NFL FLAG rules: the official rulebook, explained

Two no-run zones sit on every field: one 5 yards before midfield and one 5 yards before the end zone you are attacking. Inside a no-run zone you cannot run the ball across the line of scrimmage. Every play must be a forward pass that crosses the line. The rulebook reminds teams that each drive meets only two of them.

Stepping on the boundary line is out of bounds. Before each snap the referee spots the ball in the middle of the field, never closer than 10 yards to a sideline. Operators laying out several fields on one site can read the flag football field dimensions guide for leagues.

1. There is no kickoff. The coin toss winner picks offense or defense; the loser picks direction, and nobody can defer.
2. On a fourth down short of midfield, the referee asks the head coach to declare punt or play. A punt gives the other team the ball at its own 5. Going for it and failing gives them the ball where the down ended.
3. If the offense crosses midfield and does not score in 3 downs, the other team starts at its own 5.
4. Teams switch sides at halftime, and the team that started on offense starts the second half on defense.

Leagues that play on a one-way field use a different start: possessions begin at the 40, there are no safeties, and an interception is a dead ball spotted at the 40. The one-way rules page says those rules supersede the rest of the rulebook.

• Handoffs, pitches and laterals are legal behind the line only. A center sneak, where the quarterback gives the ball first to the center, is not allowed.
• Any player who takes a handoff, pitch or lateral may throw a forward pass from behind the line.
• Only 1 forward pass per play, and it must cross the line of scrimmage. A shovel pass is legal if it is caught past the line.
• There is no intentional grounding. The quarterback may throw the ball anywhere past the line to avoid a sack.
• Every player is eligible to catch a pass, the quarterback included once the ball has been handed off, pitched or lateraled.
• Ball carriers may not jump, leap or hurdle to advance the ball. Spins and jump cuts are allowed.

The rulebook calls the 7-second pass clock the quarterback's window: if no pass is thrown in 7 seconds, the play is dead and the down counts. A handoff, pitch or lateral turns the clock off, and it also frees every defender to rush.

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A delayed rush is not permitted. Defenders who are not rushing may defend the line of scrimmage. Once the offense hands off, pitches or laterals behind the line, every defender may cross the line. A rusher may try to block a pass, but contact with the quarterback is roughing the passer unless the official rules it incidental.

The offense may not impede a rusher's path. The path is set before the snap, from the rusher straight to the quarterback, and it does not move when the quarterback moves. A sack is a flag pull behind the line; in the offense's own end zone it is a safety.

Regular-season leagues for 8U, 7U, 6U and 1st to 3rd grade do not allow a rush at all, unless there is a legal handoff in the backfield. In tournament play, 8U and older may rush at the snap from the 7-yard line.

An interception returned for a score is 6 points on a regular down and 2 points on a try or in overtime. A regular-season game ends when one team leads by 35 points; in tournament play the margin is 28. For tiebreakers and how other rulebooks score, read the flag football scoring rules guide.

Players need shoes; cleats with exposed metal are never allowed, and some sites ban cleats. Jewelry and hats come off. Soft shell helmets, halos and sunglasses are allowed if they are secured. Headgear rules set by a state or a school are a separate question: see flag football headgear rules by state.