Flag football rules by league: ten rulebooks side by side
Flag football rules change by league more than by sport. Formats run from 5v5 to 7v7, rush lines from 3 to 10 yards, and some leagues let the quarterback run while others never do. The table below puts ten rulebooks side by side, with every cell cited to the rulebook we opened.
Keep score and stats for your team with Flag50 Coach, then send parents one link to follow live. Launching spring 2027. Get early access.
By Jay Fraser. Published . Updated .
How do flag football rules differ by league?
The biggest differences are the number of players, whether the quarterback may run, how far back a rusher starts, and how long the game runs. Sort any column to compare.
| NFL FLAG | 5v5 | 25 x 70 yd with 10-yd end zones, or 25 x 64 yd with 7-yd end zones | Up to 2 rushers, 7 yards back, hand raised | QB cannot run across the line; handoffs, pitches and laterals behind it; no-run zones 5 yd before midfield and the end zone | Yes, from 7 yards; no rush without a handoff in 8U and younger league play | League: 2 x 24 min, continuous. Tournament: 2 x 12 min, running | Official NFL FLAG belts and flags | Ages 5 to 17; guidelines for 8U, 7U and 6U | Soft shell helmets allowed if securednflflagnflflag-web |
| Under the Lights (6v6 flag; rules as of 2021) | 6v6 | 25 to 30 x 50 yd, including 5-yd end zones | No rush unless the QB fakes a handoff; a handoff, fake or backward pass frees the defense | K to 2nd grade unlimited; 3rd and 4th one per possession; 5th to 8th none; no direct QB runs | No | 2 x 20 min, running; stops in the final minute | not specified | K to 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th to 8th grade | not specifiedutl |
| RISE | 6v6 or 5v5; 7th and 8th grade play 5v5 | 25 x 50 yd, including 5-yd end zones | No rush unless the QB fakes a handoff; 7th and 8th grade get 1 declared rush per possession from 3 yards | K to 2nd unlimited; 3rd and 4th two per possession; 5th and 6th one; no direct QB runs except 7th and 8th grade when rushed | 7th and 8th grade only, once per possession | 2 x 20 min, running; stops in the last minute | not specified | K to 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th, 7th and 8th grade | not specifiedrise |
| FNL (Friday Night Lights) | 6v6 | not specified | Any number may rush, 10 yards back | QB cannot run from the snap; handoffs, laterals and pitches allowed; no-run zones 5 yd before midfield and each end zone | Yes, any number from 10 yards | 4 x 10 min quarters, running clock | FNL flags provided by the league | Kindergarten, Freshman, Sophomore and Junior divisions, placed by school grade | Soft cast helmets need FNL approvalfnl |
| i9 Sports | 5v5 most common; 7v7 also played | 30 x 70 yd | Rushers start at least 7 yards back; number not specified | QB cannot run across the line unless the ball is handed off and returned; no-run zones 5 yd before midfield and each end zone | Yes, from 7 yards | 2 halves of 15 or 25 min; stops only for timeouts, injuries and halftime | Flags on a belt; type not specified | Ages 4 to 17 | not specifiedi9 |
| USA Football (USA Flag 5s) | 5v5 | 25 x 70 yd total, with 10-yd end zones | Up to 2 blitzers, 7 yards back, hand raised | QB cannot run directly; handoffs and backward passes behind the line; no-run zone 5 yd before the end zone | Yes, from 7 yards | League: 2 x 20 min. Tournament: 12 to 20 min halves by age | Flag belts with pop sockets and 2 flags | Youth 13 and under, Junior 14 to 17, Adult 18 and older | Head wear removed unless league officials allow itusafb5susafb-web |
| USA Football (USA Flag 7s) | 7v7 | 25 x 70 yd total, with 10-yd end zones (same as the 5s book) | Up to 2 blitzers, 7 yards back, hand raised | QB cannot run directly; handoffs and backward passes behind the line; no-run zone 5 yd before the end zone | Yes, from 7 yards | League: 2 x 20 min. Tournament: 12 to 20 min halves by age | Flag belts with pop sockets and 2 flags | Youth 13 and under, Junior 14 to 17, Adult 18 and older | Head wear removed unless league officials allow itusafb7susafb-web |
| IFAF (international) | 5v5; a 7 on 7 game is also defined | 50 x 25 yd, plus two 10-yd end zones | Up to 2 declared blitzers; any defender more than 7 yards off may rush | QB cannot run past the line unless the ball came back to them; no-running zones 5 yd before each goal line | Yes, from more than 7 yards | 2 x 20 min | Flag belts with pop sockets and 2 flags | not specified (ball sizes for under-13 and under-16) | Helmets and head wear illegal; a national option may allow head wearifafifaf-web |
| NFHS (high school) | 7v7; a team out of substitutes may play with no fewer than 5 | 300 x 120 ft with 30-ft end zones, or one of three other sizes by state adoption | See NFHS rules book | See NFHS rules book | See NFHS rules book | 4 x 12 min periods; 3 timeouts per half from 2026-27 | See NFHS rules book | High school | See NFHS rules book; state rules on flag football headgear rules by statenfhs-2026nfhs-2025nfhs-changesnfhs-fieldsnfhs-book |
| Olympic (LA28) | 5v5, under IFAF 5-on-5 rules | 70 yd long; IFAF: 50 x 25 yd plus two 10-yd end zones | IFAF: any defender more than 7 yards off may rush; up to 2 may raise a hand for right of way | IFAF: QB cannot run past the line unless the ball came back; no-running zones 5 yd before each goal line | IFAF: yes, from more than 7 yards | 2 x 20 min | IFAF: flag belts with pop sockets | Men's and women's tournaments, 6 teams each | IFAF: helmets and head wear illegalla28usafb-laifaf |
Read "not specified" literally: the document we opened says nothing on that point, and the league may set it locally. The NFHS sells its rules book rather than posting it, so four NFHS cells point to the book. The Under the Lights row uses its 2021 rules, the newest we could open. Every row links to its source at the bottom of the page, with the edition and the date we checked it.
Which flag football leagues let the quarterback run?
In most rulebooks in the table the player who takes the snap cannot run the ball across the line. RISE is the exception we found: in 7th and 8th grade the quarterback may run once the defense rushes.
NFL FLAG, USA Football and IFAF all bar a direct quarterback run. USA Football and IFAF allow it after the ball has gone to a teammate and come back. FNL bars a run from the snap but allows handoffs, laterals and pitches (see the 6v6 rules). RISE and Under the Lights bar direct quarterback runs in their youth divisions.
No-run zones add a second limit. NFL FLAG, FNL and i9 Sports place them 5 yards before midfield and 5 yards before the end zone. USA Football and IFAF place them only before the goal line. Inside a no-run zone, the play has to be a pass.
How far back does the rusher start in each league?
The rush line is 7 yards in NFL FLAG, i9 Sports and USA Football, more than 7 yards in IFAF, 10 yards in FNL, and 3 yards for the one declared RISE rush in 7th and 8th grade.
The count of rushers differs as much as the distance. NFL FLAG and USA Football allow up to 2. FNL allows any number from 10 yards. IFAF lets any defender lined up more than 7 yards off rush; up to 2 may raise a hand as blitzers to get right of way, but the hand is not required. Under the Lights and the younger RISE divisions do not rush at all until a handoff, a fake handoff or a backward pass.
Every rulebook here bars blocking. Under the Lights and RISE allow a stationary pick, where the player does not move. The NFHS lists screen blocking as a 2026-27 point of emphasis.
Every play in the Flag50 playbook is built without blocking: the center always runs a route, and no player blocks.
Keep score and stats for your team with Flag50 Coach, then send parents one link to follow live. Get early access.
How big is the field and how long is the game?
Fields run from 25 x 50 yards in RISE to 300 x 120 feet (100 x 40 yards) on the first NFHS field option, and games from two 20-minute halves to four 12-minute periods.
The NFHS field is the largest: 300 x 120 feet with 30-foot end zones, and states may adopt one of three other sizes. California's CIF adopted a 240 x 120 foot field with two 10-yard end zones and allows a 120 x 120 foot field for tournaments. Operators laying out several fields can use the flag football field dimensions guide.
Most youth rulebooks run the clock and stop it only for timeouts and injuries. Several stop it in the final minute or two. For how each rulebook scores, read the flag football scoring rules guide.
Which rulebook should your team follow?
The one your league or school adopted. No rulebook is better than another; each is written for its own players, and many leagues change a few rules locally.
- Ask the league or athletic director which rulebook it uses, and for its local changes in writing.
- Read the quarterback run rule and the rush rule first. They change your play calls more than anything else.
- Check the field size and clock, because they set how many plays you get.
- Open the playbook for your format: the 5v5 playbook, the 6v6 playbook or the 7v7 playbook.
Flag50 Coach
Keep score and stats for your team with Flag50 Coach, then send parents one link to follow live.
Get early access. Leave your email and we'll email you the moment your spot opens up.
Frequently asked questions
Do all flag football leagues use the same rules?
No. Each league or governing body publishes its own rulebook, and they differ on team size, field size, the rush line and whether the quarterback may run. A team moving between leagues should reread the rush and run rules before the first game.
Which flag football rulebook does the Olympics use?
USA Football says its international events follow the IFAF 5-on-5 rules that will be used in the Olympics. LA28 describes two 20-minute halves on a 70-yard field, with 6 men's and 6 women's teams.
Why do some flag football leagues ban rushing the quarterback?
Under the Lights and the younger RISE divisions ban the rush, and both say the rule protects the line of scrimmage and the development of the passing game. Both let the defense cross the line once the offense hands off, fakes a handoff or throws backward.
Is flag football headgear required by league rules?
It varies. Under the Lights 7v7 requires a soft-shell helmet, NFL FLAG allows soft shell helmets, FNL wants them approved first, and IFAF lists helmets as illegal equipment. Some states set their own high school rule.
Sources
- NFL FLAG Official Playing Rules (PDF), cover revised 03.24.2025, linked as the 2026 Rulebook on nflflag.com. Checked .
- NFL FLAG, flag football rules page, Spring 2026 rulebook and tournament guidelines page. Checked .
- Under the Lights, Rules of the Game, 6v6 (PDF), updated 4-01-21, the newest Under the Lights flag rules we could open. Checked .
- Under the Lights, 7v7 Official Rules and Game Policies (PDF), updated 3-20-2026. Checked .
- RISE Flag Football, Youth Flag Rules (PDF), 2025 file; no date printed in the document. Checked .
- Friday Night Lights (FNL) Official Rules (PDF), updated 7/2/2026. Checked .
- i9 Sports, Flag Football Basic Rules, January 27, 2022; the full i9 Sports rulebook requires an account login. Checked .
- USA Football, USA Flag 5s Rulebook (PDF), v2026.2. Checked .
- USA Football, USA Flag 7s Rulebook (PDF), v2026.2. Checked .
- USA Football, flag football rules and rulebooks page. Checked .
- IFAF, International Flag Football Rules 2023 (PDF), 2023 edition, in effect from May 1, 2023; the current flag edition on the IFAF rules page. Checked .
- IFAF, rules page. Checked .
- LA28, Olympic flag football. Checked .
- USA Football, Summer Series release: events follow the IFAF 5-on-5 rules used in the Olympics, 2025 release. Checked .
- NFHS, 2026-27 flag football rules revisions (release), February 18, 2026. Checked .
- NFHS, first flag football rules book now available (release), July 17, 2025. Checked .
- NFHS, 2026-27 flag football rules changes (PDF), final as of May 2026. Checked .
- NFHS, 2026-27 flag football field diagrams (PDF), 2026-27. Checked .
- NFHS, 2026-27 Flag Football Rules Book (NFHS store listing), 2026-27; sold by the NFHS, not posted free. Checked .
- CIF, 2026 By State Adoption, flag football (PDF), 2026. Checked .