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High school flag football rules (NFHS)

High school flag football uses the NFHS rulebook. Each team starts with 7 players. Games are four 12-minute quarters. You get 4 downs to reach a first-down line on the 20 or 40. Each state picks its field size, overtime and mercy rule.

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 how to stat it in the BreakAway app: Calling halftimeWatch: Calling halftime (0:29)

Harbor Point Mariners 33, LC Legends 0Q33rd & 3 (to the 20)Ball on own 17

Example: NFHS (girls' high school), high school (NFHS rules, treated as youth)

On 3rd down at its own 17, Harbor Point needed 3 yards to reach the 20. The defense jumped offside.

The 5-yard penalty moved the ball to the 22. That passed the line to gain, so Harbor Point got a first down.

Watch how to stat it in the BreakAway app: Calling halftimeWatch: Calling halftime (0:29)

If your players move up to high school, these are their rules. Each state adds its own choices.

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Updated · cited to the official rulebooks · Compare every ruleset

Every NFHS (girls' high school) penalty, with yards

The rules people ask about

NFHS published its first flag football rulebook in 2025. It is for high school play, which today is mostly girls' flag football. This column follows the 2026-27 book. You get 4 downs to reach a line to gain on a 20- or 40-yard line. A try is 1 point from the 3 or 2 from the 10. A team still behind after its try may keep the ball. Each state picks the field size, overtime, the mercy rule and place kicking. See how states adjust NFHS rules, below. We have not checked the book's passing, rushing and blocking rules yet. Those cells say so.

Field and players

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.

NFHS 1-1-3NFHS changes 1-1-3

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

Possession

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.

NFHS 5-1-1; 5-3-1; 2-21-4

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

Scoring

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.

NFHS 8-1; 8-3-1, 8-3-3, 8-3-9; 8-4-1

Plays

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.

NFHS 9-2-2b, c; Penalty summary; 10-1-6; Points of Emphasis

Clock and game

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.

NFHS 3-1-1, 3-1-6, Table 3-1; 3-4-4f, g; 3-5-1; 3-6-1

Overtime

The book has none. A state may pick a way to break ties. Overtime then counts as part of the 4th quarter. Unused 2nd-half timeouts don't carry into it. See the state table below.

NFHS 3-1-1 NOTE; 3-5-1; Table 1-7 #14

Mercy rule

The book has none. A state may set a lead that ends the game or starts a running clock.

NFHS 3-1-2; Table 1-7 #15

Rules by state

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

Who it's for

  • High school: Season-long stats for high school flag football programs

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.

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A completed pass, logged in seconds.

Questions.

7v7. A team can only play short if it has no one left on the bench. Even then, it never goes below 5.

Related rules

Official rulebooks

  • 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

  1. NFHS Flag Football Rules Book (NFHS, 2026-27)
  2. NFHS 2026-27 Flag Football Rules Changes (NFHS changes, Final, May 2026)
  3. NFHS 2026-27 Flag Football Field Diagrams (NFHS diagrams, 2026-27)
  4. MPSSAA Girls' Flag State Association Adoptions (MPSSAA, 2026-27)

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