Official League Rules
CCFL Boston / 5X5 Football — Competitive 5-on-5 Flag Football Rulebook
CCFL Boston / 5X5 Football Rulebook
5X5 Football is a fast-paced, full-length competitive tournament flag football format emphasizing spacing, quarterback decision-making, tactical rushing, controlled running, and continuous game flow.
Gameplay Rules
Official CCFL Boston 5-on-5 game format.
Game Format
- 5v5 full-field flag football.
- Offense starts at its own 10-yard line.
- 40-minute running clock.
- Final 60 seconds uses stop-clock rules.
- Regular-season games may end in a tie.
Offensive Zones
- Zone 1: Own 10 to midfield — 4 downs.
- Zone 2: Midfield to opponent's 10 — 4 downs.
- Zone 3: Opponent's 10 to end zone — 3 downs.
- Each zone allows one designed run play.
Protected No Run Zones
- Final 5 yards before midfield.
- Final 5 yards before opponent's 10-yard line.
- Final 5 yards before the goal line.
- No designed runs or QB runs allowed in these areas.
Quarterback Runs
- QB may only run if a defender crosses the line of scrimmage after the snap.
- QB run counts as the team's one run play for that zone.
- QB may not run inside a Protected No Run Zone.
Passing
- 5-second pass clock.
- All forward passes must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.
- Shovel passes are legal.
- Illegal forward pass: 5 yards and loss of down.
Open Rush
- Any defender may rush.
- No declaration required.
- Rushers must start 5 yards from the line of scrimmage.
- Once the ball is handed off or lateraled, all defenders may rush.
Contact Fouls
- All contact fouls are 10-yard penalties.
- Includes flag guarding, blocking, moving screens, charging, tackling, roughing the passer, and excessive contact.
- Officials may eject players for dangerous or repeated conduct.
Screening
- Stationary basketball-style positioning is allowed.
- Players may not extend arms, initiate contact, move into defenders, or escort the ball carrier.
- Moving screens are 10-yard penalties.
Scoring
- Touchdown: 6 points.
- Automatic PAT: 1 point.
- 2-point conversion from the 10-yard line.
- Safety: 2 points.
- Defensive PAT return: 2 points.
Sportsmanship
- No verbal abuse of officials or opponents.
- No fighting, cheap shots, or dangerous conduct.
- Captains are responsible for team behavior.
- The league may suspend players or teams for conduct detrimental to CCFL / 5X5 Football.
Onside Conversion Rules
An Onside Conversion gives a trailing team an opportunity to retain possession during the final minute of regulation, subject to the following requirements.
- Onside Conversion attempts are permitted only when one (1) minute or less remains in regulation.
- The trailing team must have at least one available timeout to initiate an Onside Conversion attempt. The timeout is used to declare the attempt, and the play will be run as an untimed down.
- The trailing team must be behind by at least one (1) point and no more than eight (8) points. Onside Conversion attempts are not permitted when the score is tied.
- The Onside Conversion attempt will be run from the same spot used for a standard 2-point conversion attempt.
- A team may not attempt an Onside Conversion immediately following a failed 2-point conversion attempt.
-
A team may not attempt a 2-point conversion
and then an Onside Conversion on
consecutive plays.
Exception: An Onside Conversion is permitted if the 2-point conversion was successful AND the scoring team remains behind by at least one (1) point and no more than eight (8) points.
- A successful Onside Conversion awards possession to the trailing team at midfield.
- An unsuccessful Onside Conversion awards possession to the opposing team at midfield.
- Only one Onside Conversion attempt may be declared following a scoring play.
Final Tournament Overtime Rules
Regular-season games may end in a tie. Tournament knockout games requiring a winner will use the following overtime procedures.
- The higher-seeded team automatically wins the pregame coin toss.
- If overtime is required, the lower-seeded team will choose whether to play offense or defense first in the first overtime period.
- If a second overtime period is required, the higher-seeded team will choose whether to play offense or defense first.
- If a third overtime period is required, an official coin toss will be conducted. The higher-seeded team will call the toss, and the winner will choose whether to play offense or defense first.
- All overtime possessions begin at the 20-yard line.
- Each team receives four (4) downs to score. There are no first downs during overtime.
-
Important — Third Overtime Conversion Rule
Beginning with the third overtime period,
if the team possessing the ball first
scores a touchdown and elects the
automatic one-point conversion, the opposing
team, upon scoring a touchdown on its
responding possession,
MUST attempt a two-point conversion.
Mandatory: The responding team may not elect the automatic one-point conversion in this situation. It must attempt the two-point conversion to win the game.
- Overtime periods continue until a winner is determined.
Third Overtime Example
The game is tied 20–20 entering the third overtime period.
Team A scores a touchdown and elects
the automatic PAT.
Team A leads 27–20
Team B scores a touchdown on its
responding possession.
Team A leads 27–26
Team B must attempt a 2-point conversion.
Mandatory attempt
If Team B succeeds:
Team B wins 28–27
If Team B fails:
Team A wins 27–26
This mandatory two-point requirement applies specifically when the first team scores a touchdown and elects the automatic one-point conversion during the third overtime period.
Penalty Reference
Standard CCFL Boston penalty enforcement.
| Infraction | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Offside | 5 yards |
| False Start | 5 yards |
| Illegal Rush | 5 yards / replay down |
| Delay of Game | 5 yards |
| Illegal Forward Pass | 5 yards + loss of down |
| Intentional Grounding | 5 yards + loss of down |
| Flag Guarding | 10 yards + loss of down |
| Blocking / Moving Screen | 10 yards |
| Charging / Tackling | 10 yards |
| Roughing the Passer | 10 yards |
| Excessive Contact | 10 yards |
| Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 10 yards |