PENTATHLON• RULES & REGULATIONS •

PENTATHLON (A 5-SPORT CHALLENGE) OVERVIEW

OVERVIEWThe Pentathlon is a five sport challenge that includes competition in the following sports- dodgeball, flag football, beach volleyball, obstacle course, and kayak. There will be a maximum of 36 teams competing. Each team is comprised of 10 players (a minimum of 4 females). The 36 teams will be broken up into 6 separate groups (A, B, C, D, E, F), of up to 6 teams (we will do our best to group teams by industry). These groups will rotate together between each sport and compete against one another to determine a group winner. After all 5 sports are finished; the 6 group winners will compete against each other to determine the Hudson River Park Games Champion. Specific team schedules will be provided the week of the Games.

GROUP MOVEMENT & EVENT DAY FLOWEach group will be assigned an on-site Games repre-sentative who will be responsible for leading the group between the Piers/competitions. These representatives will also keep track of the game score, check-in with field managers at each event, help assign each team to their game field, and answer questions from the Pentathlon Teams. There are 35 minutes allocated for each sport. This time includes play time, as well as instructions from referees and game managers. Additionally, there is a 20 minute transition time between each sport. Due to time constraints teams will be on a tight schedule throughout the day and move quickly between competitions. There will, however, be some down time at select competitions.

PENTATHLON UNIFORM It is essential that all team members bring/wear your provided Games T-shirt or an approved team shirt. Each team will be provided a different color shirt (based on the teams they are playing), so they can be identified on the field of play. Additionally, this is an outdoor athletic event, so please plan to wear athletic bottoms (expect to get wet during kayaking – see kayaking rules for more information). You will also be on your feet for much of the day, so please wear comfortable athletic shoes (CLEATS ARE PROHIBITED).

PENTATHLON EVENTSPlease see below for an overview of all competitions and information related to the sports that will be played, how they will be scored, the rules and the male/female participation requirements. Please note that rules are subject to change.

TEAM SIZEWe strongly recommend a roster of 10 people per team (minimum 4 females). The majority of Pentathlon com-petitions require a minimum of 6 players- see below for a breakdown (substitutions in these competitions are encouraged). The only activity that requires 10 players is the obstacle course. If you are short players on event day, you are allowed to designate teammates to go more than once. Please note, all competitions have a required male/female ratio. Please refer to the rules for further information.

• Dodgeball- 6 athletes (min 2 females)

• Flag Football- 6 athletes (min 2 females)

• Kayak- 5 athletes (min 2 females)

• Beach Volleyball- 6 athletes (min 2 females)

• Obstacle Course- 10 athletes (min 4 females)

PENTATHLON (A 5-SPORT CHALLENGE) OVERVIEW

PENTATHLON SCORING OVERVIEWEach group of 6 teams will compete against one another in the five separate sports. The competition structure for each sport varies between activities. Some will require all teams to play one another, while some sports will pit only one team against another team. For each sport, teams will receive a ranking based on how they finished. First place in a sport receives 6 points, second place receives 5 points, third place receives 4 points and so on and so forth. After all 5 sports are finished; a group winner will emerge and go onto the Pentathlon Champi-onship, where they will compete against the other group winners. If 2 teams within a group are tied after all 5 competitions, these two tied teams will BOTH move onto the Pentathlon Championship.

PENTATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP OVERVIEWUpon completion of the Pentathlon, all teams will go to the obstacle course at Pier 25 where the 6 group winner teams will be announced to all Pentathlon Competitors (1 team per group will win). The 6 winning teams will then com-pete, once again, in the Hudson River Park Games Obstacle Course. The two teams with the FASTEST obstacle course times will move on to the Championship Challenge. The Championship Challenge will have these 2 teams compete against each other in a tug-of-war to determine the Hudson River Park Games champion.

AFTER THE CHAMPIONSHIPAfter the Championship, teams will be asked to return to the delivery.com Games Village at Pier 26, for the closing ceremony. After the closing ceremony, teams are encour-aged to stick around and celebrate in the Hudson River Park Beer Garden (also on Pier 26) and also enjoy some food available for purchase from various food vendors. All Pentathlon participants will receive one free beer ticket.

OVERALL EVENT TIMING• 8:00am – 8:45am: Team Check-In at The delivery.com

Games Village at Pier 26 - Look for your company sign!

• 9:00am – 9:15am: Opening Ceremony/Rally – Get pumped up for the day with exciting pre-event festivities

• 9:15 – 4:00pm: The Games – Prove you are the best on the competition fields

• 4:00pm – 4:30pm: Closing Ceremony – Crown a champion

DODGEBALL OVERVIEW • PIER 40 • UPPER LEVEL TURF FIELD •

THE GAMEDodgeball is played by two teams, each made up of six players. The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them OUT. This is done by striking op-posing players with thrown balls, or catching balls thrown by opposing players; while preventing the opposition from doing the same.

THE FIELDThe playing field is a large rectangle (approx 50’ long and 30’ wide) divided into two equal sections by a center-line. Each team will be assigned to one side of the field. The field will be marked with sidelines, end lines and a center line.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSSix (6) players play on a court at a time; at least 2 of them must be women (4 men/2 women). In the event that your team is short females; female positions cannot be filled by a male.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will play a maximum of five 4 minute matches during the 35 minute game play period in a round robin style tournament. Each match will have a running clock that will not stop for any reason other than injury. As each match ends, teams will move on to play another team with-in their group. Game officials will give teams a 30 second warning before the end of each match.

GEARWear provided Games T-Shirt, or an approved team shirt and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Dodgeball will be played on turf, which requires partici-pants to wear athletic shoes. Cleats are not permitted at The Games. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTDodgeballs will be provided.

DODGEBALL SCORINGTeam rankings will be determined based on total number of wins. In the event of a tie for total wins, the tied teams will be ranked by the cumulative number of players left on your team, at the end of each match, across all 5 matches within your group.

If a match ends in a tie, the number of players remaining will be added to the team’s cumulative number of players score. This score will be factored into the above overall scoring system to determine the team rankings.

Final rankings will be determined based on this scoring system. If teams are still tied in wins and cumulative num-ber of players, then their ranking points will be averaged.

Ex. First and second place are tied in wins and cumulative remaining players; the total number of points (11) will be averaged so each team will be awarded 5.5 points.

DODGEBALL RANKING

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FLAG FOOTBALL OVERVIEW • PIER 40 • LOWER LEVEL TURF FIELD •

THE GAMEFootball is played by two teams, each made up of 6 players. The object of the game is to score the most points (touch-downs) and prevent your opponent from scoring. Scoring touchdowns is done by advancing the football down the field, with forward passes and runs until reaching the goal line, located in the end zone, which bookends the playing field. Flag football is a modified version of regular football which the basic rules are similar to those of the mainstream game, but instead of tackling ball carriers to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag that is loosely attached to a belt (“deflagging”) to stop an oppos-ing ball carrier and end a down. All players wear a flag belt throughout the game.

THE FIELDThe Games football is played on a large rectangular turf field that will be reduced from its standard size to fit into the Hudson River Park Games (approx 40-60 yards long). The ends of the field are designated with cones, and the sides are marked using sidelines.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSSix (6) players per team play on the field at a time; at least two (2) of them must be female (4 men/2 women). In the event that your team is short females; female positions cannot be filled by a male.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will play one 26 minute game. The games will consist of two (2) 12 minute halves & one (1) 2 minute half-time. Team rankings and points earned within a group will be determined based on the outcome of the match.

FLAG FOOTBALL SCORINGTeam rankings will be determined, first using wins. Due to time/space constraints, not all teams will play each other so tie breaking rules will be put into effect. Tied teams will be ranked based on their score differential. If two teams remain tied after the score differential tie breaker, total number of points scored will determine the rankings. If two or more teams are tied after the score differential and points scored tie breakers, then their ranking points will be averaged.

GEARWear provided Games T-shirt or an approved team shirt and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Flag Football will be played on turf, which requires partic-ipants to wear athletic shoes. Cleats are not permitted at The Games. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTFootballs, flags & flag belts will be provided.

FLAG FOOTBALL RANKING

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KAYAK RACE OVERVIEW • PIER 40 • BOAT LAUNCH•

THE GAMEThe Games kayak race is a relay formatted kayak race through the controlled waters south of Pier 40 in the Hudson River. The object of the race is to successfully pass through a marked course in the fastest possible time. Five members of each team will compete in the kayak race, one at a time (relay race style). Your team rankings will be based on the total time it takes for your team to complete the course. Shortest finish times will earn the highest ranking.

THE COURSEThe controlled water south of Pier 40 will host the kay-ak race course. Two teams will compete simultaneously, however team rankings within each group will be based on overall group time, instead of head to head score. The first racer on your team will be placed in a kayak at the start line, the second racer will be set-up in a kayak waiting for the first person to complete the course, once the first racer crosses the finish line, the second racer will begin. As the second racer leaves, the first racer will exit their kayak and the third racer will enter into the kayak and wait for the second racer to cross the finish line. These boat transitions will continue until all 5 racers complete the course. The race course will be marked using buoys and other delineators. The course is designed to take 1-2 minutes per person.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSFive (5) athletes will compete in this relay race formatted kay-ak race. A minimum of two (2) females are required.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will run through the course once. The quickest team time will result in a higher ranking. After the first two team races, the course will be reset and the next two teams will race. This process will continue until all teams in the group have completed the challenge.

KAYAK RACE SCORINGThe combined times of all five (5) athletes will determine the team’s race time. The team with the fastest time after the entire group has raced will be awarded the most points.

GEARWear a bathing suit or clothes you are comfortable getting wet (i.e shorts, t-shirt). We suggest going barefoot or wear-ing water shoes or flip flops. Kayak Course will be in the water, so be prepared to get wet (you will not be immersed in water, but expect some splashing) and bring a towel or cloth to dry off. There will be minimal areas to change, so please plan accordingly.

EQUIPMENTAll kayaks, life vests, and oars will be provided.

KAYAK RACE RANKING

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BEACH VOLLEYBALL OVERVIEW • PIER 25 • VOLLEYBALL COURTS •

THE GAMEBeach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams placed on opposite sides of a sand court divided by a net. The team that earns the most points wins. The object of the game is for each team to send the ball over the net to ground it on the opposing side of the court, and to prevent the ball from being grounded on their own side of the court. Players can use only their hands and arms to move the ball. The ball is put into play by the right back-row player who serves the ball by hitting it over the net to the opponent’s court. The rally continues until the ball touches the ground, goes “out” or a team fails to return it to the opponent’s court or commits a fault- at which time the opposing team earns a point.

THE COURTBeach volleyball is played on a rectangle sand court (approx 50’ long x 30’ wide) divided into two equal sections by a net. Each team will be assigned to one side of the court. The court is marked with sidelines and end lines.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSSix (6) players per team play on a court at a time; at least 2 of them must be women (4 men/2 women). In the event that your team is short females, female positions cannot be filled by a male.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will play three 9 minute matches during the 35 minute game play period in a round robin style tournament. Each match will have a running clock that will not stop for any reason other than injury. As each match ends, teams will move on to play another randomly selected team within their group.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL SCORINGTeam rankings will be determined based on number of wins within your group. Due to time/space constraints, not all teams will play each other so tie breaking rules will be put into effect. Teams with the same number of wins, will be ranked based on their overall score differential. If two or more teams are tied after the score differential tie break-er, total number of points scored by the respective teams will determine their ranking. If teams are still tied in wins, score differential and total number of points scored, then their ranking points will be averaged.

GEARWear provided Games T-shirt or an approved team shirt, and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Most prefer to play barefoot; however, athletic shoes are permitted. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTVolleyballs will be provided

VOLLEYBALL RANKING

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OBSTACLE COURSE OVERVIEW • PIER 25 • TURF FIELDS •

THE GAMEThe Games obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual must navigate while being timed. The obstacle course tests speed, agility, balance and endurance. The object of the obstacle course is to successfully pass through each challenge and complete the full course in the fastest possible time. At The Games, all 10 members of your team will go through the obstacle course one at a time (relay race style). Your team ranking will be based on the total time it takes for your team to complete the course. Shortest finish times will earn the highest rankings.

THE COURSEThe Pier 25 turf playing field, will have two duplicate courses. Two teams will compete at a time (each assigned to one course), however, team rankings within each group will be based on overall group time, instead of head to head score. Five teammates will be placed on either end of the course. The first person will run from one side to another, upon crossing the finish line/tagging their teammate, their teammate will then run the course in the opposite direction. Once all 10 pentathletes have “switched” sides, their time will be stopped. The quickest times will result in a higher group ranking.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSAll ten (10) athletes (6 men and 4 women) will compete in this relay race formatted obstacle course. If a team is short players, one or more athletes may race a second time, but the male/female ratio must not change. Ex: Team A only has eight (8) people (6 men/2 women), the two (2) women run again, ensuring that there are ten (10) runs on the obstacle course, and that the ratio remains consistent. All athletes must par-ticipate in the obstacles course before any additional repeats from other team members.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will run through the course once. Lowest team time will result in a higher ranking. After the first two teams race, the course will be reset and the next two teams will race. This process will continue until all teams in the group have completed the challenge.

OBSTACLE COURSE SCORINGEach member will take turns on the course with the goal of completing it in the shortest amount of time. Rankings will be determined strictly by time needed to complete the entire course

GEARWear provided Games T-Shirt or an approved team shirt and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Obstacle Course will be played on turf, which requires par-ticipants to wear athletic shoes. Cleats are not permitted at The Games. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTAll obstacle course equipment will be provided.

OBSTACLE COURSE RANKING

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THE GAMES FAQs• THE PENTATHLON •

Q: WHAT ARE THE HUDSON RIVER PARK GAMES?A: The inaugural Hudson River Park Games is a day of com-petition like no other with all proceeds benefitting the Park. There are three portions to the day that make this event as unique as the Park itself:

• THE PENTATHLON – THE MAIN EVENT This will take up a majority of the day with competi-tions taking place on Hudson River Park’s Piers 25 and 40. Pentathlon teams consisting of a mix of men and women will be pushing themselves throughout the day in 5 challenging team competitions: dodgeball, kayaking, obstacle course, flag football and beach volleyball.

• PREMIUM SPORTS & ACTIVITIES – INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION The Hudson River Park Games also offer a series of opportunities designed to challenge and encourage indi-viduals to enrich their bodies, minds and souls through interaction on Hudson River Park grounds and water-front. These individual activities and unique experiences will take place all day on Hudson River Park’s Piers 26 and 40.

• THE DELIVERY.COM GAMES VILLAGE – FESTIVAL FUN FOR ALL The Games would not be complete without some extra fun for spectators, neighbors and visitors alike. It is a festival of programming for kids of all ages, music and sampling of food and beverages. The delivery.com Games Village can be found on Hudson River Park’s Pier 26.

Q: WHAT IS A PENTATHLON?A: A Pentathlon is an athletic event comprising five different events for each team.

Q: WHERE ARE THE PENTATHLON COMPETITIONS TAKING PLACE?A: The Pentathlon sports will specifically be on Hudson River Park’s Piers 25 and 40; Individual Activities will be on Hudson River Park’s Piers 26 and 40; The delivery.com Games Village will be on Hudson River Park’s Pier 26.

Q: WILL THE GAMES TAKE PLACE RAIN OR SHINE?A: The Games will go on, rain or shine.

Q: HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS MAKE UP A FULL PENTATHLON TEAM?A: 10 members, 4 of which must be female

Q: IF I AM PARTICIPATING IN THE TEAM PENTATHLON, CAN I ALSO PARTICIPATE IN AN INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY THAT IS BEING OFFERED THAT DAY?A: Since the Team Pentathlon will be taking place all day, Pentathletes will not be able to compete in any Individual Activities that take place between 9AM-4PM. We encourage you and your team to register for the 5K Fun Run that takes place just before The Games begin (8AM).

Q: DO PENTATHLON TEAMS NEED TO BE CO-ED?A: Yes, all Pentathlon teams must have a minimum of 4 women.

Q: WHAT IF I ENTER THE TEAM PENTATHLON BUT CANNOT COMPETE?A: For Pentathlon Captains:• If a team member (or even yourself) cannot compete

day-of, you will need to replace this person. Please email TheGames@fohrp.org with the following information: Full Name, Email Address, Date of Birth, Cellphone Number, Gender and Shirt Size.

Q: WHAT ARE THE EVENT HOURS?A: Team Check-In: 8:00am – 8:45am Opening Rally: 9:00am – 9:15am The Games: 9:15am – 4:00pm Closing Ceremony: 4:00pm- 4:30pm

Q: What time does the Pentathlon begin?A: Following the Opening Rally, pentathlon teams will be escorted by their assigned Games representative to their respective playing fields. Competition will start promptly at 9:30am.

Q: How will we know where to go?A: Each group will be assigned a Games representative whose responsibilities will include:

• Leading teams between Piers/competitions• Keeping track of game score• Check-In with field managers at each event and help to

assign each team to their game field• Answers questions

Q: What do I get with my registration?A: Aside from a day of great competition and team com-radery, each participant will receive a team T-shirt that must be worn throughout the competition. Team captains will also receive drink tickets that can be used in the beer garden (1 ticket per team member). Additional drinks are available for purchase.

Q: How will I get my T-shirt?A: Team packets will be delivered to your team captain the week of the event, unless other arrangements are made. We will do our best to provide appropriate shirt sizes. In order to accommodate, all team members must register on Eventbrite three weeks prior to the Games. *Requested shirt sizes are not guaranteed.

Q: What happens if I am short a team member?A: The majority of Pentathlon competitions require a minimum of 6 players- see below for a breakdown (substi-tutions in these competitions are encouraged). The only ac-tivity that requires 10 players is the obstacle course. If you are short players, you are allowed to designate teammates to go more than once. Please note, all competitions have a required male/female ratio. Please refer to the rules for further information.

• Dodgeball- 6 athletes (min 2 females)• Flag Football- 6 athletes (min 2 females)• Kayak- 5 athletes (min 2 females)• Beach Volleyball- 6 athletes (min 2 females)• Obstacle Course- 10 athletes (min 4 females)

Q: Is there any downtime during the Games?A: Due to time constraints teams will be on a tight schedule throughout the day and move quickly between compe-titions. There will however be some downtime at select competitions.

Q: What do I have to bring/wear?A: It is essential that you bring/wear your provided Games T-Shirt or an approved team shirt. Each team is assigned a separate color, based on the teams they will be playing that day, so they can be identified on the field of play. Additionally, this is an outdoor athletic event, so please plan to wear athletic bottoms (expect to get wet during kayaking- see kayaking rules for more information). You will also be on your feet for much of the day, so please wear comfortable athletic shoes. Sunscreen and hats are highly encouraged for sun protection. All competition equipment will be provided by The Hudson River Park Games.

Q: Are spectators welcome?A: Yes! However, please note, your team will be at each ac-tivity for a limited amount of time. Be sure to give friends or family your cell number so they can find you. Team sched-ules will be distributed the week of the event.

Q: Is there a bag check for Pentathlon teams?A: No, athletes should plan to carry any personal belongings with them throughout the day.

Q: How will I find my team in the morning?A: Plan to meet your team at the delivery.com Games Village at Pier 26 (West Side Highway between N. Moore and Hubert) during team check-in from 8-8:45. There will be an on-site games representative who will be holding your company team sign to mark your meeting spot.

Q: How long is each competition?A: There are 35 minutes allocated for each sport. This time includes play time, as well as instructions from referees and game managers. Additionally, there is a 20 minute transition time between each sport.

Q: What is the order of team activities for the pentathlon? A: Each team will be put into 1 of 6 groups, and each group has a different rotation schedule. Specific schedules for each team will be distributed to team captains the week of the event.

Q: Will there be food?A: Yes! All team members will get a boxed lunch during the day. Also, the delivery.com Games Village on Pier 26, will have a Beer Garden and a number of food vendors selling food. This is a great opportunity for your team to relax and enjoy great views and entertainment after the day’s compe-tition. The Beer Garden and Food Vendors will be open from 11am-8pm. Each team will receive 10 complimentary drink tickets that can be redeemed in the beer garden.

Q: Is there anything to do after the Pentathlon?A: Yes! After the Pentathlon is finished, all teams are en-couraged to go to the delivery.com Games Village at Pier 26 and watch the Closing Ceremony when the winning team is announced. After the Closing Ceremony, teams will be encouraged to visit the Pier 26 Beer Garden, Food Vendors and enjoy the main stage programming.

Q: Is there an option to reserve a designated team space near the beer garden?A: Yes! If your team fundraises $3500 (on top of the $4000 team fee) or makes a $3500 donation to the Park, we can reserve a tented hospitality area for your team. Deadline to reserve a tent is Thursday, June 4. Email TheGames@fohrp.org for more information.

Q: How can I participate in an individual group fitness activity that is not part of the Pentathlon (i.e. 5k fun run, sunrise yoga, SUP Yoga, etc.)?A: In order to participate in an Individual Activity, you must sign-up for the activity through the website. Please visit the link below to view a list of activities, their descriptions, and available time slots. https://www.crowdrise.com/hud-sonriverparkgames.

DODGEBALL• PIER 40 • UPPER LEVEL TURF FIELD •

THE GAMEDodgeball is played by two teams, each made up of six players. The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them OUT. This is done by striking op-posing players with thrown balls, or catching balls thrown by opposing players; while preventing the opposition from doing the same.

THE FIELDThe playing field is a large rectangle (approx 50’ long and 30’ wide) divided into two equal sections by a center-line. Each team will be assigned to one side of the field. The field will be marked with sidelines, end lines and a center line.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSSix (6) players play on a court at a time; at least 2 of them must be women (4 men/2 women). In the event that your team is short females; female positions cannot be filled by a male.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will play a maximum of five 4 minute matches during the 35 minute game play period in a round robin style tournament. Each match will have a running clock that will not stop for any reason other than injury. As each match ends, teams will move on to play another team with-in their group. Game officials will give teams a 30 second warning before the end of each match.

GEARWear provided Games T-Shirt, or an approved team shirt and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Dodgeball will be played on turf, which requires partici-pants to wear athletic shoes. Cleats are not permitted at The Games. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTDodgeballs will be provided.

DODGEBALL SCORINGTeam rankings will be determined based on total number of wins. In the event of a tie for total wins, the tied teams will be ranked by the cumulative number of players left on your team, at the end of each match, across all 5 matches within your group.

If a match ends in a tie, the number of players remaining will be added to the team’s cumulative number of players score. This score will be factored into the above overall scoring system to determine the team rankings.

Final rankings will be determined based on this scoring system. If teams are still tied in wins and cumulative num-ber of players, then their ranking points will be averaged.

Ex. First and second place are tied in wins and cumulative remaining players; the total number of points (11) will be averaged so each team will be awarded 5.5 points.

DODGEBALL RANKING

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DODGEBALL RULES• POWERED BY NYC SOCIAL •

LIVE BALLSOnly LIVE balls can eliminate opposing players and only catching LIVE balls result in outs. Balls are LIVE when they are legally thrown.

DEAD BALLSAll balls start games DEAD. Balls become DEAD in 5 ways:

• A LIVE ball that hits anything other than an opposing player(s) or any other ball (including, but not limited to, the ground, a wall/fence, referee, a ball from another court).

• A LIVE ball that the opponent catches (see Catch rule below)

• A throw is ruled a headshot (see Headshot rule below)

• A Referee pauses the game

• A LIVE ball that leaves the court

STARTING THE GAME THE OPENING RUSH & FALSE STARTS Before the game, five (5) balls are placed along the center line. Six players (4 men and 2 women) line up with their feet touching the backline. The Referee signals and blows a whis-tle to start the game; permitting players the opportunity to approach the centerline to retrieve balls.

A false start occurs when a player leaves the backline prior to the Referee’s whistle. If a player commits a false start, his/her team forfeits one ball to their opponent and the opening rush is replayed with the remaining balls. The Referee holds the forfeited ball until the opening rush replay ends and distrib-utes the ball to the opposing team to be cleared.

All balls obtained by players during the opening rush must be “cleared” before they can be legally thrown. To clear balls, players must either throw the ball past the backline to a wait-ing teammate or carry the ball past the backline. All cleared balls are LIVE and free to be thrown at opponents.

If a player throws a non-cleared ball, the ball is considered DEAD and is forfeited to the opposing team. DEAD balls that hit players do not result in outs, and any player hit by a DEAD or non-cleared ball will remain in the game.

If a player leaves his/her feet (slides) or places two feet across the centerline during the opening rush, he/she will be ruled out.

SIMULTANEOUS POSSESSION (JUMP BALLS)During the opening rush, if two opposing players both lay equal claim to balls on the centerline, the Referee will call a jump ball to prevent players from wrestling for the balls. The home team (as per the NYC Social schedule) will receive possession of the first jump balls and possession of subsequent jump balls will alternate between teams for the remaining games of the match.

WHAT IS A LEGAL THROW?A legally thrown ball is a LIVE ball and eligible to eliminate an opponent. A legal throw occurs when a player in bounds throws the ball in the air over the centerline within a 3-foot radius of an opposing player. The throw must be directed below the opposing player’s neck (see Headshot rule be-low). It is not legal to “pinch the ball” or for a player to spin around in circles prior to releasing the ball (tornado throw).

Rolling the ball to the opposing team is not permitted.

WHAT IS AN OUT?Most outs require a LIVE ball to be in play. HIT BY A LIVE BALL • When a LIVE ball hits a player of the opposing team below

the neck, the hit player is out. Note: all clothing is con-sidered part of the body, so if you are wearing a cape for theatrics (encouraged) or a jacket with fringes for rockin’ style and the ball hits your cape or your fringes, you will be called out.

• When a LIVE ball hits a player on the opposing team, deflects off of that player and hits another player on the opposing team and then becomes DEAD by hitting the ground, the wall, the ceiling, or leaves the court bound-aries, both hit players are out. Note: If a teammate of the hit player(s) catches the ball before it hits the ground, or leaves the field boundaries, the hit players are “saved” and the person who threw the ball is out.

CATCHING A LIVE BALL • When a player on the opposing team catches a LIVE ball,

the player who threw it is out.

• When a player on an opposing team successfully deflects a LIVE ball with DEAD ball in his/her possession and the deflected ball is caught by a teammate before it become DEAD (hits the ground, the wall, another player, or leaves the field boundaries), it is considered a catch and the player who threw the ball is out.

DEFLECTIONSPlayers may use DEAD balls to deflect LIVE balls.

• If a LIVE thrown ball hits a DEAD ball that is being held by a player, no one is out.

• When a player on an opposing team attempts to deflect a LIVE ball with another ball in his/her possession and loses control of the original ball when the LIVE ball hits it, the player who lost control of the ball used for deflection is out. Note: Players holding onto a DEAD ball for deflection purposes may choose to drop the ball so as to catch the oncoming ball from the opposing team, but this must be a clear drop. In these cases, the catching player is safe and the player who threw the caught ball is out.

HEADSHOTS • When a LIVE ball hits or could have hit a player on the

opposing team anywhere above the neck, it is considered a “headshot”. Players must be in his/her normal playing position for the headshot rule to apply. The headshot rule does not apply if players dodge a ball or intentionally put-ting your head in the path of the ball. Referees have the final say whether or not a throw is a headshot or not.

• Any players that throw a headshot, intentional or other-wise, will be considered “out” and the person who was hit will stay in the game.

• If you block a headshot with your hands, you will not be out - but this must be a clearly distinguishable defensive move. We always err on the side of safety, so we’ll lean towards calling headshots even in close calls.

OUT OF BOUNDSDuring play, all players must remain in bounds. This is defined as having two feet within the sidelines and one foot behind the centerline. Dodging a ball by stepping out of bounds is not allowed, and the player will be ruled out. Note: Players may leave the boundaries to retrieve stray balls but if you’re hit with a LIVE ball, you’re out.

• A ball thrown from outside the boundary line is considered a DEAD ball. Note: If a DEAD ball thrown from out of bounds is caught, the person who threw the ball is out.

• Players that get hit can catch their own deflection outside of the boundary line and stay in the game. This is called “Saving Yourself.” Teammates may not go out of bounds to save a teammate and are limited to catching the deflection inside the boundary line to keep the player in the game.

• Players that get hit can catch their own deflection outside of the boundary line and stay in the game. This is called “Saving Yourself.” Teammates may not go out of bounds to save a teammate and are limited to catching the deflection inside the boundary line to keep the player in the game.

• If a player places two feet across the centerline at any point in the game, he/she will be ruled out.

TOO MANY PLAYERS ON THE FIELDWhen a team has too many players on the field, that team will lose the extra players they have in the game as well as one more player as a penalty.

SHOT CLOCKTeams in possession of the majority of the balls have 10 seconds to legally throw at least one (1) of the balls across the centerline (See, What is a Legal throw?). Referees start the shot clock the moment they have established which team must throw. If, after 10 seconds, none of the team’s players have legally thrown a ball, all of the players hold-ing balls are out.

When a team throws a ball, but the Referee rules that the throw was not legal, the shot clock continues. Note: Illegal throws include rolling the ball, throwing the ball away, headshots, etc.

WHEN AM I REQUIRED TO THROW?You are required to throw when:

• Your team possesses more balls than your opponent’s team.

• Both teams have 2 balls, but your team has the most on-field players.*

• Both teams have an equal number of players and balls, you’re required to throw because both teams are re-quired to throw.*

*Balls often leave the field during play. The above criteria apply when balls are inaccessible for a length of time.

ON THE SAFE SIDEIf you are holding a ball when you get hit “out” and retal-iate by throwing the ball in your possession at the other team, you will be suspended for the next game of the match.

Shoulder checking and intentional or unintentional con-tact of any kind during the opening rush is not allowed and may result immediate ejection from the game without warning.

CYCLING INIf you catch a ball thrown by your opponent within the boundary lines, a member of your team who is “out” may return to the game. Note: All players not on the court must stand behind the boundary line in the middle of the court to wait for the opportunity to cycle in.

Teams have discretion over who cycles in - with these exceptions:

• There may never be more than four (4) men on the field per team

* Rules are subject to change. All decisions made by referees are final and cannot be challenged.

FLAG FOOTBALL• PIER 40 • LOWER LEVEL TURF FIELD •

THE GAMEFootball is played by two teams, each made up of 6 players. The object of the game is to score the most points (touch-downs) and prevent your opponent from scoring. Scoring touchdowns is done by advancing the football down the field, with forward passes and runs until reaching the goal line, located in the end zone, which bookends the playing field. Flag football is a modified version of regular football which the basic rules are similar to those of the mainstream game, but instead of tackling ball carriers to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag that is loosely attached to a belt (“deflagging”) to stop an oppos-ing ball carrier and end a down. All players wear a flag belt throughout the game.

THE FIELDThe Games football is played on a large rectangular turf field that will be reduced from its standard size to fit into the Hudson River Park Games (approx 40-60 yards long). The ends of the field are designated with cones, and the sides are marked using sidelines.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSSix (6) players per team play on the field at a time; at least two (2) of them must be female (4 men/2 women). In the event that your team is short females; female positions cannot be filled by a male.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will play one 26 minute game. The games will consist of two (2) 12 minute halves & one (1) 2 minute half-time. Team rankings and points earned within a group will be determined based on the outcome of the match.

FLAG FOOTBALL SCORINGTeam rankings will be determined, first using wins. Due to time/space constraints, not all teams will play each other so tie breaking rules will be put into effect. Tied teams will be ranked based on their score differential. If two teams remain tied after the score differential tie breaker, total number of points scored will determine the rankings. If two or more teams are tied after the score differential and points scored tie breakers, then their ranking points will be averaged.

GEARWear provided Games T-shirt or an approved team shirt and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Flag Football will be played on turf, which requires partic-ipants to wear athletic shoes. Cleats are not permitted at The Games. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTFootballs, flags & flag belts will be provided.

FLAG FOOTBALL RANKING

1ST 62ND 53RD 44TH 35TH 26TH 1

POINTS

FLAG FOOTBALL RULES• POWERED BY NYC SOCIAL •

NON-CONTACT• Flag Football is a non-contact sport. All players must try

to avoid contact at all times. However, we understand that incidental contact may happen. Just because contact occurred doesn’t mandate a penalty

• Tacking, Blocking, Picking, Intentional or Unintentional contact of any kind may result in a penalty or ejection, depending on severity

• Offensive players are given the right-of-way

• Offensive players must avoid contact with defensive players. i.e. the lowering of the shoulder or initiating contact for the purpose of gaining yards of positions is not permitted.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTUREEach game will consist of two 12 minute halves, with a two minute half time between each half. Clock will be running throughout the game. Teams are permitted one timeout per half.

If score is within 6 points of less in the last 2 minutes of a game, the clock will stop of the following reasons:

• Ball Carrier runs out of bounds

• Incomplete Pass

• Touchdown (the clock remains stopped for extra points)

• The end of a kick-off

• Turnover on downs or Change of Position

• QB Spike

• A QB Spike is when the quarterback throws the ball directly into the ground after taking the snap. This action must immediately follow the snap and does not count as a female play (even if the quarterback is female)

• Official Timeout: Each team is permitted one timeout per half. Timeouts do not carry over between halves (Use it or lose it)

• Penalties: Offensive Penalties – Clock starts once the penalty is walked off and the ball is deemed “ready for play” by the referee

Defensive Penalties – Clock starts on the following snap

START OF GAMEBefore the game, a coin flip between the two captains will determine who has first possession. Hudson River Park Games will determine which team will make the call on the coin flip.

Teams must choose to Kick, Receive or first half side (Teams are not allowed to “Defer”)

KICKING TEAMThe kicking team lines up in its endzone and the ref gives a signal to start the play. The “kicker” may either punt, place kick or throw the ball and must kickoff from inside his/her endzone. The use of a kicking tee is not permitted howev-er a teammate may act as the holder for a place kick. The person holding the ball must be one of the players legally allowed to be on the field at the time of the kick. The kick-ing team may not leave the endzone until the ball is either kicked or released from the kicker’s hands.

A team is allowed to getting a running start for the kick-off. All players may not cross the goal line prior to the ball being kicked or thrown. The kicker may not cross the goal line in his or her kicking motion. All players must start in the field of play and not out of bounds.

If the kick goes out of bounds before midfield, it’s spotted where it went out of bounds. If a kick goes out of bounds after midfield, it’s spotted at the last cone the ball passed before going out of bounds (either the midfield or down marker)

RECEIVING TEAMThe receiving team must line up on their respective half of the field. No player is permitted past midfield on the receiv-ing team prior to the kickoff. The ball may be fielded out of the air, cleanly off a bounce or off any part of another play-er’s body without hitting the ground. Any “muffed” or failed attempt to field a kickoff that results in the ball hitting the ground after touching the player will be ruled down at the spot of the touch.

Once a player from the receiving team begins advancing the ball, all players in front of the ball carrier must stop moving immediately (this is to avoid any attempt at blocking).

Members of the receiving team may not at any time form a “wedge”. NCAA defines a “wedge” as at least 3 teammates

RECEIVING TEAM CONTINUEDlining up shoulder to shoulder and less than two yards apart, in an effort to block for the ball carrier. A wedge will be considered a block with contact no matter whether con-tact occurred or not. Determining whether or not a wedge has been formed to create an advantage for the receiving team is solely at the discretion of the referee.The wedge can lead to increased injuries and contact.Players behind the ball carrier may move (backwards later-als on kickoffs are legal). Players who move in front of the ball carrier will be called for illegal blocking regardless of whether he/she actually blocked someone.If the kickoff goes into the receiving team’s endzone, the receiving team can either run the ball out or down the ball, resulting in a touchback. If the kickoff leaves the back of the endzone, it’s automatically a touchback. Touchbacks are placed at the closest cone to the receiving team’s endzone.

INITIATING A PLAY & REQUIRED PROCEDURE “THE SNAP” • After the conclusion of a play the referee sets the ball

and establishes the line of scrimmage. Once the ball is set and deemed “ready for play” by the referee, the play clock is started.

• Offense must have a center (who must be directly in front of the QB) and a QB at the start of each play.

• Center must snap the ball from the ground.

• All offensive players are eligible receivers.

• All players must line on or behind the line of scrimmage.

• 1 player may be in motion parallel to the line of scrimmage (but may not be moving forward); all others cannot move.

• When the offense is ready, the center snaps the ball directly to the quarterback to start the play.

• The “Quarterback” is defined as the “player directly behind the center (either under center or in shotgun) and initiates the beginning of the play”.

If it is unclear to the referee who the quarterback is, the referee will stop the play after the snap in question and enforce a penalty for illegal procedure on the offense. All players on the field should have no doubt by the team’s formation that the quarterback is on a given play.

OFFENSEWe encourage you to pass, run, lateral, and reverse. The more creative the plays the better! But there are a couple things to keep in mind.

• A legal pass must be thrown while positioned behind the line of scrimmage.

• A legal catch is a ball thrown from behind the line of scrimmage to a player who establishes control of the ball while at least one foot in bounds.

• All players are eligible receivers.

• Players that step out of bounds and then re-enter the field can’t be the first person to touch the ball. If this happens the play is ruled incomplete and a non-catch.

ExAMPLE: Receiver is running route in the end zone and steps out of bounds and continues route. Receiver then catches a pass (while in bounds) for a touchdown. The play is ruled incomplete because the receiver was out of bounds prior to catching the ball and not eligible. The receiver can be re-established as eligible on that play if another play or defender touches the ball prior to the receiver in question.

DEFENSEDoing its best to avoid contact, the defense can cover the offensive team as it sees fit, however, no defensive player may cross the line of scrimmage until 1 of 3 things happens:

• Completion of the referee’s 5-second count (see below)

• A hand-off or lateral/toss in the backfield

• A fumble in the backfield (Not a Fumbled Snap - which is a dead ball)

THE 5-SECOND COUNT• After the snap, the referee will begin the count using a

5-second “Mississippi” cadence at normal speed. The count is deemed completed at the point where the referee finishes the “final syllable of the 5th Mississippi” and not before. The defense can’t cross the line before the count is completed, even if trying to cover a receiver in the backfield. When the count is completed any or all players can rush.

• The quarterback may not cross the line of scrimmage to run the ball until the referee completes the 5-second Mississippi count.

DEFENSIVE “RUSHER”The defense may line up anyway it sees fit, with one exception. For each play (that is not a punt or kickoff) the defense must have a player as the “rusher” no more than 3 yards from the line of scrimmage at the snap and until the end of the 5-second count. A defense that fails to employee a rusher will be called for illegal defensive formation.

If a team is playing with less than the required number of players, they are not mandated to have a rusher and can’t be penalized for not having one. However, the quarter-back can still run at the completion of the 5-second count.

DEFENSEDoing its best to avoid contact, the defense can cover the offensive team as it sees fit, however, no defensive player may cross the line of scrimmage until 1 of 3 things happens:

• Completion of the referee’s 5-second count (see below)

• A hand-off or lateral/toss in the backfield

• A fumble in the backfield (Not a Fumbled Snap - which is a dead ball)

CONCLUSION OF A PLAYA play ends when 1 of 8 things happens: • A ball carrier is “tackled”, meaning (a) he/she’s flag is

pulled, (b) any part of his/her body touches the ground (besides his/her feet), (c) he/she runs out of bounds, (d) or he/she, after losing a flag for reasons other than an action by the defense, is touched with one hand by a defender

• A team scores

• Incomplete Pass

• Fumbled football that is touched by either the offense or defense. Diving on fumbled footballs is not permitted.

• A ball is inadvertently fumbled put out of bounds without being touched (team with the last possession is awarded ball and it’s spotted at the point at which it went out of bounds)

NOTE: If a team purposely fumbles a ball out of bounds (subject to referees discretion), the team will be assessed a delay-of-game penalty and/or lose possession depend-ing on the current down.

• Penalties or Violations that by force play to stop

• Someone is in danger/severely injured

• Official Time Out, Team Timeout or Weather Stoppage

SPOTTING THE BALLAfter a player has been “tackled”, the ref spots the ball based on the ball carrier’s hips. For example, when a ball carrier’s flag is pulled or when he/she attempts to score, the referee will look to see where the ball carrier’s hips are at that moment. Also, on scoring plays into the endzone, both the hips and the ball must have crossed the plane of the goal line in order to award the touchdown.

FEMALE PLAYSAt least every 3rd play must be a “female play” (aka “closed” or “girl” play). To be a female play, 1 of 3 things needs to happen:

• A woman serves as the QB for a downfield pass (Handoffs or passes behind the line of scrimmage to males don’t count).

• A woman is the intended receiver for a downfield pass (over the line of scrimmage). Passes behind the line of scrimmage do not count. This doesn’t have to be a completed pass, but she must be viewed as the intended receiver.

• In the referee’s judgment, the quarterback throws to an intended female target and male team members steps in front of his own teammate to attempt to catch or catches the ball, the female play is now nullified and the play counts as male.

• If there is question on the intended receiver of a pass, the ruling relies solely on the referees’ judgment and can’t be influenced by a player trying to explain his intention. If the intended receiver of a legal forward pass is not clear, that is the fault of the player and the referee will use their discre-tion to determine how the play is ruled.

• The above provisions can be enforced only upon referee’s judgment and can’t be argued. Any arguments over a judgment call on male / female play and “intended receiv-er” will be viewed as verbal harassment of the particular official and penalized accordingly.

• If a legal forward pass is thrown (over the line of scrim-mage) with the intended receiver as a female and the ball deflects off the female and then is caught by a male, the play counts as female.

• A woman is the primary rusher (as QB or running back). This means she tries to achieve positive yardage down-field (This does not mean she receives the ball & hands it back off to a guy).

If in referee’s judgment, the offense is “hitting” female re-ceivers with ball with the only intention to hit them and not for them to catch the ball; they will be warned (i.e. hitting the receiver in the ankle or legs to have the next play be an “open play”). If the action continues, the team will be penalized 15 yards for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with a loss of down and the female play will not count. This must be clearly in poor sportsmanship and not an at-tempt to avoid a rush and “throwing it away”. The referee has sole discretion to enforce this clause.

Once a team runs a female play (as defined above), the “female play count” resets and the team may choose to run two consecutive male-only plays before it must run a female play again.

Prior to each play, Refs tell the teams if the play is “open” or “closed” after stating the down (For example, the ref will say “It’s 2nd and open,” or “It’s 3rd and female…”)

Teams that fail to run a female-play will be penalized with a loss of down and must run a female play next play. The ball will remain ad the previous spot as no yardage will be penalized on top of the loss of down.

FIRST DOWNSFirst downs are earned based on distance and are not mo-bile markers but instead fixed positions on the field. After the ball is spotted, any part of the ball must be touching the “invisible plane” that is the first down line (similar to the endzone) to be awarded the first down. When a team passes a first down marker, they receive a new set of downs. If a team passes a first down marker and then los-es yardage on a following play, it does not get another first down if it crosses a marker it has already passed.

CHANGE OF POSSESSIONThe ball is turned over to the other team when any of the below things happen:

• A play that results in a score

• A team fails to convert a fourth down into a first down by gaining the required yardage (turnover on downs)

• A team executes a punt

• A team intercepts the ball

• If the offense loses/fumbles the ball on the ground, the 1st team to touch it receives the ball where it was touched. The play is dead as soon as a player touches it. (Penalties will be assessed to any player who dives for the ball or wrestles with another player for the ball and his/her team will automatically lose possession of the ball.)

• A fumble occurs any time the ball hits the ground on a non-forward pass attempt following the snap of the ball. A fumbled snap is a dead ball and is not ruled a fumble under any circumstance.

• A loss of down penalty committed on fourth down.

EXECUTING A PUNT PUNTING TEAM: • On fourth down, a team must declare to the referee

whether it wishes to punt (no fake punts).

• All punts must be kicked and not thrown.

• All players must be on or behind the line of scrimmage prior to the punt – similar to kickoffs.

• The punter is allowed to punt the ball from anywhere be-hind the line of scrimmage as long as he/she is in-bounds and does not cross the line of scrimmage (there is no snap on a punt).

• If a punt crosses the line of scrimmage and touches a player from either team and then hits the ground, the ball is dead at that spot and belongs to the receiving team.

RECEIVING TEAM: • If the offense elects to punt, the defensive/receiving team

will be informed and allowed the opportunity to send

players back to return the punt.• The referee will signal the ball “ready for play” and the

team may then punt. No team may punt until the referee has signaled the ball ready in an effort to catch the other team with their backs to them. At the same time, if a team is delaying getting in position in an effort to waste time, the referee may signal the ball ready for play even though the team may not fully be in position. This is at the referee’s sole discretion.

• The receiving team does not have to have a rusher on the line of scrimmage and must put all players at least 10 yards back from the line of scrimmage.

• The receiving team may not try to block punts.

• Similar to kickoffs, no player from the receiving team in front of the ball carrier may move, but players behind the ball carrier may choose to move.

SCORINGA touchdown is scored when a ball carrier’s hips break the plane of the goal line, or a receiver catches a ball (with one foot in bounds) in the endzone. Touchdowns are worth 6 points.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A touchdown is ruled based upon the position of the ball carrier’s hips and not the position of the ball or the ball breaking the “plane of the goal line”. Both the hips AND the ball must cross the plane.

EXTRA POINTS: • Teams may go for 1 or 2 points after achieving a touch-

down. No extra point attempts may be returned by the other team for points. Conversions are always ruled an “open play” and may not be mandated as a “female play”.

• 1-Point Conversion: A run or pass play that crosses the goal line from the 5 yard line.

• 2-Point Conversion: A run or pass play that crosses the goal line from the 10 yard line.

After the touchdown and the ball is returned to the referee and the referee will ask the captain of the scoring team their decision on whether to go for a 1 or 2 point conver-sion. At this moment, the 25 second play clock starts.

Teams cannot change their decision to go for 1 or 2 point conversions after being called for a penalty.

If a team lines up and then changes their mind, the play clock will continue to run during the resetting of the ball by the referee. If in the process of resetting the ball for play, the clock expires, a delay of game penalty will be enforced. The team will now be forced to go with their original deci-sion with the additional penalty yards.

RESTARTING AFTER A CONVERSIONUpon completion of a conversion, the scoring team takes the ball and walks to the opposite end of the field to kick-off. The defense remains on their side of the field and will setup to return the ensuing kickoff.

After a scoring drive, teams have 5 seconds to return to their respective endzones before the ref starts the play clock. This is to prevent teams delaying the game by walk-ing to the opposite side of the field to kickoff.

So after a score a team has a total of 30 seconds to kick the ball off. (5 seconds + 25 Second Play Clock)

SAFETYA safety occurs when 1 of 3 things happens: • The team in possession of the ball fumbles it and touches

the ball 1st in its own endzone.

• A player is “tackled” in his/her own endzone.

• The team in possession of the ball commits a penalty inside its own endzone.

• For example, flag guardian or illegal contact in your own endzone while on offense would be a safety.

The defensive team is awarded 2 points and possession of the ball at midfield. There is no free kick to restart play.

NOTE: If a player receives a punt or kickoff or intercepts a pass and the momentum of the play carries them into the endzone, it is not a safety. Unless the player leaves the endzone under his/her own and then returns into the endzone, then it would be ruled a safety.

CONCLUSION OF A GAMEAfter the completion of a game, the referee will call the cap-tains from both teams together. At this time the following will be completed:

• Confirming the Final Score of the Game with the referee, Hudson River Park Games Game Manager and Team/Group Manager

• Sign off next to their respective scores

PENALTIES UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT Any intentional act with the ability to injure, arguing, taunt-ing, harassing or anything considered an act of aggression towards another person, referee or any staff membe• PENALTY: 15 yards from previous spot and automatic first

down if penalty is on the defense.

• Any team receiving 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in one game forfeits that game automatically no matter what the score and receive a forfeit loss in the official scoring.

DELAY OF GAME Any attempt by a player to prevent play, including but not limited to, failure to snap the ball before the 25 second play-clock expires, moving a ball out of bounds, preventing the ref from setting the ball.

• PENALTY: 5-yard penalty and replay current down.

• Penalty Enforcement on Plays the Involve Change of Pos-session (kickoff, punt or interception vs. other plays from line of scrimmage)

• If there is a penalty after change of possession occurs that is a spot foul (i.e. flag guarding), the penalty will be enforced and the next closest cone after the enforcement will be the first down to gain. Any positive yardage after the spot foul will be nullified and the referee will notify the team of the first down to achieve at the conclusion of the enforcement.

• However, if a team has possession of the ball currently and has an established line of scrimmage the rules will be enforced as follows. If a player gains a first down and then commits a penalty that results in a loss of yardage from the spot of the foul, the first down will be credited and the penalty will be enforced from the spot as per the violation and the written rule.

OFFENSIVE PENALTIES ILLEGAL CONTACT Contact by an offensive player with a defender, prior to the ball being thrown, that prevents the defender from covering the receiver. • PENALTY: 10 Yard Penalty from Line of Scrimmage and

replay down.• A “pick” is illegal contact and any catch resulting from a

play will NOT COUNT.

• Pick plays are often a very “gray area” and with multiple players in a small area contact is bound to happen. In the ref’s sole discretion that the offense gained an advantage through the use of an intentional pick play. Referees will do their best to be on alert for teams using this very dan-gerous play to gain an advantage. NOT all contact may be a pick or even a penalty, players complaining to the refs about this will not be tolerated.

• The defensive team is awarded 2 points and possession of the ball at midfield. There is no free kick to restart play.

• NOTE: If a player receives a punt or kickoff or intercepts a pass and the momentum of the play carries them into the endzone, it is not a safety. Unless the player leaves the endzone under his/her own and then returns into the endzone, then it would be ruled a safety.

OFFENSIVE PENALTIES CONTINUEDOFFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE Contact by an offensive player while the ball is in the air that prevents a defensive player from possibly catching the pass and or maintaining their current position.

• PENALTY: 10 Yard penalty from the line of scrimmage and replay of down.

FLAG GUARDING A ball carrier’s hands or arms prevents a defensive player from grabbing his/her flag:

• PENALTY: With contact, 10-yard penalty from the spot of the infraction.

• PENALTY: Without contact, 5-yard penalty from the spot of the infraction.

• The penalty will be assessed from the spot of the foul but no replay down will be awarded.

BLOCKING Intentional or unintentional interference by an offensive player to prevent a defensive player from perusing or tack-ling a ball carrier. A block on a defensive player pursuing the intended receiver while the ball is in the air or before the ball is thrown will be ruled a “pick”. (See above)

• PENALTY: With contact, 10-yard penalty, loss of down.

• PENALTY: Without contact, 5-yard penalty, loss of down.

• If the block occurs behind the line of scrimmage, the penalty is enforced from the previous spot. If the contact occurs past the line of scrimmage it is marked from spot of the foul. In both scenarios, it is a loss of down penalty.

FAILURE TO UTILIZE A MANDATORY FEMALE-PLAY • PENALTY: The result of the play will not count. The ball is

returned to the previous spot and there is a loss of down penalty. The following play will be female. The play is allowed to finish to conclusion before penalty is enforced. The defense may decline this penalty if there is a turn-over that results on this play.

ILLEGAL FORWARD PASS Quarterback’s entire body crosses the line of scrimmage before releasing a forward pass.

• PENALTY: 5 yards from the previous line of scrimmage and loss of down. Penalty is a “live ball foul” enforced at the conclusion of the play and may be declined by the defense.

ILLEGAL FORWAR HANDOFF The quarterback can not hand the ball forward to a player who is over the line of scrimmage. A player may handoff to another player who is also behind the line of scrimmage.

• PENALTY: 5 yards from the previous line of scrimmage and loss of down. Penalty is a “live ball foul” enforced at

the conclusion of the play and may be declined by the defense.

OFFSIDE Offensive player lined up across the line of scrimmage prior to the snap.

• PENALTY: 5 yards from line of scrimmage and replay down. The play is blown dead at time of the snap.

• NOTE: It is common for refs to issue “warnings” for players that are clearly lined up offside prior to the snap and this is consistent with the spirit of the league. However, this is not mandatory to give warnings and all players are respon-sible for their position in relation to the line of scrimmage prior to the snap.

OFFSIDE ON KICKOFF Crossing the endzone line before the ball:

• PENALTY: 5-yard penalty, assessed at the end of the return. No option to re-kick is given to the receiving team.

FALSE START All players that are not the one permitted legal receiver in motion must be stationary prior to the snap of the ball for at least one second. Any “quick or jerky” movement (as defined by NCAA and enforced by referee judgment) that simulates the start of the play is considered a false start.

• PENALTY: Play is blown dead at time of infraction and re-sults in 5 yard penalty from line of scrimmage and a replay of the down.

• A center that snaps the ball and then stops or the offense doesn’t execute the play will be considered an act of “simu-lating the start of a play”.

DIVING A player dives while attempting to (a) advance the ball: 5-yard penalty assessed at the spot of the dive, loss of down. (b) recover a fumble

• PENALTY: lose of possession, 5-yard penalty assessed at the end of the play.

JUMPING/HURDLING A player leaving his or her feet in an effort to jump or hurdle a defender is a dangerous play and is not legal. Jumping to avoid a flag pull is also not legal. Both of these actions give the runner an advantage and put the defend-er at a disadvantage similar to guarding your flag as an offensive player.

• Jumping to avoid a flag pull – PENALTY: 5 Yard Non-Contact Flag Guard

• Jumping or Hurdling that results in contact with the defender - PENALTY: 10 Yard Contact Flag Guard

ILLEGAL QB RUSH Occurs when the quarterback crosses the line of scrim-mage prior to the completion of the 5 second Mississippi count, in an effort to advance the ball for positive yardage.

• PENALTY: 5 Yards and Replay Down (Can be accepted or declined by defense)

EXCESSIVE CELEBRATION Any action, after the conclusion of the play, that is not in keeping with the spirit of league and the code of conduct (i.e. Sportsmanship)

• PENALTY: This is Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. If it oc-curs after a scoring play, the defense then has the option to have the penalty assessed on either the upcoming conver-sion or the ensuing kickoff.

• If the penalty is assessed on the kickoff, it is 15 yards from the end of the kickoff run. NYCSSC assesses all yardage penalties from the end of the kickoff run.

DEFENSIVE PENALTIESILLEGAL CONTACT Contact by a defensive player against an offensive player:

• PENALTY: 10 Yard Penalty from Line of Scrimmage and replay down.

• The contact is assessed as stated above whether it was “intentional or not”. The referee doesn’t have to infer the motive of the player and above the mentioned contact will be enforced either way. The defensive player must be able to control his or her movements as any unnec-essary or excessive contact in the attempt to pull a flag, will be called and enforced as stated above.

• Some Common Forms of Illegal Contact:

• Pushing a player out of bounds instead of pulling flag

• Making contact with a receiver either at the line of scrim-mage, downfield or after the ball has passed them. It will be called for contact on pass that was ruled “uncatch-able” where pass interference would normally be called.

• Stripping or attempting to strip the ball

DEFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE Contact by a defensive player while the ball is in the air that prevents an offensive player from possibly catching a pass.

• PENALT: 15 Yards from the Previous Line of Scrimmage and Automatic First Down

• It is no longer a spot foul.

• If the previous spot is inside 15 yards, the resulting en-forcement spot will be half the distance to the goal.

DEFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE VS. DEFENSIVE ILLEGAL CONTACT IN RELATION TO MALE/FEMALE COUNT If an illegal contact penalty is called against the defense, the play remains either “open” (male of female) or “closed” (female). The penalty will be assessed from the line of scrimmage and a first down will be awarded.

For example, it is second down and “open” and after the ball is snapped a defensive player bumps a receiver in order to slow his or her downfield progress. Play continues and the result of the play is a short gain by a female player. The Referee will call illegal contact on the defense thus presenting the offensive team with two options. The team can accept the illegal contact penalty, receive 10 yards from the line of scrimmage and an automatic first down or the team can decline the penalty and accept the play’s yardage advancing the down to “3rd and open.”

If a pass interference penalty is called against the defense, the play will be counted as male or female based on the intended receiver.

OFFSIDES/ENGROACHMENT Any defensive player lining up in the neutral zone prior to the snap

• NOTE: It is common for refs to issue “warnings” for play-ers that are clearly lined up offside prior to the snap and this is consistent with the spirit of the league. However, this is not mandatory to give warnings and all players are responsible for their position in relation to the line of scrimmage prior to the snap.

Any defensive player crossing the line of scrimmage before the ref completes the 5-second count (unless there is transfer of the ball in the backfield). Play-action is not a transfer and a defender can be called offside on such play.

A defensive player crossing into the neutral zone in an at-tempt to or causes a false start by the offense. A defensive player coming over the line and making contact with any member of the offense before the snap would be consid-ered encroachment.

• NOTE: Immediately blown dead at time of this specific infraction

• PENALTY: 5-yard penalty and replay down. Play is allowed to continue (on offside play only) and offense may elect to accept or decline. The play is blown dead if encroachment

OFFSIDE ON KICK Crossing midfield before the ball is kicked/thrown

• PENALTY: 5 yard penalty, assessed at the end of the play

• Teams will not have the option of a re-kick and all offside or illegal motion penalties will be enforced at the end of the run.

DEFENSIVE PENALTIES CONTINUEDILLEGAL FORMATION Defensive failure to establish and maintain a Rusher at the snap and until the end of the 5-second count.

• PENALTY: 5-yard penalty assessed at the end of the play and repeat down. Play is allowed to continue and offense may elect to accept or decline

• NOTE: A “rusher” must remain within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage during the count to establish their position as rusher. They may move side to side but not drop back deeper than the 3 yards from the line of scrimmage.

• The legality of the position of the rusher is solely at the referee’s discretion. Referees will be advised to at their discretion and in the spirit of the league.

DIVING A player dives while attempting to recover a fumble. Denial of possession, 5-yard penalty assessed from the spot of the dive. The recently completed down counts.

• Diving for a flag on is legal and the player does so at their own risk.

• If the dive occurs when a player is trying to score a touchdown, the touchdown does not count. The penalty is assessed from the spot of the dive and there is a loss of down penalty. If this occurs on a fourth down play, there is a turnover on downs.

* Rules are subject to change. All decisions made by referees are final and cannot be challenged.

KAKAK RACE• PIER 40 • BOAT LAUNCH •

THE GAMEThe Games kayak race is a relay formatted kayak race through the controlled waters south of Pier 40 in the Hudson River. The object of the race is to successful pass through a marked course in the fastest possible time. Five members of each team will compete in the kayak race, one at a time (relay race style). Your team rankings will be based on the total time it takes for your team to complete the course. Shortest finish times will earn the highest ranking.

THE COURSEThe controlled water south of Pier 40 will host the kay-ak race course. Two teams will compete simultaneously, however team rankings within each group will be based on overall group time, instead of head to head score. The first racer on your team will be placed in a kayak at the start line, the second racer will be set-up in a kayak waiting for the first person to complete the course, once the first racer crosses the finish line, the second racer will begin. As the second racer leaves, the first racer will exit their kayak and the third racer will enter into the kayak and wait for the second racer to cross the finish line. These boat transitions will continue until all 5 racers complete the course. The race course will be marked using buoys and other delineators. The course is designed to take 1-2 minutes per person.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSFive (5) athletes will compete in this relay race formatted kay-ak race. A minimum of two (2) females are required.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will run through the course once. The quickest team time will result in a higher ranking. After the first two team races, the course will be reset and the next two teams will race. This process will continue until all teams in the group have completed the challenge.

KAYAK RACE SCORINGThe combined times of all five (5) athletes will determine the team’s race time. The team with the fastest time after the entire group has raced will be awarded the most points.

GEARWear a bathing suit or clothes you are comfortable getting wet (i.e shorts, t-shirt). We suggest going barefoot or wear-ing water shoes or flip flops. Kayak Course will be in the water, so be prepared to get wet (you will not be immersed in water, but expect some splashing) and bring a towel or cloth to dry off. There will be minimal areas to change, so please plan accordingly.

EQUIPMENTAll kayaks, life vests, and oars will be provided.

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into their kayak and place themselves at the start line. Racer two will be pre-loaded into the kayak. Once racer one crosses the finish line, racer two will start. Racer two will then race through the course, while racer one exits their kayak and racer three enters that kayak and waits for racer two to cross the finish line, once racer two crosses the finish line, racer three will begin. This process will continue until all five racers have completed the course.

Racers must not start until the previous racer crosses the finish line. If a racer starts too early, a 5 second penalty will be added to the team’s final time. Racers must correct-ly pass each buoy/delineator. Racers who do not pass each buoy/delineator correctly will receive a 10 second penalty, per infraction, that will be added to their team’s final time.

• Teammates may NOT push a racer during the kayak exchange

• Teams who purposely ram, block or tip over another team’s kayak will be disqualified.

• All participants must wear a Life Jacket while in the kayak/water.

• Weather Conditions will be evaluated the day of the event to determine if conditions are safe to race.

• All racers are required to sign a waiver of liability.

* Rules are subject to change. All decisions made by referees are final and cannot be challenged.

KAYAK RACE RULES• PRESENTED BY NY KAYAK CO. •

BEACH VOLLEYBALL• PIER 25 • VOLLEYBALL COURTS •

THE GAMEBeach volleyball is a team sport played by two teams placed on opposite sides of a sand court divided by a net. The team that earns the most points wins. The object of the game is for each team to send the ball over the net to ground it on the opposing side of the court, and to prevent the ball from being grounded on their own side of the court. Players can use only their hands and arms to move the ball. The ball is put into play by the right back-row player who serves the ball by hitting it over the net to the opponent’s court. The rally continues until the ball touches the ground, goes “out” or a team fails to return it to the opponent’s court or commits a fault- at which time the opposing team earns a point.

THE COURTBeach volleyball is played on a rectangle sand court (approx 50’ long x 30’ wide) divided into two equal sections by a net. Each team will be assigned to one side of the court. The court is marked with sidelines and end lines.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSSix (6) players per team play on a court at a time; at least 2 of them must be women (4 men/2 women). In the event that your team is short females, female positions cannot be filled by a male.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will play three 9 minute matches during the 35 minute game play period in a round robin style tournament. Each match will have a running clock that will not stop for any reason other than injury. As each match ends, teams will move on to play another randomly selected team within their group.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL SCORINGTeam rankings will be determined based on number of wins within your group. Due to time/space constraints, not all teams will play each other so tie breaking rules will be put into effect. Teams with the same number of wins, will be ranked based on their overall score differential. If two or more teams are tied after the score differential tie break-er, total number of points scored by the respective teams will determine their ranking. If teams are still tied in wins, score differential and total number of points scored, then their ranking points will be averaged.

GEARWear provided Games T-shirt or an approved team shirt, and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Most prefer to play barefoot; however, athletic shoes are permitted. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTVolleyballs will be provided

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BEACH VOLLEYBALL RULES• POWERED BY NYC SOCIAL •

BEGINNING THE GAME & SERVINGService of each game will be determined by a coin toss.

• The serving Player shall not serve until signaled to do so by the Referee. Service may be either underhand or overhand with either a closed or open hand. If a Player serves before the whistle is blown, the serve shall be replayed. If a player is serving and throws a bad toss and lets the ball fall to the ground, the serve shall be replayed. If a player is serving and catches a bad toss, the serve shall be replayed

• The server will continue to serve until the Referee calls a “side-out”.

PLAYING THE GAME• When a Team is awarded the serve, the Team will rotate

one place clockwise

• A ball hit into the net, other than a serve, may be recov-ered provided a Player does not make contact with the net or cross the centerline.

• A Player may not play the ball twice in succession un-less the initial contact is a block.

• A Team must return the ball across the net with three or fewer contacts. A block does not count as contact.

• When the ball lands on the boundary line, it is consid-ered in the court. It is legal for a Player to run out of bounds and play the ball; however, a Player may not enter another Volleyball court to play the ball.

• When a ball hits the antennas attached to the top of the net it is considered out.

• Players are NOT permitted to use their feet or legs to hit the ball.

FOULS & VIOLATIONS If a foul is committed, penalty will be side-out Point (depen-dent upon scoring structure at the time).

• Contacting the ball in an underhand motion with open hand or hands (slapping or scooping).

• Failure to return ball over the net in three or fewer contacts.

• Serving illegally, or out of turn.

• Touching the net or reaching under the net to interfere with an opponent playing the ball

• Spiking or blocking the ball in front of the 10’ line when playing the back row position.

• Contacting the ball twice in succession, unless the first contact is a block.

• Catching or holding the ball while playing it..

ROTATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONSWhen a Team is awarded the serve, the Team will rotate one place clockwise. The front right player will substitute out and a new player will enter the playing field as the server.

There must be a fair rotation of all Players through court positions. This means both men and women get time both on the bench and on the court.

THE COURTNo Player may have a foot entirely over the centerline at any Point. A foot on the line is legal.

* Rules are subject to change. All decisions made by referees are final and cannot be challenged.

OBSTACLE COURSE• PIER 25 • TURF FIELDS •

THE GAMEThe Games obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual must navigate while being timed. The obstacle course tests speed, agility, balance and endurance. The object of the obstacle course is to successfully pass through each challenge and complete the full course in the fastest possible time. At The Games, all 10 members of your team will go through the obstacle course one at a time (relay race style). Your team ranking will be based on the total time it takes for your team to complete the course. Shortest finish times will earn the highest rankings.

THE COURSEThe Pier 25 turf playing field, will have two duplicate courses. Two teams will compete at a time (each assigned to one course), however, team rankings within each group will be based on overall group time, instead of head to head score. Five teammates will be placed on either end of the course. The first person will run from one side to another, upon crossing the finish line/tagging their teammate, their teammate will then run the course in the opposite direction. Once all 10 pentathletes have “switched” sides, their time will be stopped. The quickest times will result in a higher group ranking.

NUMBER OF PLAYERSAll ten (10) athletes (6 men and 4 women) will compete in this relay race formatted obstacle course. If a team is short players, one or more athletes may race a second time, but the male/female ratio must not change. Ex: Team A only has eight (8) people (6 men/2 women), the two (2) women run again, ensuring that there are ten (10) runs on the obstacle course, and that the ratio remains consistent. All athletes must par-ticipate in the obstacles course before any additional repeats from other team members.

GAME LENGTH & STRUCTURE:Each team will run through the course once. Lowest team time will result in a higher ranking. After the first two teams race, the course will be reset and the next two teams will race. This process will continue until all teams in the group have completed the challenge.

OBSTACLE COURSE SCORINGEach member will take turns on the course with the goal of completing it in the shortest amount of time. Rankings will be determined strictly by time needed to complete the entire course

GEARWear provided Games T-Shirt or an approved team shirt and appropriate outdoor athletic clothing (shorts or leggings). Obstacle Course will be played on turf, which requires par-ticipants to wear athletic shoes. Cleats are not permitted at The Games. Water will be available.

EQUIPMENTAll obstacle course equipment will be provided.

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Individuals will compete in the obstacle course with their team in a relay style race format. After player 1 completes the course, player 2 will start, and so on and so forth until all 10 players have completed the course.

PRELIMINARY OBSTACLES• Military Crawl – Ropes hang approx. 1’ off the ground,

athlete will approach the obstacle, lie down on their belly and crawl under the ropes. Athlete must not touch the ropes above their head.

• Cargo Net Crawl – An 8’ x 10’ cargo net will be weighted and lying on the ground. Athlete will approach the net, lift it up and crawl under the net

• Balance Beam – Athletes will have to walk across a 15’ balance team without falling

• Tire/Agility Run – Athlete will have to run through a set of tires or agility ladder. Athlete’s foot must touch the ground between each tire/ladder rung

• Over/Under Hurdles – Hurdles will be set up at different heights; athlete will alternate between going under and over the hurdle. Athlete must complete each hurdle without knocking it over

• Water Bucket Carry – Athlete must carry two ~25lb buck-ets between point A and point B

• Sprint - ~50’ Sprint that will start/end each leg of the race

FAILURE TO COMPLETE AN OBSTACLEIf an athlete does not maneuver through the obstacle in the fashion stated above, the athlete will have a 5 second penalty added to their team time, per infraction. Each obstacle is mandatory. Failure to attempt and complete an obstacle will result in full team disqualification.

* Rules are subject to change. All decisions made by referees are final and cannot be challenged.

OBSTACLE COURSE RULES• PRESENTED BY CHELSEA PIERS •