How many players are on a flag football team?
It depends on the format. 5v5 rulebooks put 5 players on the field: NFL FLAG, USA Flag 5's and IFAF. 7v7 rulebooks put 7: USA Flag 7's, college and high school. Most let a team keep playing with fewer.
Your roster size decides how many subs you have. Every kid should get playing time.
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
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.
NFL FLAG One-Way Field makes no change here.
USA Flag 5's
5v5 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
5 to start. After an injury, a team may drop to 4. Never fewer.
USA Flag 7's
7v7 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
7 to start, with at least 7 on the roster. After an injury, a team may drop to 4. Never fewer.
NFHS (girls' high school)
7v7 · Sanctioned high school
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.
Illinois (IHSA) makes no change here.
IFAF Flag Football
5v5 · International play
Up to 5. Playing short is allowed. Missing 2 or more players is a forfeit. Rosters hold up to 15.
College Flag Football
7v7 · College, including NAIA women's
Up to 7. A team may play with fewer.
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 · 0:54Managing your rosterThe one-time setup you never repeat
- BreakAway U guideHow to stat a flag football game
Who it's for
- Coaches & Teams: Stat your own games, free
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.
In most rulebooks, yes. Both USA Flag books let a team drop to 4 after an injury. IFAF allows fewer than 5, but 2 or more missing is a forfeit. College lets a team play short. High school lets a team with an empty bench play with as few as 5.
NFL FLAG's rules page allows up to 10 players. IFAF allows up to 15. USA Flag 7's needs at least 7.
Related rules
- 5v5 flag football positions
- 7v7 flag football positions
- Rushing the passer: the rush line and the 7-second rule
- What is a no-run zone in flag football?
- How many downs in flag football?
- Pass interference 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)
- NFHS 2026-27 Flag Football Rules Changes (NFHS changes, Final, May 2026)
- 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)