SENIOR DIVISION RULES & GUIDELINES
THE PURPOSE OF THE SENIOR DIVISION IS TO PROVIDE A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL DIVISION FOR OLDER AND MORE EXPERIENCED PLAYERS WITH AN EMPHASIS STILL TO BE PLACED PRIMARILY UPON TEACHING YOUNG PLAYERS GOOD SOUND OFFENSIVE & DEFENSIVE FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS & NOT WINNING OR LOSING. THE SENIOR DIVISION IS STRUCTURED TO BE A LITTLE MORE COMPETITIVE DIVISION THAN THE PEE WEE OR JUNIOR VARSITY DIVISIONS WHICH ARE STRUCTURED TO BE MORE INSTRUCTIONAL IN NATURE. EVEN THOUGH THE SENIOR DIVISION IS STRUCTURED TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE THAN THE TWO (2) INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISIONS MENTIONED ABOVE IT IS STILL VERY IMPORTANT THAT EACH COACH REMEMBER THAT THE J.F.L.O.C.I. PROGRAM ITSELF WAS ESTABLISHED MANY YEARS AGO TO PROVIDE EACH PLAYER AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY REGARDLESS OF HIS/HER ABILITY AND TO OBTAIN GOOD SOUND INSTRUCTION IN THE SPORT OF TACKLE FOOTBALL.
SENIOR AGE AND WEIGHT RULES ARE AS
FOLLOWS:
AGE WEIGHT
10 (NONE
ALLOWED) ________
11 (NONE
ALLOWED) ________
12 131
LBS. & OVER
13 106
LBS. & OVER
14 (ALL) UNLIMITED
A PLAYER MAY NOT TURN 15 ON OR BEFORE
NOVEMBER 1ST
OF THE CURRENT YEAR.
NOTE - VERY IMPORTANT
ALL
SENIOR PLAYERS REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE OR THEIR WEIGHT MUST BE VALIDATED AT THE
LEAGUE VALIDATION NIGHT.
THE SENIOR DIVISION PLAY WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY STANDARD I.H.S.A. RULES WITH THE FOLLOWING RULES EXCEPTIONS LISTED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES.
THE SENIOR DIVISION WILL UTILIZE A STANDARD TEN (10) MINUTE I.H.S.A. CLOCK SYSTEM.
1. EACH QUARTER WILL CONSIST OF A STANDARD TEN (10) MINUTE I.H.S.A. CLOCK THEREFORE A REGULATION SENIOR DIVISION GAME WILL CONSIST OF A STANDARD FORTY (40) MINUTE I.H.S.A. CLOCK
2. THERE WILL BE A TEN (10) MINUTE INTERMISSION BETWEEN HALVES FOLLOWED BY A MANDATORY THREE (3) MINUTE I.H.S.A. WARM UP PERIOD.
3. TIME-OUTS. EACH TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED THREE (3) TIME-OUTS PER HALF, FOR A TOTAL OF SIX (6) TIME-OUTS PER GAME. AS STATED IN I.H.S.A. RULES TIME-OUTS WILL STOP THE REGULATION I.H.S.A. CLOCK.
4. OVERTIME GAMES. THE SENIOR DIVISION WILL UTILIZE THE STANDARD I.H.S.A. TIE BREAKER PROCEDURE FOR GAMES ENDING IN A TIE SCORE AFTER REGULATION TIME HAS EXPIRED.
1. A 155 LBS. BALL CARRIER RULE HAS BEEN INSTITUTED FOR THE SENIOR DIVISION. THE 155 LBS. BALL CARRIER RULE IS DEFINED THE FOLLOWING WAY: ANY PLAYER WEIGHING 156 LBS. OR OVER WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CARRY THE BALL FROM SCRIMMAGE AND MUST BE VISUALLY IDENTIFIABLE BY THE ADHERENCE OF THE J.F.L.O.C.I. LEAGUE PROVIDED RED AND SILVER NBC (NON-BALL CARRIER) STICKER TO BE LOCATED AT EAR LEVEL ON THE BACK CENTER CROWN OF HIS/HER HELMET. ONLY ONE STICKER PER HELMET IS REQUIRED.
OFFENSIVELY, ANY PLAYER MAY ADVANCE (EVEN PLAYERS WEIGHING 156 LBS. OR OVER) THE BALL DUE TO AN UNINTENTIONAL FUMBLE, INTERCEPTION OR BLOCKED KICK.
DEFENSIVELY, ANY PLAYER MAY ADVANCE (EVEN PLAYERS WEIGHING 156 LBS. OR OVER) THE BALL DUE TO FUMBLE, INTERCEPTION OR BLOCKED KICK. BUT NO PLAYER 156 LBS. OR OVER MAY ADVANCE THE BALL ON KICKOFFS OR OFFENSIVELY ON PUNTS.
2. ON OFFENSE, ALL NBC STICKERED PLAYERS MUST PLAY TACKLE TO TACKLE (INCLUDING EXTRA POINT, FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS AND PUNTS) AND BE POSITIONED IN A THREE (3) OR (4) FOUR POINT STANCE AT THE TIME OF THE SNAP. IN ADDITION, NBC STICKERED PLAYERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY OR ADVANCE THE BALL FROM SCRIMMAGE.
3. ON DEFENSE, ALL NBC STICKERED PLAYERS MUST PLAY END TO END ON DEFENSE. ALL DOWN LINEMEN MUST BE POSITIONED IN A THREE (3) OR FOUR (4) POINT STANCE AT THE TIME OF THE SNAP. DEFENSIVE ENDS WILL BE ALLOWED TO STAND UP AS WILL ALL OTHER DEFENSIVE PERSONNEL.
4. THE HOME TEAM WILL PROVIDE A J.F.L.O.C.I. SANCTIONED FOOTBALL
(WILSON TD-Y) AS A GAME BALL FOR INSPECTION BY THE OFFICIATING CREW AND THE VISITING TEAM DURING THE PREGAME OFFICIALS CONFERENCE. IF FOR ANY REASON THE VISITING TEAM OBJECTS TO THE HOME TEAM BALL THEN THE OFFICIATING CREW WILL INSPECT THE VISITORS BALL AND HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION AS TO WHICH GAME BALL PROVIDED THEY PREFER TO USE.
1. EACH
PLAYER MUST PLAY A MINIMUM OF TEN (10) MINUTES
PER GAME. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO PLAYER
ON DISCIPLINARY ACTION. NOT ABIDING BY THIS RULE SHALL SUBJECT THE HEAD
COACH TO A ONE-GAME SUSPENSION. A SECOND INFRACTION SHALL RESULT IN
DISCIPLINARY ACTION WITH THE COACH AND AREA DIRECTOR BY THE J.F.L.O.C.I.
2. ALL KICKING AND SCORING ARE GOVERNED BY THE I.H.S.A. REGULATIONS.
3. AN “NBC” PLAYER MAY
ATTEMPT A FIELD GOAL, EXTRA
4. ALL SCORING WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE I.H.S.A. REGULATIONS.
5. FORTY TWO (42) POINT SPREAD RULE:
A FORTY TWO (42) POINTSPREAD RULE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR USE BY ALL DIVISIONS.
THE INTENT OF THIS RULE IS TO ELIMINATE THE NUMBER OF OCCASIONS ON WHICH TEAMS ARE DEFEATED BY EXCESSIVE SCORES. THE J.F.L.O.C.I. CAN NO LONGER TOLERATE COACHES WHO THINK IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO DEFEAT AN OPPONENT BY A 70 - 0 SCORE. THIS RULE IS INTENDED TO SUPPLEMENT THE TWENTY-FIVE (25) POINT SPREAD RULE & NOT REPLACE IT.
THE FORTY TWO (42) POINT SPREAD RULE
SHALL BE ADMINISTERED WITH THE FOLLOWING RULES OR GUIDELINES:
(A) ANY J.F.L.O.C.I.
FRANCHISED TEAM, DEFEATING AN OPPONENT BY A MARGIN OF VICTORY OF FORTY TWO (42)
POINTS OR MORE, WILL AUTOMATICALLY FORFEIT THE GAME TO ITS OPPONENT BY A 1 - 0
SCORE.
(B) ADDITIONALLY,
THE COACHING STAFF OF THE OFFENDING TEAM WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SUSPENDED FROM
COACHING
THAT
TEAM DURING ITS NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED GAME.
(Continued
on next page)
(Continued)
TWENTY-FIVE POINT (25) POINT SPREAD RULE: A TWENTY-FIVE POINT SPREAD RULE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR USE BY THE SENIOR DIVISION ONLY. (ALL OTHER DIVISIONS USE AN EIGHTEEN POINT SPREAD) THE TWENTY-FIVE (25) POINT SPREAD RULE SHALL BE ADMINISTERED WITH THE FOLLOWING RULES OR GUIDELINES:
IF DURING ANY SANCTIONED SENIOR DIVISION J.F.L.O.C.I. GAME. A POINT DIFFERENTIAL OF TWENTY-FIVE (25) OR MORE POINTS HAS BEEN OBTAINED BY A TEAM:
(A) THAT TEAM WILL
HAVE A “FIRST AND GOAL” ON ALL SUBSEQUENT POSSESSIONS AS LONG AS A TWENTY-FIVE
(25) POINT OR MORE DIFFERENTIAL CONTINUES TO EXIST BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS.
(B) AFTER COMPLETING
FOUR
6. AREA DIRECTORS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING GAME OFFICIALS. THE J.F.L.O.C.I. MANAGER WILL SCHEDULE ALL SENIOR REGULAR SEASON GAMES. AT LEAST ONE (1) “PATCHED” I.H.S.A. OFFICIAL AND/OR J.F.L.O.C.I. CERTIFIED LEVEL FOUR (4) OFFICIAL AND/OR AREA DIRECTORS AND/OR AREA COACHES MUST BE PRESENT IN ORDER TO START A REGULATION GAME.
(AREA DIRECTORS OR COACHES MAY BE USED AS ADDITIONAL OFFICIALS IF MUTUALLY AGREED UPON BY BOTH HEAD COACHES.)
THERE MUST BE A COMBINATION OF TWO OFFICIALS TO START A GAME.
Rationale:
All games start with two
officials, whether it is IHSA patched officials and/or combination of IHSA
patched officials, Level Four certified JFL officials and/or coaches and
directors.
No radios or other communicative devices shall be allowed during game situations to relay information to the coaching staff on the field or sidelines.
8. I.H.S.A. RULES WILL BE APPLIED UNLESS SUPERSEDED BY ENHANCED SPECIAL J.F.L.O.C.I. RULES.
J.F.L.
ABSOLUTE RULE
EACH
TEAM WILL PLAY THEIR
SCHEDULED OPPONENT
NO FORFEITS!
NO
HUMILIATION!
GIVE EACH TEAM A
FAIR CONTEST!