2014 FOOTBALL POLICIES, PROCEDURES & RULES Manual 1 McKinney Sports Connection TABLE OF CONTENTS I. The MSC Philosophy A. Mission Statement B. Sportsmanship II. The MSC Program A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. MSC Advisory Council League Structure Player Eligibility Coaches Eligibility How an Individual Joins the MSC Team Formation Uniforms Equipment Practices MSC Phone Numbers Field Rules and Boundaries Field Headquarters Post Season Play Liability III. Game Mechanics A. B. C. D. F. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. 0. Rule Book Quarter Length Required Number of Players to Start Game MSC Ball Carrier Weight Restrictions Minimum Playing Rule Ball Size Excessive Scoring Margin Unsportsmanlike Conduct Mouth Guards Overtime Player Ejection from Game Time outs Extra Point Scoring Set Position Clarification Field Goal Extra Point & Punt 2 I. THE MSC PHILOSOPHY A. Mission Statement To provide the youth of McKinney and the surrounding areas the opportunity to play football in an environment where teamwork is essential for success. With positive coaching, as well as coaches who represent themselves as role models to the community both on and off the field. B. Sportsmanship 1. Coaches All MSC coaches are required to demonstrate positive sportsmanship on and off the field in respect to their players, parents, opposing team players, parents, coaches, and the game officials. Coaches who are unable to demonstrate the proper sportsmanship will be subject to disciplinary action from further coaching in the MSC. (See Section II-A) Any coach who is ejected from a game for unsportsmanlike conduct will be required to leave the field of play and will be unable to coach in the next scheduled game. This includes postseason play. The continued demonstration of improper sportsmanship may result in permanent suspension from MSC. 2. Participants Sportsmanship is a priority in the development of MSC athletes. All participants must demonstrate positive sportsmanship at all times. Those who cannot will be dismissed from the game. The continued demonstration of improper sportsmanship may constitute suspension from any number of games. 3. Spectators All spectators will be expected to demonstrate positive sportsmanship on and off the field. Spectators who cannot will be required to leave the game site and will not be allowed to attend the next game. The continued demonstration of improper sportsmanship may constitute suspension from any number of games. II. THE MSC PROGRAM A. MSC Advisory Board The MSC Advisory Board is the governing body for the MSC football program. The Council will consist of representatives from each division of play, the Administrative Director as well as the League Director. The Administrative Director and the League Director, jointly, have the authority to make decisions independent of the MSC Advisory Board for the good of the league. The MSC Advisory Board reserves the right to modify, change, or create any rule that is in the best interest of the MSC Football programs and/or its participants. B. League Structure MSC will be divided into multiple divisions as presented below. In addition, each division may further be divided into individual conferences. Our intent, in regard to individual conferences, is that all teams, whether highly competitive or somewhat more recreational, are able to compete with teams of like ability whenever possible. Each individual shall go by grade first then age. Grade as of New School Year 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Prior to August 1 have not reached the age of 9 10 11 12 13 3 C. Player Eligibility All children from the ages of 7 through 12 years of age (a player cannot turn 13 before August 1, 2014) are eligible for play. A player may request to participate in a higher grade/age group but may not play in a lower grade/age group. In order for a child to be considered registered, his/her completed registration form and birth certificate must be on file, and all contracts signed and all fees paid within the time period and manner specified by the MSC. D. Coaches’ Eligibility 1. Eligibility & Selection The Football Commissioner will approve all coaching applicants and a background investigation process will be utilized. The selection of all Coaches (including all assistant coaches) will be at the discretion of the Football Commissioner. If approved by the commissioner, returning coaches will be able to move up each year with their previous year’s team. An individual may be denied coaching privileges for past violation of MSC code of ethics, coaches’ contract, conduct code, or improper on-the-field or off-the-field conduct. No coach or assistant coach may participate in any team meetings, workouts, or games until he or she is registered and officially assigned to a team and has signed an MSC football coach contract. Any Coach or Assistant Coach, or any other person who has left the MSC football league with a team, or part of a team and has taken, accepted, recruited, or who otherwise left with or attempted to recruit or take a player or players off of any roster of any other team in any division within MSC will not be allowed to return to Coach MSC Football in any capacity for 2 complete calendar years from the violation. After 2 complete calendar years the person(s) may appear before the football board for a hearing to determine if he/she may return. There is no guarantee that the person will be allowed to return after 2 years. Coaching in MSC Football is not a right; it is a privilege to hold a coach’s role. Only coaches who have not had their coaching privileges revoked in any MSC sport and are in good standing with the league will be considered for coaching opportunities. All Head Coaches must be at least 21 years of age. 2. Online Certification Adult volunteers will be selected and allowed to coach under the authority and approval of the MSC Advisory Council. As a result, they can also be removed, at any time by the MSC Advisory Council. In addition Background checks will be conducted on all head coaches and assistant coaches. Beginning Fall 2014, all coaches must complete and pay for an online background screening (currently $7.95). This screening takes place immediately and a copy of results can be requested online. Background screenings are good for 1 year (Fall 2014 to End of Spring 2015). A head and assistant coach is required to be present at all games, practices, and mandatory meetings. All coaches on roster are required to receive certification through USAFootball.com for a fee of $5.00. Coaches who pass background screening and complete the online certification will be presented with a sideline pass (see below). This is Mandatory! (Coaches must have it on them.) 3. Sideline Passes All coaches, photographers, and/or videographers will be required have a MSC issued identification badge to wear along with a lanyard. This identification MUST be worn to be allowed onto the field. Badges will be given to coaches who meet the requirements at the Coaches’ Meeting, Coaches’ th Clinic, or Team Weigh Ins. Coaches who have not met all requirements by Monday, August 18 may not have their badges in time for the first game and will not be allowed on the field. 4 E. How an Individual Joins a MSC league team 1. Returning Players Guarantee Any player wishing to return to his team from the previous season will be guaranteed a spot on that team. All coaches must make a committed effort to contact the parents of their players from the previous season. Coaches must email their team giving parents a minimum of two weeks to respond as to if their player will be returning. This email must be cc’d to the director for the grade level. Any returned email from a parent of a player not returning must also be forwarded to the grade level director. They must report the results to their Division Director by no later than July 1. The football board will verify the choice of the parents by contacting them. 2. Player Transfers In order to protect the competitiveness of the league, players who request to transfer off of a team will be added to the open registration and assigned to another team by draft. The league will not accept requests to play for a specific team, or coach, or to play with friends. 3. Players Who Left the League on Teams Whose Coach Cannot Return The children of our community are always welcome to play MSC Football. Players who left the league and joined a team that was not formed in accordance with MSC football team formation rules and/or that could not have been formed to play in MSC football may return to the league only as individual players and will be placed by draft. 4. Players Who Left the League as Individuals Players who have left the league as individuals and wish to return to the league will either be placed on the team they played for prior if accepted, or will be placed in the draft. This rule applies to any player who has played MSC tackle football at any point, left the league, and wishes to return for a later season. 5. Blind Draft Players A player who played MCS football during the previous season has the option to move to another MSC team via Blind Draft. Blind Draft players will be placed based on the needs of the league (build an expansion team or right size existing teams) at the discretion of the football board. 6. Recruited Players Players who have not played MSC Football may be asked to join an MSC Football team. Coaches may actively approach the parents of these players in an effort to encourage their participation in MSC. A player who played MSC football during any season may not be recruited. The only exceptions are a player who played up a grade level in the previous season and now chooses to play in his current grade or a player who played his grade level last year but wants to play up for the upcoming season. If the player decides to play back down during another season he must return to the original team he was rostered OR enter the draft. A player is able to play up 1 grade but cannot play down a grade. 7. Open Registration Players Open Registration Players consists of new players that sign up through the MSC office, are new to the league, and have not been recruited by any existing teams. These players may be used to fill expansion teams or be placed on existing teams via the blind draft. The Football Board will assign open registration players at their discretion. 8. Player Draft Exemption A player has no choice on which team he is drafted, but he may identify one team for which he does not want to play for. 9. Players’ Eligibility After registration ends, a player who registers late has no guarantee to be placed on a team. 5 Note: It is against MSC rules for teams to hold tryouts, hand out flyers or bring out one or more players with the purpose of evaluating them in order to decide which players they want to recruit, add to their roster, or draft. (See Section IIA) F. TEAM FORMATION 1. Returning Teams and New Teams All returning teams and newly formed teams must have a minimum number of 12 returning players. (Exception for 2nd and 3rd will be at the Board’s discretion) All returning teams must have a minimum number of returning players to be considered a returning team. If a previous season’s team does not have 12 returning players, the Football Board may disband that team and assign the players on the basis of the needs of the league. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In the case of an existing MSC team whose Head Coach decides not to return to the league, that coach will be ineligible to coach in any capacity in MSC football for 2 tackle football seasons. There are exceptions to this rule, and this will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The intent is to prevent coaches stepping down from one team only to take players to other teams and still act in a coaching capacity. The team he is leaving will be reviewed for disbandment. If a replacement coach cannot be found and approved to keep the team together, then the players on that team will be placed at the discretion of the Football Board onto teams or into the draft pool. After all registration periods close, teams may be required to add players from the open registration to their roster to ensure that all open registration players are assigned to a team. 2. New Teams From Outside MSC Teams may be formed from outside of MSC. These teams may participate with the approval of the MSC Football Board. MSC reserves the right to deny access to outside teams for any reason the board deems necessary to protect the integrity of the league. Any outside team must provide three years of playing history and birth certificates for each player prior to approval by the league. G. Uniforms All uniforms must be purchased in accordance with the MSC uniform policy. This allows for a consistent and fair priced program. H. Equipment All players must acquire their own equipment. The MSC can exclude a player from play due to unsafe or improper equipment. Proper equipment includes: 1. Football helmet: Including face mask, chin strap, and mouth piece. The helmet should be one of quality and fit properly to ensure the player’s safety. No football helmet shall be painted. 2. Football shoulders pads: Must fit properly and protect the entire shoulder girdle. 3. Football pants: Complete with hip, tail, thigh, and knee pads. 4. Athletic shoes: Those designed for grass play are recommended (NO METAL CLEATS ARE ALLOWED). 5. Mouthpiece: Must properly fit the upper teeth, attached to helmet. No red mouthpieces. 6. No tinted face shields are allowed. I. Practices 1. Conditioning Practice: No helmets, no pads, non-mandatory. Limit 3 per week 1 hour sessions. May begin conditioning practices no earlier than Monday, July 28, 2014. 2. No formed teams can hold full practice before Monday, August 11, 2014. (A team must notify the league if playing any football before August 11, 2014.) 3. Helmet only practices for the first 3 practices. Minimum 4.5 hours 4. Only registered players can participate in a practice 5. Players who will be in the league draft cannot participate in or with another team’s practice 6. Practices are limited to 4 times per week before the first scheduled game. No more than 2 hours per practice and 8 hours per week. 6 7. Once scheduled game play begins, practices will be limited to a total of 4 hours per week with no more than 2 hours per individual practice, no more than 3 days per week. 8. All players must attend scheduled team practices. Coaches may limit playing time of players who do not attend practices. Coaches must inform game officials and opposing coaches of such action prior to coin toss. In addition, this should be communicated to the player’s parents prior and to MSC Football Director via email at least 24 hours prior to the game. (Violations see Section II-A) 9. Players injured or sick and not returning to game must remove helmet and shoulder pads. 10. If problems are found or reported, penalties can include forfeiture of game(s) and/or sanctions as deemed appropriate by the MSC Advisory Council. 11. Scrimmages, parent meetings and film watching are all considered practices. J. MSC Phone Numbers MSC OFFICE NUMBER: 972.832.9256 MSC Football Commissioner: 972.832.2500 In addition, the MSC communicates through e-mail. This helps keep everyone informed and updated about the program. MSC staff can also be reached via the web site at www.McKinneySportsConnection.org : [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]. INCLEMENT WEATHER: Coaches should first check their email and/or the MSC website for a notice of cancellation before calling the MSC number if there is a question of cancellation due to dangerous weather or unplayable field conditions Inclement weather decisions are usually made after 4:00 pm on weekdays and 7:00 am on weekends. Heat Index We will follow the same procedure used by the MISD Middle School policy. Heat index will be determined at 5pm on the practice day using www.weather.com. Any coach found violating this policy will face suspension for one or more games. K. Field Rules and Boundaries 1. Home Team- The team listed first on the regular schedule will be considered the Home Team and will occupy the sideline closest to the stands. 2. The Visiting Team will be responsible for providing 3 ADULTS (18 years or older) to handle the yardage and down markers for the entire game. 3. Each team will be responsible for cleaning up their sideline areas at games and practice locations. 4. Spectators: * All spectators shall remain outside the fenced areas and not on the track during games. * A spectator wishing to video or take pictures from inside the fenced area must receive prior approval from the MSC Director. One approval per team. (Coach identifies.) 5. There will be no electronic sideline communication devices allowed including cell phones. 6. There will be no video shooting or electronic recording of any kind of the other teams’ games or practices. You can only film your game. There will be no trading of game films between teams. 7. Football officials may stop the game for any reason deemed necessary for the safety of the players. 8. Only 5 coaches are allowed on the field on game day (must be easily identified). 2 water boys will be allowed providing they are under the age of 18. A violation of this rule will result in a 15 yard penalty. L. Field Headquarters If a Field Headquarters is available at the game site, then it is mandatory for each Head Coach or Designee to sign in at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled start time of each game. Here they will receive any instructions that will apply to that game or the league. If the Head Coach does not sign in, his team automatically loses the coin toss. 7 M. Post-season Play Post-season play is regarded a privilege, NOT a right. Teams have to qualify for post-season play based on record, sportsmanship, fair play, and other standards. Teams can be excluded from post-season for reasons of, but not limited to: unsportsmanlike conduct, illegal players, illegal practices, not adhering to the rules of MSC. N. Liability MSC is not liable for any injuries to players, cheerleaders, spectators, or coaches, which occur during practices or games. III. MSC GAME MECHANICS The following regulations apply to the MSC football game mechanics: A. Rule Book The official MSC rules are taken from the NCAA Rules and Regulations Handbook including modifications as described in the MSC manual. Offensive/Defensive Contact Rules 1. No chopping 2. No crack back blocks below the waist 3. No cutting is allowed 4. No Blocking below the waist of any kind. This includes blocking at the line of scrimmage. On field Coaching nd rd 1. 2 & 3 grade teams are allowed 1 coach on offense and 1 coach on defense to remain on the field during game play. Once huddle is broken, there will be no more coaching from the on field coaches. Onfield coaches must remain10 yards behind deepest player. 2. 4th grade teams are allowed 1 coach on offense and 1 coach on defense to remain on the field during game play for the first 3 games only. Direction and Coin Toss 1. Direction There will be a quick water break, but no change of direction at the end of the first and third quarters. However, teams MUST change directions at halftime regardless of the outcome of the coin toss - see below. 2. Coin Toss There will be a coin toss before each game. Whoever wins the coin toss has 4 options: a. Defer Choice to the second half - which gives the other team a choice from one of the 3 remaining options b. Receive the opening kick - which gives the other team the choice of direction for the entire first half c. Kick off/defend - which gives the other team the choice of direction for the entire first half d. Choose direction - which gives the other team the choice to kick or receive to start the first half Whoever loses the coin toss (or wins but defers to the second half) gets the choice to kick or receive in the second half. Note that direction is NOT an option in the second half as teams MUST switch at halftime. Also note that if you win the toss and choose direction, you may end up kicking off both halves. C. Quarter Lengths Official game time shall be kept by the game official unless a scoreboard is available that can be seen by both teams. 8 Division 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6: The game will consist of two halves, each containing two 8-minute quarters. The game will be timed as in regulation football with the clock stopping according to official rules. D. Required Number of Players to Start Game Divisions 2-6 11 players E. MSC Ball Carrier Weight Restrictions There are no weight restrictions for playing in the MSC Football League. Weight restrictions do apply for players who play a position that can carry/catch the ball. The following weight limits (determined out of uniform) are in place for all positions on the offense except centers, guards, and tackles: Div 2 75 lbs Div 3 85 lbs Div 4 100 lbs Div 5 115 lbs Div 6 130 lbs Weight restrictions are also in effect for the receiving team on a kickoff and/punt. No player over the weight restriction can be placed in the backfield in a punt receiving position or off the front line to receive kickoff. There are no defensive weight restrictions. Weight of Players: There will be one weigh-in at the beginning of the season. Only eligible ball carriers will have ball-carrying stickers on the back of their helmet. F. Minimum Playing Rule All Tackle Leagues: Except for injures, all players must play throughout the entire game either on offense or defense or a combination of both as described in the following regulations. 1. At any time during a game, each player must be playing on either offense or defense. (This means if a player is not playing on an offensive series, then he must take the field and play when defense goes out, and vice versa for players not playing on defense when the offense take the field. It is the intent that he play either series, unless hurt, instruction needs to be given, etc. He is not to be played for two or three plays and then removed and someone else put in his spot. No player should be sitting out of the game for two consecutive series). If any violation of this rule is reported to the league, the league reserves the right to review film and will enforce punishment based on its findings. If found in violation, coach will be suspended for the next scheduled game and game in which violation occurred will be forfeited. Other disciplinary actions may be taken at the discretion of the board. 2. Kickoff and receiving teams do not count as a down in fulfilling minimum playing time. If a players playing time is being limited for any reason, it is the HEAD COACH’S responsibility to notify the head official and opposing coach and make sure it is written down on the official game card before the game takes place In addition, the player’s parents and your league director MUST also be notified by Friday at 8pm if you are limiting a player’s playing time for any reason. All coaches must fill out limited play time book in the press box. They must also inform the opposing coach in writing of any intentions to minimize a player’s playtime at the coin toss prior to the game. If these rules are not followed the MSC board, at its discretion, may forfeit game or suspend any coaches found in violation. Reasons for limiting a players playing time discussed above include: 1. Missing Practices: If a player misses more than 50% of those weeks practices. 2. Disciplinary Reasons: Sometime the only way to make a point with a disciplinary problem is to reduce his playing time. The parents should be informed before this happens. Must be approved by MSC board and parent. 9 3. Illness/Injury: Sometimes a player will show up for a game when he is not feeling well or play in a game and get hurt. In those cases, a player may want to sit out for a while until he feels better. Player must remove his shoulder pads if he is injured or sick and cannot return to the game. G. Ball Size Divisions 2 - 4 will use a Peewee size ball. (The Wilson K-2 is an example.) Divisions 5 & 6 use a JUNIOR size ball. (The Wilson TDJ is an example.) H. Excessive Scoring Margin A thirty (30) or more point spread constitutes an excessive scoring margin. It is the responsibility of the head coach of the team enjoying this margin to keep his team from reaching a 30-point differential. But in doing so, the coach and or players must be discreet in the methods used to keep a large point spread from occurring. If a team is winning by 28 points or more at any point of the game there will be a running clock and will only stop on timeouts. A team winning by 28 points cannot call a timeout. If margin comes back to less than 28 points a regular clock will take effect at that point. If the final score of a game has a 30 point or more differential, the head coach of the winning team must submit a written report as to why (including how he scored, what actions were taken to keep the score reasonable, etc.) addressed to the MSC Director and emailed to grade level Director and MSC office by 5:00 pm the following Monday. If that explanation is not emailed by deadline, the team automatically forfeits the game. If, after reading the report and researching the incident, the MSC Director determines that not enough effort was made to keep the score within reason, he can issue a warning or recommend additional action to the MSC Advisory Council. Subsequent action could include forfeiture of the game, forfeiture of the next game, elimination from playoffs, or other restrictions as seen fit by the Council. I. Unsportsmanlike Conduct Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties are 15 yards. All personal fouls will be reported. Repeated offenses will cause ejection from the game or game forfeiture. See Section L below regarding ejections. Any game forfeiture will result in a 30-0 loss recorded for the game. J. Mouth Guards All players will have their mouthpieces in place when the quarterback starts his cadence or one second prior to the snap on a silent count .Officials will stop play to avoid injuries. A five yard delay of game penalty will be marked off. K. Overtime All Divisions will use this format when the score is tied at the end of regulation. 1. Coaches from each team meet at the center of the field for the coin toss. Team winning the toss has the option of being the first on offense or defense. 2. Teams proceed to the ten-yard line where the offensive team takes the ball and has first and goal from the ten. The game then proceeds in the normal fashion, with the exception of a few special overtime rules explained below. 3. If the offense scores a touchdown, they will then line up and try for the extra point. If they don’t score, the ball goes over to the team on defense. The teams switch, and the initial defensive team goes on offense and they get the ball at the ten-yard line with a first and goal. 4. After both teams have had the ball, a determination of winner is made based on who scored and 10 who didn’t, who scored a touchdown and extra point and who didn’t, or who scored the most points. If neither team scored, or if they both scored the same amount of points, the teams line back up (no coin toss issued) and go at it again. (At the referee’s discretion, and in order to make it easier to score, the ball can be placed at the 5-yard line for subsequent overtime opportunities). 5. One additional time-out is given to each team for the entire overtime period, no matter how long it takes. 6. The defense can return a fumble or interception for a touchdown. L. Player Ejection from a Game Any conduct deemed unbecoming of or unsafe for a MSC athlete will result in a fifteen-yard penalty on the first offense. Permanent Ejection: If a player is permanently ejected from a game, he will not be allowed to play the next scheduled game. This includes post-season play. Continued demonstration of conduct unbecoming of or unsafe for a MSC athlete may constitute suspension from additional games. M. Time Outs 1. Each team will be allowed three (3) one-minute time outs per half. 2. Coaches may request an official time out for a conference with game officials; however, the request must first be granted and is up to the discretion of the game officials. 3. Official time outs will be called for injuries or any reason deemed necessary by the officials. N. Extra Point Scoring Division 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 Run 1 pt Pass 1 pt Kick 2pts Field Goal 3pts O. Set Position Clarification Offensive: Offensive lineman, between and including the two tackles, must be set for one full second prior to the snap of the ball. Once the center touches the ball and a lineman places his hand on the ground, he may not pick his hand up for adjustment. Defense: Defensive lineman must be in a 3 or 4 point stance at the snap of the ball if they are lined straight up with or inside the two offensive tackles. Any violation of this rule will result in a 5 yd offside penalty. Linebackers and defensive backs must line up (2) yards off the line of scrimmage and not, under any circumstances, have a running start towards the line of scrimmage. Stand-up positioning is allowed outside the offensive tackles. If linebackers or defensive backs blitz inside the offensive guard positions, this is a personal foul and is called and marked as a 15 yd penalty. A Blitz is defined as running before or at the snap of the ball. The intent of this rule is to protect the center by keeping linebackers and/or defensive backs from jumping over the center and attempting to grab the QB at the snap. P. Field Goal, Extra Point & Punt Grades 2 through 5 1. Teams can declare whether they will attempt to kick a field goal or extra point after a touchdown. The defense cannot rush the kicker, but the ball must be snapped from the center and kicked within a four second count by the referee. If the kick is not made by the four second count then the kick is declared “no good”. If you line up for an extra kick for a field goal, you cannot “fake” the field goal or PAT by picking up the ball and running or passing it to the end zone. If the “faked” attempt is made it will result with a loss of play and no points will be scored. This is a dead ball play. There is no blocked kick return, but the defense can stay on their side of the line of scrimmage and jump up and down to 11 try and block the kick. A kicked extra point count 2pts; a field goal counts 3pt. 2. Division 2: Offensive team shall declare on fourth down whether they will punt or not. If punt is declared inside their own 50yd line they have the option of punting or moving the ball 20yds from the line of scrimmage. When within the opposing teams 50yd line, if the punt is declared the offense must punt the ball. No fake punts are allowed. 3. The defense cannot rush the offense or return the punt; they have the option of placing two players back to field the punt. The ball is spotted where it is caught or stops rolling backwards. If the ball touches the player and rolls forward it will be spotted at the point of contact. Grade 6 a. Div 6 The punt is a live ball play. b. Div 6 The extra point kick or field goal is a live ball. c. In both instances the nose guard cannot hit the center. This will be considered a personal foul and marked accordingly. 12
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