Flag Football Rules and Gameplay

• Flag football originated as a safe and fun way for troops at military bases to relieve stress and exercise.
• Fort Meade, Maryland, is considered the birthplace of flag football.
• While the term "Flag Football" appeared in Webster's dictionary in 1954, its origins are believed to be in the 1930s.
• The term "Touch Football" was listed in Webster's in 1933.

Teams

• A team consists of 7 players.
• All players are eligible to receive passes.

Kick-Offs

• Kick-offs can be a punt, place kick, or throw from the kicker's 20-yard line.
• If the ball goes out of bounds in the end zone, play starts at the receiving team's 20-yard line.
• If the ball goes out of bounds on the sideline, play starts in the center of the field opposite where the ball went out.
• A kicked ball can be caught and advanced; if dropped, the play stops.

Downs

• After the kick-off, a team has 4 downs to advance the ball and score a touchdown.
• Failure to advance results in a turnover to the opposing team at that spot.

Scoring

• Touchdown is worth 6 points.
• Safety is worth 2 points.

Fumbles

• A fumbled ball is dead at the point of contact with the ground and belongs to the team that fumbled.
• A fumble results in a loss of down and ball on the fourth down.
• No player can advance a fumbled ball.

Rushing the Quarterback

• A blitz is a defensive rush on the quarterback.
• In P.E. classes, rushers must count to ten Mississippi before rushing the quarterback.

Tackling (Pulling Flags)

• A player is tackled when a defensive player pulls their flag, and the ball is downed.
• If a flag is accidentally lost, the ball is downed at that spot.
• Defensive players must stay 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage (neutral zone) until the ball is snapped, unless within 5 yards of their own goal line.

Fouls and Penalties

• Defensive pass interference results in a first down at the spot of the foul.
• Offensive pass interference results in loss of down and a 10-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage.
• Offsides or false start carries a 5-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage.
• Flag guarding (using hands or arms to shield flag) results in a 10-yard penalty.
• Tripping (personal foul) results in a 15-yard penalty.

Terminology

• Quarterbacks are the players who carry or pass the ball on offense, positioned behind the linemen.
• The center snaps the ball to the quarterback.
• The defensive team tries to defend their own goal.
• A down is completed when the ball is snapped, and the ball carrier's flag is pulled, or an incomplete pass occurs
• A forward pass is thrown toward the opponent's goal line from behind the line of scrimmage.
• A fumble is when the ball carrier drops the ball; the ball is dead at the point of the fumble and belongs to the team that fumbled.
• A hand-off is when one player hands the ball to another teammate.
• An incomplete pass is when a pass is dropped or missed; the ball returns to the line of scrimmage.
• An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player and can run with the ball until their flag is pulled.
• Interference is when one player pushes, bumps, tackles, hits, or touches another player before the ball has been touched during a pass attempt.
• A lateral pass is to the side or back, not forward.
• Linemen are players on the line of scrimmage, generally assigned to block.
• The line of scrimmage is an imaginary line through the ball parallel to the yard lines.
• The offensive team has possession of the ball.
• Offside is when a player crosses the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped.
• A false start is when an offensive player moves before the ball is snapped.
• All players are eligible to be pass receivers.
• Rushers are defensive players who rush into the offensive backfield to stop the play. In P.E. flag football, the defense must count to "10 Mississippi" out loud.
• A safety can refer to: A defensive player deep in the defensive backfield to prevent long passes, OR when the defensive team downs the ball carrier in their own end zone, which scores 2 points.
• A touchback occurs when a player grounds the ball behind their own goal line after the ball was caused to pass the goal line by an opponent.