Rules and Interpretations

Rules

BAFA Football Rules and Interpretations have been designated as either administrative rules or conduct rules. Typically, administrative rules are those dealing with preparation for the contest. Conduct rules are those that have to do directly with the playing of the contest. Some administrative rules (as indicated) may be altered by the mutual consent of the competing teams. Others (as indicated) are unalterable. No conduct rule may be changed by mutual consent. All BAFA-affiliated teams are required to conduct their competitive contests according to these rules.

Administrative rules that may be altered by mutual consent of the competing teams include (denoted in the text):

1-2-5-f-3 1-2-5-f-4 1-4-12-a 3-2-1-b 3-2-2-a 13-5-5-c

Some rules may be altered by game management without mutual consent of the opponents. These are contained in Rules (denoted [] in the text):

1-2-1-f 1-2-1-g 1-2-1-h 1-2-1-i 1-2-1-j 1-2-1-k 1-2-4-e
1-2-4-h 1-2-5-c 1-2-7-c 1-2-7-d 1-2-7-f 3-2-4-a 3-2-4-b
13-3-1 13-3-2 13-4-1-d 13-6-3-a 13-6-3-b

Some rules may be altered by game management without consent, but only if it is not feasible to meet the rule. Teams are encouraged to meet the standards specified by rule wherever possible. These are contained in Rules (denoted § in the text):

1-2-1-a-2 1-2-1-a-4 1-2-1-b 1-2-1-c 1-2-1-d 1-2-3-a 1-2-3-c
1-2-5-a 1-2-5-b 1-2-6 1-2-9-e 1-3-2-b 1-4-13-a 3-2-1-c
3-2-1-d

Some administrative rules allow competitions to stipulate in their regulations what course of action is to be followed. (A national federation may decide the policy for all competitions under its jurisdiction.) These are Rules (denoted in the text):

1-2-1-a-3-a-1 1-3-2-e-3 1-4-5-b-1 3-1-3 3-2-1 3-3-2 3-3-3-c
3-3-3-d 3-3-8-b-3 13-4-1-a-1 13-8-3 13-8-6-c 13-8-6-d

Other administrative rules may not be altered. The referee shall make a report to the appropriate authority if these rules are infringed (denoted # in the text):

1-1-1-a 1-1-2 1-1-3-a 1-1-3-b 1-1-4 1-1-5 1-1-6
1-1-7-a 1-1-7-b 1-1-7-c 1-2-1-a-1 1-2-1-a-3 1-2-1-a-5 1-2-1-a-6
1-2-1-e 1-2-1-l 1-2-1-m 1-2-1-n 1-2-1-o 1-2-2 1-2-3-b
1-2-4-a 1-2-4-b 1-2-4-c 1-2-4-d 1-2-4-f 1-2-4-g 1-2-5-a-1
1-2-5-c 1-2-5-d 1-2-5-e 1-2-5-f 1-2-7 1-2-7-a 1-2-7-b
1-2-7-e 1-2-8-a 1-2-8-b 1-2-8-c 1-2-8-d 1-2-8-e 1-2-9-b
1-2-9-c 1-2-9-d 1-2-9-f 1-3-1-a 1-3-1-b 1-3-1-c 1-3-1-d
1-3-1-e 1-3-1-f 1-3-1-g 1-3-1-h 1-3-1-i 1-3-2-c 1-3-2-d
1-3-2-e 1-3-2-e-1 1-3-2-e-2 1-3-2-i 1-4-5-b-1 1-4-9 1-4-9-a
1-4-9-b 1-4-9-c 1-4-9-d 1-4-9-e 1-4-11-a 1-4-11-a-1 1-4-11-a-2
1-4-11-a-3 1-4-11-b 1-4-11-c 1-4-11-d 1-4-11-e 1-4-11-f 1-4-12
3-2-1-e 3-2-1-f 11-1-1 11-2-1 11-2-2 13-1-2-a 13-1-2-b
13-1-2-c 13-1-3-a 13-1-3-b 13-2-1-a 13-2-1-b 13-2-1-c 13-2-1-d
13-2-2 13-3-3-b 13-3-3-c 13-3-4 13-4-1 13-4-1-c 13-4-3-b
13-4-4 13-5-1-a 13-5-1-b 13-5-2-a 13-5-3 13-5-5-a 13-5-5-b
13-5-5-d 13-5-6-b 13-6-1-a 13-6-1-b 13-6-2-a 13-6-2-b 13-7-1
13-7-1-a 13-7-1-b 13-7-1-c 13-7-2 13-7-2-b 13-7-2-c 13-7-2-d
13-8-1 13-8-2 13-8-4 13-8-5 13-8-6 13-8-7-a 13-8-7-b
13-8-8 13-8-9-a 13-8-9-b 13-8-9-c

All other rules are conduct rules and may not be altered.

Interpretation and application of the rules

A football rule interpretation, also known as an approved ruling (A.R.), is an official decision on a given statement of facts. It serves to illustrate the spirit and application of the rule.

Officiating responsibilities and mechanics are specified in the current edition of the Manual of Football Officiating, published by IAFOA. That includes (in Chapter 3) a number of principles of rule application that are used to standardise officiating across games, which should be considered as part of these rules.

The Football Code, which appears in these Football Rules and Interpretations, should be studied carefully so the accepted conduct and practices are understood by all persons associated with British American football.

Dr Jim Briggs, Rules Editor


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Editor: Jim Briggs, BAFA/BAFRA Rules Committee
rules@britishamericanfootball.org