NFHS

Section 1: Introduction

Flag Football under NFHS is the non-contact, flag-based variant of American football sanctioned by the National Federation of State High School Associations for use in U.S. high school athletic programs. It is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the U.S. — over 20 state associations had sanctioned girls' flag football by 2025, with rapid expansion driven in part by Flag Football's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The standard NFHS format is 5-on-5 non-contact; some states play 7-on-7. For 2026-27, the NFHS Flag Football Rules Committee approved eight revisions to the rules book, touching field dimensions (Rule 1), timeouts (Rule 3-5-1), a trailing-team possession option (Rule 8-3-9 exception), and ball-handling fouls (Rule 9-7-4) — each detailed in the relevant section below. Compare with the international ruleset in the sibling IFAF Flag Football Rules entry.

Section 2: Equipment

• Ball: youth/junior/intermediate football (size adjusted by gender + level)
• Flag belt: three-flag belt (two hip + one back) per player; pop-style detachable flags 14-16" long
• No pads or helmets required (no tackling)
• Mouthguards required at most NFHS levels
• Cleats: rubber or molded (no metal); turf shoes permitted
• Uniforms: clearly numbered, contrasting colors per team

Section 3: Playing Area

• Field: Per Rule 1, state associations designate one of four official field sizes for competition: 300 ft. × 120 ft., 360 ft. × 120 ft., 360 ft. × 160 ft., or the newly added 300 ft. × 160 ft. (adopted for 2026-27) — each configuration includes two 30-foot end zones.
• 5-yard line markings; cones mark mid-field "no-run zones" near goal lines (no rushes within 5 yards of end zone on offense's side and within 5 yards of midfield on offense's side, varies by state)
• Indoor variant: shorter field, walls in play
• Marked sidelines and end-zone pylons

Section 4: Players & Officials

• 5 players per side on the field (some states 7-on-7)
• Roster size typically 12-15 players per team
• Substitutions: unlimited between plays
• Officials: 3-person crew typical (referee, line judge, back judge); 4-person at championships
• NFHS rules + each state association's local modifications

Section 5: Rules of Play

Game Length

• Two 20-minute halves (running clock except in final 2 minutes — clock stops on incomplete pass, out-of-bounds, score, change of possession)
• 1-minute half-time; OT periods if tied (alternating from 10-yard line)
• Each team is allowed three charged timeouts per half (increased from two, per the Rule 3-5-1 revision effective 2026-27)

Possession

• Each possession starts at offense's own 5-yard line
• Offense has 4 downs to advance past midfield → fresh 4 downs to score
• No first downs prior to midfield
• Coin toss for possession choice at game start; loser chooses 2nd half

Plays

• QB starts behind line of scrimmage; one direct hike
• Once ball is hiked: QB has 7-second pass clock or must release/lateral
• Forward pass allowed only behind line of scrimmage
• Defense cannot rush QB unless rushing from 7+ yards back (designated rusher)

Down a Player

• Player is "down" when defender removes either hip flag (or back flag if used)
• No tackling, blocking, or contact — incidental contact penalty-free; intentional contact = flag

Section 6: Scoring

• Touchdown: 6 points
• Extra point (PAT): 1 point from 5-yard line, 2 points from 10-yard line
• Trailing-team possession option (new exception to Rule 8-3-9, effective 2026-27): instead of attempting a try, a team trailing on the scoreboard may elect to retain possession, taking over on fourth down at its own 20-yard line for a high-risk play to extend a comeback attempt.
• Safety: 2 points (defense)
• Safety restart (effective 2026-27): following a safety, the team whose goal line was involved puts the ball in play by scrimmage kick from its own 20-yard line.
• Pick-6 (defensive TD): 6 points
• Tiebreaker: alternating possessions from 10-yard line until decisive

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

• Offensive flag-guarding: 5-yard penalty + loss of down (using hands/arms to block defender's reach for flag)
• Illegal contact / blocking: 10-yard penalty
• Defensive holding / illegal flag pull: 5-yard penalty + automatic first down
• Pass interference: 10-yard penalty + automatic first down (offensive: 10-yard from line of scrimmage)
• Delay of game: 5-yard penalty
• Unsportsmanlike conduct: 10-yard penalty; second occurrence = ejection
• Illegal handling of a ball in possession / horse-collar tackling (Rule 9-7-4, revised 2026-27): a ball in a player's possession shall not be batted, stripped, or have stripping attempted by punching, striking, or grabbing, by a player of either team — 10-yard penalty + automatic first down

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Flag Football is intentionally non-contact, which substantially reduces injury risk relative to tackle football. NFHS still requires: mandatory mouthguards (at most state-association levels), pre-participation physical examination, certified athletic trainer recommended on-site for varsity games, and AED availability at competition venues. Concussion protocol per NFHS Concussion Rule: any player exhibiting signs of concussion is removed from play and may not return without medical clearance. Flag-guarding penalties are designed to prevent unnecessary defender-offense collision during flag pulls. The 2026-27 clarification to Rule 9-7-4 prohibiting batting, stripping, or attempted stripping of a ball in possession further reduces incidental-contact injury risk around ball-handling. Heat acclimatization protocols per NFHS Heat Acclimatization Guidelines apply to August/September starts.