First and Third Periods
ARTICLE 1.
a. Pregame Warmup. Prior to regular season games, teams must have access to the field for pregame warm-ups until at least 22 minutes before the opening kickoff. This may be altered in advance through written mutual agreement of the teams. Game management personnel are responsible for administering this rule. b. Each half shall start with a kickoff. c. Three minutes before the scheduled starting time, the referee shall toss a coin at midfield in the presence of not more than four field captains from each team and another game official, first designating the field captain of the visiting team to call the coin toss. Before the second half, the referee will obtain the teams’ second-half options. d. During the coin toss, each team shall remain in the area between the nine-yard marks and its sideline or in the team area. The coin toss begins when the field captains leave the nine-yard marks and ends when the captains return to the nine-yard marks. PENALTY [d[—Five yards from the succeeding spot [S19]. e. The winner of the toss shall choose one of the following options: 1. To designate which team shall kick off. 2. To designate which goal line his team shall defend. 3. To defer his selection to the second half. f. The opponent shall then choose option 1 or 2 above, as available. g. If the winner of the toss chooses option 3 above, then after the opponent’s choice the winner selects the available option (1 or 2 above). h. For the second half the loser of the toss, or the winner who chooses option 3 above, shall choose option 1 or 2 above. The opponent then chooses the remaining available option.
Second and Fourth Periods
ARTICLE 2.
Between the first and second periods and also between the third and fourth periods, the teams shall defend opposite goal lines. a. The ball shall be relocated at a spot corresponding exactly, in relation to goal lines and sidelines, to its location at the end of the preceding period. b. Possession of the ball, the number of the down and the distance to be gained shall remain unchanged.