Flag football
Flag football is American football without contact: two teams of five try to carry or pass the ball over the other team's goal line, and a ball carrier is stopped by pulling a flag from their belt, not by a tackle. A team has four downs to cross the middle line and four more to score a touchdown, worth six points. A game is two halves of 20 minutes.
New to flag football? Start here
How long
Two halves of 20 minutes, with a two-minute break; the clock runs almost all the time
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Olympic Games (flag football)New on the programme at Los Angeles 2028.Every 4 years
- 2IFAF Flag Football World ChampionshipsThe world title.Every 2 years (to check) · Holder: Men: the United States
India
India has not played at the World Championships and is not among the teams qualified for the Olympic Games [the two pages].
- Flag football at the Olympic Games: Not among the qualified teams; India has not played at the World Championships
- IFAF Flag Football World Championships: Has not played
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- United StatesIFAF Flag Football World Championships: 10 golds, 5 silvers (latest 2026)
- CanadaIFAF Flag Football World Championships: 4 golds, 1 silver, 2 bronzes (latest 2026)
- MexicoIFAF Flag Football World Championships: 3 golds, 4 silvers, 3 bronzes (latest 2026)
- AustriaIFAF Flag Football World Championships: 3 golds, 3 silvers, 3 bronzes (latest 2024)
- FranceIFAF Flag Football World Championships: 2 golds, 1 silver, 5 bronzes (latest 2012)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | International Federation of American Football (IFAF), International Flag Football Rules 2023 |
| International federation | International Federation of American Football (IFAF) |
| In India | American Football Federation of India: an associate member of IFAF and a member of IFAF Asia |
Where and when it is played
On a field 50 yards long. The big events: the Olympic Games from Los Angeles 2028 and the IFAF Flag Football World Championships.