Players: who “Come to Blows” (touching in any way) will be ejected. Compliance may add additional disciplinary action. 

Volunteers: who “Attempt” or “Come to Blows” (touching in any way) will be ejected. 

Volunteers or Athletes: who “Attempt” or “Come to Blows” (touching in any way) with a Referee will be ejected and indefinitely suspended from TYFA. Texas Penal Code § 22.01 | Class B Misdemeanor: up to 180 days in prison, up to $2,000 fine, or both.

Volunteers: who aggressively touch an athlete (such as slapping, grabbing their facemask, jerking them etc., regardless of if it is their own relative) will be penalized a Personal Foul (15). A second violation from the same volunteer will be an ejection.

Spectators: who “Attempt” or “Come to Blows” (touching in any way) with volunteers on the field for retribution for a perceived issue with their child will be ejected from the field area and stands.

Athletes or volunteers that berate, make abusive, threatening, obscene, vulgar, racial, or ethnic comments towards Referees, TYFA staff, other athletes, or volunteers (regardless if they are related), will:

• • • During a game, be penalized Unsportsmanlike Conduct (15) and will be charged with additional disciplinary action after Compliance review.

A perceived threat is still considered a threat. E.g., a person is angry at another and tells them they better watch out, or meet me in the parking lot, is a perceived threat regardless if the person talking didn’t say or mean they would hurt them.   

Perception is Reality.

If players or volunteers (any number) chant or make gestures from across the field at their opponent, or at the coin toss, the Referees will penalize the team Unsportsmanlike Conduct (15). 

• • A second time the head coach will be ejected.

  • A third time and the game will be declared a forfeit. 

If players or volunteers (any number) walk across the field at any time, prior to the start of a game, halftime etc. and chant, taunt, or make gestures, the game will be declared a forfeit and the head coach will be charged with a Level __ violation. 

If a full team or the bulk of the team performs disrespectful acts during the game like pushups on the field, there will be consequences to that team by Compliance.

• • Example would be all defenders doing pushups and letting the offense score.

  • This does not include a couple players doing it after a play because they might have screwed up. 

  • The Referees will penalize the team Unsportsmanlike Conduct (15).

Taunting: TYFA strictly prohibits taunting in any form. This includes any behavior meant to insult, humiliate, or intimidate another team or individual. This rule applies to players, coaches, volunteers and parents alike. Severe consequences will be handed down on offender. This could include suspensions, fines and forfeits.  

Actions or verbiage designed to confuse the defense into believing there is a problem, and a snap IS NOT imminent (e.g., “wrong ball play”), or planned loose ball plays, are beyond the scope of sportsmanship and are ILLEGAL.  

Any team caught doing anything within the description of this article will have their Head Coach penalized with an Unsportsmanlike Conduct (15).

If a team refuses to take the field at any time for any reason, winning or losing, the Referees will declare the game FINISHED. 

• • If the losing team quits, the score will be recorded as is.

  • If the winning team quits, the score will be recorded as a Forfeit.

  • If the game was tie, the non-quitting team will be awarded 1 point to win the game.

The winning team cannot ask the Referees to stop the game unless they are willing to quit.

There are no grounds for a team to quit in the first half that has 1) the minimum athletes to play and 2) the Mercy Rule is NOT in effect. The Head Coach will be charged with a Level I violation. 

TYFA participants are not allowed to use tobacco, alcohol, or illegal substance products of any type at any TYFA events.  

This includes the use of Vape devices and E-cigarettes. 

If a certified volunteer is found doing so, they will be ejected from the game.

Only the Referees can remove a participant from the field of play.

Ejected players may remain on the sideline but must remove their equipment so that it is obvious they will not return to the game.

Ejected cheerleaders must move to the stands.

Ejected volunteers must leave the field, sideline, and stands.

 When a certified volunteer is ejected, they must leave the sideline and are prohibited from any further contact, direct or indirect, with the team during the remainder of the game.  They are not allowed in the stands, along a fence or anywhere close to the field.

 If a volunteer is removed for threats, attempts to fight or fighting, they will be required to leave the facility. The parking lot is considered the facility.

 If they refuse to leave, the Referees or Black Shirts (with the assistance of the Referees) will give the team a warning to get the person to leave. If they still refuse, the Referees will give the team an Unsportsmanlike Conduct (15) penalty. If they still refuse to leave, the game will be declared a forfeit.