Arena Football League 101

FIELD

An indoor padded surface 85 feet wide and 50 yards long with eight-yard end zones.Goal posts are nine feet wide with a crossbar height of 15 feet (NFL goal posts are 18-1/2 feet wide with the crossbar at 10 feet).
The goal-side rebound nets are 30 feet wide by 32 feet high. The bottoms of the nets are eight feet above the ground.
Sideline barriers are 48 inches high and made of high-density foam rubber.

EQUIPMENT
The official football is the same size and weight as the National Football League ball. Each ball is manufactured by Spalding, a division of Russell Corporation.

PLAYERS AND FORMATIONS
Eight players on the field; 20-man active roster; four-man inactive roster.
Players may play both offense and defense.
Substitution: Coaches are permitted to substitute players at will.
Four (4) offensive players must line up on the line of scrimmage.
Three (3) defensive players must be down linemen (in a three- or four-point stance). One linebacker may blitz on either side of the center. Alignment is two-or-more yards off the line of scrimmage. No stunting or twisting.
Offensive motion: One receiver may go in forward motion before the snap.

TIMING
Four 15-minute quarters with a 15-minute halftime.
The clock stops for out-of-bounds plays or incomplete passes only in the last minute of each half and when the referee deems it necessary for penalties, injuries or timeouts.
Each team is allowed three (3) timeouts per half.


MOVEMENT OF THE BALL AND SCORING
Four (4) downs are allowed to advance the ball 10 yards for a first down, or to score.
Six (6) points for a touchdown.
One (1) point for a conversion by place kick after a touchdown, two (2) points for a conversion by drop kick and two (2) points for a successful run or pass after a touchdown.
Three (3) points for a field goal by placement or four (4) points for a field goal by drop kick.
Two (2) points for a safety.

KICKING
Kickoffs are from the goal line. Kickers may use a one-inch tee.
Punting is illegal. On fourth down, a team may go for a first down, touchdown or field goal.
The receiving team may field any kickoff or missed field goal that rebounds off the net.
Any untouched kickoff, which is out of bounds, will be placed at the 20-yard line or the place where it went out-of-bounds, whichever is more advantageous to the receiving team.

PASSING
Receivers must have one foot inbounds for a catch. A forward pass that rebounds off the rebound net or sideline barrier is a live ball and is in play until it touches the playing surface.

OVERTIME RULES
Overtime periods are 15 minutes for both the regular season and the playoffs.
Each team gets one possession to score. If, after each team has had one possession, one team is ahead, that team wins. If the teams are tied after each has had a possession, the next team to score wins.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

BALL IN THE STANDS– When a ball is thrown or bounces into the seats surrounding the playing field, the "lucky" fan that catches the ball keeps it.

DROP KICK– A drop-kicked FG is worth 4 points. A drop-kicked extra point is worth 2 points. Former Milwaukee Mustangs kicker Kenny Stucker is the last man to have connected on a two-point dropkick (1997).

FANS– More than 20 million fans have been to an AFL game in the League’s 20 Season History. Last year, in 2006, the AFL drew more than 1 million fans for the 11th consecutive season.

IRONMAN– Signifies participants playing both offense and defense.

“MAC” AND “JACK” LINEBACKERS – “Mac” may rush the QB straight on without stunting, twisting or drop-back coverage. “Jack” must stay within an imaginary box behind the line of scrimmage. Either LB may cover the fullback or tight end, but double-teaming is illegal.

OFFENSIVE MOTION– Unlike stadium-played football, one offensive back may go into forward motion prior to the snap of the ball.

OVERTIME– Arena Football has a unique overtime rule. If a contest is tied after regulation, teams will play a 15-minute overtime. Each team will have one opportunity to score. If, after each team has had one chance to score, the game is tied, the first team to score is crowned the winner.

REBOUND NETS– Goal-side rebound nets extend outward from each upright. The nets are 30-feet wide, 32-feet high and extend to 40 feet above the playing surface. The bottom bars of the frames are positioned eight feet above the surface. The “scoring area” is nine-feet wide and 15-feet high. Nets are stretched taut so that a missed kick attempt will rebound off the net and back into the field of play. Once the ball caroms off the net, it's live.

SIDELINE BARRIERS– Similar to the sideboards that surround a hockey rink, the sideline barrier encircles the playing surface. The barrier is made of a high-density foam pad, measuring four inches thick.

STUNTING OR TWISTING– When a defensive lineman is rushing the passer, there's no “stunting” or “twisting”. In other words, linemen are required to power past offensive linemen.

TIGHT END– One offensive lineman must declare himself a tight end prior to the snap by simply raising his arm and “declaring” himself a tight end.  The Mac (rush-eligible) linebacker must line-up on the opposite side of the center from the tight end.

TWO-WAY PLAYERS – One of the most "throwback" features of the Arena Football League is the fact that the game features eight-on-eight football, where at times, some players will play both offense and defense.