Smurf Bowl - CFA

First join me in saying "GREAT JOB" to the Cumberland Valley Midget Football Association, Tim Cramer and Tony Grimes for doing a great job in not only hosting our first official Smurf Bowl Championships, but for going the extra mile and a half in making the fields playable and as safe and fun as possible for every team that participated. What a memory these kids will have following this weekends "Snow Bowl" games on Saturday and the final Bowl Championships played on Sunday. We are very happy to report that all 18 teams that entered the Tournament were able to make it to the CV fields safely and on-time and gave it their best for one last time to end the 2011 season on a great and fun note. Congratulations to all the teams that participated in this years tournament and enjoy a well deserved break following a wet and muddy season. Wrestling season is just around the corner kids... so go dig out those singlet's, headgear and wrestling shoes and get ready to spend some time during the weekends in the gym. Ok, all you basketball geeks can get ready for the gym as well. At least it will be dry in there hopefully.

So here are your final results, but review the attached spreadsheet to see how all the teams faired in their games. Once again, great job to all the teams that participated and braved the frigid cold and snow to make a fun and exciting memory for everyone.

In the Championship bracket the Swatara Tigers defeated the Northern Polar Bears in the semi-finals to advance to the championship finals along with the New Cumberland Saints who outlasted a resilient effort by the Cumberland Valley Eagles.

In the American Bowl bracket made up of teams that lost in the first round, the Harrisburg Bronco's received a forfeit following the loss of several teams that wore down eventually from the cold and wet weather, while the Cedar Cliff Colts outlasted a feisty West Perry team to make the American Bowl finals. The Northern Polar Bears came back after a tuff loss to the Tigers and took on a very energetic Holy Name JV team in the National Bowl Semi-finals and closed the deal to advance to the Bowl finals to face the father ship of the Jets tandem, the Holy Name Jets Varsity team who bested a brave and hard fought Boiling Springs Bengals team. Had it not been for a wall of snow along the Jets sideline that didn't make it off the field during the CV field cleaning efforts that lasted till the wee-early hours of Saturday night into Sunday morning, the Bengals might have made the trip just as well to the National Finals.

The long parallel path of snow played tricks on the young Bengals eyes who in several key series believed the snow line was the out of bounds sideline when it fact the sideline was another 10 to 15 feet away and the youngsters would let up thinking the mighty Jet fighters were out of bounds. "Oh what could have been" those coaches could be heard thinking from Boiling Springs... But hats off to that young Bengals team, as they gave the Jets a fine game before heading home to some hot cocoa with marshmallows. By the way, which moms made those great looking cookies and rice crispy treats that I seen their teams eating during the medal ceremonies anyways??? Not just a bunch of cold and wet players we had there, but some HUNGRY ones too!!!

So in the final Bowl Games of a wet and cold weekend it was first a Harrisburg Bronco's win over the Cedar Cliff Colts Smurf team to give the Bronco's their first CFA Smurf "Bowl Championship" this one an "AMERICAN BOWL" Championship. The Jet's of Holy Name after their scare by the Boiling Springs Bengals held on to beat a game Northern Polar Bears team to win the "NATIONAL BOWL" Championship. You can still hear those Northern fans yelling... "Go B...E...A...R...S"!!!!

In the Federal Bowl Championship game, it pitted the Cumberland Valley Eagles squad against a rough and ready Greenwood Buffaloes' team that could not find "quit" in anything this weekend. But it was the CV Eagles that found a little extra snow in their stockings for an early Christmas present and claimed their first "Federal Bowl" Smurf Championship.

And in a fantastic CFA Football League Championship game it was the Swatara Tigers who pulled out a fantastic Championship effort over the New Cumberland Saints Smurf team to win the first ever "CFA Football League Smurf Bowl Championship".

On behalf of everyone at Holy Name football, I want to say congratulations and thank you

and making the Smurf Bowl a reality and creating a lasting memory for the kids, coaches and parents!

Your efforts and the efforts of all associated with the tournament remind us of why we are involved….the kids! Great job to all!!!!!!

a. All games will be played at Cumberland Valley’s Fields for the Tournament. Location is: Stoney Ridge Park", 50 Bernheisel Bridge Road, Carlisle, PA 17013. 3 fields will be used for the first day and 2 fields for the second. All players must be between the ages of 5 and 7 years old based on current CFA Bylaws.

b. Official weight: Player must weigh 80 pounds or less. There will be a one time weigh-in conducted for the Tournament for all participating teams. A schedule of the weigh-in times for each team will be completed and distributed to all teams prior to the Tournament. Only players who weigh-in at their official weigh-in period may participate in any games during the Tournament. Any team that plays an ineligible player at anytime during the Tournament will be automatically disqualified from the Tournament and all games forfeited. Since this is an official CFA Football League event, any team disqualified from the Tournament for any reason will automatically disqualify the Head coach of that team from participating as a Coach on any CFA Football League team for a period no less then 1 year. All players have up to the official start time of their team’s first game of the first day to have arrived at the field and weighed in. After that time period no players for that team will be eligible to play for the remainder of the Tournament.

c. The team that is listed at the top portion of each bracket game will be considered the HOME team and shall wear their HOME Jersey’s for that game. All teams MUST have their players bring to the games BOTH of their official team Jersey’s. The time period for playing game quarters or periods shall be: Two (2) twenty (20) minute running clock halves. The running clock will only stop for major injuries requiring official medical personal to respond to the field to assist a player or person in need of medical assistance. The clock will start back up again once the medical personal have completely left the playing area.

e. Each team will be given (2) Timeouts to be used for each halve of the game. Each Timeout will last for (1) minute. The running clock time will start once again at the end of the (1) minute timeout period. In the event that a major medical emergency takes place during the game that stops the game for an extended period the Timeout rule will be suspended from both teams in order to ensure the game completes in time for the next scheduled game. In the event that no game is scheduled to follow that game, then the Timeouts would be allowed. If the timeout rule is suspended because of a medical emergency then each Team will be notified of such by the officials and tournament directors as needed at the re-start of the game following the emergency.

f. No more than two (2) coaches per team, plus officials, on the field during play. The coaches from both the offense and defense MUST be at minimum 15-yards away from the LOS at the snap of the ball or a 5-yard penalty will be assessed against that coach’s team. Each coaching staff will be given (1) warning prior to the enforcement of the 5-yard penalty for such action. The Tournament Directors and League Commissioners can at anytime remind (Warn), the coaching staffs of this rule and inform the games referee’s of the teams warning.

g. Coaches on the field are NOT permitted to speak at anytime to their team’s players AFTER the ball has been snapped by the offense until the play has been whistled dead by the officials. Any coach on the field that provides assistance to a player on their team DURING the play will be penalized a 10-yard penalty against their team. Each coaching staff will be given (1) warning prior to the enforcement of the 10-yard penalty for such action. The Tournament Directors and League Commissioners can at anytime remind (Warn), the coaching staffs of this rule and inform the games referee’s of the teams warning. All coaches on the field during the play MUST make an attempt to move away from any action coming towards them while a play is progressing. A coach who does make an attempt to move away from the action will be considered to be acting in an un-sportsmanship like manner and their team can be assessed a 10-yard penalty on repeated offences by the officials. Repeated offenses by coaches for any sportsmanship calls by the officials can and will result in the coach be removed from the field. If at anytime a coach if removed from the field for play by an official, that team will NOT be permitted to have another coach from their staff replace them. All teams however will always be allowed to have at minimum (1) coach present on the field at all times during the games.

h. The length of the field shall be 80 yards. Eliminate 15-yard penalties. Change all 15-yard penalties to 10 yards.

i. Each team will provide no more then (3) Captains and their Head Coach in the center of the field to start the game for a coin toss to decide which team will start the game on offense. The winner of the coin toss can choose Offense or Defense or defer the choice till the second half. The Team that either defers or has choice in the second half MUST notify the officials of their choice for offense or defense for the second half within 2 minutes of the end of the halftime period. All teams MUST be ready to play at and on the field at the end of the 10-minute halftime period.

j. To start each half or after a score and extra point try, the team that will be on offense will start with the ball at their own 40-yardline.

k. In between plays the offensive team cannot take no more then 30-seconds to call its next play or that team will be assessed a 5-yard penalty. The Defensive team must be ready to play within the same 30-second timeframe or it will be assessed a 5-yard penalty. If an offensive team chooses to run its next play without a huddle the defensive team still has approximately 30-seconds to setup up its players prior to the offense snapping the ball. The 30-second time for both teams starts at the placement of the ball and whistled for play by the officials. In the case of a no-huddle offense, the referee will hold the offense from snapping the ball until the defense has had their 30-second setup time or the defensive coach has stated that they are ready for play.

l. Each team will provide (1) official for the previous game being played on the same field that they are scheduled for. Any Smurf official must be at least 18 years of age. (You can use High School Football players as officials who are either Junior or Senior’s as long as they can demonstrate the ability to know the rules and be fair and impartial). If coaches have to be used as officials, coaches must be one from each team and they cannot participate in coaching during any part of the game but can participate in halftime discussions. Coaches acting as an official cannot speak at anytime to their players or coach their players while officiating. Each team providing the officials for the previous game MUST provide their representative with a Yellow cloth of some sort to be used for a flag and a whistle to be used during the game. PIAA Officials will be used for the Championship Bracket Semi-Final games as well as for each of the final (4) Bowl Games. The fee’s for the PIAA officials will be paid for by the Host team. The Host team is permitted to charge a nominal spectator admission fee to help off-set the cost of the PIAA officials. All gate receipts collected by the host team are retained by the host team. The Host team will coordinate with the PIAA Officials game assigner to secure up to (4) PIAA officials to use for the above games for day 2 of the Tournament.

Smurf defenses may be a 5-man front or less, lined up on the Tightend to Tightend box, no nose guard or any player allowed to line up in the “A” gaps in towards the center or on or near the offensive center. First contact before entering the “A” gaps must be into the offensive Guards from any player lined up on Defense on an Offensive Guard.

Blitz rule definition for Smurf Play. No crossing of the LOS by any player other then the 5 or less down lineman lined up between the Offensive TE’s until the ball has been handed off or QB has left the TE to TE zone or fumbled the ball. Corners can cross the LOS but cannot enter into the TE to TE zone off a blitz or until either the QB moves towards and out of the zone or a RB has received a handoff or there is a fumble. LB’s cannot ever cross the LOS unless to meet a back heading toward the LOS or if there is a fumble. LB’s can move towards the outside areas of the noted zone at the snap of the ball to pursue a BACK or QB moving in that direction with the ball.

All linebackers must be lined up to start the play in a traditional LB position 3 to 4 yards off the LOS for all plays. Failure to place a teams LB’s 3 to 4 yards only off the LOS will result in a 5-yard penalty to the defense after (1) warning is given.

Lineman shooting the gap between the Guards: Warning first to that player and then a 5-yard penalty at the completion of the offensive teams play for any repeated offense by that player throughout the game. Anytime a team has received (2) or more warnings for the lineman rule the 5-yard penalty will be in enforcement for the remainder of the game for that team.

Linebackers Blitzing directly at the snap of the ball between the TE’s will result in a 5-yard penalty against the defense at the end of the play with NO warning given if the offensive teams play is NOT a running play being run between the TE’s. On any other LB Blitzing violation the player will be given first a warning and then all farther violations by that player will result in a 5-yard penalty. Any team that has received (2) warnings for LB Blitzing rule violations will be given a 5-yard penalty for all violations from that point on.

Secondary Blitzing Violations: All Secondary (Non-Linebacker or Lineman), violations will result in a Team Warning first followed by a 5-yard penalty for any farther violations for the remainder of the game.

(NOTE): All Teams MUST notify the Tournament directors the name of the person who will be acting as an official for their team for games that your team must provide an official for.

8:30 AM Teams for Games 3a and 7a (York JV, Cumberland Valley JV, Boiling Springs, Seven Sorrows JV)

9:30 AM Teams for Games 1,2 and 4 (Northern, Good Shepherd, Harrisburg, Swatara, Seven Sorrows, Greenwood)

10:45 AM Teams for Games 3,5 and 7 (Holy Name JV, York, New Cumberland and Halifax)

12:00 PM Teams for Games 6 and 8 (Cedar Cliff, Holy Name, West Perry and Cumberland Valley) ***

*** Cedar Cliff and Holy Name teams will provide a weigh-master each for use in weighing in the West Perry and Cumberland Valley teams. West Perry and Cumberland Valley will weigh-in Cedar Cliff and Holy Name***

The Tournament Directors will weigh-in or provide a weigh-master for all weigh-in’s for time periods 8:30, 9:30 and 10:45.

Each team MUST bring with them a copy of the most current Roster of their team to the weigh-in. HOME team for each game is the team listed at the top portion of each game within the brackets. HOME team will wear their DARK Jersey’s for the games that they are the HOME team. ALL TEAMS MUST BRING WITH THEM A HOME AND AN AWAY JERSEY TO THE TOURNAMENT. Any team with only (1) colored Jersey must remind their opposing team 1 hour before their scheduled game time that they only have (1) Jersey and what color it is.