Section I – Preliminaries

Section II – Starting the Game

Section III – Stoppages

Section IV – Regulating Game Time

Section V – Periods of Play

Section VI – Set Score

Section VII – Forfeits

Section VIII – Suspended Games

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Section I – Preliminaries

1. Pregame Meeting
   Before any game, the head referee calls together representatives of the two teams to go over general rules.
   1. At this time, the head referee should discuss the following with the team representatives:
      1. Any ground rules specific to the field.
      2. The identity of the flag runner.
      3. Any other concerns from the attending parties that are specific to the game.
2. Coin toss
   Teams may elect to have a coin toss to determine which team will attack which set of hoops.
   1. If either team requests a coin toss, the head referee and opposing team must accommodate the request.
   2. The toss shall be called while the coin is in the air by the away team.

Section II – Starting the Game

1. Brooms up procedure
   In order to begin the game:
   1. The starters on each team must line up on the pitch.
      1. Each team must start the game with three chasers, one keeper, and two beaters.
      2. Players may line up in any formation within their keeper zone.
      3. Players may change position headbands and location behind the keeper zone line until brooms down.
      4. Any player who receives a penalty card prior to the start of the game (or their substitute in the case of a red card) must start the game in the penalty box instead.
   2. The quadball and dodgeballs must be resting in the appropriate positions (See: 1.I.6 Ball positions).
      1. The quadball must be placed at one of the two ball positions closest to the midpoint of the pitch.
      2. Any ball which moves, for any reason, must be reset before brooms up.
   3. The head referee confirms that both teams, all assistant referees, and any other officials are ready.
   4. The head referee shouts “Brooms down!”
   5. Once brooms down has been called:
      1. Players may not change their position headbands or location.
      2. No part of a player’s body may contact the ground in front of the keeper zone line.
      3. Each player must have a broom in hand.
         1. The broom must remain otherwise flat on the ground until brooms up.
   6. The head referee shouts “Ready!”
   7. The head referee shouts “brooms up!”
      1. On the first “B” sound of brooms up, all players must immediately mount their brooms.
      2. If there is a false brooms up call, the head referee resets the players and repeats the full brooms up procedure.
      3. In the event of any foul prior to brooms up, the head referee adjudicates the penalty, resets the players, and repeats the full brooms up procedure.
   8. A player has committed a false start if:
      1. The player already has their broom off the ground at brooms up call.
      2. The player moves early and touches the ground on the other side of the keeper zone line prior to brooms up.

   Blue Card - Changing position headbands or location after brooms down.

   Blue Card - False start

Section III – Stoppages

1. Stopping play
   To stop play:
   1. The referee blows a whistle in paired short blasts.
   2. The timekeeper stops the game time and all other time clocks.
   3. All players currently in play must stop, drop their brooms, and hold their respective positions.
      1. The players maintain any balls they possessed at the stoppage whistle, unless the ball is turned over.
         1. Players must not take hold of or otherwise move any other balls during a stoppage.
      2. Any players who are paused in an illegal position are adjusted immediately to a legal position.
      3. Any players who accidentally and significantly moved after the whistle are returned to their location at the time the whistle was blown.

   Yellow Card - Intentionally illegally moving during a stoppage

   Yellow Card - Intentionally illegally moving or taking hold of a ball during a stoppage.

2. Stoppage procedures
   While play is stopped:
   1. The head referee consults with other officials as necessary.
   2. The head referee adjudicates any fouls and communicates the type of foul to the players, scorekeeper, and spectators:
      1. Any player who receives penalty time is sent to the penalty box.
      2. Any player who is ejected is removed from the player area.
   3. If a change of possession occurs, the appropriate procedure shall be followed before play is restarted.
   4. Any loose live ball that was propelled and had not touched anything (including other players, equipment, or the ground) before the whistle to stop play is returned to the player who propelled it.
      1. This rule does not take effect if the ball is otherwise turned over.
      2. If the propelling player is not eligible to receive the ball, it shall not be moved by this rule.
   5. Any loose ball that became out of bounds after the whistle to stop play is placed two yards inside the point where it crossed the boundary line.
      1. The ball is inbounds and does not need to be inbounded by either team.
      2. This rule does not take effect if another rule would move this ball elsewhere.
   6. Any external interference is removed.
   7. Any other concerns, including injured players and defective equipment, are addressed.
   8. If the quadball will be dead when play is restarted, it is given to the formerly defending keeper.
3. Restarting play
   In order to restart play:
   1. The head referee indicates to the players that play is about to resume by calling for the players to “Remount!”
      1. Players must remount their brooms where the brooms were left when play was stopped.
      2. Players must stand at the call to remount.
         1. If two or more players on the ground each had a grip on a ball at the moment when play was stopped, they still must stand. Once standing, each may retake hold of that ball. They do not need to hold it in the same way they had on the ground.
      3. Players may otherwise reposition themselves to prepare for the restart but must not commit a false restart.
         1. It is a false restart if a player does any of the following before the restart whistle:
            1. Begin the forward motion of a throw.
            2. Initiate new contact.
            3. Begin to move off of their location.
            4. Attempting to directly affect a ball which the player does not solely possess.
         2. If there is a false restart, play remains stopped, and any player who moved is returned to their previous location.
         3. The first false restart of a stoppage will result in a warning to all players on the field.
            1. Any subsequent false restart by any player on the same stoppage shall result in a penalty.
   2. The head referee blows one short whistle blast. On this whistle blast:
      1. Play resumes.
         1. Any player who is not mounted on their broom at the restart whistle is dismounted.
      2. The timekeeper resumes the game time and all other time clocks.

   Back to Hoops - Second False Start

4. Timeouts
   1. Once during gameplay, a coach, manager, or player with the quadball may call a timeout for one minute.
      1. Timeouts may also be called during a stoppage to extend said stoppage for a minute.
   2. Procedure
      1. The player, manager, or coach informs the head referee they would like to use their timeout
      2. Once all procedures in 4.III.2 are completed, the one minute starts.
      3. The head referee shall blow one long whistle blast 45 seconds into the timeout.
      4. After the completion of the timeout, the head referee shall resume play using the standard restart procedure (See: 4.III.3 Restarting play).

Section IV – Regulating Game Time

1. Game Time
   Game time is measured beginning from the first “B” sound of brooms up.
   1. The game time, and any time associated with it, must be paused for all complete stoppages of play and resumed when play is resumed.
2. Seeker Floor
   The Seeker Floor is all game time prior to the 20 minute stoppage.
   1. During a seeker floor, there are no seekers in play.
   2. 10 seconds after the end of the 20 minute stoppage, the timekeeper releases the seekers into play from their respective penalty boxes.

   Blue Card - Seeker False start

Section V – Periods of Play

1. First Period
   The First Period shall be defined as all game time prior to the 20 minute stoppage.
2. The 20 Minute Stoppage
   Play will be stopped after 20 minutes via the following procedure:
   1. When the clock reaches 20 minutes of game time, the timekeeper will alert the head referee.
   2. The head referee will stop play via the procedures in 4.III.1
   3. The stoppage will last for 2 minutes.
      1. During this stoppage, the scorekeeper will visibly denote the set score and display it to both teams and any spectators.
      2. During this stoppage, the scorekeeper will visibly denote the set score and display it to both teams and any spectators.
   4. During this stoppage, each team will send a seeker to the score table to check in.
3. Second Period
   The Second Period shall be defined as all game time after the 20 minute stoppage until the Set Score (See 4.VI Set Score) is reached or exceeded by a team.
4. Ending the Game
   The game ends when either team reaches the “set score”, and that team is declared the winner.

Section VI - Set Score

1. Determining the Set Score
   After the First Period, the head referee will signal a stoppage of play, during which the set score will be determined.
   1. The set score will be set as 60 points greater than the leading team’s score at the end of the First Period.
      1. If teams are tied, the set score will be 60 points greater than that tied score.
   2. The first team that reaches or surpasses the set score will be declared the winner.

Section VII – Forfeits

1. Declaring a forfeit
   1. The head referee must declare a game forfeit if:
      1. The coach or manager of a team officially requests a forfeit.
      2. A team refuses to resdirectorume a suspended game without the agreement of their opponent and the tournament .
      3. A forfeit penalty is administered.
   2. A game may be declared forfeit due to violations of league or tournament policy.
   3. In the event of a forfeit:
      1. The game is over immediately and the forfeiting team is declared the losing team.
      2. All players should clear the pitch.

Section VIII – Suspended Games

1. Declaring a suspended game
   1. The head referee or tournament director may declare a game suspended due to weather, safety concerns, extreme or inappropriate misconduct, or external interference.
   2. Suspended games must be recorded with the current game time, score, players in play, and possession of all game balls.
   3. Suspended games should be resumed as soon as possible after it has become safe to do so.
2. Resuming a suspended game
   1. If any of the game’s original officials are unavailable, the tournament director or head referee shall replace them.
   2. All players in play at the suspension must line up behind their respective keeper zone lines.
      1. If, while play was suspended, a player who was in play became unavailable to play for any reason, another player on the roster may replace them.
   3. Game balls must be given to the appropriate players based on the possession information recorded at the time the game was suspended.
      1. Any balls which were not possessed when play was stopped shall be placed at one of the four ball positions on the midfield line, filling the inner positions first.
         1. If the quadball was unpossessed, it must go on an inner position.
   4. If the suspension occurred after the seekers were released, the flag runner should enter the player area before the game resumes and the seekers must line up behind their keeper zone lines.
      1. Any flag handicaps that had been implemented prior to the suspension are still in effect when the game resumes.
   5. The head referee begins play by following the brooms up procedure with the exception of ball place- ment (See: 3.2.1. Brooms up procedure).
3. Abandoned games
   1. If a suspended game cannot be resumed during the event at which it is being held, the tournament director must declare the game abandoned.
   2. If the coachs of both teams and the tournament director mutually decide to not restart a suspended game, then the tournament director may declare the game abandoned.
      1. If one or both teams refuses to resume play without the agreement of the opposing team and the tournament director, the team(s) shall be declared to have forfeited the game.