CanAm: Canadian Sixman Facts
Wednesday, February 27Facts
Six-Man Football is played in Canada in rural schools, too small to field a Nine or Twelve Man squad. Saskatchewan until recently was the only province in Canada to sponsor Six-Man Football as a high school sport. There now is a four team league in central Alberta. There are currently 30 Six-Man Football teams in Saskatchewan. Teams compete in the regular season as a part of four conferences. Each year, teams compete for a Provincial title in either the 1A or 2A categories. These categories are differentiated according to school male populations from Grades 10 - 12. The lower half of the schools are placed in the 1A category and the top half are placed in the 2A category. in 2005, the Kelliher/Ituna Cobras won the 1A Provincial title while the Carrot River Wildcats captured the 2A Provincial title.
Six-man football is a full contact sport with some rule differences between 9 and 12 man as well as significant differences between the United States and Canada. In the American game, there are 4 downs/15 yards, no restraining zone on punts (fair catch rule), the centre is an eligible pass receiver, and the quarterback cannot advance the ball downfield. In Canada, there is unlimited motion allowed for all back fielders before the snap of the ball, the defence must line up one yard away from the line of scrimmage, and a single point is awarded on missed field goals and punts that are not returned out of the end zone. Can Am Bowl games will be played according to Canadian Amateur Football Rules.
Some other points about six-man football rules in Saskatchewan :
The field is 100 yards long (Goal line to goal line) and 40 yards wide.
The end zones are 10 yards deep.
The hash marks are located 13 yards from the side lines.
At the instant the ball is put into play, at least 3 players of the offensive team must be stationary on the line of scrimmage.
The centre is an eligible pass receiver if he lines up on the end of the line of scrimmage and is wearing an eligible receiver's number. Any other player on the line, not occupying the outside position is an ineligible receiver
The convert after atouchdown in 6-man football is worth (2) points, if kicked, and a convert that involves running or passing the ball into the end zone is worth one (1) point.
The length of games is 40 minutes of playing time, divided into four periods of 10 minutes each.