RULES

Follow these rules correctly and calmly or the Referees do not have to honor a challenge.

1. Only the Head Coach speaks to the Referees. Assistant Coaches, Board Members and Support Staff do not have a voice in the process.

   1. • Board Members that are also Head Coaches, but not the Head Coach of the team playing do not get to talk to the Referee.

2. Excessive arguing, mouthing off or loss of control by the sideline and the Referees will end the challenge, and can throw an Unsportsmanlike on the team.

3. The Head Coach must PROVE their point by showing the Referees the rule or policy using the volunteer.tyfa.com tool. There is no paper or PDF copy of some old rules that will be acceptable.

4. The challenge is between the Referees and the challenging Head Coach. There is no debating with the opposing Head Coach.

5. If a Head Coach declares a challenge and they are proven wrong, they will be penalized a timeout or a Delay of Game if no timeouts left.

6. If a challenge is proven, the White Hat informs the opposing Head Coach of the result. THERE IS NO NEGOTIATING. 

PROCEDURE

1. If a Head Coach wishes to challenge an opponent's soft shell helmets, they should first notify the Side Referee.

2. The Side Referee will then pause the game and inform the White Hat.

3. The White Hat will approach the challenging Head Coach and ask if they have supporting evidence from TYFA's Rules Portal to justify the challenge.

4. ALL PROOF NEEDED is listed below in the specific challenges.

5. If the Head Coach cannot provide valid proof using the proper tool, the challenge is dismissed, and the game resumes.

6. If proof is available, the White Hat will ask the Head Coach to clearly state the issue and present their supporting evidence.

To ensure safety and compliance, the following rules will be strictly enforced:

1. No helmet, no play – Players without a helmet must leave the field unless they have a waiver listed under Active Waivers.

2. Games will proceed if at least (7) eligible players on a team are properly equipped.

3. If a team does not have helmets at the start of the game, they have the remainder of the Grace Period to secure them.

4. If a team fails to obtain helmets within the Grace Period, it will result in a Class A Forfeit.

5. If a team is unable to obtain helmets (e.g., they didn’t purchase them or are over 50 miles away), the Grace Period will not be granted.

6. If a team drops below (7) eligible players with helmets during play, the Referees will call a Class B Forfeit.

1. TYFA is committed to upholding safety standards. Any policy violations must be reported.

2. If a TYFA team wears a non-Gamebreaker helmet during the Fall or Spring Season, Referees and the opposing team must report the violation.

3. The game will continue, but the Head Coach and possibly the organization will receive a Level II violation from TYFA.

4. This policy is in place to prioritize player safety and is part of TYFA's overall safety initiative. All TYFA teams are expected to comply, and failure to do so will result in strict enforcement with no exceptions.

1. If a Head Coach observes that an opponent's soft-shell helmets are not all the same color, the helmets are considered "Out of Compliance."

2. Since color does not inherently affect gameplay, the game will continue.

3. The offended team must be allowed to take a picture of the helmets, and that picture must be sent in with the organization's GSR.

4. TYFA will issue a LEVEL II violation to the opposing Head Coach.