What is flag guarding? The rule and the penalty
Flag guarding means stopping a defender from pulling your flag. That includes using your hands, arms, the ball or your jersey. Most rulebooks make it 5 yards plus loss of down. High school makes it 10 yards with no loss of down.
Kids grab at their flags without thinking. Teach hands off early and you save a lot of penalties.
Updated · cited to the official rulebooks · Compare every ruleset
By ruleset
What each rulebook says, in our words, with the rule to check it against. A blank cell says why it is blank.
NFL FLAG 5v5
5v5 · Youth leagues and tournaments
It means blocking a flag pull. That covers a stiff arm, or dropping your shoulder, arm, hand, head or the ball in the way. A jersey over the flags counts too. Penalty: 5 yards and the down.
NFL FLAG One-Way Field makes no change here.
USA Flag 5's
5v5 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
The same moves as NFL FLAG. Leaving your feet to dodge a flag pull counts too. Penalty: 5 yards and the down.
USA Flag 7's
7v7 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
The same moves as the 5v5 book. That means a stiff arm, a dropped head or arm, a jersey over the flags, or leaving your feet. Penalty: 5 yards and the down.
NFHS (girls' high school)
7v7 · Sanctioned high school
Using the hands, arms or ball to stop a flag pull. It only counts if there is contact. Penalty: 10 yards. You keep the down.
Illinois (IHSA) makes no change here.
IFAF Flag Football
5v5 · International play
Covering your flags or reaching a hand toward the defender. Penalty: 5 yards and the down.
College Flag Football
7v7 · College, including NAIA women's
Using the hands, arms or ball to make contact that stops a flag pull. Penalty: 5 yards from the spot and the down.
Stat it in BreakAway
From 5v5 and 7v7 to NFL FLAG and your own house rules, if you play it, BreakAway can stat it. See how rulesets work
- BreakAway U lesson · 0:32Logging a penaltyThrow the flag
- BreakAway U lesson · 0:37Flagging the last playAttach a flag to a play
- BreakAway U guideHow to stat a flag football game
Who it's for
- Families: Follow every game, get recruited
In the glossary
Pick your ruleset. Stat the game.
Start from a curated list of presets. Change any rule for your team, league or tournament. Field and downs, how the game's organized, scoring, punts and turnovers, overtime. Saved to your team for the next game. Tap to use it and you're ready to stat. Real stats, generated as you go.
A completed pass, logged in seconds.
Questions.
Under USA Flag rules, yes. Leaving your feet to escape a flag pull counts as flag guarding. The one exception is to avoid a collision.
Related rules
- Is flag football a contact sport? Blocking and contact rules
- Can you jump, dive or spin in flag football?
- Pass interference in flag football
- Can the quarterback run in flag football?
- How long is a flag football game?
- Interception rules in flag football
- Every rule, every ruleset, side by side
Official rulebooks
- NFL FLAG Official Playing RulesRevised March 24, 2025. Free from the publisher.
- USA Flag 5's Rulebookv2026.2. Free from the publisher.
- USA Flag 7's Rulebookv2026.2. Free from the publisher.
- IFAF Flag Football Rules2023, effective May 1, 2023. Free from the publisher.
- 2025-26 and 2026-27 College Flag Football Rules2025-26 and 2026-27. Free from the publisher.
- Get the official NFHS rulebookThe NFHS Flag Football Rules Book is sold by NFHS. The cells here answer one question each in BreakAway's words; the book is the rule.
Sources cited on this page
- NFL FLAG Official Playing Rules (NFL FLAG, Revised March 24, 2025)
- USA Flag 5's Rulebook (USA Flag 5's, v2026.2)
- USA Flag 7's Rulebook (USA Flag 7's, v2026.2)
- NFHS Flag Football Rules Book (NFHS, 2026-27)
- IFAF Flag Football Rules (IFAF, 2023, effective May 1, 2023)
- 2025-26 and 2026-27 College Flag Football Rules (College, 2025-26 and 2026-27)