RMFL Rule Adaptations.
Updated for 2016 season
Unless noted below or otherwise agreed upon, RMFL will use
common high school football rules. The RMFL exceptions to high
school playing rules are as follows:
1) RMFL will use the “Down by Contact” rule. (EXCEPTION: all games played in
conjunction with the Stars and Stripes Academy will be officiated NCAA rules for
“Down by Rule,” and not, “Down by Contact.”)
Down by Contact rule: Ball carrier may get back up after falling to gound if no contact
has been made by an opponent. A runner who “gives himself up,” or goes into a feet first
slide, is considered down by rule upon his first contact with the ground.
In the event that an official blows a whistle when a player is down but not downed by
contact, it will be treated as an inadvertent whistle. An inadvertent whistle ends the
down. Inadvertent whistles are administered as follows:
a. The down shall be replayed if, during a down or during a down in which the penalty
for a foul is declined, an inadvertent whistle is sounded while a legal forward pass or
snap is in flight, or during a legal kick.
b. The team last in possession may choose to either put the ball in play where
possession was lost or replay the down if, during a down or during a down in which the
penalty for a foul is declined, an inadvertent whistle is sounded
while the ball is loose following a backward pass, fumble, illegal forward pass or illegal
c. The team in possession may choose to either accept the results of the play
at the deadball spot or replay the down if, during a down or during a down
in which the penalty for a foul is declined, an inadvertent whistle is sounded
while the ball is in player possession.
d. The penalty shall be administered as determined by the basic spot and
takes precedence over inadvertent whistle administration if, during a down, a liveball
foul occurs prior to the inadvertent whistle and the penalty is accepted.
2) RMFL will use a 2minute warning at end of each half. This is an official’s time out.
The clock will stop and start again at the snap.
3) RMFL will allow passers to "throw the ball away to avoid a loss of yardage”
provided the passer is outside of the “tacklebox” and the ball crosses of line of
scrimmage in the air either in bounds or out of bounds.
4) *** For Games played in conjunction with Stars and Stripes Academy only:
The line of scrimmage will be governed by the college rule that allows a defensive player to
jump into the neutral zone and return before the snap (as long as there is no contact with
the offense, and his movement does not cause an adjacent offensive player on the line of
scrimmage to jump. Games which are NOT a part of SASA, will be governed by the
high school rule of a dead ball encroachment foul immediately when a member of
the defensive team clearly enters the neutral zone.
5) All quarterbacks shall be tackled above the waist when they are in the pocket or not
scrambling (i.e. he may run out of the pocket, but then set to throw, a below the waist
tackle would then result in penalties). A QB can be tackled below the waist if he is
running with the ball. The penalty for this rule will be a personal foul. Enforcement can
be done if the pass was thrown by calling a "roughing the passer" and if the ball is not
thrown, the penalty is just a personal foul and enforced as such. The NFL calls this the
"Carson Palmer" rule.
6) RMFL will allow celebrations that are not extended, or directed towards opposing
team or fans (taunting). Celebration fouls will be counted towards two (2)
unsportsmanlike disqualifications.
7) As per the RMFL Constitution, officials will be directed to penalize a player, coach,
or team attendant for using vulgarity that can be heard by spectators as an
unsportsmanlike penalty. Officials are instructed to use discretion in allowing vulgarities.
As a guideline, such actions and words should be more tolerable in the middle of the field
provided comments are not considered taunting or demeaning to opponents or game
officials, racial slurs of any type will not be tolerated. Two such fouls in one game, or
three in one season, will subject the person to suspension and fine.
8) RMFL will continue to apply “eligibility by position not number” system. Players
don’t need to report if playing with normally ineligible number in eligible position.
9) Player and game equipment:
a. RMFL will continue to NOT make pants pads mandatory. Gloves must not have
hard, rigid material in or on them.
b. RMFL will require all players to All players to wear legal shoulder pads (NOT
SHELLS) legal mouthpieces, a legal helmet, and a legal fourpoint chinstrap.
c. RMFL will allow tinted, reflective and mirrored visors.
d. There are no restrictions on footballs, A team may change balls as frequent as
they need or want to as long as it is within the flow of the game IE field goals,
punts, point after touchdowns, game balls still need to be official size, weight,
properly inflated, and approved by the referee prior to the game.
e. Game officials are allowed discretion in allowing players to wear
equipment/adornments which are not typically legal per high school rules.
10) Kickoffs are to be kicked from the 35 yard line.
11) All kicks (Kickoffs, Punts, and Field Goals) are to be treated as live balls even if in
the end zone. When the kick enters the end zone in flight, the ball stays live and if caught
by the receiving team, can be returned from the end zone. If the ball is touched in the
field of play by the receiving team and continues into the end zone, the ball is live and
must be downed by the receiving team to retain possession. If the ball is not covered by
the receiving team after being legally touched on the field of play and downed, it can be
recovered by the kicking team. If the kicking team recovers the ball in the end zone, it is
ruled a touchdown. If the ball bounces toward the end zone untouched by the receiving
team and crosses the goal line, it becomes a dead ball, ruled a touchback and placed at the
20 yard line of the receiving team. An untouched kick in flight, that touches in the end
zone, is down, and results in a touchback. On free kicks the game Clock starts when kick
is touched in the field of play by the receiving team, or when the receiver who brings the
ball out of the end zone.