7V7
SKILL DEVELOPMENT & COMPETITION
Fast-paced spring football focused on skill-position development, spacing, route concepts, coverage, communication and competition.
8U10U12U14UHS
NNSFL League Information Center
Divisions & Rules
Everything players, parents, coaches, and teams need to understand NNSFL divisions, eligibility, and competition rules.
Programs & Divisions
Season 3 • 2027
Explore NNSFL football programs and available divisions. Age eligibility is explained in the next section.
5V5 LINEMAN
BIG MAN / TRENCH COMPETITION
Competitive spring development for offensive and defensive linemen through 5V5 Big Man and trench competition.
8U10U12U14UHS
SPRING TACKLE
FULL-TEAM SPRING FOOTBALL
Full-team spring tackle competition that brings skill-position and line development together in game competition.
8U10U12U14U
GIRLS FLAG
SPRING FLAG FOOTBALL
Spring flag football built around athlete development, team competition and opportunities to advance through the NNSFL Girls Flag pathway.
8U5V510U5V512U5V514U7V7HS7V7
How League Age Works
Season 3 • 2027
Official Age Cutoff
July 1, 2026
Your player’s NNSFL League Age is normally the age they are on July 1, 2026. League Age determines the player’s natural division for Season 3.
PLAY UP
ALLOWED
Players may request to compete in an older division, subject to NNSFL eligibility and certification requirements.
PLAY DOWN
NOT NORMALLY ALLOWED
Players may not compete below the division permitted by their League Age except for the narrow NNSFL Age Cutoff Leeway.
AGE CUTOFF LEEWAY
JUNE 30 – JULY 2
NNSFL recognizes a narrow boundary around the July 1 cutoff. LeagueOS automatically determines whether a player qualifies for the approved cutoff leeway.
Know the Difference
NATURAL DIVISION
The division determined by the player’s official League Age.
PLAY-UP
The player requests an older division than their natural division.
AGE CUTOFF LEEWAY
A narrow league-approved boundary rule for qualifying birthdays immediately surrounding the July 1 cutoff.
INVALID PLAY-DOWN
A request for a younger division that does not qualify under the approved cutoff-leeway policy.
Important: Birthdays After July 1
Turning older after July 1 does not automatically move a player into an older division for Season 3.
Example: if a player is 10 on July 1 and turns 11 afterward, the player’s Season 3 League Age remains 10.
Play-Up Example
League Age 10 → natural division 10U.
The player may request to play 12U. This is a PLAY-UP REQUEST.
Playing up is allowed, but the player’s natural division remains based on League Age.
Leeway Limit
The Age Cutoff Leeway only permits the approved immediate boundary placement. It does not allow athletes to drop multiple divisions.
Example: a player whose natural division is 12U cannot use Age Cutoff Leeway to participate in 8U.
For Coaches
Do not manually determine eligibility based only on a player’s current age. NNSFL uses the official July 1, 2026 cutoff. LeagueOS calculates League Age and identifies natural division, play-up requests, and qualifying cutoff-leeway placements during certification.
Do not place an athlete into a younger division simply because the athlete is close in age.
High School Divisions
7V7 HS
HS DIVISION AVAILABLE
Boys/Open seniors are not eligible.
5V5 HS
HS DIVISION AVAILABLE
Boys/Open seniors are not eligible.
GIRLS FLAG HS
HS DIVISION AVAILABLE
Seniors are eligible.
SPRING TACKLE
NO HS DIVISION
Spring Tackle offers 8U–14U only.
The Age Cutoff Leeway never overrides these program-specific HS restrictions.
7V7 Rules
Season 3 • 2027
8U10U12U14UHS
Official rules for NNSFL boys/open 7v7 tournament competition. Categories show the governing Season 3 rules for this format.
Division-Specific RulesEffective per Division
High Desert 5V5 Big Man Competition
Official Rules & Competition Format — Season 3 • 2027
8U10U12U14UHS
Designed to develop and evaluate offensive and defensive linemen through controlled head-to-head trench competition. Team performance and individual performance are rewarded separately — every rep contributes to the team competition while individual results are tracked to recognize top-performing linemen.
NNSFL Spring Tackle
Season 3 • 2027
8U10U12U14U
Official Season 3 rules for NNSFL Spring Tackle — the league's only full-season tackle program, hosted and operated by NNSFL, built on the BASFL tackle playing framework with public standings, scores, and playoffs.
Division-Specific RulesEffective per Division
Girls Flag Rules
Season 3 • 2027
8U10U12U14UHS
Official rules for NNSFL Girls Flag. Divisions play two formats: 8U, 10U, and 12U play 5v5; 14U and High School play 7v7. Format-specific rules are separated below.
Girls Flag — All Divisions5v5 & 7v7
Girls Flag 5v58U • 10U • 12U
Girls Flag 7v714U • HS
Division-Specific RulesEffective per Division
League Standards
Applies to Every NNSFL Program
The Northern Nevada Sports Football League (NNSFL) operates as a structured, eligibility-based youth football program. All participation is governed by documented rules, verified certifications, and consistent enforcement.
Player safety and program integrity are the foundation of everything we do. Every participant — player, coach, or staff — must be registered, reviewed, and approved before stepping onto a competitive field.
SAFETY FIRST
All contact decisions and format rules are designed with age-appropriate safety standards.
CERTIFICATION REQUIRED
No uncertified players or unregistered staff are permitted on the sideline or field.
ORGANIZED COMPETITION
Divisions, formats, and bracket structures ensure fair matchups at every level.
Player Eligibility & Certification
All players must meet the following requirements before they are eligible to participate in any league event:
Certified player status
Registration must be fully certified by league administration before any event.
Complete registration on file
All personal information, guardian contact, and emergency info must be submitted.
Required documents uploaded
Birth certificate and player photo are required. Secondary ID may be required in certain cases.
Correct roster assignment
Player must be assigned to the correct team and division roster for the current season.
Waiver acknowledged
A parent or guardian must have acknowledged the participation waiver during registration.
League-Wide Eligibility Rules
Team Manager Minimum Age (Season 2027): NNSFL Season 2027 decision (2026-10-18): Team Manager minimum age 18. Server-enforced at staff registration.
Equipment Manager Minimum Age (Season 2027): NNSFL Season 2027 decision (2026-10-18): Equipment Manager minimum age 18. Server-enforced at staff registration.
Certification Required to Play: Players must be certified by the league before participating.
Max Divisions Per Player: Players may compete in only one division per event.
Play-Up Allowed: A younger player may play up into an older division. Playing up does not change the player's official age.
Play-Up — Guardian Approval Required: Playing up requires parent/legal guardian approval.
Play-Up — Receiving Head Coach Approval Required: Playing up requires the receiving team's head coach approval.
Play-Up — Approvals Documented in LeagueOS: Both approvals (guardian + receiving head coach) must be documented in LeagueOS before participation.
Play-Up — Official Age Unchanged: Playing up does not change the player's official age for eligibility purposes.
Event-Day Check-In
All players and coaches must complete check-in before participating on event day:
Players
- Certified registration on record
- Documents verified (birth cert + photo)
- Active roster assignment for the event
- Confirmed present by team coach
Coaches & Staff
- Active staff credential on record
- Background check consent on file
- Valid photo ID available on request
- Assigned to team in the system
Players without completed certification or a missing roster assignment will not be cleared. Plan ahead — certification takes 1–2 business days.
League Staff Badge — $10
Coaches and staff use the league-issued staff badge as the NNSFL credential for authorized field access where applicable. The Season 3 staff badge fee is $10.
Conduct & Enforcement
NNSFL conduct expectations apply to every participant — players, coaches, staff, and sidelines — at all league events.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Respectful behavior toward opponents, officials, and staff is mandatory. Coaches are responsible for their sideline at all times.
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FIGHTING
Any physical altercation results in immediate ejection and suspension pending admin review.
UNSAFE CONDUCT
Any behavior deemed unsafe will result in removal from the event. Repeat violations result in league suspension.
EJECTIONS
Ejected players or coaches are removed from the event and face suspension pending admin review.
ELIGIBILITY ENFORCEMENT
Admin decisions on eligibility and certification status are final. No disputes resolved on game day.
Official NNSFL Rules
Season 3 • 2027
The current rules published in LeagueOS are the governing rules for NNSFL competition. NNSFL may issue approved rule clarifications or amendments when necessary. Updated rules become governing once officially published by the league.
Season: Season 3 • 2027