Bandit Football & Cheerleading Manual

City Of Poteau Recreation Department

Purpose: To create a healthy environment to learn the skills of the sport, fair play, sportsmanship, and competition.
The City of Poteau Recreation Department emphasizes each and every child as an individual.  We are interested in each child reaching their potential in every aspect not only to aid them in the sport but to help them in life.
This manual is intended as a guideline for coaches, parents, and children.  It is our goal to have the best possible program without losing sight of the basic purpose.
We, as staff, coaches, and parents should strive to follow these guidelines in working with our children.

1.  Develop self-confidence, self respect, and appreciation of  their own worth.
2.  Grow as responsible members of their families and as citizens of their communities.
3.  To teach the basic skills of the sport in a positive manner.
The objective are to develop character, good sportsmanship, physical skills and coordination, team work and a knowledge of the sport.
The program and rules are devised in order to:
Players:  Make the game fun and to develop skills and provide substantial opportunity for play.
Parents:  Be convenient and minimize expense.
Coaches:  Be convenient and minimize time commitment.

1.  Administrative Organization
A.  Each team will have two assistant coaches.  The head coach and the two assistants must attend one of the two mandatory meeting to be able to coach.  All persons accepting responsibility in this program must accept and carry out the rules and regulations of the program, strive to teach good sportsmanship, good health habits, good citizenship and exercise the type of personal behavior which will set a good example for the children.  Every safety precaution must be observed at all times.  Abuse or embarrassment of any player or team will not be tolerated.  Any coach or assistant coach who would be returning to the same age group, who decides the following season not to coach, his child must entry the draft for the following season.
Penalty:  Failure to abide by these standards makes it mandatory that the person or persons involved be relieved of their responsibilities in the program.
B.  Spectators at games must be kept under control by the coach, and razzing of officials, and or players prevented.  Failure to maintain control of players and or spectators will result in forfeiture of the games as recommended by the official in charge.
Note:  Officials can not answer questions from parents, but they will by happy to answer questions from the head coach at the appropriate time.
Penalty:  Coaches who fail to abide by this shall be subject to the same disciplinary action as for their own personal conduct.
C.  It shall be mandatory each team coach meet with the parents of their players during the first week of practices.  The purpose of this meeting will be to explain the program, define what is expected from the program, parents, children and the coaches.
D.  Any player, coach, or team expelled from a game for unsportsmanlike conduct will have to sit out the next game.  On the second offense the persons involved will be relieved of his/her coaching duties for that season and will not be allowed to return.

2.  Games
A.  Games schedules and rescheduling:
      All scheduling of league games will be done by the director.  No changes in dates or time shall be permitted in the league schedule without authorization from the director.
B.  Game time is game time.  There will be NO grace period.  The number of participants makes our schedule very tight.  Please be courteous and help us stay on time, you may have the late game next time.
C.  No profanity from the bench or field or from the spectators will be tolerated.  Participants who use profanity will be benched for the remainder of the game.
(Coaches Must Help In This Situation)
D.  Absolutely no alcoholic beverages will be allowed.  Any person which is discovered with alcohol will be asked to leave the premises.
(Time Will Start At Game Time)
E.  Players may only play in one league at a time.
F   A head coach or assistant coach may only coach in one league at a time. 
G.  The City of Poteau Recreation Department will not be responsible for accidents on or off the field or court in the bleacher area or park.  All persons enter at their own risk.

3.  General Sports Policy:
A.  Each child will play on his team at least half of every game, ( Must start on one side of the ball), but he must have regular attendance for practices and games in order to participate.  If a child does not make at least one practice per week the coach may choose to take disciplinary action by not playing the child, but the coach must advise the director and the director will have the final decision.
B.  All adults acting as coaching must adhere to stated responsibilities and attend all coaches meetings.  This includes your official assistant coaches and any parent that will be helping you during the season.
C.  Practice time and place is the decision of the coach.  Convenience for parents and children must be considered.

4.  Coaches Responsibilities
A.  To encourage every child to be regular in their attendance of both practices and games.  This will help teach teamwork and sportsmanship.
B.  To arrange for the teams equipment to be at all practices and games.
C.  To attend all practices and games personally or to make sure an alternate parent coach is present.  (No game will be started without an adult representative of the coaching staff.)
D.  To make sure that both parent and players abide by the intent and spirit of the rules that govern play.
E.  To report any and all accidents or injuries to the director in charge within 24 hours from the said injury or accident.
F.  To check out or help players check out all equipment and return equipment at the end of the season.  Deposits may be required.

5.  Parents Responsibilities
A.  Be positive only in your enthusiasm.
B.  Do not under any circumstances demean any child, coach, official, or other parent.
C.  Be responsible for your child's regular attendance of practices and games.  This is a team sport.  The coach needs everyone at practices.

6.  Team Organization
A.  Player limit will be determined by number of participants enrolled and number of players required for each sport.
B.  Age deadline will be firm.

7.  Registration
A.  Each child must complete and turn in his/her application and the league is determined by grade.
Note:  If any form is found to be falsified in any way that player will not be able to finish the season.

8.  Practices
A.    All teams must practice in Poteau unless all players gladly agree to drive to another field outside of Poteau.
B.    All coaches must practice their teams at least one time per week.  Practice time should be no longer than two hours at a time.  Coaches or parents will provided refreshments for their team at practice. Water or some kind of sports drink should be provided.  

9.    General Rules
A.    Both  age groups (3rd & 4th, 5th & 6th) will play (2) fifteen minute halves in an official game. 
B.    Both age groups (3rd & 4th, 5th & 6th) will play a standard 5-2 defensive alignment.
C.    Both age groups (3rd & 4th, 5th & 6th) will use a 25 second play clock.
D.    Both age groups (3rd & 4th, 5th & 6th) will have three time-outs per half.
E.    Offensively 3rd & 4th must run a Power I or Wing I formation. This age group may not have a split end or a flanker.
F.    Offensively 5th & 6th must run the Pro I, Power I, Wing I, or Wing formation. This age group may also have a flanker and a split end in the Pro I formation.
G.    Motion may be used by the offensive team in both age groups.
H.    Defensive 5th & 6th interior lineman must be in a three or four point stance. TNT on defensive (Tackle, Nose Guard, and Tackle).
I.    A coin toss will be used to determine first possession of the game and overtime possession.
J.    In Overtime play the football will be place on the defenses' ten yard line. The offense will have four down to score. If their is a second overtime the team that had the ball last will go first.
K.   No punting or kicking off will be allowed. The football will be placed on the offenses' thirty yard line to start a game. A punt will be 30 yard in distance as long as the punt does not place the football inside the twenty yard line.  If the result of the punt place the football inside the twenty, the punt will be marked off half the distance from the goal.
L.    An extra point will result in two points if the ball is kicked through the uprights. The defense may not rush the kicker on a field goal or extra point attempt. The offense team will receive one point if the football is run or thrown in from the three yard line. The kicker may only take two steps to attempt the try.
M.    No fake field goals or extra points will be allowed.  If the holder receives a bad snap the holder will have an attempt to recover the football as long as he does not move or raise his back foot off the ground. If the holder moves his back football in attempting to recover the football the kick will be considered NO GOOD. This judgment will be determined by head official. 

10.  Draft
A.  We welcome participants from the surrounding areas with the understanding that all players will participate in the draft.  Draft order will be determined by the drawing of numbers.  Each coach will draft according to the number drawn.  The draft order will be  in sequence determined by the number drawn by the head coach. For example, if they are five 3rd & 4th grade football teams, the head coach with number one would have the first overall pick. In round two the head coach with the first overall pick in round one would have the last overall pick in round two.  All players with the specific age group will be listed on a draft sheet for every head coach to view during the draft.  If the coach stays in the same age group he will be able to keep his team members that did not move into the next age group.  If the coach goes to another group, only his official assistant may keep the team not just a parent or other assistant.  When the coach goes to another age group, he must draft a new team.  All players moving into the new age group must go back in the draft.  Siblings will be drafted together.  Any player not wishing to play with the same team may request to go back into the draft.
B.  The league champion (3rd & 4th Grade) from the previous season, will have first opportunity to fill a head coaching position in the next age group, as long as their is a vacant position available

11.  Weight Limits For Skilled Positions
A.  Skilled position will be defined as QB's, TB's/RB's, FB's.  The 3rd & 4th grade league must follow this specific weights:
          QB's - 100 lbs.
                   TB's/RB's - 105 lbs.
          FB's - 110 lbs.
B.  The 5th & 6th grade league must follow this specific weights:
            QB's - 120 lbs.
                      TB's/RB's - 125 lbs.
             FB's - 130 lbs.
Each skill position player is allowed to gain one pound per week until the end of the season starting with weigh in on the day pads are issued.  A player may only gain a maximum of 10 lbs. during the course of a season. Violation of this rule will result in a forfeit of the specific game in question.

12.  Mercy Rule
A.  If at any time a team is behind by a margin of 30 points or more the game clock will run continuously throughout the remainder of the contest.  If the team that is behind score and the margin is 30 points or greater, after the conversion, try that team can request to be on offensive again.