HUNTINGTON, W.

Friday, April 20, 2001

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Take a football game and put it on a hockey rink. Welcome to Arena Football.

A small playing field, fans sitting virtually right on top of the action, and plenty of action are the trademarks of indoor football.

And the River Cities LocoMotives will be bringing those trademarks to the Tri-State are at 7 p.m. Saturday when they host Lake Charles, La., in their home opener at the Huntington Civic Arena.

Tickets for the game are on sale for $20, $16, and $12. Fans can call toll free at 1-866-LOCOMOS (562-6667).

The LocoMotives are coached by former Marshall defensive back Melvin Cunningham. The first-year team is currently 0-3 in the league.

The LocoMotives are members of the East Division of the National Indoor Football League.

The indoor football game actually was derived when a man watching a hockey game got the idea of playing football in the same area. The game combines the rules of the Indoor Professional Football League and the Indoor Football League.

There are several different rules in arena football, mainly with players going both ways with the exception of the quarterback.

Each team has eight starting players and as many as three players may be in motion toward the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.

The game field is 50 yards long and 28 yards wide, less than half the size of a regulation football field which is 100 yards long and 52 yards wide.

All kickoffs must be returned unless the ball goes into the stands. Any ball not brought back out of the end zone results in a point scored for the kicking team.

There are not punts or fake field goals.

The clock does not stop on incomplete passes, players going out of bounds, or first downs.

Penalties are 3, 6, and 9 yards instead of 5, 10, and 15 yards as used in traditional football rules.

Blitzers must be 5 yards off the line of scrimmage and raise their hands before the snap.

Any ball going into the stands is a souvenir and does not have to be returned.