SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL FOR FLAG FOOTBALL – August 17, 2026
Play Clock – We use a 25-second play clock which is whistled in as soon as the ball has been placed and is ready for play. Our referee is the official that keeps the 25-second timer on his/her belt which accurately times the 25-seconds. On long incompletions, there is some extra time necessary to get the ball returned and placed “ready for play”. What is most helpful is when the wide receivers return the incomplete pass/football to the referee. When the officials must chase the ball down and then relay it to each other to get it back, as much as a minute of playing time can be consumed. Just a tip to keep the pace of play at a good tempo.
Mercy Rule –The mercy rule should operate exactly the same as the tackle football mercy rule except it goes into effect if there is a 27-point difference in the score at the end of the 3rd quarter. The clock will start and run continuously the entire 4th quarter. The only stoppages will be for injured players, team charged time outs, officials time outs. and scores.
Jewelry – No jewelry allowed in flag football. The only exception is for a medical device worn on the ear to reduce migraines. A doctor’s note is required, and the player must wear protective padded headgear to cover the device. Religious medals and a medical alert indicator are not considered jewlry. Religious medals or other religious items must be taped to the body and worn under the uniform. A medical alert indicator must be taped to the body and may be visible.
Overtime – A slight correction to the scoring in overtime. As you know, overtime starts at the 10-yard line. Both teams get 4 downs to score at TD which counts for 6-points. They then will attempt either a 1-point (3-yard line) or 2-point (10-yard line) PAT. If the score is still tied after both teams have had one possession of the ball, the ball will be placed at the 3-yard line for each subsequent series. If a team scores from the 3-yard line, they are awarded 1-point (I previously misstated that it would be 2-points)
