Mercy Rules

Mercy Rules

If there is an 18-point spread or more at half time, the losing team has the choice of kicking or receiving the ball at the start of the 2nd half.

The referee also has the right to stop the game if the imbalance between skills and abilities of the two teams playing are, in the judgment of the referee, creating an unsafe situation for players involved. A coach may at any time approach the head ref to end the game for any of the above reasons. A coach that violates this rule and removes his team from the field will be reviewed by the VICFA board and could face sanctions.

After being scored upon, a team losing by 30 or more points has the option of taking the ball at their 40-yard line instead of receiving a kick-off.

Any time after the first half, if the difference in score between the two teams becomes 30 points or more, the clock will be running time for the remainder of the game, except for injuries or any reason the Referee deems necessary to stop the clock. The team holding the deficit will have to score before the winning team will be awarded any extra points they may score in the remainder of the game. The scores by the winning team will still have their points documented so that the necessary points can be awarded based on the 30-point max point spread.