IFAF flag football rules, explained
IFAF flag football is 5v5 with no contact. Midfield is the only first-down line. You cannot run in the 5 yards before either goal line. There are no kicks at all. A game is two 20-minute halves.
Desert Ridge Coyotes 0, Rosemont Rockers 01st half4th & 20 to midfieldBall on own 5
Example: IFAF Flag Football, unknown level (treated as youth)
On 4th down from its own 5, Desert Ridge threw 25 yards to the opponent's 20. That crossed midfield.
Under IFAF rules, midfield is the only first-down line. One throw earned a fresh set of downs to score.
Watch: Logging an interception (0:32)Bay City Blaze 6, Northshore Storm 131st half4th & 21 to goalBall on opp 21
Example: IFAF Flag Football, unknown level (treated as youth)
Bay City crossed midfield and reached the opponent's 21. Then 3 straight passes fell incomplete, the last on 4th down.
Under IFAF rules, the other team does not take over at the 21. It starts at its own 5.
Watch: Logging an interception (0:32)IFAF rules are used in international play. They are good to know as your players move up.
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Every IFAF Flag Football penalty, with yards
IFAF Flag Football, rule by rule
The international rulebook, in effect since May 1, 2023. It is the newest IFAF edition we found. No contact is allowed. Midfield is the only line to gain, and there are no kicks at all. A 30-point lead at the two-minute notice runs the clock. It does not end the game.
Field and players
- Players on the field
Up to 5. Playing short is allowed. Missing 2 or more players is a forfeit. Rosters hold up to 15.
- Field size
A 50 x 25 yard field, plus 10-yard end zones. Countries may change it: 40 to 60 yards long and 20 to 30 wide. End zones must be at least 8 yards.
- No-run zones
The 5 yards in front of each goal line. If you snap on or inside the 5, you must throw a forward pass. Running there costs 5 yards and the down.
Possession
- Starting the game
Coin toss, and the visitor calls it. The winner picks the half it gets the ball first. The other team picks the side. Drives start at your own 5. No kicks.
- Downs and first downs
4 downs. Midfield is the only line to gain. Crossing it earns a first down only once per drive.
- Turnover on downs
The other team starts on its own 5.
- Punts
No. Kicking is not allowed at all. Kicking the ball on purpose costs 5 yards and the down.
Scoring
- Touchdown and extra point
Touchdown: 6. The try after it: 1 point from the 5 or 2 from the 10. You choose before the ref readies the ball. A snap on the 5 must be a pass.
- Safety
2 points, or 1 on a try. The team that scored it then snaps from its own 5.
- Touchback
The defense snaps from its own 5. That happens when the offense sends the ball dead into the end zone. It also happens on an interception near the goal line. The catch must be between the 5 and the goal line, with momentum carrying the player in.
- Interceptions
Yes, you can run them back. The new offense starts where the play ends. A defensive touchdown on a try is 2.
Plays
- Fumbles
The play ends once the ball touches the ground or a teammate touches it. The fumbling team keeps it there. If the player who fumbled, or an opponent, catches it first, play goes on.
- Handoffs, laterals and forward passes
Any number of handoffs behind the line. Backward passes only before the ball crosses it. One forward pass per down, from behind the line. The quarterback can't run past the line unless the ball comes back.
- Rushing the passer and sacks
Any defender more than 7 yards back may rush. Up to 2 may signal as blitzers and get the right of way. The rest wait for a handoff, fake handoff or pass. The passer has 7 seconds.
- Flag guarding
Covering your flags or reaching a hand toward the defender. Penalty: 5 yards and the down.
- Diving and jumping
No jumping or diving: 5 yards and the down. Dipping is fine. Spinning is fine unless your flags fly up.
- Blocking, screening and contact
No contact. Who had the spot first, or the path, decides who is at fault. Illegal contact costs 10 yards. The offense also loses the down. Against the defense, it is also a first down.
- Pass interference
10 yards either way. Yards are marked off from the basic spot, the place the rules set for that kind of play. On the offense, it also costs the down. On the defense, it also gives a first down. It is the defender's job to avoid the receiver.
Clock and game
- Game length and clock
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.
- Overtime
Each team gets one drive from midfield, with no first down there. Then come 1-point tries from the 5. No timeouts.
- Mercy rule
No rule ends the game early. Lead by 30 or more when the two-minute notice comes, and the clock runs. That lasts for the rest of the half.
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 · 0:32Logging an interceptionTake it the other way
- BreakAway U lesson · 0:44Logging a flag pullCredit the defender
- BreakAway U guideHow to stat a flag football game
Who it's for
- Federations: Talent ID on one national record
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.
No rule ends the game early. If a team leads by 30 or more when the two-minute warning comes, the clock keeps running.
No. There are no kicks of any kind. Kicking the ball on purpose costs 5 yards and the down.
Related rules
- NFL FLAG rules, rule by rule
- USA Flag 5's rules, explained
- USA Flag 7's rules, explained
- High school flag football rules (NFHS)
- College flag football rules
- Every rule, every ruleset, side by side
Official rulebooks
- IFAF Flag Football Rules2023, effective May 1, 2023. Free from the publisher.
Sources cited on this page
- IFAF Flag Football Rules (IFAF, 2023, effective May 1, 2023)