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NFHS + NCHSAAFootball Rules Desk
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2026 BROADCAST REFERENCE

Find the rule before the next snap.

Search plain-language game, safety, participation, uniform and playoff guidance. Every answer carries its controlling source and rule reference.

CURRENT DESK2026-27Reviewed Oct. 11, 2026
ONE-GLANCE ANSWERS

Quick Calls

Tap a card for the full rule note.

Game35-Point Running Clock

35+ at halftime or later

SafetyLightning / Thunder Delay

Every new sighting or thunder resets 30:00

SafetyWBGT Heat Actions

90.0+: practices stop

SafetySuspected Concussion

No same-day return

Playoffs2026 Football Calendar

Practice July 29; playoffs begin Nov. 6

BroadcastNCHSAA Football Contact

Alfie Wheeler - (919) 240-7378

REFERENCE CARDS

All Topics

22 answers

Game Rules

35-Point Running Clock

35+ at halftime or later
ON-AIR READ

Once the margin reaches 35 points at halftime or any time afterward, NCHSAA football moves to a running clock.

Rule detail
  • The trigger is a 35-point differential at halftime or later in the game.
  • The teams may mutually agree to end the game instead of continuing with the running clock.
  • Use “running clock under the NCHSAA mercy rule” on air; the clock crew and officials administer the timing details.
Game Rules

Suspended Game

Resume from the interruption point
ON-AIR READ

A suspended contest resumes from the exact point of interruption unless the schools mutually agree to end it with the existing score.

Rule detail
  • This applies when a football game cannot be completed because of weather or another emergency.
  • A continued game may carry into another week without counting against that later week’s participation limit.
  • For a postponed final regular-season game, Saturday is the designated makeup day tied to football playoff reporting.
Game Rules

Ejection Consequences

First: 1 game; second: 2; third: 365 days
ON-AIR READ

An ejection ends participation for the rest of that day and triggers at least a next-game suspension for a first ejection.

Rule detail
  • First ejection: reprimand plus suspension from the next game at that level. Second: probation plus the next two games. Third: 365 days from the NCHSAA report date.
  • An ejected student-athlete stays in the team area for supervision. An ejected coach must leave the premises and may not contact the team.
  • Required NFHS education must be completed before return. Ejection totals follow the person across sports within the academic year.
Weather & Safety

WBGT Heat Actions

90.0+: practices stop
ON-AIR READ

At a WBGT of 90 or above, all practices are suspended. A contest may continue only with mandatory breaks directed by the gameday administrator.

Rule detail
  • Below 80: 5-minute water/rest break every 30 minutes.
  • 80-84.9: 5 minutes every 25 minutes. Closely monitor new, unconditioned or heavily exerting athletes.
  • 85-87.9: 5 minutes every 20 minutes, reduce intensity and clothing for at-risk athletes, and have cold-water immersion available for practice.
  • 88-89.9: constant observation, remove pads/equipment, 5 minutes every 15 minutes, and have cold-water immersion available for practice.
  • WBGT should be checked every hour beginning 30 minutes before practice. Water must never be withheld.
Weather & Safety

Lightning / Thunder Delay

Every new sighting or thunder resets 30:00
ON-AIR READ

When thunder is heard or lightning is seen, play stops immediately. The 30-minute return clock begins after the last thunder or visible lightning.

Rule detail
  • Move everyone to the pre-designated safer location immediately.
  • Any later thunder or lightning restarts a full 30-minute waiting period.
  • A strike detected within 10 miles may help support a suspension decision, but hearing thunder or seeing lightning takes priority over an app or detector.
  • At night, distant low-horizon flashes without thunder may require independently verified detection information to resolve uncertainty.
Weather & Safety

Suspected Exertional Heat Stroke

Cool first, transport second
ON-AIR READ

Confusion, collapse, stumbling or major behavior change in the heat is an emergency: stop activity, begin rapid cooling and activate EMS.

Rule detail
  • Remove equipment and excess clothing immediately.
  • Cold-water immersion is the preferred rapid-cooling method when available; trained medical staff direct treatment and monitoring.
  • The handbook’s treatment principle is “Cool First, Transport Second.”
Weather & Safety

Suspected Concussion

No same-day return
ON-AIR READ

A student showing signs or symptoms consistent with concussion must leave the activity and may not return to play or practice that day.

Rule detail
  • Return on a later day requires evaluation and written clearance from an authorized licensed health-care provider.
  • Before full participation, the athlete must complete the return-to-play protocol and remain symptom-free through its full exertional progression.
  • Coaches, athletes and parents must view the NCHSAA CrashCourse concussion video before participation each season.
Weather & Safety

Football Medical Coverage

LAT or first responder at every practice and game
ON-AIR READ

A licensed athletic trainer or qualified first responder must physically attend every football practice and every home and away game.

Rule detail
  • The local superintendent may excuse the requirement only for an emergency.
  • The person serving in that medical role cannot have simultaneous coaching duties.
  • The gameday administrator, lead official and required medical personnel should review the venue emergency action plan before the contest.
Participation

Football Contest Limits

10 games; one per week; 60 hours apart
ON-AIR READ

A football team may play 10 regular-season games, normally one per week, with at least 60 hours between contests.

Rule detail
  • A player is limited to one game per day and per week, except for a valid eight-quarter exception.
  • A player may not dress for more than two contests in a calendar week, including postponed or suspended games and eight-quarter participation.
  • Contact practice should not be held between rescheduled games that fall inside the 60-hour turnaround.
Participation

Eight-Quarter Player

Emergency depth exception for eligible JV players
ON-AIR READ

The eight-quarter rule lets a pre-approved JV player provide emergency varsity depth for up to eight varsity quarters across the season.

Rule detail
  • Any part of a varsity quarter counts as a full quarter. Once the eighth is reached, the player is immediately ineligible for further use under the exception.
  • Eligible grades are 9-11 in 1A-4A and 9-10 in 5A-8A. A team may designate no more than 10 such players during the regular season.
  • Pre-approval and postgame reporting are required. If the JV game is canceled, the exception cannot be used that week; if it is postponed, it may be used.
  • No player may dress for more than two football contests in the Monday-Saturday calendar week.
Participation

Required Practice Before Competition

8 separate days; 3 in full pads with contact
ON-AIR READ

Before a scrimmage or game, a football player needs eight separate team-practice days, including three full-pad practices with body-to-body contact.

Rule detail
  • A scrimmage may occur on Day 9 of the preseason period.
  • A player who misses five or more days because of injury or illness must complete at least three separate practice days before returning to competition.
  • Days 1-2 permit helmets only; days 3-5 add shoulder pads but no body-to-body contact; full equipment and contact begin on Day 6.
Participation

In-Season Live Contact

15 minutes per week after the season begins
ON-AIR READ

After the regular season begins, each player is limited to 15 minutes of live-action contact per week in practice.

Rule detail
  • After preseason conditioning is completed but before the regular season begins, the limit is 15 minutes per day.
  • Only Level 4 full-live drills may take a player to the ground.
  • From August 17 through the end of the season, only the single-practice Option A is permitted.
Uniforms

Visiting Jersey

Jersey body must be white
ON-AIR READ

The visiting jersey body must be white, with only the specific contrasting adornments permitted by NFHS Rule 1-5-1.

Rule detail
  • The jersey must remain in its manufacturer-produced design, cover the shoulder pads and torso pads, and reach the top of the pants.
  • Permitted contrasting items include numbers, school or player identification, limited shoulder striping, limited collar trim and a restricted side-seam insert.
  • The visiting team is responsible for avoiding color similarity; if doubt remains, the referee may require the home team to change.
Uniforms

Home Jersey

All players in the same dark color(s)
ON-AIR READ

Home jerseys must all use the same dark color or colors and clearly contrast with white.

Rule detail
  • White is generally excluded from the jersey body except for the limited items authorized by Rule 1-5-1.
  • The 2024 clarification requires the home team’s jerseys to be the same dark color scheme across all players.
  • The local 2012 revision deck is useful history, but the current NFHS jersey resource controls this summary.
Uniforms

Jersey Numbers

0-99; 8-inch front; 10-inch back
ON-AIR READ

Legal numbers are 0 through 99 with no leading zero, centered on front and back in one solid color that clearly contrasts with the jersey.

Rule detail
  • Minimum height, including borders: 8 inches on the front and 10 inches on the back.
  • The number body should be about 1.5 inches wide, and the color and style must match front to back.
  • Numbers must remain clearly visible and legible.
Uniforms

2026 Mouthguard Attachment Rule

Decorative or hazardous attachments are illegal
ON-AIR READ

Beginning with the 2026 season, an attachment that does not protect the teeth or mouth - or creates a safety risk - cannot be part of the tooth-and-mouth protector.

Rule detail
  • This change targets nonfunctional decorative items and attachments that may endanger the wearer or another player.
  • It is a 2026 effective-date change to NFHS Rule 1-5-1d(5).
Season & Playoffs

2026 Football Calendar

Practice July 29; playoffs begin Nov. 6
ON-AIR READ

The 2026 bracket is set October 31, with playoff rounds on November 6, 13, 20 and 27, regionals December 4 and championships December 10-12.

Rule detail
  • First practice: July 29. The NCHSAA football webpage calls August 7 the first contest date; the handbook labels it the first scrimmage date.
  • The handbook lists the regular-season first-play date as the week of August 21.
  • Bracketing/seeding: October 31. Round 1: November 6. Round 2: November 13. Round 3: November 20. Round 4: November 27.
  • Regional finals: December 4. State championships: December 10, 11 and 12.
Season & Playoffs

Playoff Game Operations

7:00 kickoff; 7-person crews from Round 3
ON-AIR READ

Football playoff games are set for 7:00 p.m.; seven-person officiating crews begin with the third round.

Rule detail
  • The first two rounds are assigned by the higher seed’s regional supervisor. From Round 3 through the championship, the NCHSAA Director of Officiating Services designates the assigning supervisor.
  • A 6:00 p.m. start is allowed by mutual agreement and is required when the visiting team travels more than 100 miles one way, unless the NCHSAA approves another arrangement.
  • Optional clock operators may be assigned beginning with Round 2; the host school is responsible for that operator.
  • The Eastern team is designated home for the state championship.
Season & Playoffs

Football Officiating Crew

5 varsity; 7 from playoff Round 3
ON-AIR READ

NCHSAA requires a five-person crew for varsity football and expands to seven officials beginning in the third playoff round.

Rule detail
  • Five officials are recommended for junior varsity games.
  • Only NCHSAA-registered and eligible officials may be used through an approved regional supervisor.
Broadcast Operations

Regular Season vs. Postseason Rights

Schools: regular season; NCHSAA: postseason
ON-AIR READ

Member schools control regular-season broadcast rights. The NCHSAA controls all postseason media rights and requires the postseason request process.

Rule detail
  • An audio-only football playoff broadcast carries a $100 rights fee, payable before the game to the host school or to the NCHSAA at an NCHSAA-hosted neutral site.
  • A host athletic director may treat a good-standing audio outlet as approved even before written NCHSAA notice; that exception does not cover video.
  • Video has separate approval, right-of-first-refusal and fee requirements. Use the current NCHSAA Broadcast Request page before each postseason production.
Broadcast Operations

NCHSAA Football Contact

Alfie Wheeler - (919) 240-7378
ON-AIR READ

Alfie Wheeler is the NCHSAA Assistant Commissioner responsible for football and the primary sport contact.

Rule detail
  • Email: alfie@nchsaa.org
  • Phone: (919) 240-7378
  • Staff responsibilities include football, baseball, swimming and diving, and men’s and women’s tennis.
Broadcast Operations

Which Source Controls?

Current handbook and NFHS resources first
ON-AIR READ

Use the current 2026-27 NCHSAA Handbook and current NFHS football resources when an older attachment differs.

Rule detail
  • The supplied 2016-17 Heat & Humidity excerpt is a legacy source. The current handbook adds that contests may continue at WBGT 90+ with mandatory gameday-administrator breaks, even though practice is suspended.
  • The supplied Football Jersey Rules Revision deck explains the 2012 change. Current NFHS jersey and pant guidance includes later clarifications, including the same-dark-color requirement for the home team.
  • This desk is an editorial aid for broadcasters. The on-field ruling belongs to the game officials, and the NCHSAA/NFHS source text controls.