FLICKERBALL RULES

Florida State University does not provide accident insurance coverage for injuries received by Intramural Sports participants. Each participant should make sure that he/she has coverage either through family policies or the student insurance plan.

Florida State University PROHIBITS possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages on University property. Smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco is also prohibited at Campus Recreation facilities. This includes the Rec SportsPlex, Main Campus Fields, Westside Courts, and Tully Gym. Violators will be asked to leave the area. Failure to do so can result in forfeiture of the contest, suspension of individuals &Responsibilities and/or FSU Police.

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I. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

1. Participation is limited to currently-enrolled, fee-paying FSU students, faculty members, and full-time staff. FAMU & TCC students and members of the community are not eligible.

2. In order to participate in an intramural contest, each player must present his/her current, valid FSUCard. Check-in takes place at designated sign-in locations at the facility, not at the fields or courtside.

3. Additional information regarding player eligibility, team rosters, and participant check-in is available in the Seven Principles of Intramural Sports, available online at the FSU Intramural Sports web site and in the Intramural Sports Office in 1035 Tully Gym. Requests for exceptions to any policy must be directed to the IM adminstrative staff during regular weekday business hours in the Intramural Sports Office. No exceptions are granted at the fields or courts.

II. TEAM COMPOSITION

1. Players can compete on only one (1) team, regardless of league classification.

2. Flickerball is 6-on-6. A minimum of five (5) players is required to start a game. A team's roster may include an unlimited number of players.

3. Unlimited substitutions are permitted. The referee must be notified before a substitution can occur. Substitutions may occur only on a team's own restart opportunity such as after an opponent's goal, or a violation, foul, incomplete pass, or out-of-bounds that will be awarded to the substituting team.

III. EQUIPMENT

1. Appropriate gym footwear must be worn. Cleats, boots, sandals, and flip-flops are not permitted.

2. Hats and any other head wear that has a hard bill or creates a knot-like protrusion are not permitted.

3. Jewelry, casts, or any items deemed dangerous by the official MAY NOT BE WORN during the game. This jewelry consists of any visible rings (including wedding bands), watches, necklaces, earrings, studs, bracelets, and any other such similar jewelry. Medic alert bracelets must be taped to the body or secured under clothing such as a wristband or sock to be worn during play. Each team will receive only one warning in which the participant must remove illegal equipment and may immediately continue to participate without further penalty. Following the warning, any player from a warned team in the game found to be wearing prohibited equipment (jewelry, etc) will be removed from teh game and may not reenter until the jewelry is removed AND the opposing team has scored.

4. Balls will be provided by the Intramural Sports staff at the game site.

IV. GAME TIME & LENGTH

1. Game time is forfeit time. A team needs at least 5 legal players to begin the game.

2. A game will be divided into two (2) periods of fifteen (15) minutes each. Time runs continuously, except for injuries or unexpected interruptions, throughout the first half and until one (1) minute remains in the second half. During the final minute, the clock will stop on all violations and fouls, resuming when a restart is completed. There shall be three (3) minutes between halves. Game time will be kept at the court by the referee.

3. Each team will receive one (1) time out per half. Unused second half timeouts carry over to overtime periods.

3. 20-at-5 Mercy Rule: If a team is ahead by twenty (20) or more points with five minutes or less remaining in the second half, the game will end.

4. Games that are tied at the end of regulation time will proceed into a 3-minute overtime period (and subsequent 3-minute overtime periods, if needed). A coin flip will determine who will receive initial possession in each overtime period.

V. GENERAL RULES

BEGINNING A HALF

1. A coin toss will determine who will receive the initial possession of the first half. The loser of the toss shall receive the initial possession of the second half.

2. To start a half, the team with initial possession shall throw in the ball from its own baseline.

PASSING

A team may legally advance the ball toward its own goal only by passing. There are no handoffs.

1. Incomplete passes: If offensive team attempts a pass which is incomplete through no interference on the part of a defensive player, the referee shall blow his/her whistle and possession of the ball will be given immediately to the nearest player of the defensive team who will put the ball in play (as soon as they are able to) from the spot on which they get control of the ball.

2. There will be no “free balls.” A ball will be ruled complete or incomplete. Every time the ball hits the ground, the opponent of the team last in possession will be awarded the ball at the spot of the incompletion.

VIOLATIONS

1. Traveling / Illegally Advancing the Ball Toward Own Goal
No one is permitted to advance toward his or her goal while the ball is in his control. Player with the ball in their control may move only in a lateral or backward direction.
a. If a player gains control of the ball while advancing toward the goal, they will be allowed a maximum of one and one-half steps in which to stop their advance, or to swerve to a lateral direction. (If a player receives the ball as they are on their right foot, they may advance, place their left foot, and will not be considered travelling until he again steps on their right foot.)

2. Lane Violation
No offensive player may touch the ball while in their own offensive lane area ("the paint").

3. 5-second Possession Violation
No player is allowed to retain possession of the ball more than 5 seconds. This rule applies at all times, whether or not the player in possession in being guarded by an opponent.

4. 10-second Backcourt Violation
A team must advance the ball beyond half-court (into the frontcourt) within 10 seconds from obtaining legal possesion inbounds in the backcourt.

5. Backcourt Violation
After the ball has advanced past the half court line into the front court area, the offensive team must continue to play ball in this area until a shot at the goal is attempted or until ball is lost to the defense. It is a violation for the offensive team to pass or carry the ball into backcourt area after ball has been advanced into front court area.

Following a Violation
If a player is called for violation, the referee will immediately blow his/her whistle. Offending player must place the ball on the ground so that the nearest opponent can immediately put the ball into play.

OUT OF BOUNDS

1. In cases where receiver of pass is bound by rules to receive it within a certain area, they must gain definite control of the ball within that area. (i.e. if player received the ball while off the ground, both feet must land within that area/”in-bounds”)

2. When the ball goes out of bounds an opponent of the player who last POSSESSED the ball in bounds will be given possession at that point, out of bounds. Balls deflected out of bounds by the defense are awarded to the defense to put the ball into play.

FOULS

1. Personal Foul
Personal fouls occur when any player causes personal contact with their opponent. Player committing personal foul must leave game and cannot return to the field of play until either team scores any field goal. Player must remain in the penalty box on sidelines until such time as they return to play. They may not be substituted for while in the penalty box.
a. For personal foul – offended team will be given possession of the ball on the spot of the infraction and will put the ball in play as soon as offending player leaves the field. Apply out of bounds rule.
b. If a player is fouled in the act of shooting an attempted goal shot, a personal foul will be charged to the offending player. The goal shot will be counted if scores and play will continue as normal. Otherwise the shooting player will be given a single free throw at the goal from the basketball free throw line.
c. Five personal fouls disqualify a player.

2. Technical Foul
The following are technical fouls:
a. Intentionally kicking a ball.
b. Any foul construed by the official to be flagrant, or any act of unsportsmanlike conduct.
c. Fouled player gets a free shot at the goal from basketball free throw line. In case of unsportsmanlike conduct, any member of offended team may attempt the free throw. Ball is dead and after the shot, successful or otherwise, fouled team is given possession of the ball out of bounds at the centerline. Thrower may not cross free throw line until after ball is dead.
d. Technical fouls also count towards a player's personal foul total. Two technical fouls by the same offending player in a game results in disqualification from the game.

RESTART PROCEDURE

The restart procedure shall be followed after each incomplete pass, violation, foul, and score.

1. A ball whistled dead on the field of play remains dead until a player entitled to put it in play picks it up. Opponents must be three feet away from the player putting the ball in play until moment ball is actually picked up off the ground by the player.

2. Any intentional handling of the ball (stalling) by the offensive player after the whistle and before the ball is put into play by the defensive, is a technical foul.

3. For a restart in the frontcourt or from an out-of-bounds spot in the team's frontcourt, the player must throw the ball to a teammate with a lateral pass or a backward pass.

4. For a restart in the backcourt or from an out-of-bounds spot in the team's backcourt, the player may throw the ball to a teammate anywhere in the backcourt.

5. For any restart, the player must pass to a teammate prior to an attempt to score.

6. When a team is given possession of the ball out of bounds, it will be given 5 seconds in which to put the ball in play.

7. The penalty for violation of any part of the restart procedure is loss of the ball at the point of the infraction.

SCORING

1. To score, a team must shoot the ball so that it passes through the basketball hoop from above. All shots must be attempted from the front court.

2. Attempted shots may be thrown overhand or underhand. Push shots, jump shots, set shots, and lay-ups are all permitted. Dunking is prohibited and results in ejection of the violating player.

3. A goal that enters the basket from above without touching the backboard is awarded 2 points. A goal that touches the face of the backboard, then enters the basket from above scores 3 points.

4. Free throw attempts score points under the same structure. For a free throw, the attempting player will line up at the basketball free throw line for the shot. All other players shall remain behind the 3-point arc or baseline in preparation for a restart by the defense.

BLOCKING SHOTS

1. An attempted shot, which is blocked by a defensive player and remains on the field of play is ruled dead and defensive team is awarded possession of the ball at the spot where the ball hit the ground. Since any shot that can be blocked is considered a poor shot, the intent of this rule is to reward the defense with possession of the ball.

2. An attempted shot, which is blocked, by a defensive player and rolls out of bounds is ruled dead and defensive team is awarded possession out of bounds at the approximate spot that the ball went out. Since any shot that can be blocked is considered a poor shot, the intent of this rule is to penalize the shooter with the loss of the ball.

3. Any attempt on the part of a defensive player to goal tend in the dead ball area, (i.e. deliberately bat out attempted goal) shall result in award of 3-point goal to shooting team.

VI. SPORTSMANSHIP

1. The mission of Intramural Sports is to provide a recreational environment for the University community which is safe and enjoyable. While the game atmosphere is often competitive, ensuring participant safety, providing a fun, social atmosphere, and promoting sportsmanlike behavior among participants, spectators, and team followers are our primary concerns. The game atmosphere should remain good-natured at all times. Participants shall maintain good sportsmanship throughout their participation in all facets of the intramural program.

2. The Sportsmanship Rating System is intended to be an objective scale by which teams' attitude and behavior can be assessed throughout the intramural sports league and playoff seasons. Behavior before, during, and after an intramural sports contest is included in the rating. The team captain is responsible for educating and informing all players and spectators affiliated with his/her team about the system.

3. A team is responsible for the actions of the individual team members and spectators related to it. Additionally, FSU Intramural Sports does not recognize the use of coaches. Only the team captain shall speak to the officials regarding administrative matters (protests, ejections, disqualifications, etc). Furthermore, the team captain's efforts in assisting officials/staff to calm difficult situations and to restrain troubled teammates are key to controlling team conduct.

4. Sportsmanship is vital to the conduct of every Intramural contest. In order to encourage proper conduct during games, officials, administrative personnel, and supervisors shall make decisions on whether to warn, penalize or eject players or teams for poor sportsmanship. These decisions are final. The Intramural Sports administrative staff will rule on further penalties as a result of unsportsmanlike conduct.

5. Each participant should choose his or her team members carefully, as all team members will suffer the consequences of any disciplinary action taken by the Intramural Sports staff against that team for violation of the intramural rules and sportsmanship guidelines. Protests or appeals of sportsmanship ratings will not be recognized. The Intramural Sports administrative staff reserves the right to review any rating given to a team.

6. Additional information regarding team and participant sportsmanship including the rating method, factors, and scale is available in the Sportsmanship principle of the Seven Principles of Intramural Sports, available online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.