Provisional rules (first draft), subject to change. Below are the essentials; the full rules will be published soon.
1. Spirit
Get as many people as possible playing, as often as possible. Attendance matters more than a one-off win, nobody stays on the sidelines, flexibility rather than forfeits. Open to every level, licensed or not.
2. Format
- Independent match days, each crowning a champion (number, dates and venues to be announced).
- Overall standings decide the Rhine Flag Meet winner.
- Played 5-on-5; rosters of at least 5 players, no maximum.
- 8 teams max per match day (a ‘slot’ = a reserved place), on at least 2 pitches.
3. Registration and free agents
- One captain per team; list of at least 5 players before the first match day, additions until the day before. A player belongs to one team per season.
- Free agent: register at least 48 hours before, assigned to a host team in the morning.
- Host team: up to 3 free agents, each playing at least one full game.
- Committed or match-day team: only committed teams score in the overall standings.
- Loaned players: allowed below 5 available players, 2 max on the field.
4. How a match day works
| Teams present | Format |
|---|---|
| 5 or fewer | Single pool, the winner is champion |
| 6 to 8 | Two pools, then semi-finals, final and 3rd-place game; every place is played for |
Win 3 points, draw 1, loss 0, forfeit −1. Ties: point difference, then sudden death for 1st and 3rd place.
5. Scoring
| Match-day ranking | Points (attendance included) |
|---|---|
| 1st | 30 |
| 2nd | 26 |
| 3rd | 23 |
| 4th | 21 |
| 5th | 19 |
| 6th | 18 |
| 7th | 17 |
| 8th | 16 |
| Absent | 0 |
- Attendance bonus: +15 for every match day, +5 for all but one.
- Attendance: every game played with at least 3 players from the team’s own roster.
6. Slots
- Booking 4 weeks before; priority to committed teams.
- Swap between two match days declared 72 hours before; transfer 7 days before = excused absence.
- Merging two incomplete teams: both count as present (twice per season max).
7. Play
IFAF flag football rules. Games of 2 × 20 minutes. Refereed by resting teams, or self-refereed; each refereed game earns 1 tiebreak point.
8. Absences and discipline
| Situation | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Slot transferred or swapped in time | No penalty |
| Withdrawal less than 72 hours before | 0 points, no penalty |
| Unannounced absence | −5 points overall |
| More than 10 minutes late | Game lost |
Fair-play award every match day: +2 points in the overall standings.