Most 7v7 rule sets used by tournament operators expect two officials per field: a head official who runs the 4-second quarterback count and keeps score, and a second official who runs the game clock and the play clock. Larger events add a field manager to handle teams, coaches and crowd. Before your event, send us the number of fields, the schedule grid, age divisions, the rulebook you use (with your house changes) and how you'll time the QB clock. We quote each event or league block, and same-week requests are what we're built for.
This page is for tournament directors, club and program directors, and facility operators running 7-on-7 passing football on Long Island. If you're staffing fall tackle or flag games, start with football referees for hire or flag football referees. If you're running a multi-sport weekend, see tournament referees for hire.
7v7 is its own game, and the rulebook decides a lot
There's no single national 7v7 rulebook that every event follows. Operators publish their own, and they differ on points that change what the officials do on every snap. Comparing two published rule sets, USA 7v7's rulebook and the Texas Power Rankings tournament rules, shows how much varies:
| Rule | USA 7v7 rulebook | Texas Power Rankings 7v7 rules |
|---|---|---|
| Down by contact | One-hand touch between the neck and the ankle | Two-hand touch below the neck |
| Quarterback clock | 4.0 seconds from the snap; three-chop method with the whistle on the fourth if the timer fails | 4.0 seconds from the snap to release; late release is blown dead with loss of down |
| Running the ball | Allowed without restriction; the QB can't run, the second player to touch the ball becomes the runner | QB can't run; no handoffs |
| Blitz | One blitz per game; it cancels the 4-second count | One blitz per game, not from the 40-yard line |
| Interceptions | Worth 1 point; next possession starts at the 30; no return | Worth 3 points; dead ball, no return |
| Game length | One 25-minute running-clock session, no timeouts | 25-minute running clock, no halftime, one timeout |
| Officials | Head official keeps time and score; field general can stop the clock | Minimum two officials: head referee/field judge keeps the 4-second clock, back judge keeps the game clock and the 25-second play clock; a field manager on site |
Both rule sets start possessions at the 40-yard line with first-down lines at the 25 and the 10, and neither allows blocking. Past that, the details move. A crew that worked a one-hand-touch event last weekend and a two-hand-touch event this weekend needs to know which one it's walking into. That's why we ask for your rulebook, including your house changes, before we confirm anyone.
Crew size per field
For most Long Island 7v7 events, the practical crew is two officials per field, which matches the minimum in the published rule sets above. What the two do:
- Head official (often called the white hat). Spots the ball, runs the quarterback count from the snap, tracks each team's single blitz, rules on pass interference downfield and keeps the official score.
- Second official (back judge or field judge). Runs the running game clock and the play clock between snaps, covers the deep middle and the end line, and helps with the sideline and substitution rules.
One official per field can work for a low-key practice league or a younger division if your rules allow it, but the QB count, the deep coverage and the clock all land on one person. Expect slower games and more disputes. For a championship bracket, some operators add a third official. Our how many referees does a game need guide covers the general defaults; for 7v7, start with two and adjust to your rules.
The field manager isn't a referee
Larger 7v7 events put a field manager (or "field general") on each field or each cluster of fields. That person handles check-in, wristbands and roster questions, keeps coaches where the rules say they stand, watches the crowd and reports scores to the tournament desk. USA 7v7's rules give the field general authority to stop the clock to apply the rules correctly. It's a separate role from officiating. If you don't have staff for it, tell us, because officials who also have to manage sidelines and scoreboards will run late.
Planning tip: Give every head official a working stopwatch or a QB-clock device and decide in advance what happens if it fails. USA 7v7's rulebook spells out a fallback: three chops, whistle on the fourth. Publishing that in your coaches' packet ends most arguments about the 4-second count before they start.
Running a 7v7 event and still short on officials?
Fields, start times, divisions and your rulebook. We'll confirm what we can cover and quote it.
Request a referee →Scheduling a multi-field 7v7 tournament
A 7v7 tournament usually runs pool play into a bracket, with games every half hour or so on several fields at once. That shape drives officiating more than anything else:
- Assign by field and time block, not by game number. "Field 3, 8:00 to 12:30" survives a late start or a forfeit. A game-by-game list falls apart the first time pool play runs behind.
- Build in breaks. Officials working running-clock games back to back for five or six hours in July need water and shade, and the schedule has to allow it. Our lightning and heat safety policy guide covers suspension and resumption.
- Plan the bracket crews. Pool play ends and the bracket starts with fewer fields running. Decide which officials stay for the semifinals and final before the day starts, so you're not asking for volunteers at 2 p.m.
- Hold standby. For an event with more than a few fields, one or two standby officials cover a late arrival, an injury or a field that runs long.
- Settle forfeits and late teams in writing. USA 7v7's rules, for example, award points to the on-time team after five minutes and a forfeit after ten. Whatever you use, put it in the packet so officials aren't making it up at the field.
Rules to put in the officials' packet
Officials enforce what you send them. The questions that cause the most stoppages at 7v7 events are:
- one-hand or two-hand touch, and what counts as a legal touch zone;
- the QB clock length, when it starts, and how a blitz changes it;
- whether the QB can run, whether handoffs are legal, and whether a center is used or a QB tee;
- interception scoring and where the next possession starts;
- pass interference and holding enforcement, including loss-of-down penalties;
- PAT distances and point values;
- overtime format for bracket games and any tiebreakers for pool play;
- coach rules: how many on the sideline, whether an offensive coach can be on the field, and how far behind the quarterback;
- ejection and fighting rules, and who at the event removes an ejected player or coach.
A one-page summary on top of the full rulebook helps. Officials read it in the parking lot; nobody reads twelve pages there.
Age divisions, ball sizes and equipment
7v7 events often run youth age divisions alongside high school brackets. Published rule sets set age cutoffs, ball sizes by division and equipment limits. The Texas rules, for instance, specify football sizes by age group and allow standard cleats with plastic or rubber spikes, and USA 7v7 uses a January 1 age cutoff. If your youth divisions use different ball sizes, field lengths or rules, list them by division. Officials check what you tell them to check. They won't invent age verification on the spot.
Equipment is usually light: no pads, often soft-shell headgear optional. If your event or your facility requires mouthguards or specific headgear, write it down and decide what happens when a player doesn't have it.
When to book 7v7 officials
| Type of event | When to request | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly passing league (same fields each week) | Before the season schedule goes out | Officials prefer a standing block, and spring weeknights compete with lacrosse, baseball and softball |
| One-day tournament or showcase | Two to three weeks out at minimum | Several fields need two-official crews at once, plus standby; summer weekends book early. See summer sports booking |
| Indoor winter 7v7 | As soon as the facility confirms turf time | Indoor blocks are tight and often late at night |
| Already short for this weekend | Now | Last-minute coverage is what EmergencyRefs is built for |
What to put in your request
- facility name and address, parking, and where officials check in;
- number of fields and the hours each runs, plus a bracket estimate;
- age divisions and which rules each uses;
- the rulebook (and your house changes), with a link or attachment;
- how you'll time the QB clock, game clock and play clock, and who supplies the devices;
- whether you have field managers or need us to plan around not having them;
- standby officials wanted and for which hours;
- any insurance certificate the facility needs. See our referee insurance certificate guide.
If all you have is the date and the number of fields, send that. We'll call back and fill in the rest with you.
Fees
We don't publish a 7v7 rate card. The number of fields, the hours, crew size per field, standby, bracket coverage and how close to the date you book all change the quote. The number on your quote is the number to plan around. Ask on the callback how rainouts and schedule changes are handled; our rainout policy page explains the usual questions.
What we will not claim
We don't list 7v7 events or programs we "officially serve," and we won't promise that every field can be filled from a request sent the night before. If the best available official for a short-notice fill has worked tackle and flag but not 7v7, we'll say so on the call so you can decide. We don't verify player ages or rosters unless you've arranged that separately. What we do is put two-official crews on your fields for the blocks you need, with standby if you ask for it, once the request is specific enough to assign.
Book 7v7 football officials on Long Island
Fields, hours, divisions and your rulebook. We'll confirm what we can cover.
Request a referee →Frequently asked questions
Published 7v7 rule sets commonly call for two officials per field. In the Texas Power Rankings rules, a head referee keeps the 4-second quarterback clock and a back judge keeps the game clock and the 25-second play clock. One official can work a low-key practice league if your rules allow it, but the QB count, deep coverage and clock all fall on one person.
Usually the head official, starting the count at the snap. USA 7v7's rulebook says that if the QB timer isn't working, officials use a three-chop method and blow the whistle on the fourth chop. Decide in advance which device you'll use and publish the fallback in your coaches' packet.
No. Operators publish their own rules. USA 7v7 uses one-hand touch, scores interceptions as 1 point and allows running plays, while the Texas Power Rankings rules use two-hand touch, score interceptions as 3 points and don't allow handoffs. Send your rulebook and house changes with the request so officials know which game they're working.
For multi-field tournaments, it helps a lot. A field manager handles check-in, wristbands, coaches, crowd and score reporting, which keeps officials focused on the game. If you don't have field managers, tell us so we can plan crew size and timing around it.
We don't publish a rate card. The number of fields, hours, crew size, standby, bracket coverage and how close to the date you book all change the quote. Send the details and the quote on your request is the number to plan around.
Rule references: USA 7v7, "USA 7v7 Rules" (rulebook in effect through the 2024 season; affiliated events may amend it); Texas Power Rankings, "7v7 Tournament Rules." Cited as examples of published 7v7 rule sets, not as rules that apply to Long Island events. Your event's adopted rulebook controls.