Mankato North Mankato Youth Football 4th Grade Rules

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MNMYF 4TH GRADE FOOTBALL RULES
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All games shall be played under the rules and regulations of the National Federation of State
High School Associations with the modifications specified in these rules.

1. Periods shall be fifteen minutes of running time. The last two minutes of the fourth quarter will be stop time. The clock will also stop for penalties, injuries and
team changeovers.

2. There will be a two minute intermission between quarters and a six minute halftime.
Players may meet with coaches on the sidelines between quarters.

3. Each team will have three timeouts each half. One coach may be on the field during the
time out or the team can go to the team bench area. Unused timeouts from the first
half do not carry over to the second half.

4. The ball will be placed on the two yard line for the point after touchdown. Running the
PAT into the end zone is worth one point and passing the PAT is worth two points.

5. The officials will administer a coin toss prior to the game with the visiting team calling
heads or tails. The winner of the coin toss has the option of taking the ball at the thirty
yard line, playing defense, or defending a goal. After a safety the offense will start at the thirty
five yard line.

6. The team bench shall be determined by field layout. One coach and two players may
follow their team along the entire sideline. At least one coach must remain with the
team in the designated bench area.

7. Players can ask for a coaches help on penalty enforcement decisions.

8. All decisions of the officials are final with no appeal.

9. Coach/Parent Communication:

a. Any restriction of playing time for disciplinary reasons must be communicated to
a parent before the games is played.

b. Advise parents that unexcused absences are treated differently than excused
absences and may result in consequences to the player.

10. Games will be played at various sites during the week and at South Central Community
College and Mankato East on Saturday mornings. Games will be played at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM on
Saturdays.

11. Any game ending in a tie will remain tied. No overtime periods will be played.

12. Weight Restrictions:
a. Ball carriers and quarterbacks cannot weigh more than 95 pounds. Ends cannot
weigh more than 105 pounds.

13. Offense:

a. All 4th grade teams will use a straight-T formation.

b. All linemen must be in a three point stance.

c. Offensive gaps will be one yard between center, guard and tackles and two yards
between the tackle and end.

d. Ends may only block defensive players to their outside and therefore are not
allowed to “crack back” on any defensive player to the inside.

e. Only one end or flanker may be split and may be no more than five yards from
the tackle.

f. No motion is allowed.

g. The quarterback must be under center. No shot gun is allowed.

h. Only offensive plays from the fourth grade playbook may be used.

i. The only fumble that may be advanced is a fumble during the quarterback and
center exchange. Only the quarterback may advance that fumble. Any other
fumble is dead at the point of recovery and given to the team in possession of
the fumble.

14. Punting:

a. In a punt situation the team on offense shall declare their intention to punt.
b. On a declared punt the defense shall not rush the punter.

c. The receiving team may drop back a maximum of three players to receive the
punt.

d. The kicking team shall not run down the field to cover the punt.

e. The ball shall be punted from no closer than five yards from the scrimmage line.

f. After the ball has been punted the receiving team shall start their possession
first and ten from the spot at which their receiver catches the ball or causes the
ball to be declared dead. The receiving team may not advance a punted ball. If
the receiving team does not cause the ball to be declared dead the ball shall be
spotted first and ten for the receiving team at the point it was the furthest from
the previous line of scrimmage.

g. No punt shall be spotted inside the five yard line and any touchback will come
out to the fifteen yard line.

15. Snap Count:

a. The longest version is: Down-Ready-Set-Hike. The offense may not go on the
second hike. They are allowed to go on a silent count.

16. Defense:

a. All fourth grade teams will play a 5-2 defense.

b. All defensive linemen must be in a three or four point stance. Ends may be in a
two point stance.

c. Linebackers must be at least two yards off of the line of scrimmage. No blitzing
or fake blitzing is allowed. Once the ball carrier is outside the tackles, linebackers
are allowed to cross the line of scrimmage. Linebackers may also cross the line of scrimmage once the ball has been handed off, or when a fake handoff is made.

d. The nose tackle must be one yard off of the line of scrimmage at the snap.

e. Goal line defense: At the defensive ten yard line or less, the defense may bring
the nose tackle and the linebackers up to the line of scrimmage. If they are on
the line of scrimmage they must be in a three or four point stance.

f. Defensive linemen must be lined up head up to the offensive player across from
them.

g. No stunting is allowed.

h. Stripping of the ball is not allowed. If a defensive player strips the ball from a
ball carrier the ball becomes dead at that spot with the offense retaining
possession. There is no foul for stripping. If the ball comes loose through
normal contact this is a fumble.

17. Coaches on the Field:

a. A maximum of two coaches will be allowed on the playing field for each team
during the game.

b. A minimum of one coach shall be on the sidelines in the team box at all times.

c. After a coach has left the huddle and the team is set, the coach shall remain
fifteen yards behind his/her teams line of scrimmage.

d. The on field coaches shall limit their involvement to their own team only and
only during the dead ball period. Once the teams have left the huddle the on
field coaches shall refrain from coaching until the next dead ball period.

e. During a punt the on field coach shall leave the field of play after their team is in
position to kick or receive the ball.

18. Playing Time:

a. It is a requirement that all players shall have equal playing time. In order to
accomplish this goal, quarters will be broken in half to allow for substitutions; each half quarter will be 7:30 long. ALL SUBSTITUTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE END OF EACH HALF QUARTER. No substitutions shall be made during each half quarter, other than for injury or disciplinary reasons.

Game officials will notify the teams when the half quarter change has arrived. At that time, All players on the field must leave the field, and all players on the sidelines will enter the game and remain in the game until the end of the next half quarter, except where roster numbers require a player to play more than one consecutive half quarter. No player shall play more than two consecutive segments. (15 minutes).

b. Coaches shall plan substitutions so that, over the course of a game, no player plays more than one half quarter more than any teammate. The goal of MNMYF is equal playing time for all players.

19. Ejections:

a. If a player is ejected during the first half of a game that player will be removed
from the field of play and remain with his/her team at the sideline. They will not
be allowed to play in the remainder of that game. If the ejection occurs during
the second half of a game the player will be removed as stated prior, and will
miss from the moment of ejection through the end of the game and also the first
half of the next game they play.

b. If a coach is ejected the coach must leave the facilities for the remainder of the
game and will not be allowed at the field for the next game

Please contact Neil Kaus with any questions you have about MNMYF. (507) 625-1100

Mankato North Mankato Youth Football wants to thank its great sponsors!