Arena Football Rules

The Arena Football field is a padded surface 85 feet wide and 50 yards long from goal line to goal line, with end zones 8 yards deep. The goal posts are 9 feet apart and the crossbar is 15 feet above field level (compared to 18 1/2 feet and 10 feet, respectively, in NFL and NCAA football).

There are two goal-side rebound nets, 30 feet wide and 32 feet high, at each end of the field. Each rebound net stretches from the outside of an upright, along the end line. The bottom of the net is 8 feet above the ground.

The ball is the same as that used in the National Football League.

There are eight players on the field for each team. They play both offense and defense, except for the quarterback, the kicker, the kick returner, a designated offensive specialist, and two designated defensive specialists. The defensive specialists replace the quarterback and the offensive specialist when a team is on defense.

Arena football allows only one substitution per position per quarter, except in the case of the specialist players.

On offense, four players must line up on the line of scrimmage, and three defensive players must be down linemen. Defensive linemen aren't allowed to stunt or twist. One linebacker is allowed to blitz on either side of the center.

One receiver is allowed to be in forward motion at the snap.

To open a half or to resume play after a score, a team kicks off from its own goal line. If the kick goes out of bounds, it's awarded to the receiving team at the 20-yard line or at the spot where it went out of bounds, whichever is most advantageous.

If a kickoff or missed field goal attempt comes back into the field of play off a rebound net, it can be fielded by the receiving team.

A team is given four downs to move the ball 10 yards for another first down or to score. Punting is not allowed. The offense is given 25 seconds to put the ball into play.

Passing rules are as in college football. A receiver needs to have only one foot in-bounds while making a catch. A forward pass that rebounds from a net remains a live ball and may be legally caught until it touches the playing surface.

Scoring rules are the same as in the NFL and NCAA, with two exceptions: A conversion by drop kick counts 2 points and a field goal by drop kick counts 4 points.

A game is made up of four 15-minute quarters and each team is allowed three timeouts per half. If the score is tied after regulation time, there's a 15-minute overtime period.

Each team gets at least one possession in overtime. If one team is ahead after each team has had a possession, that team wins. If the score is still tied, the overtime becomes sudden death and the first team to score wins.

If the score is still tied after 15 minutes of overtime, the game ends as a tie.