How long is a flag football game?
It depends on the rulebook. NFL FLAG league games are two halves of 15 to 25 minutes. NFL FLAG tournament games are two 12-minute halves. USA Flag league games and IFAF games are two 20-minute halves. College and high school games are four 12-minute quarters.
Game length tells families how long to plan for. It also shapes your plan for subs.
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
League: two halves of 15 to 25 minutes, set by the league. The clock stops only for injuries, halftime and timeouts. Each team gets one timeout per half, 60 seconds long. Play clock: 40 seconds. Tournament: two 12-minute halves on a running clock. Play clock: 25 seconds. Three 30-second timeouts a game.
NFL FLAG One-Way Field makes no change here.
USA Flag 5's
5v5 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
League: two 20-minute halves. Play clock: 30 seconds. Each team gets 2 timeouts of 30 seconds per half. For 18 and over, stopping the clock in the last 2 minutes is suggested. Tournament: halves of 12, 15 or 20 minutes, by age.
USA Flag 7's
7v7 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
League: two 20-minute halves. Play clock: 30 seconds. Each team gets 2 timeouts of 30 seconds per half. For 18 and over, stopping the clock in the last 2 minutes is suggested. Tournament: halves of 12, 15 or 20 minutes, by age.
NFHS (girls' high school)
7v7 · Sanctioned high school
Four quarters of 12 minutes, with a 1-minute break after the 1st and 3rd. Each state sets halftime between 5 and 20 minutes. You get 25 seconds to snap. Each team has 3 timeouts per half, 1 minute each, and loses any it doesn't use. Until the 2-minute mark of each half, an incomplete pass or a runner going out keeps the clock running.
Illinois HS (IHSA)
7v7 · Illinois girls' high school
6-minute halftime. The clock runs, but stops for timeouts, injuries, scores, turnovers and penalties. In the final 2 minutes of each half, it also stops for out of bounds, incomplete passes and first downs.
IFAF Flag Football
5v5 · International play
Two 20-minute halves. The clock stops for set events in the final 2 minutes of each half. Play clock: 25 seconds. Two 60-second timeouts per half.
College Flag Football
7v7 · College, including NAIA women's
Four 12-minute quarters. The clock runs nonstop through minute 22 of each half. Then comes a two-minute timeout. Play clock: 30 seconds. 3 timeouts per half.
High school: what each state chose
NFHS leaves this to each state association. These are the states whose documents BreakAway has read.
California (CIF)
5 to 10 minutes, set by the section running the game.
Illinois (IHSA)
6 minutes. Both coaches and tournament staff may agree to change it.
North Carolina (NCHSAA)
10 minutes. Coaches may agree to shorten it. A longer one needs the state office's OK.
Tennessee (TSSAA)
10 minutes. Coaches may agree to shorten it. A longer one needs the state office's OK.
Maryland (MPSSAA)
10 minutes. Both teams may agree to cut it to 5 at the pregame meeting with officials.
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 · 0:29Calling halftimeSwitch halves in one tap
- 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.
Each state decides, from 5 to 20 minutes. Illinois uses 6 minutes. North Carolina, Tennessee and Maryland use 10.
Related rules
- Can the quarterback run in flag football?
- Is flag football a contact sport? Blocking and contact rules
- What is flag guarding? The rule and the penalty
- Can you jump, dive or spin in flag football?
- Flag football mercy rule by ruleset
- 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)
- NFL FLAG Flag Football Rules (NFL FLAG rules page, Web page, as of October 6, 2026)
- 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)
- IHSA Girls' Flag Football Manual for Schools and Managers (IHSA manual, 2026-27)
- IHSA adoptions for the 2025-26 NFHS Flag Football Rules (IHSA, 2025-26, Section 7)
- 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)
- NCHSAA adoptions for the 2026-27 NFHS Flag Football Rules (NCHSAA, 2026-27, June 2026)
- TSSAA adoptions for the 2026-27 NFHS Flag Football Rules (TSSAA, 2026-27)
- MPSSAA Girls' Flag State Association Adoptions (MPSSAA, 2026-27)
- 2026 CIF By State Adoption (NFHS Rule 1, Table 1-7) (CIF, 2026-27, posted on cifstate.org August 13, 2026)