SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL FOR FLAG FOOTBALL – August 18, 2025
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 have to 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.
Length of Games – We continue to collect data on the length of our flag football games, both JV and Varsity. We are entering the total time in the Notes Section (Report) form. In some cases we’re hearing reports that coaches are agreeing to some modifications to our timing, especially at the JV level. Coaches must be in agreement, and must not “rob” the players of adequate playing time. We’re all working our way through this situation but, as you can see, we need the data to make any serious decisions or recommendations to the State CIF and/or NFHS.
Mercy Rule – We’ve received clarification from the CA Rules Interpreter that the mercy rule should be exactly the same as the tackle football mercy rule except it goes into effect if there is a 21-point difference in the score at the end of the 3rd quarter. It was inaccurately stated that it only applied to the last 2-minutes, but it has been clarified that the clock will start, and run continuously the entire 4th quarter. The only stoppages will be for injured players, team charged time outs, and 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. Otherwise, no jewelry is allowed.
