Tennessee girls' flag football rules (TSSAA)
Tennessee plays NFHS rules with its own state choices. The field is 80 yards between goal lines and 40 yards wide. Teams wear a 3-flag belt in the playoffs. Halftime is 10 minutes. Overtime is one try each, repeated until someone wins.
If your team plays in Tennessee, these are the choices your games use.
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What TSSAA chose
- FieldNFHS Table 1-7 #1
NFHS field 1: 80 yards between the goal lines, 40 wide.
- Flag beltsNFHS Table 1-7 #11
Regular season: both teams wear the same kind of belt with the same number of flags. Postseason: a 3-flag belt.
- Hash marksNFHS Table 1-7 #13
None. Every snap comes from the middle of the field.
- PuntingNFHS option, MPSSAA list #13
Not stated. Punting is not on Tennessee's list.
- Field goals and kicked triesNFHS Table 1-7 #20
Not adopted. Under NFHS, that means no field goals or kicked tries. No kicking tee.
- Coin tossNFHS Table 1-7 #18
The NFHS rule: 3 minutes before the start.
- HalftimeNFHS Table 1-7 #17
10 minutes. Coaches may agree to shorten it. A longer one needs the state office's OK.
- OvertimeNFHS Table 1-7 #14
One try each: 1 point from the 3 or 2 from the 10. Both go toward the same goal. Repeat until someone wins. The home team calls the toss. No timeouts, but 1 minute between periods.
- Mercy ruleNFHS Table 1-7 #15
If a team leads by 19 or more at the 4th quarter's two-minute timeout, the clock keeps running. Coaches may agree to end early.
The NFHS rules underneath
Every state starts from the NFHS book. The core, in our words, with the rule number. More on high school rules
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 · 0:39Logging the extra pointOne point or two
- BreakAway U guideHow to stat a flag football game
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.
A completed pass, logged in seconds.
Questions.
A lead of 19 or more at the 2-minute timeout in the 4th quarter keeps the clock running. Coaches can also agree to end the game early.
The home team.
Related rules
- Illinois girls' flag football rules (IHSA)
- North Carolina girls' flag football rules (NCHSAA)
- Maryland girls' flag football rules (MPSSAA)
- California girls' flag football rules (CIF)
- Every rule, every ruleset, side by side
Official rulebooks
- TSSAA adoptions for the 2026-27 NFHS Flag Football Rules2026-27. From TSSAA.
- 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)
- TSSAA adoptions for the 2026-27 NFHS Flag Football Rules (TSSAA, 2026-27)