Frequently Asked Questions - Pius X Junior Bolts Football

As a member of the Lincoln Youth Football League (LYF), we will follow their league rules which state, “Boys and Girls aged 6-14 who reside in Lincoln and the surrounding communities” are eligible to play. Current LYF teams are determined by the home address of the player. The Jr Bolts, however, will be comprised of students enrolled in one of the Catholic Grade Schools in Lincoln. If the student is homeschooled, and the family is registered in one of the Catholic parishes, they will need to petition LYF for an “out of district exemption”.

LYF, in order to maintain fairness and equality, determines for which team a student plays by where they live, referred to as the player’s “district”. Each player must play for the team in which district they reside. The Jr Bolts, as a feeder program for Pius X, has been given an exception approved by the LYF board, which has determined that eligibility will be based on the players grade school being one of the Catholic schools that feed into Pius X.

Unfortunately there are no exceptions to the districting requirements established by LYF for the Jr Bolts.

Proud of our Catholic identity.
Continue shaping the whole person through athletics as a tool to be successful in life.
Develop the player’s ability to succeed as he advances into interscholastic athletics at Pius X.
Provide a fun and safe environment for teaching football.
Supporting the Pius X football program, its current coaches and administration.

Get kids playing together earlier with their future high school teammates.
Players will begin to learn the basics of the Pius X offense & defense.
Focus on development & the fundamentals of football.
Integration with current Pius X players & Varsity Coaches.
Lead to future success of the Varsity program.
Practice on the turf at Aldrich Field!

Registration will be handled by LYF and usually opens in January each year. Please visit https://www.lincolnyouthfootballleague.com/ for more information

No, there is no additional cost to play for the Jr Bolts. LYF determines the registration fee, which historically has been around $320.

Each player will be provided with a helmet, shoulder pads, game jersey, practice jersey and integrated practice/game pant. You will need to purchase football cleats and a mouthguard.

The LYF League offers youth football at 6 different divisions based on skill level, age, and weight:

A division (A): Full contact, ≤ 14 years old, no weight restrictions, NFHS rules, playoff-eligible
B division (B): Full contact, ≤ 14 years old, unrestricted, NFHS rules, playoff eligible
C division (C): Full contact; ≤ 13 years old; ≤ 140 lbs unrestricted, > 140 lbs dot restricted, modified rules, playoff-eligible
D division (D): Full contact; ≤ 12 years old; ≤ 125 lbs unrestricted, > 125 lbs dot restricted, modified rules, no playoffs
Rookie division (R): Full contact; ≥ 8, but ≤ 11 years old; ≥ 50 lbs, ≤ 110 lbs; modified rules, no win-loss standings, no playoffs

We will practice at Aldrich Field, home of the Pius X Thunderbolts. Additionally, depending on different factors, some teams may practice from time to time or exclusively on the grass fields to the east of Aldrich Field.

Teams can conduct a maximum of 14 practices before the first game. A practice cannot exceed two hours. There will be no contact the first practice.
After the first game a team may have six (6) total hours of practices and chalk talk/walk-thru. These practices and chalk talk cannot exceed two hours. The chalk talk will be conducted with no pads and no physical contact. If a practice starts and is cancelled, that practice time counts toward the six-hour limit.
A Coach must supervise all practices.
There will be no Sunday practices.

Games will be played on Sundays at the Runza Sports Complex, located at 225 South Street in Lincoln

Please visit the rules PDF found on the LYF website here

We anticipate having teams at the A, B, C, D and Rookie Level. It is likely we could have more than one D team and Rookie team.

At this time we are focused on getting the tackle program up and running. As time goes on, we will consider possibly adding Flex.

Coaches will do their best to put each athlete on the team where they will have the most success and result in a safe and enjoyable season. Height, weight, age and overall skill level are all factors that will be taken into consideration.

All LYF coaches undergo a background check and must complete the entire USA Heads Up Football training regime, which focuses on teaching the game in the proper way & there is a heavy emphasis on player safety (concussion awareness, heat-related injuries, etc).

Jr. Bolts Football FAQ

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