a. Players to be eligible to compete in the CFA Football League must meet the requirements set forth below. All CFA Associations must prepare a team registration roster book each season containing the player’s registration form, birth certificate, physician’s affidavit of physical examination, parent or guardian’s consent authorization and a computerized list of players by squad (Smurf, Peewee, Pony and Midget) with the player’s jersey number included. The roster book will be submitted to the CFA on the official roster night, normally the 3rd Monday in August, 6 or 7 days prior to the first regular season game. Each team will provide the Commissioner with contact info on the person that will be responsible to develop and update the roster book. It is CFA League policy that no player is allowed to practice and/or compete in the CFA without these documents. Only the players listed in the submitted team roster book on roster night with all of the above mentioned documents included will be eligible to play. Failure to comply with the above could result in forfeit of game. Late registration will be accomplished as set forth below. Note, any changes to player’s jersey numbers must be provided to the Commissioner’s office 4 days prior to the team’s next game so that the CFA Web Site could be updated. The CFA Web Site will contain the official player rosters for each association. It is the responsibility of each association to review and provide web site updates to the Commissioner as required. Web site player roster conflicts will be resolved by the Commissioner.

1.  Be between the ages of 5 and 13 years.  The age shall be determined on April 30^th. If a player is 13 on April 30^th the player is eligible. If a player is 14 on April 30^th the player is ineligible. Proof of date of birth shall be determined by birth certificate presented at the time of registration.  Any other form of proof must be submitted to the Governing Body for certification.

2.  Each CFA team will keep a copy of the Player Registration Form and submit a duplicate copy to the League Office, Commissioner and/or Secretary for review and entry into the CFA data roster system, for approval or rejection during the official Team Registration and Team Player Roster meeting.

3.  A new CFA Registration Form will be submitted to the League Office each year that the player competes in the CFA Football League. The CFA Representative upon initial submission of the CFA Player Registration Form must only certify proof of date of birth. That is the players first year in the CFA Football League.  CFA Governing Board approval and/or rejection will be indicated on the form each year.

4.  Territories/Boundaries:  All teams will be limited to players drawn from specific territories/boundaries. Each CFA Association will provide their specific territory/boundaries to the CFA Commissioner.  All areas not specifically designated as team territories/boundaries will be classified as either Free Zones and/or Buffer Zones.  Free Zones (open areas) are areas outside of territories claimed by any CFA team and are open territory to any CFA Team.  Buffer Zones are areas where two or more CFA teams can solicit equally.  Buffer Zones and teams involved must be specifically designated and provided to the CFA Commissioner.

b.  Any team found using an ineligible player should forfeit all games in which said player has participated.

c.  Parental Consent:

1.  Each player must have the written consent of parent or guardian.

2.  Consent affidavit, parent or guardian’s authorization (signature), authorization for medical care and physician’s affidavit must be completed and/or renewed each year. 

d. Physical Examination: Each player must present a physical examination report for the current season from a physician on or before the first day of practice. Players without physicals will not be allowed to practice or play in scrimmages or games.

e.  Registration:

1.  Team registration shall take place prior to the opening game of the league schedule.

2.  Late registration of individual players may be permitted if good cause is shown.

3.  Under no circumstances will registration of players be permitted later than the second league game.

4. All requests for player exceptions will be requested by email or letter to the commissioner with the reasons for the exception.  This will be reviewed by the commissioner and assistant commissioners and be acted upon.  The commissioners’ decision will be final. Requests for all player waivers must be communicated by the commissioner as soon as possible to all team reps via CFA meeting or email.

 a.      Associations requesting player waivers for age requirements must adhere to the following guidelines:

                       1.         Players requesting waiver exceptions due to age restrictions that have either medical or mental handicaps or special needs can be given a waiver by the commissioner for any age group that the commissioner feels can benefit the player by participation and not harm that player or opposing team players by his or her participation.  This type of waiver will be here on known as a League Medical Waiver.  All host teams that have a player with a League Medical Waiver shall be required to have a copy of the waiver with that team for inspection at all league weigh-ins and inform the opposing coach and weigh-master of the player with that waiver during the weigh in period or prior.  Every coach on each team is required to ensure that all players with a League Medical Waiver is treated with an additional notice of safety and respect if and when that player participates in a game.  The safety of a player with a League Medical Waiver is of up most importance.  Game officials officiating the game should be made aware of any special needs or handicapped player entering the game and what that players role will be during play.

                       2.         Teams requesting waiver exceptions due to age restrictions other then Medical or special needs requests can only be granted a commissioners waiver under one or more of the following conditions:

                                   a.         A team has 18 or less players roistered prior to the end of the first week of practice (Friday) of the new season may submit a waiver request for additional players to be added to their roster up to the league minimum of 18 players per team at anytime during the season.  Players granted a waiver to a team with 18 or under players on their roster are permitted to play immediately if so deemed by the commissioner.

                                   b.         Players birth date cannot be more then 2 months prior to the official age cutoff date for that level of play.  Players meeting this qualification must also meet one or more of the other requirements for Smurf, Peewee and Pony levels of play.  Smurf, Peewee and Pony players requesting to stay down under the 2-month rule cannot have been roistered by any League team during the prior 2 seasons of football.  The team that the player is requesting to be waivered from must have 24 or more players and the team requesting to be placed on cannot have more then 18 players.

                                   c.         A player’s weight is not within 50% of the player’s regular level of play maximum weight allowance.

                                   d.         Player cannot be entering into the 9^th grade or higher of his or her respective school with the exception of players meeting the League Medical Waiver guidelines.

                                   e.         No player that had been selected or nominated as a League All-Star for the prior football season is eligible to request a Commissioner’s Waiver.

                                   f.          Lack of playing time, experience, coaching quality or other differences are not valid requests for waivers and will be denied without review by the commissioner.

                                   g.         Players granted a Commissioner’s Waiver will be required to agree to any or all of the following conditions of the waiver granted by the commissioner.  Conditions can include but are not limited to the following:  Restricted from playing SKILL positions, restricted to offense, defense or line positions, not eligible to be nominated for league All-Star, post-season awards or All-Star teams including activities such as the league Senior Bowl games.  Restrictions of playing time and positions required by the commissioner granting the waiver must be reported to the opposing team head coach and weigh-master by that players head coach during the team weigh-in periods.  A player allowed to play in any league game with imposed restrictions that violates those restrictions will be immediately revoked of his or her waiver and any and all games that the player participated in and breaking the restrictions will be forfeited by the player’s team.

                                   h.         The commissioner is not required to grant any waiver even if a player meets one or more of the above requirements for being eligible for a possible waiver.  The commissioner will use common sense and experience in the granting of any and all waiver requests to what is best for the league, teams and players.  A player’s lack of experience or abilities is not a valid option alone to request a waiver as long as the player has a conditional place to play and participate in the game of football.

                       3.   The commissioner’s response to all waiver requests is final and cannot be challenged or overridden.

 5.  Any team that registers less than 24 players at player registration night may add additional players, not replacement players, up to a team size of 24.  These additional players will not be eligible to participate in a league game until the second game following the player’s date of registration in the CFA.  Teams registering 24 or more players may add additional players, but they will not be able to participate until the fourth game following their league registration.  In case of extreme hardship, the commissioner may grant a waiver, on a case-by-case basis.

a.  A registered player is all players listed on the official CFA Football League website prior to each week’s games under their team’s roster listing.  An Association that requests to remove a registered player from their official team roster must do so in writing to the league commissioner attached with a reason for the removal request.  A player who is removed from the official roster registration is not eligible to return to play for that team until the following season and only if that player meets the basic age and weight requirements.

6.  All CFA teams are required to submit their registrations to the league office 1 week prior to roster night.

7. Player Registration.  Provide for procedure for submission player registration form to commissioner.  Identify contact for each association.  All rosters (all levels) must come from the same individual. All rosters should be completed and submitted to the commissioner prior to the Monday before opening weekend.

f.  Financial Eligibility: To be eligible for registration, all dues must be paid.

g.  Players in question may be checked through the Bureau of Vital Statistics with parent’s permission. Failure to comply, player will be immediately removed from the roster until the matter is resolved.

h.  Authorized officer of the association must verify and sign their respective roster.

i.  Player must participate in the authorized CFA program school district, and/or parish area, where he lives or attends school.  The Commissioner will develop and keep on file team boundaries with each association. The Commissioner will resolve boundary questions.  Players who move after their first year of competition or at any time during their eligibility have the option to remain in their original program without a waiver.  If a player attends a parish and/or parish school that does not have a team participating in the CFA, the player may opt to play for a parish team that does participate in the CFA regardless of boundaries. 

1.  No player would be eligible to play outside the designated boundaries without the approval of the league Commissioner, and the written approval from the team in whose area he resides. This will become open information by adding a column on the CFA roster form indicating any players that a team rosters beyond said teams’ boundaries. Any team in the CFA may dispute eligibility by providing a written complaint to the Commissioners.  The complaint shall be place on the agenda and discussed at the next CFA meeting/Special meeting.  If a team is found using an ineligible player they shall forfeit all games in which said player has participated.

2.  Open area (free players).  Open area players are defined as players not living in any association area, school districts or parish areas covered by CFA Team Boundaries.  CFA teams that need additional players to fill a team may use these areas.  Normally at the midget level.  It is not to be abused.

3.  Players in open areas may play with any CFA team they choose, however a waiver must be obtained from the team they had previously played on. They are considered “Free Players” with no team affiliation.

4.  Any questions as to eligibility will be resolved by the Commissioner, and will be coordinated with the Assistant commissioners.

5.  Any player that receives a waiver to play for another team must have a copy of the waiver agreement attached to their profile information in the host team’s official League roster book.  This includes Team to Team waivers that do not need to be approved by the commissioner.   This rule goes into effect at the start of the 2011 season and all prior Team to Team waivers are grandfathered based on players names listed on prior year’s rosters.  A player wishing to return to a previous team’s roster that he received a waiver from must have a approved waiver from both teams for the return to be eligible. 

j.  No team is permitted to actively recruit a player(s) to switch team affiliations.

k. Player(s) added to your roster after they were cut from another CFA team may play whenever the new association that signed them up decides to play them provided the player(s) had a physical and birth certificate completed during registration by the team that cut them. The “2 week” rule would not apply after rosters are closed.

l. Once a player initiates participation with a designated team in a particular season, the player may not leave that team to play for another team in the CFA during that same season. The participation date will be roster night.

m. Commissioners will publish all CFA teams’ boundaries.

a.  It is recommended that each team must register at least 18 players unless the Commissioner grants waiver of this.

b.  Each association sets its’ own maximum players per level.

c.  Lower level players may be moved up to meet the recommended number of 18 players.

d.  All lower level players must appear on lower level roster and their normal level must be noted on upper level roster.

a.  Each player shall sign a player agreement with his respective team.

a.  Full safety equipment is mandatory for each team participant.

b.  It is the individual team responsibility to provide or ensure the team participant has the following minimum safety equipment:

1.  NOCSAE approved helmet and face guard.

2.  Playing Jersey and Shoulder pads.

3.  Football pants with belt or waistband and proper fitting knee and thigh pads.

4.  Football girdles or belts pads with proper fitting hip and tail pads.

5.  Football shoes with rubber/plastic cleats or tennis shoes. Metal tipped cleats are prohibited.

6. Mouthpiece. Mouthpieces must be attached to the face mask at all times and cannot be clear/white.  All mouthpieces must be colored.

7.  Visible exterior warning label for all helmets.

8.  All chinstraps are required to have plastic snaps.

c.  Players playing with a cast. The requirements for players who are playing with a cast are as follows: The cast must be covered with at least ½ inch high density closed-cell polyurethane (or something similar). The player must have a doctor’s note (or a copy of the doctor’s note) to be handed to the official at each game to keep. This is in accordance with PIAA rules.

a.  The regulation game balls shall be as follows and may be either leather or composite:

Pee Wee - Wilson K2” - “Pony - Wilson TDJ” - “Midget - Wilson TDY”

b.  No two or more players on the same team may wear the same numbered jersey in the same game.

c.  Team’s helmets, jerseys, and pants should be closely associated in color and style as to easily enable team recognition.

d.  Each team must supply jersey colors, both home (dark) and away (light) prior to the start of the season to the Governing Body, in return, the Governing Body will supply each team with this list.

a.  Any individual who appears on the official team roster of an officially recognized scholastic football team during the current season shall be ineligible to become a team member and participate in CFA league play.

b.  The commissioner will resolve any questions as to eligibility.