United Indoor Football
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| United Indoor Football | |
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| Current season or competition: 2008 United Indoor Football season |
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| Sport | American football |
| Founded | 2005 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country(ies) |  United States |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Sioux Falls Storm |
| Official website | www.unitedindoorfootball.com |
United Indoor Football is an indoor American football league that was started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion (the Dayton Warbirds, which never played a game in UIF) and two from arenafootball2 (af2) took their franchises and formed their own league. The league is based in Omaha, Nebraska.
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[edit] The field
The United Indoor Football League is played exclusively indoors, in arenas usually designed for either basketball or ice hockey teams. The field is the same width (85 feet) as a standard NHL hockey rink. The field is 50 yards long with up to an 8-yard end zone. (End zones may be a lesser depth with League approval.) Depending on the stadium in which a game is being played, the end zones may be rectangular (like a basketball court) or curved (like a hockey rink). There is a heavily padded wall on each sideline, with the padding placed on top of the hockey dasher boards. The field goal uprights are 9 feet wide, and the crossbar is 18 feet above the playing surface. Unlike Arena football, the ball is not "live" when rebounded off the nets behind the end zone, or their support apparatuses.
A player is counted as out of bounds on the sidelines if they come into contact or fall over the boundary wall.
[edit] The players
Each team fields eight players at a time from a 21-man active roster.
[edit] Substitution Rules
A substitute may enter the field of play any time the ball is dead. However, a substitute must remain on the field for at least one play. Substitutions are not permitted by rule in any way that shall deceive an opponent. A team that breaks a huddle with more than eight players commits an illegal substitution infraction, for which a 5-yard penalty is immediately assessed. A team that begins a play from scrimmage with more than eight players commits an illegal participation infraction, for which a 10-yard penalty is immediately assessed.
[edit] Formations
The Offensive Box is defined as the area bordered by the outside shoulders of the two Offensive guards, the line of scrimmage, and the distance of five yards behind the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball. Four offensive players must be on the line of scrimmage at the snap, with no more than three of said players in the Offensive Box. The Offensive guards and center must wear numbers that denote they are ineligible to carry the ball nor may they release downfield on pass plays. All players outside the Offensive Box must be at least two yards outside the shoulders of an Offensive guard, and no closer than one yard to another player. No more than two backs (including the Quarterback) may be in the Offensive Box at the snap.
Up to two players may be in motion on the offense prior to the snap. Any man in motion must begin in the box. One offensive player may be moving forward at the time of the snap, but all players in motion must be outside the Offensive Box at the snap. There are special rules that prevent a man in motion from blocking defenders below the waistline. A man in motion is also prevented from blocking defensive linemen or the blitzing linebacker.
The Defensive Box is defined as the area bordered by the outside shoulders of the two Offensive guards, the line of scrimmage, and the distance of five yards beyond the line of scrimmage on the defensive side of the ball. Three defensive players must be in a three- or four-point stance at the start of the snap. One defender serving as a linebacker outside the Defensive Box may raise their hand prior to the snap to signify their intent to rush. Defenders that begin in the Defensive Box must make contact with one of the Offensive linemen before they are allowed to drop back into pass coverage. Defenders that begin outside the Defensive Box may approach the line of scrimmage to align themselves with an offensive player granted they do so at least two yards outside the shoulders of the Offensive guard.
[edit] Ball movement
The ball is kicked off from the goal line. The team with the ball is given four downs to gain ten yards or score. Punting is illegal because of the size of the playing field. A receiver jumping to catch a pass needs to get only one foot down in bounds for the catch to be deemed a completed catch. Balls that bounce off the padded walls that surround the field are live. The defending team may return missed field goal attempts that fall short of the end zone. If a free kick strikes the ceiling or any object hanging from said ceiling, while over the field of play, it is immediately dead, and it belongs to the receiving team 5 yards from mid-field.
[edit] Scoring
The scoring is the same as in the NFL with the addition of a drop kick field goal worth four points during normal play or two points as a post-touchdown conversion. Blocked extra points and turnovers on two-point conversion attempts may be returned by the defensive team for two points. A rouge-kickoff downed in the end zone is worth 1 point to the kicking team; a rogue-kickoff is when the kick returner is caught in his own end zone. A free kick recovered in the end zone by the kicking team is considered a touchdown.
[edit] Timing
A game consists of four 15-minute quarters with a halftime intermission 20 minutes in length. The clock typically only stops for time-outs, penalties, injuries, and official clarifications. Further stoppages occur for incomplete passes and out of bounds during the final 90 seconds of the second and fourth quarters. A mandatory official's time-out, called a promotional timeout, is assessed after the first and fourth quarters and is 90 seconds in duration. Another mandatory official's time-out, called a warning period, is assessed with 90 seconds to play at the end of each half. The game may also be stopped for further promotional time-outs, but must not exceed 90 seconds per league rules.
[edit] Overtime Rules
Each team will get a possession from the 25 yard line to try and score. If one team out scores the other on the possession, the game is over. If still tied after an Overtime possession, then each team will get a new possession from the 25 yard line to try and score.
[edit] Teams
[edit] Former Franchises
- Black Hills Red Dogs, 2005; inactive - ownership still retains UIF franchise rights.
- Dayton Warbirds, 2005; UIF suspended team prior to its first league game, and NIFL accepted franchise for 2005 season.
- Evansville BlueCats, 2005-2007, team ceased operations. Team is currently for sale.
- Fort Wayne Freedom, 2005-2006; team sold. af2 established "Fort Wayne Fusion" with no connection to UIF Freedom. [1]
- Lexington Horsemen, 2005-2007; originally folded due to lack of attendance and loss of money, yet team was brought back and have been moved to the af2.
- Ohio Valley Greyhounds, 2005-2007
- Peoria Rough Riders, 2005-2006; Rivermen owners plan to bring back the af2 team Peoria Pirates for 2008. [2]
- Rock River Raptors, 2006-2007; left UIF because of lack of team stability, would later join Continental Indoor Football League [1]
- Tennessee Valley Raptors, 2005; moved to Rockford, Illinois. The arenafootball2 stepped in to reestablish the Tennessee Valley Vipers for the 2006 season. Today, this franchise is known as the Rock River Raptors.
- Tupelo FireAnts, 2005. AIFA placed a team in Tupelo, known as Mississippi MudCats.
[edit] Rumored expansion for 2009 season
- Atlanta,Georgia
- Kent, Washington
- Great Falls, Montana
- Everett,Washington
- Kearney, NE
- Greensboro,NC
- Winston-Salem,NC
[edit] External links
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