IFAF

Section 1: Introduction

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) governs international flag football, including the IFAF Flag Football World Championship and the qualification pathway to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where flag football debuts as an Olympic medal sport. The current governing document is the International Flag Football Rules 2023, a 5-on-5, non-contact ruleset that IFAF's Foreword states "take effect by 1st of May 2023." IFAF's own rules archive continues to list the 2023 edition as its current edition; national federations (such as BAFA in Great Britain) publish supplementary guidance notes to be read alongside it, but these notes are national implementation guidance, not a new IFAF edition superseding 2023.

Per the Foreword, IFAF "request[s] all member federations to play by IFAF rules," optionally adopting the permitted variances listed in the rules' "National Changes" chapter. The Flag Football Code, described as "an integral part of the rules," establishes that flag football is a non-aggressive, non-contact sport in which "the most important aspect of the rules is to avoid any significant and impactful contact." This ruleset differs in structure and terminology from the NFHS variant used in U.S. high schools — see the sibling NFHS Flag Football Rules entry for that variant.

Section 2: Equipment

Rule 1, Section 2, Article 1 specifies the ball as an ellipsoid spheroid of four panels of pebble-grained leather in natural tan color with eight equally spaced lacings, inflated to 12.5–13.5 psi (0.85–0.95 bar). The regular (men's/mixed) ball measures 11.00–11.50 inches long and weighs 14–15 ounces; Rule 1-2-2 requires youth-size balls for women's games and games with players under 16, and junior-size balls for players under 13 (youth and junior balls need not be leather).

Rule 1-3-1 (Mandatory Equipment) requires: (a) full-length jerseys of the same team color, cut and style, tucked into the pants, with contrasting Arabic numerals at least 6 inches tall on the back, unique per player from 0–99; (b) shorts or pants of a single matching color, cut and style, without pockets, studs or clips; and (c) tightly fixed flag belts with pop-away sockets and two identical flags, one on each side of the waist, hanging freely and fully visible in a color contrasting with the pants. Rule 1-3-2 sets flag dimensions at 15–16 inches long and 1.8–2.0 inches wide, with a minimum tear resistance of 300 Newtons at the socket attachment.

Rule 1-3-1(d) addresses intra-oral mouthpieces — if worn, they must be a visible non-white color — and states that "the use of a mouthpiece is strongly recommended," stopping short of making it mandatory equipment. Rule 1-3-3 (Illegal Equipment) prohibits shoulder pads, helmets or any head covering (caps, hoods, bandannas, headbands), cleats longer than 0.5 inch or sharpened/metallic cleats, sharp-edged knee braces or other dangerous protectors, glasses or frames made of breakable material, exposed jewelry, and any electronic or mechanical device used to communicate with a coach. Rule 1-3-4 requires each team to certify to the Referee before the game that its roster has the mandatory equipment and has been briefed on what constitutes illegal equipment.

Section 3: Playing Area

Correction to a previously published claim: an earlier version of this rulebook stated that a "2026 update" enlarged the end zones from 3 to 5 yards. That claim cannot be verified against any IFAF document and is withdrawn. Under Rule 2, Section 1, Article 3 of the current (2023) edition, the end zones are, and have been, 10-yard areas at each end of the field — not 3 yards, not 5 yards. There is no IFAF rules edition published after 2023; the "BAFA flag rules 2026" notes referenced elsewhere are British national governing-body guidance meant to be read alongside the 2023 IFAF rulebook, not a superseding IFAF edition.

Per the Dimensions of Fields chapter and Rule 2-1-2, the standard 5-on-5 field of play is 50 yards (45.75 m) long and 25 yards (22.90 m) wide, with the two 10-yard end zones (Rule 2-1-3) bringing total end-to-end length to 70 yards. A 3-yard safety area surrounds the field on all sides, for a total required footprint of 76 × 31 yards. Line width is 4 inches, and the goal line is part of the end zone (Rule 2-1-5).

Rule 2-1-4 defines "no-running zones" as the 5-yard areas at both ends of the field immediately in front of each goal line; Rule 7-1-3(f) requires the offense to run a forward-pass play (no running plays) once the ball is snapped on or inside the 5-yard line approaching the opponent's end zone. Rule 2-1-6 designates the midfield line — midway between the goal lines — as the "middle line," which is the line to gain for a new series of downs.

IFAF's National Changes chapter permits an alternate "Flag 7 on 7" format on a big field 50 × 30 yards with rosters of up to 7 on-field players (20-player roster), and a small-sided "Beach Flag" format (4-on-4, 25 × 25 yard sand field, no middle line). Both remain distinct from the standard 5-on-5 game described in this rulebook.

Section 4: Players & Officials

Rule 1-1-1 sets each team at not more than 5 players on the field, with rosters of up to 15 players (5 on field, 10 substitutes). A team that is missing more than 1 player from its regular number forfeits the game. Rule 1-1-4 permits each team to designate no more than 2 players as captains and no more than 2 coaches to the Referee; only those designated individuals may request rule clarifications, make decisions for the team, or request a challenge.

Rule 11-1-2 allows games to be officiated by a crew of 2 (Referee and Field Judge), 3 (Referee, Down Judge and Field Judge), or 4 (adding a Side Judge) officials. Rule 11-1-1 states that officials' jurisdiction begins at the coin toss and ends when the Referee declares the score final. Each official's specific duties are prescribed in the IFAF Flag Football Officials Manual, though all officials carry equal authority over judgment calls (Rule 11-1-3).

Rule 12-1-1 grants each team one challenge conference per half, plus one during overtime, limited to alleged misapplication of a rule or incorrect penalty enforcement — judgment calls cannot be challenged. Notably, Rule 12-1-3 (Video Review) states that "the challenging team may not attempt to provide videos, photos, audio, witnesses or other evidence to support the challenge," and that "the Referee must ignore these if offered" — the 2023 rules do not provide for video replay review at any level of play.

Section 5: Rules of Play

Game Length

Rule 3-2-1 sets total playing time at 40 minutes, split into two 20-minute halves with a 2-minute intermission. Under Rule 3-2-6, if the score difference reaches 30 points or more at the Referee's notification, the game clock runs continuously (no longer stopping for situations that would normally stop it) for the remainder of the half. Rule 3-1-1 has the Referee toss a coin 3 minutes before the scheduled start; the winner chooses whether to snap first (from its own 5-yard line) in the first or second half, and the loser chooses which end to defend. Rule 3-1-2 has the team that did not snap first in the first half put the ball in play to start the second half.

Overtime

Rule 3-1-3 governs the tiebreaker: after a 2-minute intermission and a coin toss (with no charged team timeouts available), the first extra period consists of 2 series, each team snapping at the middle line for one series of downs with no first down awarded at midfield. If the score remains tied after that period, each subsequent period instead consists of a single 1-point try attempt per team from the 5-yard line, continuing until a period ends with the score no longer tied.

Series of Downs

Rule 5-1-1 awards a series of 4 consecutive scrimmage downs at the start of each half and after any score (including a try), safety, touchback, or change of team possession. If the offense fails to reach the middle line or score by the end of its 4th down, Rule 5-1-1 awards a new series to the defense at its own 5-yard line; after an interception, the defense's new series begins at the dead-ball spot.

Passing and Rushing

Rule 7-1-3(g) gives the quarterback 7 seconds after the snap to pass or hand off the ball; if that limit is exceeded the ball becomes dead at the scrimmage line for loss of down. Rule 7-1-4(d) permits a maximum of 2 defensive "blitzers," each of whom must line up more than 7 yards from the scrimmage line at the snap and signal by raising one hand. Under Rule 7-1-4(e)–(f), any defender who lines up more than 7 yards from the scrimmage line may cross it and rush at any time until the ball is dead, while defenders positioned closer than 7 yards must hold their position behind the scrimmage line until the ball has been handed off, faked, or thrown. Rule 7-3-1 allows one legal forward pass per down, thrown from behind the scrimmage line before any change of team possession.

Dead Ball and Non-Contact Play

Rule 4-1-2 declares the ball dead when, among other conditions, any part of the runner's body other than a hand or foot touches the ground, the runner has fewer than 2 flags in their possession, or the ball goes out of bounds. A "sack" is defined as the removal of the quarterback's flag behind the scrimmage line while in possession of a live ball. Rule 9-1-1 (Illegal Contact) makes clear that flag football is non-contact: no player may intentionally contact an opponent or official, hold, or aim at an opponent, and both runners and defenders are charged with avoiding contact — if a runner and defender contribute equally to contact, the foul is charged to the offense, and if a receiver and defender contribute equally to contact on a pass in the air, the foul is charged to the defense.

Section 6: Scoring

• Touchdown: 6 points, scored under Rule 8-2-1 when a runner in possession crosses the plane of the opponent's goal line or a player catches a pass in the opponent's end zone.
• Try (extra point): per Rule 8-3-2, the scoring team elects a 1-point try snapped from the opponent's 5-yard line or a 2-point try from the 10-yard line, run as a single extra down.
• Defensive score on a try: 2 points, if the defense returns a try attempt the length of the field (Rule 8-1-1).
• Safety: 2 points awarded to the opponent (Rule 8-4-1), when the ball becomes dead on or behind the defending team's own goal line and that team is responsible for the ball being there; a safety scored on a try is worth 1 point (Rule 8-1-1).

After a try, Rule 8-3-3 has the ball put in play by the opponent at its own 5-yard line (absent an enforced penalty). After a safety, Rule 8-4-2 has the scoring team snap from its own 5-yard line. A touchback — the ball becoming dead on or behind a team's own goal line through its own responsibility, or an interception behind the 5-yard line whose momentum carries the defender into the end zone (Rule 8-5-1) — results in the defending team snapping from its own 5-yard line under Rule 8-5-2.

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

• Illegal contact (Rule 9-1-1): 10 yards and loss of down enforced from the basic spot; automatic first down when committed by the defense.
• Game interference (Rule 9-1-2): 10 yards and loss of down from the basic spot; automatic first down for defense.
• Pass interference (Rule 7-3-3): 10 yards from the basic spot; loss of down for an offensive foul, automatic first down for a defensive foul.
• Unsportsmanlike acts (Rule 9-2-1): 10 yards from the dead-ball spot; a second unsportsmanlike act by the same player or coach in the same game results in disqualification (Rule 10-1-1).
• Flag guarding (Rule 9-2-2c): 5 yards and loss of down from the spot of foul.
• Jumping or diving (Rule 9-2-2b): 5 yards and loss of down from the spot of foul.
• Illegal flag pull (Rule 9-2-2d): 5 yards from the basic spot.
• Shielding (Rule 9-2-2a): 5 yards from the basic spot.
• Illegal kick (Rule 6-1-1): 5 yards and loss of down from the spot of foul.
• Delay of game / delay of pass (Rule 7-1-1, Rule 7-1-3g): 5 yards, ball remains dead or loss of down as applicable.
• Flagrant fouls (Rule 10-1-1): a foul that puts an opponent in danger of serious injury, or that is contrary to the principle of sportsmanship, requires disqualification.

Rule 10-3-1 defines the "basic spot" used to enforce most non-spot fouls, and Rule 10-2-4 provides that when both teams commit offsetting live-ball fouls, the down is replayed — unless the team last gaining possession had not itself fouled before gaining possession, in which case it may decline the offset and retain the ball (the "clean hands principle").

Section 8: Safety Considerations

The Flag Football Code states plainly that "the most important aspect of the rules is to avoid any significant and impactful contact," and that the first supporting principle is to make the flags an easy target so a runner cannot rely on contact to protect them. Rule 9-1-1 operationalizes this by placing responsibility to avoid contact on both runners and defenders, and by penalizing "aiming" — targeting or initiating contact with an opponent — as its own foul.

Rule 1-3-3 (Illegal Equipment) removes the sport's principal contact-injury risks by banning helmets, shoulder pads, and any headwear, along with sharp-edged knee braces or other dangerous protectors, breakable glasses or frames, and exposed jewelry. Rule 1-3-1(d) does not make mouthpieces mandatory but states their use "is strongly recommended."

Rule 10-1-1 requires disqualification for any flagrant foul — one that endangers an opponent with serious injury or violates the sport's sportsmanship principle — and separately disqualifies any player or coach who commits two unsportsmanlike acts (Rule 9-2-1) in the same game. The Flag Football Code further states that "feigning an injury for any reason is unethical," underscoring that injured players must be given full protection under the rules.