On Wednesday, May 9, the members of the North Georgia Youth Football League (NGYFL) voted and approved to make several positive changes to enhance the structure of the youth football league for the 2012 season, which kicks off in September.

The NGYFL currently consists of eight (8) member agencies: Ringgold Youth Athletic Association, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Recreation Association, Chattanooga Valley Recreation Association, Chickamauga Recreation Association, Rock Spring Athletic Association, LaFayette Recreation Department, Trion Recreation Department, and Summerville Recreation Department.

Individual Age Groups

Individual age groups bring so many positives to your league because kids get to play against other kids their own age instead of playing against someone potentially a year older. Individual age groups also have a tendency to breed smaller teams of 14-22 players which allow kids to get more one-on-one attention from their coaches and more playing time. The league’s previous combined age group classification was 6-7, 8-9, and 10-11.

Adjusted Weight Limits

The NGYFL also voted to restructure the weight limits for advancing the football for the upcoming season. The weight limits are: 5/6 (65lbs), 7U (75lbs), 8U (85lbs), 9U (100lbs), and 10/11 (125lbs). The previous weight limits were 6/7 (85lbs), 8/9 (115lbs), and 10/11 (135lbs). Every kid who signs up to play in the NGYFL is eligible to play football.

Roster Size and Player Participation

The NGYFL’s goal is to field each team with 22 players; however, it is possible for a team to have 28 players before those players are split into two (2) equally drafted teams. The new player participation rule approved at the May 9 organizational meeting states that each player must have a starting position and play the first two quarters of each game.

Points After Touchdown

The league also voted to award two (2) points for a successful legal forward pass conversion and one (1) point for a successful conversion run after touchdowns.

Important Dates

The Jamboree for the 2012 season will be hosted by Rock Spring Athletic Association on Saturday, Sept. 1 at LaFayette High School. The regular season will begin on Saturday, Sept. 8 and Super Bowl III will be played Saturday, Nov. 17. The All-Star game will be played Saturday, Dec. 1.