The Drawer · Rules at-a-glance
Five-minute rules.
Most parents can't fully explain their kid's sport's rules and never admit it. These primers fix that. Field setup, scoring, the calls you'll see in a typical game, and the three things parents most often get wrong.
Each piece links to the official governing-body rulebook for the version of record.
Baseball
Baseball: rules at-a-glance
Diamond, nine innings, three strikes you're out. The rules of youth baseball in five minutes.
5-min read →
Basketball
Basketball: rules at-a-glance
Two teams of five, a hoop, a ball, four quarters. The rules of youth basketball in five minutes.
5-min read →
Lacrosse — Boys
Boys lacrosse: rules at-a-glance
Stick and ball, contact, four quarters. The rules of boys lacrosse in five minutes.
5-min read →
Cheerleading
Competitive cheer: rules at-a-glance
Tumbling, stunts, jumps, dance. Two and a half minutes on the mat. The rules of all-star cheer in five minutes.
5-min read →
Crew
Crew (rowing): rules at-a-glance
Boats, oars, water, six lanes. The rules of youth rowing in five minutes.
5-min read →
Cross country
Cross country rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
How a cross country race works, what the course looks like, how scoring works for team competition, and what parents should know before standing at a race for the first time.
5-min read →
Football — Flag
Flag football rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
How youth flag football works, how the field and scoring compare to tackle football, what the common calls are, and what first-time spectators consistently get confused by.
5-min read →
Football — 7v7
Football 7v7: rules at-a-glance
Skill positions only. No linemen, no contact (mostly), the recruiting circuit. The rules of 7v7 in five minutes.
5-min read →
Lacrosse — Girls
Girls lacrosse: rules at-a-glance
Stick and ball, mostly no contact, four quarters. The rules of girls lacrosse in five minutes.
5-min read →
Golf
Golf: rules at-a-glance
Hit the ball into the hole in fewer strokes than the other person. The rules of youth golf in five minutes.
5-min read →
Gymnastics
Gymnastics rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
How youth gymnastics competitions work, what judges are looking at, how scoring works, and what parents watching their first meet need to understand.
5-min read →
Hockey
Hockey rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
Everything a parent needs to know to follow a youth hockey game: how the rink is set up, how long games run, how scoring works, and the calls you will hear most often.
5-min read →
lacrosse
Lacrosse rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
What youth lacrosse looks like, how the field is set up, how scoring works, and the calls parents hear most often but do not always understand.
5-min read →
Martial arts
Martial arts: rules at-a-glance
Many disciplines, one structure: belts, forms, sparring. The shared rules of youth martial arts in five minutes.
5-min read →
Soccer
Soccer: rules at-a-glance
Two halves, no hands, offside is real. The rules of youth soccer in five minutes.
5-min read →
Softball
Softball rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
How youth softball is played, how it differs from baseball, how scoring works, what the common calls mean, and what parents watching for the first time get wrong.
5-min read →
Swimming
Swimming: rules at-a-glance
Pool, lanes, four strokes, time matters. The rules of competitive youth swimming in five minutes.
5-min read →
Football — Tackle
Tackle football: rules at-a-glance
Four downs to gain ten yards, four quarters, contact at every position. The rules of tackle football in five minutes.
5-min read →
Tennis
Tennis: rules at-a-glance
Court, net, racket, ball. Win games, win sets, win matches. The rules of youth tennis in five minutes.
5-min read →
Track and field
Track and field: rules at-a-glance
Run, jump, throw. Times and distances. The rules of youth track and field in five minutes.
5-min read →
Volleyball
Volleyball rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
How youth volleyball is played, how scoring works, what the calls mean, and the things parents consistently misunderstand at the sideline.
5-min read →
wrestling
Wrestling rules: a five-minute primer for first-time parents
How youth wrestling matches work, how scoring works, what the referee signals mean, and what parents watching for the first time need to understand.
5-min read →