AIFA team to start in Star Center in April

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

Football fans will hear lots of growling at the Santa Ana Star Center in April when the New Mexico Wildcats begin play in the American Indoor Football Association.

Rio Rancho has been awarded an expansion franchise in the 16-team league, AIFA co-founder and CEO John Morris said in a news release posted on the league's web site, aifaprofootball.com. The team itself already has a web site: newmexicowildcats.com.

“This was the missing piece in the puzzle to secure the West for the coming season,” Morris said in his statement. “We wanted to make sure this team would have solid ownership and a first class facility. We couldn't be happier with the way things turned out.”

The Wildcats will be owned by husband and wife Steve Mascarenas and Cathy Oliver-Mascarenas. The team will hold an introductory press conference on Friday.

“The AIFA is so special that people just want to be part of it,” Steve Mascarenas said in the statement. “I think that's what we're seeing. There's a lot of excitement here.”

According to the news release, the Wildcats will play their inaugural home game against the Arizona Adrenaline on Saturday, April 26. The Arizona team is based in Prescott Valley, according to the league web site.

Other West Division teams are the (Riverton) Utah Saints and the (Casper) Wyoming Cavalry.

The Western Conference also contains the four-team South Division, which includes the Augusta (Ga.) Colts, the Columbus (Ga.) Lions, the (North Fort Myers) Florida Stingrays and the (Tupelo) Mississippi Mudcats.

The Eastern Conference also has two divisions. In the North, the teams are the Baltimore Mariners, the Canton (Ohio) Legends, the Pittsburgh RiverRats (who actually play in Belle Vernon, Pa.) and the Reading (Pa.) Express.

The East Division is made up of the (Concord, North) Carolina Speed, the Fayetteville, (N.C.) Guard, the  Florence (S.C.) Phantoms and the Huntington (W.Va.) Heroes.

Though the league has other teams scheduled on its web site, none of the teams in the West have their complete schedule posted. Many web sites in the league still list New Mexico’s spot as TBA, as in to be announced.
 
According to the Wildcat’s web site, a revised league web site will be released on Saturday.

At the same time the league announced the addition of the New Mexico franchise, it simultaneously announced an agreement with Global Entertainment Corporation of Phoenix, which owns the Central Hockey League that includes the New Mexico Scorpions hockey team, a current Santa Ana tenant, and the Arizona Sundogs, who play in Tim's Toyota Center, also the home of the Arizona Adrenaline). Both are Global Entertainment buildings.

According to the AIFA web site, the league has received a letter of inent from Global Entertainment granting the AIFA the right of first refusal for indoor football in all of its current and future arena facilities.

 “Global Entertainment contacted us, and we've been talking with them ever since,” said AIFA co-founder Michael Mink. This is a win-win situation for both of us.”

At the time the announcement was made that the Star Center was to be built, then city administrator Jim Palenick said he hoped to bring an Arena Football League II and professional lacrosse teams to Rio Rancho.

Only e-mail contact information was listed on the team web site. No requirements or schedules as far as tryouts were listed.

Here are the rules of the game, as posted on the league’s web site:

THE FIELD

- The Field should be 50 yards long by 28 yards wide.

- The end zones must be 4-1/2 yards in depth and may be rounded due to arena set up.

- Goal posts are to be 10 feet high to the crossbar and 10 feet wide. The uprights are an additional 20 feet high from the crossbar.

- Walls are in play until forward motion is stopped or a player sets on the line and the play is whistled dead.

TIMING

-The length of the game shall be 60 minutes of actual playing time, divided into four periods of 15 minutes each.

- There is also a 15 minute half time between the second and third quarters.

- Each team is allowed three time-outs per half.
 
THE PLAYERS AND FORMATIONS

- There are eight players from each team on the field.

- 18 players are on the active roster and 5 players are on the in-active roster.

- Up to 2 players can be in forward motion at the same time.

- Three lineman on each side of the ball. Defensive lineman can stunt and twisting is allowed.

- One player on defense is allowed to blitz at a time. The blitzing player must be 3 yards from the ball at the snap. Blitzing must be done between the tackles.

- Two linebackers must line up inside the tackles ("BOX") and three to six yards from the line of scrimmage. One linebacker can leave the BOX at the snap of the ball to cover the flat, but can not go any deeper than 6 yards.
 
MOVEMENT OF THE BALL AND SCORING

- Four (4) downs are allowed to advance the ball ten (10) yards for a first down, or to score.

- Six (6) points for a touchdown.

- One (1) point for a conversion by place kick after a touchdown, two (2) points for a conversion by drop kick and two (2) points for successful run or pass after a touchdown. Teams may not fake an extra point or field goal.

- Three (3) points for a field goal by placement or four (4) points for a field goal by drop kick.

- Two (2) points for a safety.

- One (1) point will be awarded to the kicking team if the kicker, on a kickoff can kick the football through the uprights and over the crossbar. If the kicker misses the ball will be spotted on the 20-yard line

- Play will be whistled dead, at any point during the game when the football hits off any part of the goal posts.

- One point is awarded to kickoff team if receiver does not get out of the end zone.
 
KICKING

- Kickoffs are from the goal line. Kickers may use a one-inch tee.

- Punting is illegal. On fourth down, a team may go for a first down, touchdown or a field goal.

- The receiving team may field any kickoff or missed field goal.

- Any kickoff which goes out of bounds in the air shall be placed at the 20 yard line.

 OVERTIME RULES

- Overtime will be a five minute period using the one-minute time rules.

- A coin toss will determine who gets the football first.

- Each team will be assigned one timeout for the overtime period.

- The team with the most points at the end of the overtime period is the winner.

- If the score is tied after the first overtime, a second overtime will be played.