OFFICIAL RULES                                                             SUMMARY OF PENALTIES                                                                PAGE 44
PARTICIPANT FLAGRANT FOUL OR VIOLATION DISQUALIFICATIONS

Flagrant fouls or violations that require disqualification must impose a full 20 yard penalty on the offender's team.  There is to be no modification of such a penalty by a half-distance provision allowed under NCAA rules.  This maximum penalty yardage can only be modified by terminating the penalty yardage at the offending team's one-yard line.

PHYSICAL FLAGRANT FOULS OR VIOLATIONS. 
  1. Physical foul delivered at or beyond a sideline, end-line, or goal-line.
  2. An identifiable act of swinging a fist, hand, arm, elbow, knee or foot at an opponent.
  3. Any third-person Rule violation.
  4. A deliberate tackle of a ball-carrier or other player.
  5. Any deliberate flagrant physical act not included in normal game play judged to have the intent (or possibility if it landed) of injuring another person.
BEHAVIORAL FLAGRANT FOULS OR VIOLATIONS.
  1. Any physical touching or contact by a participant with a referee.
  2. Any direct or implied threat to a referee.
  3. Any spiking, kick or other act involving the ball, penalty-flag, game or field equipment after a team has been once warned for an earlier and similar violation.
  4. Any act that could incite another person to foul or commit a violation whether in the game or sideline and whether directed to another player, team staff or spectator to include trash-talking, taunting, illegal celebrations or demonstration after a team has once been warned for a similar and earlier violation.

REFEREE WARNING AND SEQUENTIAL PENALTIES

A number of fouls or violations that result in a team being warned will result in sequential penalties to a team if they are repeated in the game after the warning:

FAILURE TO RETURN A FLAG-BELT.  Team warned on 1st offense; penalized 5 yards for delay for each subsequent offense.  A team whose players continually engage in violation of the Rule requiring return of the flag-belt risks possible declaration of a forfeit when it persists in these illegal actions.

FAILURE TO PROPERLY SIGNAL DEFLAGGING.  Team warned on 1st offense; penalized 5 yards for delay for each subsequent offense.  A team whose players continually engage in violation of the Rule requiring a proper signal of a deflagging risks possible declaration of a forfeit when it persists in these illegal actions.

FAILURE TO PLAY OR CONTINUED DISOBEDIENCE OF REFEREE ORDER.  Team warned on 1st offense; penalized 15 yards for delay for 2nd offense; game forfeited for 3rd offense.

CONTINUED UNFAIR ACTS.  Team warned or penalized 15 yards for 1st offense; penalized 15 yards for 2nd offense; game forfeited for 3rd offense.

CONTINUED DISPUTATION.  Team warned on 1st offense; team penalized 15 yards for 2nd offense; game forfeited for 3rd offense.

CONTINUED VERBAL VIOLATIONS (TRASH-TALKING).  Team warned on 1st offense; offending participant disqualified for each subsequent offense with team penalized 15 yards for a second offense, 20 yards for a 3rd offense; and the risk of forfeit for any other offense.

CONTINUED BEHAVIORAL VIOLATIONS.  After a number of behavioral foul or violation penalties, referees will warn the offending team and declare a forfeit at the next such offense.

CONTINUED FAILURE IN PROVIDING SIDELINE-ASSISTANCE.  Team warned on 1st offense; team penalized 5 yards for delay on 2nd offense; team penalized 10 yards for delay on 3rd offense; team penalized 15 yards for delay on 4th offense; and a forfeit declared for the 5th offense.

OFFICIAL RULES                                                            SUMMARY OF PENALTIES                                                                 PAGE 45
PARTICIPANT THEATRICS OR DEMONSTRATION.  Participant and team can be warned for 1st offense with a 20 yard penalty and face 20 yard penalty and automatic disqualifications for a second violation in a game and forfeiture of the game for a third violation.

STAFF OR PLAYER OUTSIDE TEAM SIDELINE AREA.  Team warned on 1st offense; team penalized 5 yards for for delay for 2nd offense; team penalized 15 yards for a 3rd and following offenses.  A team whose personnel continually engage in violation of the Rule requiring they remain within the designated Team Area at a game risk possible declaration of a forfeit when it persists in these illegal actions.

DISQUALIFIED PARTICIPANT REFUSES REMOVAL ORDER.  Team warned when a disqualified person refuses to leave the field area under referee order; team penalized 15 yard delay penalty for a 2nd notice; and, game forfeited if a 3rd removal order not obeyed.

DISQUALIFIED PERSON NOT IDENTIFIED ON REQUEST.  Team warned when 1st request not obeyed; team penalized 15 yards for delay if a 2nd request not obeyed; game forfeited if a 3rd request is not responded to by coach, staff or captains.
FORFEITED GAME DECLARED

In addition to other causes, a team shall forfeit an ongoing game when the following occur:
  1. As home team it fails a fifth time in a game to properly provide sideline-assistance.

  2. It fails a third time to comply with a referee order.

  3. It commits a third unfair act in a game and being warned and penalized.

  4. It continues disputation after twice receiving a warning and being penalized.

  5. It continues verbal violations including trash-talk a third-time after being warned and penalized.

  6. It constantly commits behavioral violations or its behavior forces the referees to declare a terminated game.

  7. One of its members is disqualified and refuses to leave the field area under order.

  8. Its team officials fail to properly identify a disqualified person after two requests.

  9. It is guilty of a third violation of the theatric/demonstration Rule.

INFRACTION SPOT FOUL
Defensive pass interference is a spot-foul when the foul occurs 15 or more yards beyond the scrimmage-line.  If the foul occurs within 15 yards of the scrimmage-line it is enforced as a major (15 yard) penalty.  All defensive interference fouls regardless of yardage award the offended team a first-down.

A violation of the theatric/demonstration Rule that occurs while a play is in progress is to be treated as a spot-foul with the results of the play after the onset of the violating behavior eliminated and the penalty imposed from the spot where the violation began.

LOSS OF POSSESSION
Team A will automatically lose possession of the ball to its opponent when it fails for any reason to deliver a free and announced kick.  This penalty applies to the kick whether it be a scrimmage-kick or placement-kick attempt; regardless of the down in a series of downs; and, regardless of the reason the kick was not made (exceeding an allowed time-limit to snap the ball to start the play (25 seconds); to kick the ball after its snapped (5 seconds); a bad-snap that hits the ground; a muffed snap by kicker or holder; a fumble by the kicker or holder; or, a miss of the ball by the player attempting to kick it.
OFFICIAL RULES                                                              SUMMARY OF PENALTIES                                                               PAGE 46
LOSS OF DOWN

Failure to notify the referee before using an unusual formation (also loss of the results of the play)
Violation of a requirement on a legal throwing ball to ground after a snap to conserve time (violation will treat this down as a run and not stop the clock)
Illegally handing the ball forward (also loss of 5 yards)
Intentionally throwing a backward pass out of bounds (also loss of 5 yards)
Illegal forward pass by Team A (also loss of 5 yards)
Ineligible player down-field on a pass (also loss of 5 yards)
Intentionally grounding a forward pass (also loss of 5 yards)
Forward pass illegally touched by a player out-of-bounds
Offensive pass interference (also loss of 15 yards)
Forward pass illegally touched by an ineligible player (also loss of 5 yards)
Illegal scrimmage kick (also loss of 5 yards)
Illegally kicking the ball (also loss of 15 yards)
Illegally batting the ball (also loss of 5 yards)

LOSS OF FIVE YARDS
Infraction of pre-game conference for other team staff or players being on the field
Any delay after three time-outs have been expended; requesting a time-out when team time-outs have been expended; or, when an excessive time-out is granted
Illegal delay of game
Failure to return ball to a referee at conclusion of any down
Failure to observe the referee's whistle
Taking the ball off the field beyond an end-line; across a side-line; or causing it to travel some distance on the field
Illegal snap
Player at line receiving a snap
Encroachment by Team A at the snap
Encroachment by Team B before a snap after Team A has taken its set positions at the line
Putting the ball in play before it has been declared ready for play
Exceeding the 25 second limit on any down
Infraction of the scrimmage formation
Team A player illegally in motion at the snap
Illegal shift
Failure to pause a full-second in a shift play
False start or simulating the start of a play
Illegally handing the ball forward (if Team A, also loss of down)
Intentional grounding of the ball (also loss of down)
Ineligible player down-field on a pass (also loss of down)
Violation of a requirement for an allowed grounding the ball after a snap to conserve playing-time (also loss of down with the clock to continue to operate)
Intentionally throwing a backward pass out of bounds (also loss of down)
Illegal forward pass by Team A (also loss of down)
Forward pass illegally touched by a player out-of-bounds
Forward pass illegally touched by an ineligible player (also loss of down)
Illegal scrimmage kick
Violation of a requirement set for free-kick scrimmage plays
Illegally kicking the ball (also loss of down)
Illegally batting the ball (also loss of down)
Player out-of-bounds when the ball free-kicked
Non-contact interference with the opportunity to catch a kick
Helping the runner
Infraction of the substitution Rule
Team B call of disconcerting signals or verbal interference with Team A signals
Team area infractions by participants crossing a sideline onto playing surface or moving beyond the team area along a sideline (can also be 15 yards)
OFFICIAL RULES                                                              SUMMARY OF PENALTIES                                                               PAGE 47
LOSS OF 10 YARDS

All Team B penalties of 10 yards provide Team A with a new series of downs.
Home team delay
Holding or obstruction (Team A)
Holding or obstruction (Team B)
Illegal use of the hands (Team A)
Illegal use of the hands (Team B)
Incidental or accidental pass interference if Team A

LOSS OF 15 YARDS

All Team B penalties of 15 yards provide Team A with a new series of downs.
Off-setting fouls or violations must be recorded by referees and charged to the violators.

General Fouls or Violations

Unauthorized contact with a referee by a non-captain team player (also disqualification)
Violation of Rules governing number of persons and location for a team meeting
Team not ready for play to start a half
Use of an illegal signal device (also disqualification)
Person illegally being on field (also disqualification)
Failure by team to control persons allowed to be in their team area
Failure by team to control spectators caused to be at field by its presence
Substitute interference (also disqualification)
Use of a substitution pattern designed to deceive
Illegal participation (also disqualification)
Continued disputation, protest or argument (also disqualification)
Abusive or insulting language; profanity; taunting after warning (also disqualification)
Illegal theatrics (demonstration or celebration) after warning (also disqualification)
Simulating being fouled after warning
Intentional deflagging another player
Physical contact with an opponent who is out of a play
Hurdling
Stepping on another person for advantage

Possessing Team Fouls or Violations

Illegal protection of the flags by a ball-carrier after warning
Ball-carrier leaving the feet in an attempt to advance the ball
Physically assisting the advance of the ball-carrier
Player not immediately returning ball to referee after team warning (also disqualification)
Delays caused by player(s) not obeying a whistle after warning (also disqualification)
Blocking fouls: clipping, below the waist, to back, chop block, two-on-one outside legal zone
Tripping
Batting a ball in possession by the player in possession
Offensive pass interference

Defending Team Fouls or Violations

Playing the person of ball-carrier and not the flag or belt
Grabbing or stripping or attempts to do these so contact is made with the ball-carrier
Push, shove, grab or hold of the ball-carrier
Illegal body contact by defender to the ball-carrier in a deflagging act
Push, shove or bodying a ball-carrier out-of-bounds instead of deflagging
Physical obstruction of the ball-carrier's path
Roughing a passer, receiver or ball-carrier
Violation of the one-hand, open-palm, non-violent touch Rule requirement
Continued violation of the return of Flag-belt Rule after team warning
Continued violation of the requirement to signal a deflagging after team warning

OFFICIAL RULES                                                                   SUMMARY OF PENALTIES                                                                PAGE 48
Kick Plays Fouls or Violations

Employing a fair-catch signal on a kick
Contact or spatial interference with the opportunity to catch a free-kick

Major Fouls or Violations
Action that diminishes the expected high standards of the game; mocks the rules; makes a travesty of normal game action by theatrics such as dances, strutting, posturing, posing or otherwise acting in a manner not usual in routine game play
Any action that engenders ill-will
Any taunt whether by word, act or posture
All unsportsmanlike conduct or action
Each third-person violation
Questionable acts: swinging and missing another person with a fist, arm, elbow; knee or foot
All physical contact to another person's head, neck or face
Unnecessary roughness
Excessive or unwarranted physical contact
Grabbing or wrestling another person
LOSS OF 20 YARDS

            All Team B penalties of 20 yards provide Team A with a new series of downs.
All penalties of 20 yards require violator disqualification and full-yardage enforcement.

Any physical contact with a referee initiated by a participant
Any threat whether real or implied to a referee by a participant
All physical fouls at, over, or beyond a sideline, goal-line, or end-line
Any identifiable act of swinging a fist, arm or elbow; knee or foot at another person
Deliberate tackle of another player
Any act judged to be deliberately aimed at causing injury to another person
All actions that involve the game football to include spiking (after team warning)
All actions that involve referee, field or game equipment items
All illegal theatrics (demonstration or celebration)
Any act that can incite an opponent in the game, on sideline, or spectators at a field