Flag Football Rules: How Youth Flag Football Works
How NFL FLAG youth flag football works: field size, no-run zones, the quarterback rule, flag guarding, scoring, rushing the passer and game clock basics.
The short answer
In NFL FLAG, the quarterback can't run the ball across the line, there is no blocking or tackling, and a play ends when a flag is pulled. A touchdown is worth 6, plus 1 point from the 5-yard line or 2 from the 10. Other leagues, including high school, may use different rules.
Facts checked October 11, 2026. Rules and prices change; the sources are linked at the end.
In this post
If you coach, referee or run a youth flag football league, this guide explains how the game works under NFL FLAG’s official playing rules. The short version: the quarterback can’t run the ball across the line, nobody blocks or tackles, a play ends when a flag comes off, and a touchdown is worth 6 plus 1 or 2 on the try.
These rules come from the NFL FLAG Official Playing Rules (revised March 24, 2025) and the NFL FLAG Tournament Rules page. Other leagues, such as high school girls flag football in states that sponsor it and local rec leagues, set their own rules. If yours is not an NFL FLAG league, check with your league or state association.
The Field and the Basic Setup
NFL FLAG is for boys and girls ages 5 to 17, according to its tournament page. Its rulebook gives two field options:
- Option A: 25 yards wide and 70 yards long, with 10-yard end zones.
- Option B: 25 yards wide and 64 yards long, with 7-yard end zones.
A player who steps on a boundary line is out of bounds. Each player wears an official NFL FLAG belt with flags on the hips, and nothing can cover the flags, so jerseys must be tucked in. Mouthguards are required on the field.
The tournament page caps a tournament roster at 10 players and 2 coaches. Ask your league how many players it puts on the field.
How a possession works
- The offense starts on its own 5-yard line.
- It has four downs to cross midfield.
- Once it crosses midfield, it has three downs to score.
On 3rd or 4th down, the head coach must tell the official right away whether the team will punt or run a play.
No-Run Zones and the Quarterback Rule
The rulebook says the quarterback cannot directly run with the ball across the line of scrimmage. For a running play, the quarterback hands off, pitches or laterals to a teammate first.
No-run zones sit 5 yards before midfield and 5 yards before the end zone the offense is attacking. When the ball is snapped inside one of those zones, the team cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage. Every play there has to be a forward pass across the line.
Younger divisions are different
The rulebook drops the no-run zones for its younger league divisions (8U and 2nd to 3rd grade, and 7U, 6U and 1st grade and below), so those teams can run anywhere. Tournament 8U play keeps the no-run zones. Ask your league which version it uses.
Handoffs, Laterals and Passing
- Handoffs, pitches and laterals are allowed only behind the line of scrimmage. The rulebook says that if one happens after the ball carrier has crossed the line, the official blows the play dead.
- No center sneak. The quarterback may not hand off, pitch or lateral to the center first.
- One forward pass per play. It must be thrown from behind the line and must cross the line. Backward passes are not limited.
- The 7-second clock. The quarterback has 7 seconds to throw. If time runs out, the play is dead and the down counts. Once the ball is handed off, pitched or lateraled, the 7-second clock no longer applies.
- Every player is an eligible receiver.
Flag Pulling, Flag Guarding and No Contact
The flag is the tackle. A play ends when a defender legally pulls the ball carrier’s flag, and the ball is spotted where the ball was when the flag came off.
What defenders can and can’t do
- Defenders may dive to pull a flag.
- Defenders may not tackle, hold or run through the ball carrier.
- Stripping the ball is illegal.
What ball carriers can and can’t do
- Flag guarding is illegal. That means stiff-arming, dropping a head or elbow, or using the ball or jersey to block a defender’s reach for the flag.
- No jumping, leaping or hurdling to gain ground.
- If a flag falls off while a player has the ball, that player is down right away.
There is no blocking or screening. Charging, meaning leading with the head or hitting with a shoulder, forearm or chest, is a penalty. Most fouls cost 5 yards. Unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting cost 10. A player or coach with two unsportsmanlike penalties is disqualified.
Scoring: Touchdowns, Extra Points and Safeties
After a touchdown, the team chooses where to snap the try.
| Score | Points | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 | Offense scores in the end zone |
| Extra point from the 5-yard line | 1 | Pass only |
| Extra point from the 10-yard line | 2 | Run or pass |
| Interception returned for a touchdown | 6 | During regular play |
| Interception returned on a try or in overtime | 2 | Defense scores on the return |
| Safety | 2 | Ball carrier downed in their own end zone |
A sack happens when the quarterback’s flag is pulled behind the line. If that happens in the offense’s own end zone, it’s a safety.
Rushing the Passer
- Up to two players can rush the quarterback.
- Each rusher must start at least 7 yards from the line of scrimmage, at the rush line set by a marker or the official.
- Each rusher raises a hand before the snap.
- Once the ball is handed off, pitched or lateraled behind the line, every defender may cross the line to chase the flag.
- Contact with the quarterback is roughing the passer unless the official rules it incidental.
Younger divisions have more limits. In regular season league play, the 8U and 2nd to 3rd grade divisions, and the 7U, 6U and 1st grade and below divisions, may not rush the passer unless there is a legal handoff behind the line. In tournament play, 8U and older can rush at the snap from the 7-yard rush line.
Game Length, Clock and Overtime
| Item | Regular season | Tournament |
|---|---|---|
| Game length | 48-minute continuous clock, two 24-minute halves | Two 12-minute running-clock halves |
| Halftime | 2 minutes | 1 minute |
| Time to snap | 40 seconds after the ball is spotted | 25-second play clock |
| Timeouts | One 60-second timeout per half | Three 30-second timeouts per game |
| Game ends early | When a team leads by 35 points | When a team leads by 28 points |
The clock stops for timeouts, injuries and when the official decides to stop it. In the first overtime, each team gets one play from the 5-yard line for 1 point or the 10-yard line for 2 points. There are no timeouts in overtime.
Common Myths About Flag Football Rules
- “The quarterback can scramble for a first down.” Not in NFL FLAG. The quarterback can move behind the line but can’t run the ball across it.
- “Anyone can rush once the ball is snapped.” Only up to two rushers, starting 7 yards back, until a handoff or lateral frees everyone.
- “If my flag falls off, I keep running until someone touches me.” No. The player is down where the flag lands.
- “Diving is never allowed.” Defenders may dive to pull a flag.
- “Extra points are kicked.” In NFL FLAG, the try is a play: a pass from the 5 or a run or pass from the 10.
Common Questions
Can the quarterback run in flag football?
Not in NFL FLAG. The rulebook says the quarterback cannot directly run with the ball across the line of scrimmage. The quarterback can move behind the line and throw, or hand off, pitch or lateral to a teammate who runs. Some high school and rec leagues write this rule differently.
What is a no-run zone in flag football?
It’s an area where the offense must pass. In NFL FLAG, the zones sit 5 yards before midfield and 5 yards before the goal line the offense is attacking. Inside them, every play must be a forward pass across the line. Younger league divisions drop the zones, but tournament 8U keeps them.
How many points is an extra point in flag football?
In NFL FLAG, the team picks. A try from the 5-yard line is worth 1 point and must be a pass. A try from the 10-yard line is worth 2 points and can be a run or a pass. If the defense intercepts the try and returns it for a score, it gets 2 points.
How far back do rushers have to be in flag football?
In NFL FLAG, rushers start at least 7 yards from the line of scrimmage and raise a hand before the snap. Up to two players can rush. After a handoff, pitch or lateral behind the line, any defender can cross. Younger regular season divisions can’t rush unless there’s a legal handoff.
Is flag guarding a penalty?
Yes. In NFL FLAG, flag guarding means stiff-arming, dropping a head or elbow, or using the ball or jersey to keep a defender from the flag. It costs 5 yards and a loss of down. Teach players to keep hands off their hips and jerseys tucked in so the flags stay clear.
How long is a youth flag football game?
NFL FLAG regular season games use a 48-minute continuous clock with two 24-minute halves and a 2-minute halftime. Tournament games have two 12-minute running-clock halves and a 1-minute halftime. The clock stops for timeouts, injuries and at the official’s discretion. Your local league may set shorter games.
Is there a mercy rule in flag football?
Yes, in NFL FLAG. A regular season game ends when one team leads by 35 points, and a tournament game ends at a 28-point lead. Forfeits go in the books as 35-0 or 28-0. Rec and high school leagues set their own mercy rules, so check with your league or state association.
Can you block in flag football?
No. NFL FLAG allows no blocking or screening at any time, and players near the ball carrier must stop moving once the ball crosses the line. Charging with the head, shoulder, forearm or chest is a penalty. Defenders can’t tackle, hold or run through a ball carrier either. The flag pull replaces the tackle.
Do high school girls flag football teams use NFL FLAG rules?
Not always. High school girls flag football in states that sponsor it may follow different rules, depending on the state, and those can differ from NFL FLAG. NFL FLAG runs its own High School Girls tournament division. School teams should use their state association’s rulebook.
If you schedule your own refs, see how referees and umpires work in MCM360 Sports: one list of officials, who’s on each game, and what each one is owed. To help families and new coaches learn the rules, you can also write short lessons in the Club Academy.
Sources
President and head coach of the Manitowoc Chiefs Youth Football Club, a WIAA Master Official in football, and the builder of MCM360 Sports. Have a question this post didn't answer? Ask him.
