Sun Prairie West Youth Football  

League Rules

BADGER FOOTBALL ALLIANCE * YOUTH/MS BY LAWS 2025

  Revised May 6th, 2025


League Mission

➢ To provide a positive, engaging & well-structured youth football experience for players, parents & coaches.

➢ Success in the alliance is defined by engaging & retaining as many youth football players as possible to ensure the highest quality of football at the high school level for each program involved.

➢ The following bylaws are written with the expectation that the interpreter is viewing the rules with the above alliance goals in mind. 


Program Organization

  1. The season shall begin no earlier than Monday, August 4th, 2025.


  1. There shall be at the most (1) interscholastic game per week. For grades 5-8 the WIAA maximum of seven (7) and for 4th grade six (6)  alliance scheduled games are allowed. Any additional scrimmages outside of the alliance schedule will not take precedence. For grades 7-8 at least 3 WIAA certified officials of age 18 are required for a game to be played. For grades 4-6 at least 3 Officials, 2 must be adults (18) and WIAA Certified


  1. A team may practice each day of week until the first game (Saturday, August 23, 2025). After the first game, practices may not exceed three (3) times a week plus a game, for the remainder of the season.


  1. Program Directors’ discretion about moving seventh graders up to eighth grade teams. Eighth graders less than 100 pounds may be moved down to the seventh grade team at Program Directors’ discretion (no difference makers). For grades 4-6 Players must play at their own grade level where the only exception is, at the program director’s discretion, the ability to move players up only if it is due to numbers required to field a team. Each program must weigh-in their kids once only – Program Directors are responsible for their program weigh-in. No players below 4th grade may participate. 


  1. If a school is not able to divide their grade level team into two separate but equal teams, then every attempt should be made to two platoon. This means starting 11 people on offense and a different 11 on defense. Our goal is to give EVERYONE a chance to play the game. Players should not play in more than 1 game per night or week, unless it is absolutely necessary to play the second game. If it is required to play a game, the player cannot start the second game, must play different positions in the games, not be a difference maker and not play more than the equivalent of one full game. Coaches must communicate any potential player doubling up to their opponent via Sunday emails. Alliance recommendation- Teams should make every effort to split to 2 teams at or above 32 players. And for grades 4-6 a further recommendation is to split into 3 teams once a program reaches 48 players at a grade level.


  1. Our goal is to develop equally balanced teams. Some movement between teams (week to week–not same week) may be necessary due to injuries, discipline problems, scholastic ineligibility, skill balancing, etc.


  1. Emails between upcoming opponents must be exchanged at least one week in advance of the game. Program Directors must be cc’d on all emails. The home team should send an email providing their base defensive and offensive schemes, and jersey colors along with confirming the game time and location. The visiting team should reply to that email providing their base schemes and jersey colors along with confirming the game time and location. This email exchange must be completed SUNDAY before 9PM at least one week in advance. (See email sheet for who to specifically email from each program.). If email contact is not made as required, the visiting team should contact the home team Program Director. A live Google Document will be made available to all program directors and coaches to record information regarding formations, defensive fronts, jersey colors, game locations, etc. Email Template is included in Program Contact list. MS Contact Info - Youth Contact Info


  1. All coaches must be certified (program discretion on what certification to use).

  1. After the season, directors and varsity head coaches will attend a working meeting to evaluate the concluded season and possible adjustments for the following season. The Alliance League is currently capped. 



Game Play Rules

  1. WIAA rules apply unless identified below (including WIAA practice and ejection rules – player sits the next game if ejected). ( No Drones are allowed for recording of games home or away.)


  1. Each quarter shall be nine (9) minutes unless facilities dictate otherwise. The clock will run with normal WIAA rules. Officials will enforce play clock as normal. Coaches and officials can mutually meet to shorten the quarters if needed. *Chains are to be operated on the home team sideline.


  1. All games that end in a tie shall remain tied. (No Overtime)


  1. No coaches on the field at grades 7-8. For grades 4-6 one coach may be on the field for the offense and one for the defense. Coaching must stop once cadence begins.


  1. It is important to keep the scores down (attempt to keep it within 24 points). The purpose of the league is to allow players to play, learn the fundamentals of the game and enjoy the sport of football. This may mean changing the regular position of players, schemes, etc. If a team is ahead by 24 or more points they can only run the ball. Defense must still cover receivers. * If coaches and officials need to talk at halftime, they should adhere to the above thoughts. Officials should coordinate this discussion.


  1. Home team must furnish ice and have an emergency plan including a cell phone at the games.
  • Special Emphasis – Make sure officials are aware of our rules before games (bring copies of the rules and roster weights). Coaches and officials must meet pre-game to discuss the rules and work cooperatively if there is a problem with interpretation. Ensure the special teams, field goal/extra point holder, score, DE lineup, and blitz rules including umpire depth for linebackers are discussed.


Special Teams (Kick-off/Punts/Extra Points) 


  1. Kickoffs: Grades 4-6 will only kickoff to start each half. Starting on the 35 yd line or adjustments per rules below. Grades 7&8 will kickoff per WIAA rules with adjustments in this section. Pre-game agreement to skip kickoffs for pace can be agreed upon in pregame meetings. No kickoff returns. Kickoffs are from the 40 yard line. Only the kicker should be on the field. Receiving team will start no deeper than their own 20 or farther than the 50 yard line. If a ball is caught in the air ten (10) yards will be awarded to the receiving team up to the 50 yard line. If a kickoff goes out of bounds, (WIAA rules) the receiving team has the choice of receiving at that spot or at the 35 yard line. Balls downed between the 20 and 50 yard lines will be played from that spot. A change of possession resulting from a turnover, punt or change of downs can start inside the 20. Following a safety, for grades 7-8 kickoff placement and alignment will follow WIAA rules and in grades 4-6 the ball will be placed at the 50 yard line. 


  1. Punts: No punt returns.  Offensive team will immediately announce to the official their intent to punt.  The official announces to the defense that a punt is to be kicked. If the punt is caught five (5) yards will be awarded to the punt receiving team. A ball downed is played from that spot. The ball should be long snapped from the center to the punter with no penalty if the ball hits the ground. The punter must kick the ball immediately upon receipt of the ball. Possessions can begin anywhere on the field – no 20 or 50 yard line rules. For grades 7-8 the clock runs per normal rules, once declared. For grades 4-6 the punt is an untimed down and for possessions following a punt cannot start inside the 20 yard line on either end of the field.


  1. Extra points: may be attempted and are untimed downs. Field goals may be attempted and are untimed if it is 4th down but timed if 1st, 2nd or 3rd down. All extra points rushed or passed are counted as one (1) point and are attempted from the three (3) yard line. Any conversion kick is counted as two (2) points and the kick should be snapped from the three (3) yard line and is not live. All extra points and field goals must be long snapped. Holder must start with knee on the ground. In grades 7-8, an errant long snap (a snap that the holder cannot field without moving to a new position on the field – up and down/pivot is okay) is a dead ball and the kick will be ruled no good. In grades 4-6, the holder may move, retrieve and place the ball on the tee without penalty. No rush from defense on any kicks. No return of missed field goals. Offense must declare if they are kicking immediately. For grades 4-6, following a missed field goal, the possession may not start inside the 20 yard line.





Offensive Rules

  1. Players weighing more than the set weight limit cannot play in the backfield or at end (including tight end) - they must play in a DOWN LINE position. Turnovers are dead if a DOWN LINE position player recovers the ball.
  • Weight Limits by grade  4th: 95 lbs 5th: 105 lbs 6th: 120 lbs  7th: 140 lbs  8th: 150 lbs
  • 4th & 5th: Cannot use unbalanced formation, No pre-snap motion is allowed, Cannot have more than 2 eligible receivers (not including backs) to a side (no trips/trio), players in the backfield (within the tackle box) must be at a depth of at least 3 yards (No Sniffer back).
  • Grades 4-6 No QB Sneaks (sneak=direct snap under center immediately moving to the line of scrimmage)


Defensive Rules

  1. Any player weighing more than the set weight limit must play in a DEFENSIVE LINE position. A DEFENSIVE LINE position means on the line of scrimmage, no wider than the outside shoulder of the 3rd tight player on a side of the offensive line (T/TE/H). Interior linemen, who are on or inside the offensive tackles, must be in a 3 or 4-point stance while edge players, who are outside the offensive tackles, can be in a 2-point stance. For 4th Grade, all players must be in a 2 point stance. In grades 4-6, no players may be lined up on the center, the last defender on the line of scrimmage may be in an outside shade on the offensive player and all other Defensive Line players must be aligned heads up on the offensive player. For all grade levels, if there is no TE/H, defense cannot line up in TE/H box and must either shift inside or move to linebacker position. In grades 4-6 Defensive linemen cannot advance the ball. 
  • 4th: 95 lbs 5th: 105 lbs 6th: 120 lbs   7th: 165 lbs  8th: 175 lbs 


  1. There will be no blitzing. All linebackers must align at the minimum of four (4) yards deep (at depth of umpire) with no movement toward the LOS until the snap of the ball. This means not sending any linebackers, or edge players (OLB/C). If the quarterback drops straight back the linebackers must drop into coverage. Defensive linemen must be on the line of scrimmage. Maximum of 6 on the line of scrimmage including goal line situations. Count of 6 does not include defensive backs covering split ends. For grades 7-8 cornerbacks can play press coverage but cannot blitz. For grades 4-6, cornerbacks cannot press and must be at a depth of at least 4 yards aligned within the framework of the receiver. Officials should penalize 5 yards and replay the down.


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