the ball out of i ts own Goal Area.
SECTION 10 : PLAYING UNIFORMS
Article 1 Equipment
Equipm ent or apparel that, in the judgm ent of the Referee, may endanger
or confuse opponents is illegal.
The use of metal or other hard objects including casts, guards and
braces to protect bod y parts, is permitted provided that such are app ro-
pr iately covered on al l edges and sur faces by foam rubber or s imi lar
material.
PENALTY: L10 PBD. The offending player shall be required to leave thegame for a minimum of three plays and shall not be permitted to return
unti l the i l legal equipment has been rem oved. Substitut ion for t he player
shall be allowed.
Article 2 Helmets
A player shall be required to wear a helmet when on the Field of Play and
shall not volun tarily remove it while the pla y is in progress.
The use of helmets or oth er objects to deceive opponents as to the where-
abouts of the ball is prohibited.
PENALTY: L5
NOTE: See Rule 7 , Section 2 , Article 3 & Rule 7 , Section 4.
Artic le 3 Numbering Of Players
Each player shall be conspicuously numbered on t he front an d back of the
je rse y, and on the upper arm s or sh ou lders . Su ch num ber m ust corr e-
spond with that l isted with the scorer. A player shall retain the sam e num -
ber throughout the game except when permission to change is given by
the referee. Such change shall be reported to the scorer.
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In the event that a Team A player is required to wear a different jersey
number i n o rde r to p lay a t a d i f f e ren t pos i t i on , t he je r sey mus t be
changed in the team bench area. Under no circumstan ces shall the jersey
be changed while the player is on th e playing f ield.
PENALTY: The offending player shall be removed from t he game un ti l the
proper playing num ber is determ ined. Substitut ion shall be allowed.
Artic le 4 Illegal Substance
A player shall not be permitted to apply or have applied on the uniform,
equipmen t or body:
(a) an adhesive substance that, in the sole judgment of the referee,
has m ade the gam e ball unsuitable for play as a result of direct or indirect
contact with that player, and/ or,
(b) a greasy substance that, in the sole judgment of the referee, has
the potential to give that player an un fair advantage.
PENALTY: L10 PBD. The offending player shall be required to leave the
game for a minimum of three plays and shall not be permitted to return
unti l the i l legal substance has been removed. Substitut ion for t he player
shall be allowed.
Artic le 5 B lood Hazards From Open WoundsI f a player has an open wound that, in th e opinion of t he Referee, is bleed-
ing significantly, then that player will be required to leave the Field of Play
to have the wound proper ly dressed by club medical staf f . The player
would be permitted to re-enter the Field of Play after receiving clearance
from th e Referee.
Arti cle 6 Hazardous Equipment
A player shall not b e permitted to wear un authorized equipm ent (ex. base-
ball cleats, track spikes or golf shoes) or equipment t hat h as been deliber-
ately altered so that, in the sole judgment of th e Referee, i t has the poten-
t ial to cause injury to an opponen t.
PENALTY: L15 The offending player shall be disqualif ied from t he game.
NOTE: If the infraction is detected during or following a play in which that
player participated, the Referee may apply the penalty at the point of ori-
gin of t hat play, or PBD.
Arti cle 7 Dress Code
A team is required to dress in a professional manner and shall be subject
to penalty if a player fai ls to comply with the fol lowing requirements:
(a) The team jersey shal l be tucked inside the top of the pants and
shall remain tucked in throughout the gam e. If the jersey is pulled out du r-
ing the game, the player shall be required to tuck it in during a break inthe p lay.
(b) Uniform stockings shall be worn in such manner th at no part of t he
players knee or leg is exposed.
(c) Protective gear shall be worn underneath the team jersey, pants
and st ockings. When a short -sleeved jersey is worn, the color of p rotective
gear on the elbow or lower arm shall be the sam e as one of the basic col-
ors of the team.
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(d) The team uniform shall not be cut away or altered in any manner
whatsoever.
(e) White tape may be used on wr ists and hands, but tape used on
stockings or any part of the uniform shall be the same color as the uni-
form or equipm ent it covers.
(f) Shoes of a standard football design, with appropriate football cleat-
ing, that have not b een altered, deliberately or otherwise, in an y manner
and judged suitable by the Referee for the playing surface, may be used.
Sneaker type shoes with no cleating may also be u sed.
PENALTY: L10 PBD The offending player shall be required to leave the
game for a minimum of three plays and shall not be permitted to returnunt i l the dress code violat ion has been remedied. Subst i tut ion for the
player shall be allowed.
SECTION 11 TEAM PERSONNEL
Article 1 Bench Area
The team bench area shall be a rectangular area situated not closer to
the Sideline than 6 feet and extending for a distance of 3 0 yards parallel
to the Sideline. During a game, the area may be occupied only by substi-
tute players in uniform and other accredited persons including coaches,
doctors, trainers, equipment assistants and water carriers. All such per-
sonnel are required to remain within the rectangular area with the excep-tion of the coaches, who may take posit ions between the bench a rea and
the Sideline. The coaches shall not be permitted on the playing f ield at
any t ime during the gam e, except with the permission of the referee.
PENALTY: L1 0
Artic le 2 Offic ial Time Out
When the referee has called an off icial t ime out, not more th an one player
of each team may proceed to the Sideline to talk with th e coach.
PENALTY: L1 0
Arti cle 3 Trainers & Injured Players
During a stoppage in play for injury or other reason, not more than two
representat ives of each team, other than medical personnel, shal l be
allowed to en ter the f ield.
The referee need not permit the attendants of both teams to enter the
field in case of injury to a player of one team only and shall indicate such
permission to the attendants of one or both teams.
When t ime out has been called for player injury or equipm ent repair, that
player shall be required to leave the game for a minimum of three plays,
except when the injury had occurred as a result of an infraction for whichthe opponent was penalized.
PENALTY: L10 PLS DR or L10 PBD or option .
Article 4 Substit ution Procedure
A substitute m ay enter the Field of Play at any t ime the ba ll is dead and
only at that t im e.
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A substitute who enters the game and com mu nicates with a teamm ate on
the f ield mu st remain in t he game for at least one play.
A player leaving the game shall proceed directly to the Sideline on which
the team bench is located and, thence, outside the Field of Play to the
team bench.
A team shall not be permitted to use player substitut ion as a means of
deceiving the opponents.
A team that permits more than 12 players to part icipate in its huddle or
formation before the ball is snapped shall be subject to a pen alty for il le-
gal substitut ion.
The side off icials (head l inesman and l ine judge) shall monitor the team
bench on their sides of the f ield and, when the ball becomes dead , shall
observe that Sideline for possible substitut ions. When Team A breaks the
huddle, or if no huddle, and the Referee declares the ball in play, the side
off icials shall turn away from the Sidelines and raise their arms to shoul-
der level. (Raising the gates.) Further substitut ion shall not be permit-
ted.
When, on a kicking play, Team A has only 11 players on the field and the
gates have gone up, a player may enter the f ield and part icipate in the
play without being penalized for Illegal Substitution, if he is able to enterthe close l ine play area and then assume a posit ion, inside or outside
this area, prior to the snap.
PENALTY: L1 0
Artic le 5 Sleeper Play
A sleeper play is one in which Team A uses subst itution procedures t o dis-
guise a players presence on the field and eligibility as a potential pass
receiver, and t hrows a pass to th at player.
Team A shall not use player substitut ion as a mean s of disguising a sleep-
er play. If following a substit ution , a Team A player does not p articipat e inthe team huddle and tak es a posit ion within 11 yards of the Sideline adja-
cent to the Team A bench area when the ball is put int o play, that player
shall be deem ed to be ineligible as a pass receiver.
PENALTY: L1 0
Artic le 6 Error In Number Of Players
I f through error in substitut ion or otherwise, a team has more than 12
players on the f ield the offen ding team shall be penalized.
PENALTY: L1 0
SECTION 12 OTHER PERSONNELArticle 1
I f a person entit led to be in a team bench area ( i.e. a substitute player in
uniform or one of t he other accredited persons) interferes with the play in
progress, that team shall be subject to penalty as follows:
(a) If the opponent had possession of the ball, the referee shall award
an automat ic touchdown to the opponent.
(b) If the offending persons team had p ossession, i t shall be penalized
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for illegal interference (L10 PBH or PBD) while the downs shall continue
without interruption.
(c) If neither team had possession, the ball shall be awarded to the
opponent at the point of recovery with a penalty of half the d istance to the
Goal Line and the opponent shall be permitted a series of three downs
regardless of the t im e remaining in the half.
Furthermore, the offending person shall be disqualif ied from the game
imm ediately and subject to discipl inary action by the Comm issioner. There
shall not be any additional yardage penalty by reason of the disqualifica-
t ion.
Article 2
I f a person other than one described in Art icle 1 should interfere with th e
play in progress the penalt y shall be:
(a) If such person interfered to the advantage of the team in posses-
sion, that team shal l be penal ized for i l legal inter ference at the point
where the ball was held when the interference occurred.
(b) If such person interfered to the advantage of the team not in pos-
session, the team in possession shall be awarded:
( i) a touchdown score if , in the judgmen t of t he referee, a touch-
down would have been scored on the play or,
( ii) a penalty of half the d istance to the Goal Line from:1. the po in t where the ba l l was he ld when the in ter ference
occurred or,
2. the point where the ball became dead or,
3. the point where the b all was put into play or the team gained
possession, whichever is the greater advantage to the team in posses-
sion, plus a series of th ree downs regardless of the t ime remaining in the
half.
(c) If such person inte rferes with the p lay when the ball is not in posses -
sion of either team, the referee shall whistle the play dead immediately.
The entire play shall be repeated at the point the ball was previously put
into play, with the d own, yardage, score and t im e remaining the sam e.(d) If such person interferes with a forward pass play in the Goal Area,
the ball shall be awarded to:
( i) Team A at the one-yard l ine i f the in t er ference was to the
advant age of Team B or,
( i i ) Team B at the 10-yard l ine i f the in ter ference was to the
advant age of Team A.
NOTE: If the non-offending team is awarded a series of three downs with
insuf f ic ient t ime remaining, i t shal l be permit ted a maximum of three
plays from scrimmage. If that team should score or lose possession, the
game wil l be terminated at t he conclusion of that play.
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SECTION 1 DESIGNATION OF OFFICIALS
Art icle 1 Field Off ic ials Art icle 2 Sideline Officials
1 . Referee Downsm an
2 . Um pire Yardsm en
3 . Back Judge Tim ekeeper
4 . Side Judge Com m unicat ion Coordinator
5 . Field Judge Countdown Operator
6 . Head Linesm an Scorer
7 . Line Judge Statist icianSECTION 2 JURISDICTION & DUTIES OF OFFICIALS
Article 1 General
All f ield off icials are equally responsible for the conduct of the gam e and
no agreement shall be undertaken that would prevent the call ing of any
foul, against either team , by an off icial.
Each f ield off icial shall be equipped with a wh istle and a colored ma rker
to be used to indicate a foul.
The sounding of the whistle shall stop the game.
The throwing of a marker indicates that a foul has been committed, butplay shall continue u nti l i ts terminat ion.
The signal of t ime in shall be a clockwise sweep of the referees arm
from th e overhead posit ion and t he sounding of the referees whistle.
Artic le 2 The Referee
The referee shall take primary charge of the game and shall:
Guide and direct the efforts of the other off icials
Enforce the rules and apply penalt ies
Adjudicate upon disputes or matters not provided for in the rules
Take posit ion behind Team A in order to observe that the ball is put
into play legally and th ereafter jud ge its possession and progress Cover the actions of passers and kickers and the defensive actions
of opponents
Cover lateral passes and onside kicks behind the l ine of scrimm age
Be primari ly responsible for marking balls Out of Bounds in f l ight
In co-operation with the head l inesman keep count of the downs and,
Notify each team captain when three minutes remain to be played in
each half and furthermore m ay:
o Overrule an y other official
o Cause th e remo val of any Sideline off icial and, if necessary,
o Require the replacement of such Sideline off icial
Artic le 3 The UmpireThe um pire shall have jurisdict ion over the condu ct and actions of players
on the scrimmage l ines of both teams and shall take a posit ion behind
the defen sive l inem en (Team B).
Artic le 4 The Back Judge
The back judge shall have jurisdict ion over the conduct and actions of
players of both team s on Team Bs side of the l ine of scrimmage and shall
be responsible for Sideline violations down field.
RULE 2 OFFICIALS
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Art icl e 5 The Side Judge
The duties of t he side judge shall be identical to those of the back judge.
Art icl e 6 The Field Judge
The f ie ld judge shal l have jur isdict ion over the conduct and act ions of
players of both team s on Team Bs side of the l ine of scrimma ge and shall
take a posit ion downfield between the hash m arks.
Artic le 7 The Head Linesman
The head l inesman shall supervise and control the yardsmen and their
act ions in the p lacement and movement o f the yardst icks, under the
direction of the referee. He shall record the number of each down and
ass is t the re feree in th is respect and sha l l systemat ica l ly check the
Sideline for player substitut ions and ensure that only approved substitu-
t ion procedures are used.
Art icl e 8 The Line Judge
With the exception of:
(a) the supervision and control of th e yardsmen, and,
(b) the recordin g of downs,
the jurisdict ion and duties of the l ine judge are identical to those of the
head l inesman .
Articl e 9 Downsman & Yardsmen
Under the d irect ion of the head l inesman, the downsm an shal l p lace a
marker at the forward point of gain or loss after each play and shall indi-
cate the num ber of each down on the marker provided.
Two yardsmen shall function on one Sideline under the direction of the
head linesman. They shall remain outside the Field of Play unless called
to assist in measuring for a possible first down. They shall be equipped
with two pickets, connected near t he lower ends by a chain. The distance
between these pickets shall measure 1 0 yards.
A third yardsman shall be used to hold a single picket on the opposite
Sideline to mark the 10-yard objective line. However, such picket shall not
be used to determ ine whether a f irst down has been gained.
Article 10 Timekeeper & Scorer
Prior to the gam e, the scorer shall be provided with a com plete l ist of the
e l igib le compet ing p layers and the s tar t ing l ineups, and sha l l k eep a
record of all scoring plays in the gam e.
The t imek eeper shall keep the t ime according to Rule 1, Sections 7 and 8,
and sha l l not i fy the head l inesman or l ine judge when three minutes
remain in each half.
I f the scoreboard clock should fai l t o operate, the t im ekeeper shall, pr ior
to the last minute of play in each quarter, take a posit ion in order to be
clearly visible to the referee and at t he comm encement of the last m inute
of play, shall raise a flag and continue to hold it in a raised position until
t ime has expired in that quarter.
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SECTION 1 TABLE OF SCORES
Touchdown 6 Points
Field Goals 3 Points
Safety Touch 2 Points
Single Point or Rouge 1 Point
Convert 1 Point or 2 Points
The team scoring the m ajority of points shall be t he winner.
SECTION 2 DEFINITIONS
Article 1 Touchdown
A touchdown is scored when the ball is in possession of a player in the
opponent s Goal Area, or when the bal l in the possession of a player
crosses or touches the plane of th e opponents Goal Line. Should the ball
subsequently be fum bled, or the player in possession forced back into the
Field of Play, the t ouch down sh all score.
After a touchdown, the team scored against may kickoff from its own 35 -
yard l ine or require the scoring team to kickoff from its (scoring teams)
35-yard line.
Arti cle 2 Field Goal
A field goal is scored by a drop kick or place kick (except on a kickoff)
when the ball, after being kicked and without again touching the ground,
goes over the cross bar and between the goal posts (or goal posts pro-
duced) of the opponen ts goal.
The ball shall be dead im mediately when it crosses the cross bar.
After a f ield goal, the team scored against m ay kickoff or scrimmage th e
ball as f irst down at i ts own 35-yard l ine or require the scoring team to
kickoff from its 35 -yard l ine.
AR: Team A attem pts a field goal. After the ba ll is kicked a nd befo re cross-
ing the line of scrimmage, it touches or is touched by a player of either
team and then proceeds through the uprights and over the crossbar in
flight. RULING Field Goal.
AR: Team A attempts a field goal. After the ball has crossed the line of
scrimm age, it touches or is touched by a Team B player before it proceeds
through the upr ights and above the crossbar in f l ight . RULING Field
Goal.
Artic le 3 Safety Touch
A safety touch is scored when the b all becomes dead in the possession ofa team in its own Goal Area, or touches or crosses the Dead Line or a
Sideline in Goal as a result of the ball having been carried, kicked, fum-
bled or oth erwise directed f rom the Field of Play into th e Goal Area by the
team scored against, or as a direct result of a kick from scrimm age having
been b locked in the Field of Play or Goal Area.
RULE 3 SCORING
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After a safety touch, the scoring team may elect to have th e ball next put
into play as follows:
(a) By scrimm aging the ball at its own 3 5 -yard line or,
(b) By kicking off from its own 3 5 -yard line or,
(c) By requiring the team scored against to kickof f from its 3 5 -yard line.
If while in the act of conceding a safety touch, a team deliberately, in the
ju dgm ent of t he of f icia l, com m its a Ho ld ing in f ract io n , t he score sha ll
count and the penalty applied at the point where the ball is next put into
play.
When a Rough Play or Unnecessary Roughness foul is committed on aplay during which a safety touch is scored by the non-offending team, the
score shall be allowed and the penalty assessed from the point where the
ball is next put in play.
Artic le 4 Single Point Or Rouge
If the ball is kicked in to the Goal Area by an opponen t, a rouge is scored:
(1) when the bal l becomes dead in possession of a team in i ts own
Goal Area or,
(2) when the ball touches or crosses the Dead Line or a Sideline in
Goal, and tou ches the ground , a player or some ob ject beyond these lines.
AR: Team A kicks to Team B. B1 att empting to catch the ball on Team Bs
3-yard l ine, fumbles it and is tackled with the ball in possession in the
Team B Goal Area. RULING Rouge (ball deemed to have been kicked
int o Goal Area by Team A).
AR: Team A kicks t o Team B. B1 catches t he ball in t he Field of Play while
moving towards own Goal Line and, in the judgment of the off icial, the
momentum carries B1 into own Goal Area. RULING No Score (posses-
sion deemed to have been gained in the Goal Area).
After a rouge, the team scored against sha ll next put the b all into play by a
scrimmage as f irst down at any point between the hash marks on its 35-yard line.
If the single point was scored as the result of an unsuccessful field goal
attem pt, the team scored against may elect to scrimm age the ball at any
point between the h ash m arks on its own 3 5-yard l ine or at the previous
line of scrimm age.
NOTE: For the pu rposes of th is Article, a drop kick or place k ick shall, with-
out exception, be deemed to be a f ield goal attempt .
NOTE: I f during a kickoff, the kicked ball p roceeds through the Goal Area
and across the Dead Line or Sideline in Goal without b eing touched, there
shall be no score and th e ball shall be awarded to the receiving team atany point between the hash m arks on its own 25 -yard l ine.
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Artic le 5 Convert
A team scoring a touchdown m ay attempt to add to its score by means of
a scrimmage play from any point between the hash marks on or outside
the opp onen ts five-yard line, as follows:
1 point By kicking a f ield goal or,
2 points By scoring a touchdown by means of a ball carrying or pass-
ing play.
The ball shall remain in play unti l a score is made or the play has been
terminated.
I f Team B lega l l y ga ins possess ion du r ing an unsuccess fu l conver tattempt (i.e. interception of forward pass, recovery of fumble or blocked
kick), it may score two points by advancing the ball across Team As Goal
Line. If the p lay termina tes with Team B in possession in its ow n Goal Area
or in the Field of Play, there sh all be no score.
If the play terminates with Team A legally in possession in Team Bs Goal
Area, Team A shall be awarded two points if the ball had been carried or
passed across the l ine of scrimmage, but no points if the ball had been
kicked across the l ine of scrimm age.
NOTE: There sha l l be no conver t a t tempt on the w inn ing touchdown
scored in overt ime.
NOTE: For infraction on convert attempt , see Rule 8, Section 5.
SECTION 3 TERM INATING A PLAY IN GOAL
A player of the tea m in possession of t he ball in its own Goal Area m ay ter-
minate the play by dropping to the ground on one knee. The off icial shall
imm ediately declare the play dead.
SECTION 4 M ISCELLANEOUS
No score can be m ade from a kickoff unless the ball, after i t is kicked off,
is touched by a player of either team within bounds.
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NOTE: Where a violation un der this Rule occurs before the ball h as been
snapped, the o f f ic ia ls are em powered to s top the p lay and app ly the
penalty. Such penalty shall apply without option; however, the yardage
may be declined. For a violation during the last three minutes of a half,
see Rule 1, Section 7, Article 4.
SECTION 1 DEFINITIONS
Artic le 1 Line Of Scrimma ge
The l ine of scrimmage is an imaginary l ine, extending from Sideline toSideline, parallel to the Goal Line, and passing through the point of the
ball farth est from Team As Goal Line.
Article 2 Line & Back field
Players of Team A who are within o ne yard of and on t heir own side of th e
line of scrimm age and are formed in a single l ine when th e ball is put in
play, shall be considered scrimmage line, or line players. A player, whose
head and shoulders are within one yard of th e l ine of scrimm age, shall be
deemed to be a l ine player.
A player of Team A is considered to be in the backfield if such player is
clearly back of the line when the ball is put in play. This will also includethe player occupying the p osit ion of quarterback.
No player of Team A shall be in a posit ion that wil l create doubt as to
being on the l ine or in th e backfield, when the b all is put in play.
PENALTY: L5
Artic le 3 Scrimmage Zone
The scrimm age zone is the area extending one yard on each side of the
line of scrimmage and from Sideline to Sideline.
Artic le 4 Defensive Line
On a play from scrimmage, players of Team B must line up at least one
yard back of, and on their own side of the l ine of scrimmage unt i l the ballis put in play. This includ es the player giving defen sive signals.
PENALTY: L5
SECTION 2 M ETHOD OF SCRIM M AGE
Articl e 1 The Centre
At the comm encement of a scrimm age play, one Team A player (the cen-
tre) shall take posit ion facing the opponents Goal Line with the ball on
the playing surface immediately in front and shall put the ball in play by
snapping it back between the legs in one continuous motion to another
Team A player behind the l ine of scr immage. The bal l must leave the
hands of th e centre, who shall not touch the ball again unti l i t has been inthe possession of an other player.
Team A shall be subject to p enalty for attempting to d raw an opponent off-
side if:
(a) the centre fakes a snap, without snapping the ball or,
(b) the centre, having assumed a stance holding the bal l , bobs the
head, moves the shoulders or f lexes the knees without snapping the ball.
PENALTY: L5
RULE 4 SCRIM M AGE
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NOTE: On a Team A kicking formation, the centre shall be permitted to
move the head for the purpose of checking the posit ion of an opponent
prior to snapping the ball.
Article 2 I l legal M ovement
Team A shall be subject to p enalty for attempting to d raw an opponent off-
side if:
(a) the quarterback m akes a quick m ovement towards the centre posi-
t ion without the ball being snapped imm ediately or,
(b) the quarterback, having assumed a stance with hands under the
centre, bobs the head, moves the shoulders or f lexes the kn ees in a jerk-ing motion without the ball being snapped or,
(c) the quarterback, having assumed a stance with hands under the
centre, moves away without the ball being snapped.
PENALTY: L5
Either team shall be subject to penalty for attempting to draw an oppo-
nent offside if a p layer mak es a m otion or voices a signal that, in the judg-
ment of the off icial, is intended to draw an opponent offside.
PENALTY: L5
Articl e 3 Offside At The SnapTeam A players mu st be completely behind th e l ine of scrimm age, except
that the head, arms and hands of the centre may be in advance of the
line of scrimm age.
PENALTY: L5
If a Team B player is offside on his own one-yard line.
PENALTY: Team A shall be awarded a f irst down or score mad e.
If a Team B player goes offside and contacts an opponen t or breaks th e
plane of the l ine of scrimmage before the ball is snapped, the off icials
shall stop the play imm ediately and award the penalty, subject to t he r ightof Team A to decline the yardage penalty and order the same d own to be
repeated as th ough a foul had n ot occurred. If the Team B player is within
one yard of the l ine of scrimm age when the b all is snapped, the play shall
continue, subject to th e penalty against Team B.
If a Team B player enters the neutral zone within one yard of the l ine of
scr immage caus ing a Team A l ine p layer to move before the ba l l i s
snappe d, Team B shall be sub ject to a penalty for offside.
I f p layers of both teams are of fs ide on the same play, the same down
shall be repeated without penalty from the point of last scrimm age.
A player of either team who is offside and contacts an opponent, eventhough resuming an onside posit ion prior to the snap, shall be penalized
for being offside.
Team A ma y put the ball into p lay withou t waiting for Team B players to be
onside, but an offside penalty cannot be claimed against Team B. Such an
offside player shall not interfere with the play in any m anner.
PENALTY: L5
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Arti cle 4 Time Count
The Referee shall al low Team A 20 seconds in which to p ut th e ball into
play. If the stadium countdown clock is not in operation, the Referee shall
be the sole judge as to when the t im e count shall comm ence, after al low-
ing both teams reasonable t ime in which to l ine up after the preceding
play.
PENALTY: L5 DR Yardage pen alty may be declined.
NOTE: After the th ree-minut e warning has been given in a half t he penalty
shall be 12 D LD, 3D L10 DR.
NOTE: The penalty for a t ime coun t violation on a convert attempt shall beL5 DR at any t ime du ring the game.
NOTE: I f in the opinion of the referee, Team A is taking a d eliberate third
down tim e count penalty, the referee m ay order Team A to put the ball in
play legally within 2 0 seconds or forfeit possession to Team B.
SECTION 3 INTERFERENCE
Article 1 General Definit ion
In ter ference takes p lace when a p layer obst ructs , b locks, screens or
charges towards an opponent, with or without direct contact, in such a
mann er that prevents the opponent s approach to the ba ll carrier, poten-
tial ball carrier or the ball.
Articl e 2 B y Team A
(a) On a play from scrimmage, a Team A player may interfere with an
opponent from Dead Line to Dead Line commencing from the instant the
ball is snapped, except in the case of:
(i) a play during which a forward pass is thrown across the line of
scrimm age or,
( i i) a play during which the ball is kicked across the l ine of scrim-
mage.
(b) For interference on a forward pass play, see Rule 6, Sect ion 4,
Article 8.(c) On a kicking play, a Team A player may interfere with an opponent
up to one yard in advance of the l ine of scrimm age.
(d) A Team A player may use hands, open or closed, and may thrust
them forward to contact an opponent, provided that the hands are kept
inside the elbows and contact is made from the front or side of the oppo-
nent wi th in the f rame of the opponent s body that is presented to the
blocker.
(e) Hands may not be thrust forward above the frame to contact the
opponent on th e neck, face or head.
PENALTY: L1 0
Articl e 3 By Team B
(a) On any play from scrimmage, a Team B player may use hands and
arms to reach the ball carr ier, but shall not hold or encircle any Team A
player, other th an the ba ll carrier.
PENALTY: L1 0
(b) For interference on a forward pass play, see Rule 6, Sect ion 4,
Article 8 (b).
(c) For interference on a kick ing play, see Rule 5, Section 4 , Article 4.
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SECTION 4 PLACEMENT OF THE BALL
Article 1 After A Score
When the ball is placed in play by the referee after a scoring play, after
the ball has been d eclared dead in the end zone, or fol lowing the applica-
tion of a p enalty for a foul in goal or a fou l on a convert, Team A m ay elect
to scrimm age the ball at any point between the hash m arks.
Article 2 Within 24 Yards Of A Sideline
If the ball becomes dead within 24 yards of either Sideline, or goes Out of
Bounds, i t shall next be scrimm aged 24 yards in from such Sideline at the
yardage point where it becom es dead.
Artic le 3 Wit hin 1 Yard Of Goal Line
If Team A has possession of t he ball with in one yard of eith er Goal Line, it
shall be scrimmaged one yard out from such Goal Line.
Arti cle 4 Wit hin 1 5 Yards Of Own Goal
When, on third down, Team A scrimmages on or within its own 15-yard
line, Team A may position the ball away from the goal posts towards the
closest Sideline, but n ot closer than 2 4 yards to such Sideline.
Arti cle 5 Wit hin 1 0 Yards Of Own Goal
If Team A is scrimmaging within 10 yards of its own Goal Line, it shall bepermitted to have the ball moved out to the nearest hash mark.
SECTION 5 PLAYER RESTRICTIONS
Art icl e 1 Seven Players On Line
At the in stant the ba ll is put in play, at least seven p layers of Team A m ust
be within one yard, and on their own side of the l ine of scrimmage. This
does not include t he player in the posit ion usually occupied by the quar-
terback. Conversely, Team A can never have more than f ive players,
including the quarterback, in backfield posit ions.
PENALTY: L5
Article 2 Stance
No line player of Team A, except th e centre, having assum ed a thre e-point
or four-point stance, m ay legally move the hea d, body, arms, hand, legs or
feet unti l the ball is snapped.
PENALTY: L5
Article 3 Identif icati on & Posit ions
On all scrimmage plays at least f ive l ine players, including the centre,
shall be identif ied as ineligible pass receivers and mu st be posit ioned in a
continuous, unbroken l ine. In addit ion, one player at each end of t he l ineshall be ident ified as an eligible pass receiver.
Any other Team A player is an eligible pass receiver, i f so identif ied by
playing numb er and, at th e snap of the ball, is occupying a backfield posi-
t ion at least one yard back of th e l ine of scrimm age.
NOTE: Team A Players shall be ident ified by num bering as follows:
Eligible receivers wil l wear numb ers from 0 -49 and 7 0-00 .
Ineligible receivers wil l wear num bers from 5 0-69 .
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NOTE: Notwithstanding this article, a Team A player wearing an eligible
receiver number may enter the game at an inel ig ib le receiver posi t ion
under the fol lowing circumstances:
(a) on a th ird down p lay or,
(b) on a convert attem pt or,
(c) on a f irst or second down kicking formation in the last minute of a
quarter , provided that , pr ior to the game, Team A had declared to the
Referee which eligibly numbered players may be so deployed, in which
event, any such declared player shall not be eligible as a pass receiver,
regardless of the posit ion occupied on th at play.
PENALTY: L5
Article 4 Linemen In M otion
No player of Team A, who is within one yard of th e line of scrimm age, shall
be m oving towards the opp onents Goal Line when th e ball is put in play.
All Team A players positioned in th e scrimm age zone from off ensive tackle
to offensive tack le inclusive, or having assum ed a three-point or four-point
stance with in one yard of the l ine of scr immage, shal l be required to
remain motionless for at least one second immediately prior to the snap
of the ball.
EXCEPTION: Rule 6, Section 4 , Article 4 , Note 4
Artic le 5 Designated Quarterbac k
Prior to the game, a t eam is required to designate three players who shall
be permitted to alternate for each other during the game at the quarter-
back position exclusively. Not more than one such player may be in the
game at any t ime and none of the three can enter the game as a m ember
of Team B. A player shall be deemed to be playing at the Team A quarter-
back posit ion if , at th e snap of the ball, that player is in posit ion to receive
the ball directly from the centre.
If a designated quarterback part icipates in the game at another posit ion:PENALTY: L25 PLS DR or L25 PBD or option .
NOTE: For the purposes of this Art icle 5, the duties of the quarterback
posit ion may include punting, place kicking and kicking off. If a team des-
ignates three quarterbacks for a game, the player designated as the th ird
quarterback shall not be eligible for kicking duties.
Artic le 6 Designated Import
I f a team is using its ful l complement of import players, i t shall, pr ior to
the game, designate two import players, who
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