Regulations

(Executive Athletic Board approved September 2026)

Regular Season

1. Fields should be properly marked. On rentals, home team should follow up and check sites prior to date of contest.
2. All league Play-Offs and Championship games shall follow the M.H.S.A.A. Tie-Breaker and Mercy Rules. "See football tie breaker #4A."
3. Reserve and Frosh games that end in a tie during regulation time, will remain as such.
4. Football teams are required to exchange video tapes of two (2) previous games as requested by opponent. This exchange should take place by Tuesday preceding the scheduled game. If both schools use Hudl then schools are required to upload two (2) previous games by Sunday preceding the scheduled game.
5. League office is to be informed of all scrimmages and provided with details prior to the event. Incomplete Varsity Football Schedules: When a Varsity football team is dropped in the middle of the season, the following shall be used to determine sectional championship and possible Prep Bowl berth: For the sake of standings in Varsity Football, if a team is unable to field a team or drops varsity football altogether once it has played one league game, the remaining games on the schedule become forfeits for those remaining teams. (This is the opposite of MHSAA policy.) In addition, if receiving zero points for a forfeit would have an impact on point accumulation in the case of ties, then none of the teams affected would receive points for the game they played the team that subsequently dropped.
6. Members of the OHSAA will only allow sub-varsity student athletes to compete in 5^th quarter of competition.
7. The length of freshman contests at OHSAA member schools will be nine-minute quarters.
8. The length of junior varsity contests at OHSAA member school will be ten-minute quarters.
9. The length of freshman and junior varsity contests at MHSAA member schools will be ten- minute quarters.
10. At the freshman level, when at a OHSAA member school, there is no kickoff. The ball will be spotted at the “receiving” teams own thirty-five yard line.

8-Man Football - J. V.

1. The smaller enrollment sections of the Catholic League may play 8-Man J.V. Football. When both schools agree the week prior to the game on the Tuesday preceding the scheduled game, the game may be played with 11 players.
2. The decision to play 11 man or 8 man shall be made verbally between school athletic directors or head varsity football coaches.
3. The Tuesday notification allows teams to practice for the week prior knowing 8 or 11 man rules will apply.
4. Schools who have sufficient numbers of players are encouraged to contact the opponent and check their numbers status to see if 11 man is possible.
   1. Rather than make the game a scrimmage or cancel the contest, an 8-man game should be played.
5. The 8-man football differences are in the National Federation Rule Book. (Board approved December 8, 1992.)

Tie In Standings

In case of a tie between two or more teams for playoff seeding, upon completion of the league schedule, the winner will be decided by the 21-point system.

1. If two (2) teams are tied in the standings at the end of regular season league play, the winner/higher seed will be the team which won the game played between the two schools.
2. If the two or more teams are tied in the standings at the end of the regular season league play, the winner/higher seed will be decided by comparing the margin of victory up to five (5) goals in the contests between the tied schools only. Loss equals zero points.

Example:

Team A 42 vs Team B 0 (Team A would be +21)

Team B 42 vs Team C 23 (Team B would be +19)

Team A 0 vs Team C 18 (Team C would be +18)

Team A would be declared the winner/higher seed

1. If a tie still exists, then the 21-point system of all common league opponents will be used. Loss equals zero points.
2. If a tie still exists after the previous steps, then coin flip will determine the winner of the tie. The League Director will organize the coin flip.

Championship 

1. League games, plus crossovers, Play-Offs, & Championships shall be scheduled and administered by the League Director. 
2. No games may be played on C.H.S.L. Championship date.