NV Elite 8 Youth Football League Rules of Play

*NV Elite 8 Youth Football League does not discriminate based on race, gender, color, sexual orientation, disability, gender, expression, religion, nation of origin, or disability.

NVE8YFL’s mission is to provide a safe, healthy, and competitive environment in which to learn football fundamentals, sportsmanship, discipline and team spirit. Coaches and teams will be expected to accomplish these objectives by maximizing training and playing time for all team members.

NVE8YFL’s bylaws are in place to ensure the success of the league’s mission. They are not intended and do not intend to be a written legal document. NVE8YFL reserves the right to overrule any attempt to circumvent the intention of these bylaws, as designed by the NVE8YFL League Committee, using semantics or any alternative interpretation of the written word of these bylaws.

*NVE8YFL Rules of Play and Bylaws function in accordance to govern all league activities. NVE8YFL Executive Committee refers to these guidelines for all matters and reserves the right to make any modifications as necessary for the safety of all athletes and personnel.

COMPETITION RULES

Note that the rules included in this rulebook regulate ONLY the Nevada Elite 8 Youth Football League. The 2025 NVE8YFL will use the most current rules published by the NCAA for all tackle divisions, unless specifically amended in the sections to follow. It is highly encouraged that all coaches obtain a copy of the current NCAA rules and this document. It is the responsibility of the Head Coach to be knowledgeable of the rules.

AAU MEMBERSHIP

All athletes, coaches, board members, volunteers, and sideline personnel (i.e. team moms and medical staff) must hold a current AAU membership.

AAU Membership must be done via the AAU National designated site: www.aausports.org. All coaches/players/medical staff/team support staff must have an AAU membership.

CERTIFICATION

All athletes and volunteers must be certified prior to the beginning of each season (end of August).
Options:
⦁ Nevada State ID/ State ID
⦁ Military ID
⦁ Passport/or Passport Card
⦁ Tribal ID
Any organization(s) found with ineligible players, are subject to fines, forfeiture of games, and/or probation. An ineligible player is defined as any player that is over the age limit listed for league play and does not meet league requirements.

SAFETY

All football divisions will follow the guidelines set forth by USA Football which is the national standard.

Team Composition:

Teams can have no more than 35 players per football team (age division). There will be no exceptions to this rule. There is no rule on limited play; it will be up to the organization to provide as much playing time as possible for every athlete. However, it is highly recommended that each player plays a minimum of four
downs in all scheduled games.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media can be a great way to promote your organization and NVE8YFL, however, use of this outlet to belittle, demean, or disparage any team or athlete is considered unsportsmanlike. It will be the responsibility of each club/organization/President/owner to govern their staff and set the example. Any individual
(President, Owner, staff, volunteer) that presents a negative impact on development of this league or abuses social media maybe subject to disciplinary action not limited to suspension, probation, and/or removal from this league.

TIEBREAKERS

NCAA Rules shall apply apart from the initial spot of the ball. Overtime play shall begin with the ball spotted on the 20-yard line. If a second overtime is required, the ball shall be spotted on the 10-yard line. At the end of the second overtime the winner will be determined by score or penetration yardage. If a team has negative yards at the end of the second overtime, the team with positive yards will officially be declared winner. If no winner has been determined at the end of the second overtime, the game will end in a tie. This rule only applies during regular season games, Playoffs and Championships will follow the second overtime format if additional overtime periods are required.

MERCY RULE

The mercy rule will not go into effect prior to the 2nd quarter. There will be a running clock if a team is leading by 35 points or more. Once the deficit is reduced below 35 points, the clock will go back to regulation. If the 35+ point differential is maintained, once Team B reduces the deficit to less than 35 points, normal play would resume, until one team is leading by 35+ points. While the mercy rule is in effect, the clock shall run and stop only for the
following:

⦁ Timeout-Injury or Official
⦁ End of quarter
⦁ Immediately after a score which takes the scoring margin back below 35 points
⦁ The losing team (during mercy rule play) may call any remaining timeouts. The timeout will be allotted, and the clock will stop. The winning team will also be allotted any remaining timeouts, but the clock will still run.

CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY

Playing music that is sexually explicit, has any racial undertones/words, or contains inappropriate language, will not be allowed. This is subject to action, as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee if deemed to be deliberate in nature. Head coaches will be responsible for the conduct and sportsmanship of their parents, players, and sideline staff. Any misconduct during, after, or in between games will be reviewed. The Executive Board, in accordance with ZERO TOLERANCE, may impose suspension, forfeiture, fines or expulsion, as applicable. If there is an altercation between two players, only the head coach will be
allowed to come on the field to clear up the situation. Any other players, coaches or staff that enter the field will be disqualified from the game. League officials will not break-up any altercations. Officials will make every attempt to stop play and clear the field. Reference the League Bylaws which contain Code of Conduct Rules for Parents/Guardians and Spectators.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

All NVE8YFL official activities (games, etc.)
will have a minimum of two (2) armed certified peace officers or law enforcement on hand. Law enforcement must be visible on the sidelines or in spectator areas during games to allow for proper reaction time if needed. NVE8YFL has the authority to request assistance of law enforcement, if necessary, to promote a safe
environment.

SPORTSMANSHIP

This policy applies to all athletes, parents, volunteers, and spectators involved in a Nevada Elite 8 Youth Football event. The following examples include behavior or conduct which will result in an ejection from a contest:

⦁ Fighting which includes but is not limited to combative acts such as:
⦁ An altercation between 2 or more parties that include
swinging, hitting, punching, and/or kicking.
⦁ An attempt to strike an opponent with a fist, hand, arm, leg, feet, or equipment.
⦁ An attempt to punch or kick an opponent regardless of contact.
⦁ An attempt to instigate a fight by committing an
unsportsmanlike act toward an opponent that causes an
opponent to retaliate.
⦁ Leaving the bench area to participate in a fight (contact or no contact)

⦁ Flagrant contact which includes but is not limited to combative acts:

⦁ No excessive contact out-of-bounds or away from playing
action that is unwarranted and extreme in nature.
⦁ No tackling/taking down a player in a malicious
manner.
⦁ No baiting observed or determined by an official.
⦁ Taunting, baiting, or spitting toward an opponent or official.
⦁ Profanity directed toward an official or opponent.
Obscene gestures, including gestures in such a manner as to intimidate or instigate.
⦁ Disrespectfully addressing an opponent or official (physical contact with an official is subject to automatic expulsion and can result in ineligibility for remainder of career)

EJECTION POLICY

Any player or sideline staff that is ejected from a game will automatically serve a one game suspension of the next available game played by his/her team. If Coaches/Staff ejection is deemed flagrant in nature, they may be subject to a 2-game suspension. The NVE8YFL Executive Committee will review all game summaries and Official’s post-game reports. If a coach or staff is ejected, they must exit the field of play and parking lot immediately. If an athlete is ejected, the athlete will be identified by the head official and shall immediately remove his/her equipment and remain on the bench. All game summaries and official’s post-game reports must reference the ejected player(s) names. The Executive Board may impose additional penalties as necessary, upon review. Any fan or spectator that is asked to leave the premises for misconduct will not be allowed to return to the next NVE8YFL scheduled event….
NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

BOOK CHECK

Head coaches will conduct book checks prior to each regular season game. NVE8YFL Playoff Committee will conduct book checks during playoffs and State Championship. Book check will occur 1 hour prior to start of game/ halftime of game being played. Please note that if a player arrives during their team’s book check, that player will be able to check in and play at the start of the game. If a player arrives after their team’s book check the player may be checked in at half time. An opposing head coach will be notified of the player being checked in. The team also has the option of using a time out to check in a late arriving player, but they must first notify the head official and the opposing team prior to calling the time out.

SIDELINE STAFF

The sideline staff may consist of 10 non-athlete members including Coaches, Team Mom, Board Members, and water boys. Each team will be allowed to have one (1) additional staff member designated as medical support. Medical staff must be verified during league certification. Each team will be allowed one (1) additional staff member designated as media staff/photographer on the sideline only. Media Staff must be verified during league certification. League certifications IDs must always be on lanyard and visible. All members of the sideline staff shall hold a current AAU Non-Athlete Membership, be in proper coaching attire, and have proper league credentials visible for the sideline. All sideline staff must be in proper coaching attire and match the team colors (excludes chain crew, down marker). This staff may include any combination of coaches, trainers, team mom, etc. Please note chain crew will not be allowed to use cell phones or make hand signals to the opposing team or talk to the opposing team. If caught with a cell phone or making hand signals, an official or a NVE8YFL Executive board member will remove them. Home team is required to provide the chain crew. Chain crew will be positioned on home side of the field. Exceeding the sideline limits will result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards and will be charged to the head coach of the team who exceeded personnel limit.

Sideline Interference – being outside the team box, but not on the field, will result in the following:

a) 1st Sideline infraction – First time Warning
b) 2nd Sideline infraction – 5-yard penalty and on field coach will be replaced and not allowed back on field during that game
c) 3rd Sideline infraction – 15-yard Unsportsmanlike Conduct

COMMUNICATION DEVICES

No communication devices will be used to communicate with a player during the game. Communication devices including, but not limited to, mobile devices, audio recorders, Local Area Network (LAN) phones and/or headsets, still photograph(s), film, analog or digital video(s) and/or Internet depictions, shall not be used to communicate. No person on the sideline to include chain crew, will be allowed to use any communication device during the game. Drones will not be allowed during game time.

NVE8YFL FOOTBALLS AND DIVISIONS

All game balls will be leather or composite, appropriate size for each division, and will be Wilson or equivalent.

⦁ Division 6&7U – Ages 4-6
⦁ Minimum one coach, optional two coaches on the field – PEE WEE SIZE BALL Average Weight: 10 ounces: Long Circumference: 23.5 inch – es; Short Circumference: 17.25 inches PSI: 13

Division (8&9U) – Ages 7-8
⦁ Optionally one coach on the field. PEE WEE SIZE BALL Average Weight: 10 ounces: Long Circumference: 23.5 inch – es; Short Circumference: 17.25 inches PSI: 13

⦁ Division (10&11U) – Ages 9-10
– JUNIOR SIZE BALL – Average Weight: 11 ounces; Long Circumference: 24.5 inches; Short Circumference: 18.5 inches PSI: 13

⦁ Division (11&12U) – Ages 11-12
– JUNIOR SIZE BALL – Average Weight: 11 ounces; Long Circumference: 24.5 inches; Short Circumference: 18.5 inches PSI: 13

⦁ Division (13 &14U) – Ages 13-14 (8th grade max)
⦁ YOUTH SIZE BALL – Average Weight: 13 ounces; Long Circumference: 26.5 inches; Short Circumference: 19.5 inches PSI: 13

DIVISIONS

NVE8YFL shall consist of NINE age divisions: 6U, 7U, 8U, 9U, 10U,11U,12U,13U,14U. The age requirement is based on the age of the athlete at 11:59pm on August 1 of the current year. Due to safety concerns, no athlete will be allowed to play up more than one age group. The athlete requesting to play up, along with the parent, must sign a waiver form with their respective team. With that, the athlete requesting to play up, must also perform a physical evaluation and the parent must sign a club/organization waiver form. Once an athlete plays up, they will not be allowed to play down and must play in the elected division throughout the season to include playoffs.

6&7U Division:

⦁ Timing
⦁ 8-minute quarters with a running clock and an 8-minute halftime, with a 35 second play clock.
⦁ Only the last 2 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters will be regulation.
⦁ Mouthpieces must be always worn during play.
⦁ Coaches – One or Two coaches from each team will be allowed in his/ her respective backfield during the game. Coaches on the field should be at least 10 yards behind their last player at the start of cadence. Coaches must also make every effort to not interfere with plays (physically or verbally) once the play is in progress.
⦁ The quarterback must take a 2-step drop to run directly behind the center. Quarterback sneaks are not allowed under the center. Any violation of this rule will result in a 5-yard penalty.
⦁ No lining up directly over the Center.
⦁ No Kick-Off. The ball will be spotted at the offense’s 25-yard line.
⦁ Clock will stop after each score. The clock will start once the ball is set for kickoff.
⦁ Punting-Punts will be 30-yard walk off. Walk off will be no deeper than 10 yards.
⦁ Clock will only stop for the following:
⦁ Time outs
⦁ Injuries
⦁ End of quarters
⦁ Inadvertent whistles
⦁ Scoring a. Touchdown – 6 points
⦁ Run PAT – 1 point
⦁ Pass PAT – 2 points
Safety-2 points

8&9U Division
1. Timing
a. 10-minute quarters with a running clock and an 8-minute halftime with a 25 second play clock.
b. Clock will stop after each score. The clock will start once the ball is set for kickoff.
c. Only the last 2 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters will be regulation.
d. Clock will only stop for the following:
⦁ Time outs
⦁ End of quarters
⦁ Injuries
⦁ Inadvertent whistles
⦁ Scoring a. Touchdown – 6 points
⦁ Kicked PAT – 2 points
⦁ Run PAT – 1 point
⦁ Pass PAT – 2 points
⦁ Safety – 2 points
⦁ Field Goal – 3 points

2. Mercy Rule
a. See attached

3. Other
a. One coach from each team will be allowed in his/ her respective backfield during the game. Coaches on the field should be at least 10 yards behind their last player at the start of cadence. Coaches must also make every effort to not interfere with plays (physically or verbally) once the play is in progress.
b. Mouthpieces must be worn and attached to the face mask. No lining up directly over the center. Face mask must be in the “A” gap.
c. On the line of scrimmage within the tackle box an athlete must be in either a 3-point or 4-point stance. Any violation of this rule will result in a 5-yard penalty.
d. No kick-off, the ball will be spotted at the offense’s 35-yard
line.
e. No rushing on extra points or field goals.
4. Punting
a. Punt will be 30-yard walk off. Walk off will be no deeper than 10 yards.

10&11U Division
1. Timing
a. 10-minute quarters with a running clock and an 8-minute halftime with a 25 second play clock.
b. Close will stop after each score. The clock will start once the ball is set for kickoff.
c. Only the last 2 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters will be regulation.
d. Clock will only stop for the following:
• Time outs
• Injuries
• End of quarters
• Inadvertent whistles
2. Scoring
a. Touchdown – 6 points
b. Kicked PAT – 2 points
c. Run PAT – 1 point
d. Pass PAT – 2 points
e. Safety – 2 points
f. Field Goal – 3 points
3. Mercy Rule
a. See attached

4. Other
a. Mouthpieces must be worn and attached to the face mask.
b. Kick-off will be from the 40-yard line.
c. During kicking and punting situations, players are ALLOWED to rush the kicker/punter.
d. On the line of scrimmage within the tackle box an athlete must be in either a 3-point or 4-point stance. Any violation of this rule will result in 5-yard penalty.

12 &13U Division
1. Timing
a. 10-minute quarters with a running clock and an 8-minute halftime with a 25 second play clock.
b. Close will stop after each score. The clock will start once the ball is set for kickoff.
c. Only the last 2 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters will be regulation.
d. Clock will only stop for the following
• Time outs
• Injuries
• End of quarters
• Inadvertent whistles
2. Scoring
a. Touchdown – 6 points
b. Kicked PAT – 2 points
c. Run PAT – 1 point
d. Pass PAT – 2 points
e. Safety – 2 points
f. Field Goal – 3 points

3. Mercy Rule
a. See attached

4. Other
a. Mouthpieces must be worn and attached to the face mask
b. Kick-off will be from the 40-yard line.
c. During kicking and punting situations, players are ALLOWED to rush the kicker/punter.

14U Division
1. Timing
a. 10-minute quarters with a running clock and an 8-minute halftime with a 25 second play clock.
b. Clock will stop after each score. The clock will start once the ball is set for kickoff.
c. Only the last 2 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters will be regulation.
d. Clock will only stop for the following
• Time outs
• Injuries
• End of quarters
• Inadvertent whistles
2. Scoring
a. Touchdown – 6 points
b. Kicked PAT – 2 points
c. Run PAT – 1 point
d. Pass PAT – 2 points
e. Safety – 2 points
f. Field Goal – 3 points
3. Mercy Rule
a. See attached

4. Other
a. Mouthpieces must be worn and attached to the face mask
b. Kick-off will be from the 40-yard line.
c. During kicking and punting situations, players are ALLOWED to rush the kicker/punter.

Appendix A – Concussions

What is a concussion?
A concussion is a disturbance in the function of the brain caused by a direct or indirect force to the head or body. It results in a variety of symptoms and may, or may not; involve memory problems or loss of consciousness.

What should I do?
Any athlete suspected of having a concussion should be removed from playing for the remainder of the game and seek medical evaluation by a physician prior to returning to play. The best guideline is to note symptoms that worsen and behaviors that seem to represent a change in your son or daughter.
If you have any questions or concerns about the symptoms you are observing, contact your family physician for instructions, or seek medical attention at the closest emergency department.

A person with a concussion MAY:
• Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) for headaches
•Use ice pack on head and neck
•Eat a light diet
•Go to sleep as needed for comfort
•Rest (no strenuous activity or sports)
There is NO need to:
• Wake up every hour
•Test reflexes
• Stay in bed

Do NOT:
• Use computer/text/video games
•Exercise or lift weights
• Drive while symptomatic
•Take ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen or other NSAID
• Watch anything with a screen
•Consume caffeine drinks