PITFOOTBALL.COM LEAGUE RULES FOR INDOOR FOOTBALL

All rules of the PIT Football League and the rules of the Official Touch Football Rule Book are in effect throughout the duration of the indoor regular season and playoffs. It is the responsibility of the respective team representatives to advise team members of the rules and regulations.

General Rules:

On the field the referee's decision is final. All protests must be indicated to the referee immediately at the time of the specific infraction or ruling. You cannot question the judgment of the call, but you can protest the application of the rule.
Game protests must be submitted in legible writing the day of the game protested and will be ruled and decided upon by the Executive Committee in conjunction with a review of the referee's game report.
Score cards will be provided by the league and submitted to the referee's prior to game time. It is the responsibility of teams to cross out any names of players who are not at the game.
A team may not add a player after registration without prior approval from the Executive Committee.
Team representatives must ensure that all players have registered and signed a roster release form before any player steps on the field for a regular season game.
All players must be dressed in similar color jerseys. A coin flip will be used to decided which team is required to change jerseys if both teams wear identical colors.
Fighting during a game automatically incurs a game misconduct. Further action may be taken by the Disciplinary Committee (see disciplinary procedures).
In order to retain use of playing fields, all teams are responsible for picking up stray garbage, bottles, and any miscellaneous items left by either players or spectators. Your cooperation is expected and appreciated.
Verbal criticism and bad-mouthing towards referees, league representatives, and opposing players or fans on or off fields of play is inexcusable and will not be tolerated. Regardless of the situation, it can do nothing but degrade the quality and status of the PIT Football League. Offending individuals will be handled with strict disciplinary measures.
In maintaining an organized, balanced, and operational league, the Executive reserves the right to make changes as necessary during each season of operation.

Touch Football Rule Book:

The Official Touch Football Rulebook used by the PIT Football league can be found at the following link: Touch Football Rule Book
The Rule book is also available on the PITFootball.com website under “Forms & Files” by clicking on the link “Official Touch Football Rulebook”.

Team Responsibilities:

Team captains must have a valid email address entered into the pitfootball.com website and are expected to check their email frequently. Team captains will be contacted throughout the year for various reasons and email will be the main method of contact.
Team captains must have a current phone number entered into the pitfootball.com website. If information is to be conveyed to a team in short order this will be the primary mode of contact.
Team rosters must be completed online at pitfootball.com before the registration deadline. Any roster additions after the registration period require board approval.
Players must be on the team roster on the pitfootball.com website prior to playing in order to be considered eligible to play for that team.

Waiver Forms:

A waiver form is required to be completed prior to playing in the first game of the season. Each year a new waiver form must be signed by all players. Our insurance runs from mid-October to mid-October. Thus all players must have a new waiver from signed in the Fall indoor season. Players who signed waiver forms in the Fall, Winter, or Spring indoor seasons will remain covered for the duration of the year until the next fall season begins. All new players must have a waiver form signed.
Waiver forms may be handed to the head ref prior to playing in a game. If a player does not have a waiver form signed they are considered ineligible in play.
Waiver forms can be found here: Waiver Forms or by clicking on "Forms & Files" on the navigation toolbar
Teams who use ineligible players will be subject to a default.

Eligible players must satisfy all of the following:

The player has submitted a waiver form to the league.
The player has been added to the roster via the PIT football website.
The player has submitted a parental consent form if they are under 18 years of age.
The player is not currently serving a suspension from the league.

Playoff Eligibility:

Players must play a minimum of two games to be eligible for playoffs. Injured players must attend at least two games to be eligible for playoffs. With the addition of some divisions having players play on multiple teams, players will no longer be credited for both games. The team the player decides to play on for a given game will decide playoff eligibility.
Team representatives should monitor all game card entries to ensure players make their two games. The league will not go back to check previous game cards in the event there is a discrepancy between the website and team. The website will be considered accurate. Teams will have 24 hours following the entry of game cards to report discrepancies. After 24 hours the game cards will be considered accurate and no further changes will be made.
Only teams in good standing (e.g., not defaulted two games) with the league are eligible for playoffs.
Players not currently serving a suspension from the league.
All games played by teams with ineligible players will incur a default loss as well as a default fine.

Masters Division Eligibility:

All players must be over the age of 40 to compete.
The league will create the rosters of the Masters Division from the players who have signed up to compete.

Coed Eligibility/Rules:

Coed teams must have a minimum of two females on the field at all times. Coed teams can play with up to five females on the field at one time.
Coed teams that have players who are on teams in Division 1 or higher cannot have more than two such players on the field at any time.
If two division 1 or higher players are on the field at one time the remaining three players must be female.

Disciplinary Procedures:

Players and referees should not be subjected to player threats, taunts, arguing or inappropriate conduct. Referees can assess objectionable conduct penalties, a five minute (game time, not running time!) player “timeout” or eject a player from a game for such conduct. An ejection carries an automatic one game suspension and potentially more depending on the severity of the offense. A single objectionable conduct will result in a 15 yard penalty; a second objectionable conduct penalty carries with it an automatic five minute player timeout. A third objectionable conduct penalty carries with it an automatic ejection. As per the referee’s judgement the escalation of penalties can be expedited. For example, a player may get a five minute timeout or be ejected on the first objectionable conduct penalty depending on the severity of the offense.

Any player ejection for a major foul or abuse of an official carries a mandatory minimum one game suspension.
Ejections for major fouls carry suspensions from one to eight games.
Gross misconducts carry suspensions from six to eighteen games.
Fighting carries a minimum six game suspension.
Physical abuse of an official carries a minimum eighteen game suspension.
Players who are on multiple teams will be suspended from all teams for the duration of the initial suspension. For example, if a player is suspended for three games on Team A, they will miss all games with Team B (Team C, etc) until the three game suspension with team A has been completed.
In the event of dissatisfaction with a disciplinary decision a case may be taken to the Appeals Committee if a written request explaining the reason for the appeal is received by the Executive within 14 days of the decision being issued. A $50.00 per player fee must accompany the appeal request. The fee will be refunded if the decision is revoked or the penalty reduced.

New Objectionable Conduct Policy:

Objectionable conducts will be tracked for the duration of the season (outdoor is one season, indoor [Fall/Winter/Spring] will be considered one season).
Six objectionable conduct penalties in a season will result in a one game suspension.
Every objectionable conduct penalty after six will result in a one game suspension.
Penalties are cumulative meaning a person’s third objectionable conduct will result in a suspension however if the third objectionable conduct penalty is also a player's sixth (or seventh, etc) objectionable conduct penalty of the season then a two game suspension would be applied.
Players who receive an objectionable conduct penalty after the conclusion of a game will automatically be suspended.
Depending on the severity of the offense suspensions may be compounded or escalated.

Divisional Alignment:

The executive reserves the right to assign teams to divisions in order to provide the most competitive divisions.

Default Policy:

Teams may start the game one person down (ie, start the game with six players). Teams will be given a fifteen minute 'grace' period with penalties accruing for delay of game at game time, the five minute mark, and the ten minute mark of the grace period. After fifteen minutes the game is called as a default. Teams must start the game as soon as they have six players. Time will not be made up for late starts. Games will be shortened accordingly to fit the game within the specified time slot.
Teams that do not have a minimum of six players present at the time of kickoff will lose choice both halves.
The penalty for each default is a $75 fine, along with an automatic loss, minus two points in the standings, and no player on the defaulting team shall be credited with a game played. This fine must be paid to the league administrators prior to the defaulting team’s next game or that game is also forfeited.
The penalty for a 3rd default is possible removal of the team from the league for the season.
All players on the non-defaulting team will receive credit for a game played.
In the event of a double-default neither team will receive credit for a game played and both teams will be fined $75.
Defaulted games will not be rescheduled.

Tie Games:

There are no ties in the PIT Football League. In the event of a tie game a series of convert attempts will be used to determine the winner.
Each team will attempt three converts, alternating on offense and defense. Teams may attempt a 1-point convert from the five yard line or a 2-point convert from the ten yard line. The team with the most points after three attempts by each team will be declared the winner.
In the event that the teams are still tied after three attempts by each team, they will continue to run alternate converts until the tie is broken.

Coin Flip:

During the regular season the team calling the coin flip is up to the discretion of the referee (statistical probability states you will win 50% of the time regardless if you call the coin flip or not!)
During playoffs there will be no coin flip, the higher seeded team will automatically be given choice.

Playoff Seeding (tie-breakers):

First tie-breaker: In the event that two teams are tied and one of those teams has defaulted a game during the regular season, the non-defaulting team (or team with fewer defaults) will automatically receive the higher seed
Second tie-breaker: Head to head
Third tie-breaker: Head to head plus minus
Fourth tie-breaker: Plus-minus overall
Fifth tie-breaker: Points against
Sixth tie-breaker: Coin flip
Seventh tie-breaker: In the event the coin lands on its side a team drinking competition will ensue

Note I: In the event that three or more teams are tied, if two (or more) clubs remain tied after one team has been eliminated from the tie-breaker system during any step (i.e., made playoffs), the tie breaker reverts back to step 1 of the tie-breaker system
Note II: In the event that an unbalanced schedule occurs and seeding hasn't been decided by the first two tie-breakers the third and fourth tie-breakers will be as follows: Third tie-breaker: Plus-minus in games against common opponents, Fourth tie-breaker: Points against in games against common opponents. The fourth and fifth tie-breakers in the original tie-breaking formula will become the sixth and seventh tie-breakers in a scenario of an unbalanced schedule

MODIFIED INDOOR RULES

The Game:

The game is played 5 on 5.
Game Length = 2 x 29 minute halves.
Field Length is approximately 30 yards by 70 yards inclusive of end-zones.
All offensive snaps are taken from the center of the field (no hash-marks). This includes all convert attempts.

General Rules:

Each team is allowed three thirty second time outs, a maximum of two timeouts may be used in a one half.
Teams may request up to at most two minutes for halftime. If games are running behind the referee can use their discretion to shorten the available time at half to put games back on schedule.
Kickoffs and kicks after a safety are taken from the five yard line.
Penalties on kickoffs can result in the ball being moved into the end-zone to be re-kicked (no half the distance penalties exist for kickoffs in indoor).
In the event that a kickoff goes out of bounds the receiving team has the option to have the ball moved up five yards from the spot of where the ball left the playing field or have the kicking team re-kick five yards back. The farthest point a kickoff can be placed due to a penalty is center field. For example, if a kick goes out of bounds on the kicking teams side of center the receiving team has the option to scrimmage at center or have the kicking team re-kick five yards back.
Converts may be attempted from five yards out and are worth one point; converts from ten yards out are worth two points.
Any ball that hits the roof on a kick is placed on the ground directly below where the ball hit the roof.
Any ball that hits the roof on a pass would be considered a dead ball, loss of down will occur.
A rouge (single point) is awarded only if the ball carrier is tagged in the end zone or if the ball is 'dead' in the end zone (sits for three seconds without being picked up by the offensive team). Any ball that travels through the end zone without being touched, results in a "touch-back" and comes out to the ten yard line where the receiving team starts it's possession. No single point will be awarded.
A personal foul penalty occurs if the rusher (or any other player) hits the QB's arm while in a throwing motion.
Waiving a hand over a downed player will not be considered a 'touch' and play will continue until the player is physically touched by the defensive team.

Locker Rooms:

Each team will be provided a locker room in which to store their belongings. Locker room numbers will be listed by team on the white board near the entrance to the playing area.
Keys for the locker rooms can be picked up from the front desk in exchange for a set of car/house keys.
All belongings must be locked in the locker rooms. Bags, shoes, jackets, etc will no longer be allowed on the sidelines due to potential injury hazards. Only game balls, tees, and water bottles should be on the field and these items should be placed at the back of the safe zone surrounding the field.
If belongings cannot be placed in the locker room they may be stored BEHIND the netting that surrounds the safe zone around the fields. When playing on fields 1 & 4, belongings can be stored behind the netting on the West and East sides of the fields behind the netting. When playing on fields 2 & 3, belongings must be stored behind the North side of the netting.
Belongings must be pushed back far enough behind the netting so as not to encroach on the safe zone surrounding the fields.
Failure to comply will result in a delay of game penalty for the offending team.

The stuff that needs to be said:

Any additions to rosters after the registration deadline are subject to approval by the PIT Football League Management.
Any other interpretations not covered by the PITFootball rule book, the TFONT rule book or the indoor modified rules noted on this post are subject to the Head referees judgment and/or the league administration.
Have a great season and enjoy the best game day football experience in Manitoba!

FOR THE PLAYERS ... ... BY THE PLAYERS