Flag football rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 17 rules
- What is flag football and how big is the field?
- How do downs work in flag football?
- How do you score in flag football?
- How long is a flag football game?
- What happens if a flag football game is tied?
- What are the rules for the flags in flag football?
- How does a play start in flag football?
- Can the quarterback run in flag football?
- What are the passing rules in flag football?
- What is the no-running zone in flag football?
- What happens if a player drops the ball in flag football?
- What is flag guarding in flag football?
- Who has to avoid whom in flag football?
- How does rushing the quarterback work in flag football?
- What is pass interference in flag football?
- How are penalties enforced in flag football?
- Can a coach challenge a call in flag football?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| IFAF Flag Rule plus number (rule-section-article), IFAF Flag AR plus number (approved ruling) or IFAF Flag Rules plus a chapter name | International Federation of American Football, International Flag Football Rules 2023, in force from 1 May 2023. Read in full: the Code, the overview and national changes, field dimensions, Rules 1 to 12, the summary of penalties and the approved rulings |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule. Every comparison with tackle football is C |
All checked on 14 October 2026.
The 2023 book is the latest found. The source notes record a search on 8 October 2026 that found no newer IFAF flag book. If one has been issued for the 2028 Olympic cycle, every page needs checking against it.
5 on 5 only. This is the standard game and the Olympic form. The 7 on 7 and beach variations appear in "where it differs" rows from the rule book's own one-page summaries.
Not covered: the officials' positions and signals (Rule 11 and the signal chart), tournament standings beyond one row, the ball's dimensions in detail and the Olympic format for 2028 (not saved). The two overview files in the source folder are not IFAF documents and nothing is taken from them.
Yards. The rule book works in yards and the pages keep them, with metres for the field and the rush distance only.
Not covered: the officials' positions and signals (Rule 11 and the signal chart), tournament standings beyond one row, the ball's dimensions in detail and the Olympic format for 2028 (not saved). The two overview files in the source folder are not IFAF documents and nothing is taken from them.