BRITISH AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
FOOTBALL RULES
AND INTERPRETATIONS
2006 EDITION













                                Foreword




The rules are revised each year to improve the sport's level of safety
and quality of play, and to clarify the meaning and intent of rules
where necessary.
The principles that govern all rule changes are that they must:





These rules apply to all contests involving BAFA-affiliated teams and
take effect from 1st March 2006
(Exception:
leagues whose regular season began before 1st March 2006 will continue
to use 2005 rules until the end of their season).




BAFA has established a mechanism for discussing and deciding future
changes to this book.
Each organisation affiliated to BAFA has a voice on the Rules
Committee.
You may make suggestions for changes to your organisation's
representative(s).
Suggestions may be made at any time, but to eligible for consideration
for the following year they must be received by 1st October.




Jim Briggs, BAFRA (Editor)
on behalf of the
BAFA Rules Committee




Those who find it necessary to write to the editor for interpretations
of rules or play situations will receive prompt replies if they number
their questions
and email them to
rules@britishamericanfootball.org.




The editor would like to thank the following people who assisted in the
production of this edition of the rulebook:




Keith Alldritt
Phil Cottier
Kara Laing
Tzvi Lindeman
Russell Newton
Peter Parsons









                           Table of Contents




Rules changes..........................................................4
Points of emphasis.....................................................5
The Football Code......................................................8
BAFA Disciplinary Code................................................11
Rules and Interpretations.............................................14
Field Diagram.........................................................16
  Rule 1 -- The Game, Field, Players and Equipment....................19
  Rule 2 -- Definitions...............................................36
  Rule 3 -- Periods, Time Factors and Substitutions...................53
  Rule 4 -- Ball in Play, Dead Ball, Out of Bounds....................68
  Rule 5 -- Series of Downs, Line to Gain.............................72
  Rule 6 -- Kicks.....................................................77
  Rule 7 -- Snapping and Passing the Ball.............................89
  Rule 8 -- Scoring..................................................105
  Rule 9 -- Conduct of Players and Others Subject to Rules...........115
  Rule 10 -- Penalty Enforcement.....................................132
  Rule 11 -- The Officials: Jurisdiction and Duties..................143
  Rule 12 -- Football variants.......................................144
  Rule 13 -- Standards for Game Management...........................149
Summary of penalties.................................................158
BAFRA Terms and Conditions...........................................163
Officials' Signals...................................................170
Appendix A: Guidelines for Game Officials to Use During a Serious On-Field Player Injury172
Index of Rules and Interpretations...................................173






Next chapter




Back to index




Editor: Jim Briggs, BAFA/BAFRA Rules Committee


rules@britishamericanfootball.org