Playing flag football? See the flag football rule book (PDF).
Field dimensions
- 40 yards in length. The 40, 25 and 10 are the first down lines.
- Between 145’ and 160’ in width.
- End zones are 10 yards deep.
- Field hash marks are high school dimensions.
Team members
Players
- Each team has a maximum of 25 players. Players will not be accepted into the event as individuals. All players must be part of a team.
- Teams are not required to use an offensive center. If a team uses one, the center is not an eligible receiver.
- The center is responsible for setting or repositioning the football at the line of scrimmage. With no center, the QB is responsible.
- Age verification: every player must verify their age through the player registration process with SportsThread.
Age divisions
- 18U: all players must be under 19 on the date of the tournament. Seniors are eligible if they meet the age requirement. Seniors who have graduated from high school are not eligible.
- 15U: players must be 15 or younger as of January 1, 2027. Players who are 16 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 15U and must play in 18U.
- 14U: players must be 14 or younger on January 1, 2027. Players who are 15 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 14U and must play in 15U.
- 13U: players must be 13 or younger on January 1, 2027. Players who are 14 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 13U and must play in 14U.
- 12U: players must be 12 or younger before January 1, 2027. Players who are 13 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 12U and must play in 13U.
- 11U: players must be 11 or younger on January 1, 2027. Players who are 12 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 11U and must play in 12U.
- 10U: players must be 10 or younger on January 1, 2027. Players who are 11 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 10U and must play in 11U.
- 9U: players must be 9 or younger on January 1, 2027. Players who are 10 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 9U and must play in 10U.
- 8U: players must be 8 or younger on January 1, 2027. Players who are 9 before January 1, 2027 are ineligible for 8U and must play in 9U.
Coaches
- Each team has a maximum of 4 coaches. Coaches are allowed on the sidelines only during games.
- One offensive coach may be in the huddle with players. During the play, the coach must not interfere with the game.
- Defensive coaches are not allowed on the field at any time.
Officials
- Each game has a minimum of two officials: a Referee/Field Judge and a Back Judge.
- Each game has a scorekeeper/timekeeper.
- Each event has one field manager for every two 7on7 fields to help with crowd, player, coach and referee control on and around the fields.
Game times
- Pool play games use a 22-minute running clock. The clock does not stop except for an injury or an official’s timeout. If the game ends on a touchdown with no time remaining, the scoring team gets a chance to try for the extra point. If the game ends in a tie on a non-scoring play, the game is ruled a tie.
- Bracket play games use an 18-minute running clock. After the initial 18 minutes, the last 2 minutes are played as regulation football with clock stoppages per NFHS rules. During the last two minutes, all completions must be advanced past the line of scrimmage, otherwise the clock stops. Sacks in the last two minutes also stop the clock.
- One 30-second timeout per team, during bracket play only.
Overtime
- Bracket play only.
- Teams alternate three plays from the 10-yard line. Each team has an attempt to score in each overtime period.
- Starting with the second overtime, teams alternate a one-play, 2-point attempt from the 10-yard line. Both teams get an attempt, and this continues until a winner emerges at the end of a period.
Scoring
- 6 points for a touchdown
- 1 point for a PAT from the 3-yard line
- 2 points for a PAT from the 10-yard line
- 2 points for a defensive stop on downs
- 3 points for an interception (no runbacks or “pick 6” for safety reasons)
- A turnover on a PAT is a dead ball (including an interception).
- Official scores are kept by the field referee and the sideline scorekeeper.
Penalties
Offense
- Receivers’ alignment must respect the tackle box. Any completed pass within the tackle box within 2 yards of the line of scrimmage is an illegal pass, resulting in a loss of down.
- On all snaps, the ball must come from the QB tee. A player cannot hold the timer down with his hand and snap the ball. This is a loss of down.
- Offsides: loss of down.
- Delay of game: loss of down. Each team has 25 seconds to snap the ball once it has been marked ready for play.
- Pass interference: 5-yard penalty and loss of down.
- No penalty may be assessed beyond the 40-yard line. If a penalty would move the offense beyond the 40, the offense is charged with a loss of down.
- If the referee sees the clock has passed 4.0 seconds, the play is blown dead and the ball returns to the original line of scrimmage with loss of down. If the QB throws after the play is blown dead, offensive delay of game is assessed.
- The offense is responsible for retrieving and returning the ball to the previous spot or the new scrimmage spot. The clock does not stop. Any delay in returning the ball to the referee is delay of game, a 5-yard penalty from the succeeding spot.
- If defensive holding occurs on the same play as a sack, the defense is penalized and the sack is void.
Defense
- Defensive holding: 5-yard penalty, replay the down. If the 5 yards results in a first down, the offense gets a first down. Inside the 10-yard line, the penalty is half the distance to the goal line.
- Offsides: 5-yard penalty.
- Defensive pass interference is a spot foul (first down at the spot). In the end zone, it results in a first down at the 1-yard line.
- Any dead ball penalty on the defense after a change of possession results in a loss of down for that team’s offense when it begins its next possession.
- Responsibility to avoid contact is with the defense. The defense is allowed an initial disruption and then must cover. Excessive or prolonged contact results in a 5-yard “tack on” penalty at the end of the play.
Turnovers and dead balls
- The receiver or ball carrier is down when touched below the neck with one or both hands. Excessive force (shoving, pushing or striking) is penalized with an automatic first down and 5 yards. A player can be expelled if the act is ruled unsportsmanlike and flagrant.
- Fumbles that hit the ground are dead at the spot, with the last team retaining possession. A muffed snap by the QB is not a dead ball. The 4.0-second count remains in effect on snaps.
- The QB has 4.0 seconds to throw. Time starts on the snap and stops as soon as the QB releases the ball. The play is blown dead after 4.0 seconds. In the 8U division, the QB has 5.0 seconds.
- Interceptions may not be returned. Points for a defensive stop and an interception are not added together; either one ends a possession with defensive points.
- The offense must gain at least 15 yards in 3 or fewer plays or the defense takes over. There are no 4th downs (3 downs in all zones).
Appeals
- If a coach or player disagrees with an official’s judgment call during play, they may not dispute that call with the official at that time.
- If a coach or player disagrees with a rules interpretation, they may stop the game to resolve it with the officials and field manager.
- Coaches must report all ruling discrepancies to the field manager no more than 20 minutes after the game ends. Any reversal or game-changing decision is at the field manager’s discretion.
Additional game format rules
- All offensive formations must be legal sets, and receivers’ alignment must respect the tackle box (see offensive penalties).
- Bracket play: the higher seed chooses offense or defense for the opening possession.
- No kicking or punting.
- No passer may run with the ball.
- All passes must be thrown forward. A pass caught behind the line of scrimmage must be advanced past the line of scrimmage by that receiver in the final 2:00, or the clock stops. Laterals are allowed only after the completion of a forward pass.
- Handoffs in the backfield are allowed only for 8U, 10U, 11U and 12U. No handoffs for 13U, 14U, 15U or 18U.
- No blocking.
- No taunting or trash talking.
Fighting: any player who fights is disqualified from the tournament immediately. If more than one person is fighting, both teams are eliminated from the tournament immediately. Any adults who take part in fighting will be arrested and have charges pressed against them. This will be strictly enforced.
Tiebreakers
- If two teams are tied at the end of pool play, the tiebreaker is head-to-head record.
- If three or more teams are tied, these criteria are used in order: head-to-head records, points allowed, points scored, coin flip.