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 the arms only or 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.

For safety's sake, if a ball-carrier is on the ground, any touch is considered down-by-contact. Two hands are not neccesary.

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.

Probably the most consistently argued-about event at an OFL game is the tag. This is why a legal tag is important.

Again: Tags must be two hands to the body. Not arms. Not fingertips; not to a piece of shirt or the ball. Two hands to the body.

The defender -- once he's made the tag -- should then loudly say "I Got Ya!" or "Down!" or something. Yelling "I Got Ya!" before actually tagging a ball-carrier is not cool (yes, it happens a lot..) The play stops when you announce "Got Ya!" or "Down!" Therefore if you say it before you actually get the ball-carrier, you're cheating.