High school vs NFL FLAG: what changes
High school is a bigger game. You play 7 a side instead of 5. Games are four 12-minute quarters, not two halves. The field is longer, and each state picks its size. First-down lines sit on the 20 and 40. Extra points come from the 3 or the 10, and there is a real punt.
SoCal Fire Elite 0, Lakeview Lady Hawks 01st half4th & 3 to midfieldBall on own 22
Example: NFL FLAG 5v5, girls' youth, NFL FLAG tournament
SoCal Fire Elite faced 4th down at its own 22, 3 yards short of midfield. A 7-yard pass got them across.
In NFL FLAG, crossing midfield earns a new set of 3 downs to score. They scored on the 3rd one.
Watch: Calling halftime (0:29)Harbor Point Mariners 0, LC Legends 0Q11st & 2 (to the 20)Ball on own 18
Example: NFHS (girls' high school), high school (NFHS rules, treated as youth)
Harbor Point started at its own 18 after a punt. A 2-yard run reached the 20.
In NFHS play, the line to gain is a fixed zone line, here the 20. Reaching it earned a first down.
Watch: Calling halftime (0:29)Many high school players come up through youth NFL FLAG. This is what they will relearn.
Updated · cited to the official rulebooks · Compare every ruleset
Side by side
| Rule | NFHS (girls' high school)7v7 | NFL FLAG 5v55v5 |
|---|---|---|
| Players on the field | 7 to start. Players may get hurt or thrown out with no one left to sub in. Only then may a team play short. Never below 5. | 5 a side. The rulebook never states a count, but its rules talk about 5 eligible players. NFL FLAG's rules page allows up to 10 on a roster. |
| Field size | 4 sizes, and each state picks one. Goal lines are 80 or 100 yards apart. The field is 40 or 53 1/3 yards wide. End zones are 10 yards. The 80 x 53 1/3 size is new for 2026-27. NFHS 1-1-2; Table 1-7 #1NFHS diagrams #1 to #4NFHS changes 1-1-2 | 30 x 70 yards. That includes two 10-yard end zones. The line to gain is at midfield. |
| Downs and first downs | 4 downs to get to the line to gain. It is the first 20- or 40-yard line ahead of the ball, set when the series starts. Near the goal, the goal line is the target. | 4 downs to cross midfield. Then 3 downs to score. |
| Touchdown and extra point | Touchdown: 6. On the try, you pick 1 point from the 3 or 2 from the 10. Field goals (3) and kicked tries (1) count only where the state allows them. Then the other team starts at its 14. A team still behind may keep the ball instead. It gets 4th down at its own 20. | Touchdown: 6. The try after it: 1 point from the 5 (pass only) or 2 from the 10 (run or pass). You call your choice. Changing it costs a timeout. |
| Punts | Yes, a real punt. You must call it first. Then kick within 5 seconds of the snap. The other team can run it back, except on a try. Into the end zone, they start at their 14. Punting is on the list of state choices. Kicks off a tee or holder need state approval. NFHS 6-1-1, 6-1-2; 3-6-2b; 8-5-3, 8-5-4; Table 1-7 #20MPSSAA item 13 | No kicking. On 4th down (or 3rd) the coach calls punt or play. A punt gives the other team the ball at its own 5. |
| Flag guarding | 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. | 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. |
| Game length and clock | 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. | 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. |
Scroll the table sideways for every rulebook. Each citation jumps to its source below.
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 lesson · 0:26Punting on 4th downOne tap on 4th down
- BreakAway U guideHow to stat a flag football game
Who it's for
- High school: Season-long stats for high school flag football programs
- 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.
Related rules
- 5v5 vs 7v7 flag football: the rules that change
- NFL FLAG vs USA Flag rules: what's different
- IFAF vs NFL FLAG rules: what's different
- Every rule, every ruleset, side by side
Official rulebooks
- NFL FLAG Official Playing RulesRevised March 24, 2025. 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
- NFHS Flag Football Rules Book (NFHS, 2026-27)
- NFHS 2026-27 Flag Football Rules Changes (NFHS changes, Final, May 2026)
- 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)
- NFHS 2026-27 Flag Football Field Diagrams (NFHS diagrams, 2026-27)
- MPSSAA Girls' Flag State Association Adoptions (MPSSAA, 2026-27)
- NFL FLAG Important Rule Changes (NFL FLAG changes, Effective fall 2024 league and tournament seasons)