2026 All-Star Football Classic Official Competition Manual
Kensington Lions Club
Governing Standard: The game will be played under current NFHS football rules and applicable New York State modifications, except where this manual specifically provides otherwise.
1. Purpose and Competitive Philosophy
The Kensington Lions Club All-Star Football Classic is designed to showcase outstanding Western New York student-athletes in a safe, competitive, and entertaining event. Because all-star teams have limited preparation time, these rules reduce unnecessary scheme complexity, promote offensive execution, protect players, and give officials clear, enforceable standards.
2. Player Rosters
- Maximum roster: 60 players per team.
- Every medically cleared player must participate.
- Coaches should provide each healthy player meaningful snaps on offense, defense, or special teams.
- Any late roster replacement must be approved by the game director.
3. Coaching Staff
- Maximum: six coaches per team.
- Each staff must include at least two current local varsity head coaches, including the all-star head coach. The remaining staff may include coordinators and position coaches from local programs.
- Only credentialed coaches, medical staff, and approved team personnel may occupy the sideline.
4. Sportsmanship and Safety
- Fighting, targeting, taunting, and flagrant acts are subject to immediate disqualification under governing rules.
- The certified athletic trainer or designated medical authority has final authority regarding return to play.
- No player may participate while exhibiting signs or symptoms of concussion, heat illness, or another unsafe medical condition.
- Coaches are responsible for controlling their sidelines and ensuring compliance with this manual.
Section 2: Game Administration and Offensive Rules
Use this section as the primary pregame reference for coaches and officials.
5. Game Administration
- Game Length: Four 12-minute quarters.
- Clock: Standard game clock. The clock also stops on first downs during the final two minutes of each half.
- Timeouts: Three charged timeouts per half, unless changed by the game director before kickoff.
- Halftime: Three charged team timeouts per half, unless changed by the game director before kickoff. [This rule needs confirmation.]
- Tie Game: New York State 20-yard overtime procedure.
- Replay: No instant replay unless separately authorized by game administration.
- Comeback Kickoff: Whenever a team trails by nine or more points, that team will receive the next kickoff, including during the second half.
6. Offensive Formations and Shifts
- Each offense may declare up to six formations before the game.
- No unbalanced formation is permitted unless approved in writing before game day.
- One declared formation may be a three-back short-yardage/goal-line set.
- Teams may shift from one declared formation to another, provided all players become set as required by governing rules.
- Coaches may reduce the number of formations by mutual agreement but may not add formations after the game begins without the approval of the game director and referee.
7. Motion
- Legal short, jet, orbit, and long motion are permitted.
- A back may motion in either direction as long as all NFHS motion requirements are satisfied.
- Motion to an empty backfield must be declared to the opposing staff and officials before the game.
- The offense may not motion out of its declared three-back short-yardage/goal-line formation.
8. Short-Yardage and Goal-Line Offensive Formations
- A short-yardage or goal-line formation is any clearly declared “heavy formation” used when the offense is attempting to gain three yards or fewer or when the ball is on or inside the defense’s 5-yard line.
- The offense may use its one declared three-back formation in these situations.
- The defense may use a short-yardage or goal-line formation against any declared offensive “heavy formation.”
Section 3: Defensive Rules
Approved base structures: 4-3, 4-2-5, and 3-4.
Core Defensive Principle: The defense may align in a 4-3, 4-2-5, or 3-4 structure. The defense may not create an undisclosed pressure package through pre-snap movement, gap-loading, twists, loops, or simulated blitzes except where expressly allowed below.
9. Approved Base Defenses
- 4-3: Four defensive linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs.
- 4-2-5: Four defensive linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs.
- 3-4: Three defensive linemen, four linebackers, and four defensive backs.
- 5-2: Five defensive linemen, two linebackers, and four defensive backs when facing a “heavy formation.”
- Personnel may substitute freely, but the front must remain identifiable and compliant at the snap.
10. Defensive Line Alignment
- Three-Man Fronts: The nose may align head-up or shaded on the center. Ends must align head-up or shaded on an offensive tackle or tight end.
- Four-Man Fronts: Interior linemen must align head-up or shaded on offensive guards. Ends must align head-up or shaded on an offensive tackle or tight end.
- All Fronts: No defensive lineman may align directly in an uncovered gap. No slants, twists, loops, shifts, or stunts are permitted. Linemen must engage the blocker aligned over them and react.
11. Linebackers
- Inside linebackers must align at least three yards behind the heels of the defensive linemen.
- Outside linebackers must align outside the tackles or head-up/outside shade on a tight end and no closer than four yards from the line of scrimmage, unless the defense has entered an approved goal-line defense.
- Linebackers must be stationary at the snap except when responding to legal offensive motion.
- Linebackers may step forward at the snap but may not cross the line of scrimmage until a definite run by a player other than the quarterback is established.
- Linebackers may cross the line once the quarterback exits the tackle box on a rollout or sprint-out.
12. Defensive Backs and Coverage
- Defensive backs outside the tackles must align at least five yards from the line of scrimmage.
- A safety aligned between the tackles must be at least 10 yards from the line of scrimmage.
- Zone and man coverage are permitted.
- Press/bump-and-run coverage and inverted safety pressure are prohibited outside approved goal-line situations.
- Receiver contact is governed by current NFHS rules.
Section 4: Situational Defense and Special Teams
Short-yardage, goal-line, and kicking rules supersede the normal base-defense restrictions where stated.
13. Short-Yardage and Goal-Line Defense
- Defensive short yardage is third or fourth down with three yards or fewer to gain.
- Goal line is any snap on or inside the defense’s 5-yard line.
- The defense may enter a goal-line defense whenever the offense comes to the line of scrimmage in a clearly identifiable short-yardage or goal-line formation, regardless of the exact down, distance, or field position.
- Once the offense shifts or motions out of that formation, the defense must return to an approved 4-3, 4-2-5, or 3-4 structure before the snap, unless the ball is on or inside the 5-yard line.
- In short yardage, inside linebackers may blitz only through the nearest A or B gap.
- No looping or crossing blitzes are permitted.
- On or inside the 5-yard line, all defensive alignment and pressure restrictions are removed, subject to normal NFHS safety and conduct rules.
- The referee may stop the ready-for-play process to correct an obvious illegal alignment before the snap when practical.
14. Punting
- The offense may not shift into or out of punt formation.
- The offense may punt, fake, or quick-kick from a legal formation, provided no prohibited shift occurs.
- The defense may rush a maximum of four players, and every rusher must be on the line of scrimmage at the snap.
- Linebackers and defensive backs may not rush.
- Defensive backs may walk up head-up on the widest players in the punt formation.
- All other kicking-play provisions are governed by current NFHS rules.
15. Field Goal and Try
- The offense may not shift into or out of place-kick formation.
- The offense may kick or fake from the formation.
- No more than six defenders may align on the line of scrimmage, with no more than three on either side of the snapper.
- Every rusher must be on the line of scrimmage.
- No rusher may attack through an A gap. Linebackers and defensive backs may not rush.
16. Kickoffs
- Kickoffs are administered under current NFHS rules except for the comeback-kickoff provision under Game Administration.
- Game administration may use additional safety procedures announced during the pregame officials’ meeting.
Section 5: Enforcement and Quick Reference
The referee has final authority over the application of these rules during the game.
17. Special-Rule Penalties
- Illegal Defensive Alignment: Five yards; repeat the down unless declined.
- Illegal Stunt, Twist, Loop, or Slant: Five yards; repeat the down unless declined.
- Illegal Linebacker or Defensive-Back Rush: Five yards; repeat the down unless declined.
- Illegal Press/Bump Coverage: Five yards and an automatic first down when the foul occurs before or during a legal forward-pass play.
- Illegal Offensive Formation, Shift, or Undeclared Empty Motion: Five yards.
- Repeated or Intentional Violation: Unsportsmanlike conduct may be assessed after a warning, at the referee’s discretion.
18. Pregame Declaration Checklist
- Each team submits its six offensive formations, including any three-back set.
- Each team identifies any motion to empty it intends to use.
- Head coaches confirm approved defensive structures: 4-3, 4-2-5, and/or 3-4.
- Officials review short-yardage/goal-line triggers and legal kicking rushes.
- Game administration confirms halftime, timeout, weather, and medical procedures.
- Both teams receive the same final written interpretations.
19. Officials’ Defensive Quick Reference
- Normal Downs: Defense must be in a 4-3, 4-2-5, or 3-4; no gap fronts, stunts, or blitzes.
- Declared Empty: Defense may adjust one linebacker or defender to match empty.
- Short-Yardage Offense: Defense may enter a goal-line defense when the offense presents a clear, heavy short-yardage/goal-line formation.
- Inside the 5-Yard Line: All defensive restrictions are removed.
- Punt: Maximum of four rushers, all on the line of scrimmage.
- Field Goal/P.A.T.: Maximum of six defenders on the line; no A-gap rush; only players on the line may rush.
Final Authority: When this manual conflicts with the governing football rules, this manual controls only for the specifically modified competition rule. All other matters remain governed by current NFHS and applicable New York State rules.
