OFL

OFL football looks amazingly like what you already know. Instead of tackling, or using flags, we "tag" ball-carriers with two hands. [Don't know much about American football? Check out "Football 101"!]

Tagging

A offensive player is considered "down" when a defensive player tags with ball-carrier with two hands fully contacting the body (one hand if the player is on the ground). Touching only clothing (i.e. a small bit of T-shirt or the scrimmage vest), or tagging with fingertips, does not constitute a successful tag. Additionally, the ball does not count as part of the body.

Grabbing a ball carrier's clothes to stop him/her is a penalty. Tackling is not allowed.

Note: THE PLAY IS DEAD WHEN A DEFENSIVE PLAYER SAYS "GOTCHA". The offensive player is down when and where the defensive team claims the tag occurred. Period.

Note: a QB is down the moment he/she is tagged, regardless if the arm is in motion.

As such, defensive players should be very sure they have applied a legal tag before yelling "Gotcha". A false tag is a penalty - it stops play dead, and everyone gets mad and the whole thing generally sucks.

Legal reception

A legal reception is ONE foot in-bounds. (NOTE: Some leeway on whether the player's foot was in bounds is given if the player has made a spectacular catch.)

Blocking

Blocking is allowed from below the neck to above the waist ("within the frame.") NO cut blocking is allowed.
See also Offense

Downs

An offense has four downs to cross a down marker (marked by a cone.) Once crossed the offense is given another four downs to reach the next (etc).

Kicking

Teams may punt at any time. Fake punts are allowed. If the punt bounces off a receiving player, or is fumbled after it is caught, it is a live ball. A punt that fails to cross the line of scrimmage continues in play, as if a fumbled ball. All players, including the kicking team, may catch or recover the ball behind the line of scrimmage and advance it.

Field Goals are worth 3 points. Dropkicked Field Goals are worth 6 points. Dropkicks are also allowed in the place of a forward pass (not that anyone's done this.) Forward pass rules apply. Fake field goals are not allowed.
See also Scoring.

Kickoffs

At the start of the game and of the second half, and after every score, there will be a kickoff.

Kickoffs can either be punted or kicked from the ground (using a holder or a "heel-hole" in the ground.)

A "neutral zone" of fifteen yards from the spot of the kick is established before the kick. Players cannot enter this zone before the kick.

The ball is kicked from the a "Kicking Spot" (30 paces from the goal line; 15 paces from the goal line after a safety). If a holder is to be used the ball is held at that spot. If the ball is being punted, the kicker must kick the ball by the time he/she gets to the "Kicking Spot".

The rest of the kicking team lines up fifteen paces behind the Kicking Spot (i.e. normally 15 paces from the goal line).

The receiving team can line up anywhere beyond the neutral zone (i.e. one cone away from the Kicking Spot).

The ball is considered live once it is kicked. The kicking team can recover a kick that has gone at least 15 yards, or has been touched by a receiver first, but cannot advance it.

The team in the lead may not attempt an onsides kick.

Kickoff returns are spotted at a sensible place in relation to a down marker to avoid 1st-down and inches situations. Usually that means moving the ball up to the next cone, or bringing it back to the 'half-way' point between cones.

Kickoffs that go out-of-bounds must be re-kicked. If the second kick goes out-of-bounds the ball will placed at the receiving team's thirty yard line (second cone)

Touchbacks are spotted fifteen paces from the receiving team's goal line (the first cone).