Flag football penalties
Most flag football penalties cost 5 or 10 yards. Some also cost the offense a down. Others give the offense a free first down. Each rulebook sets its own list. Pick yours below to see every foul.
SoCal Fire Elite 7, Lakeview Lady Hawks 61st half2nd & 20 to midfieldBall on own 5
Example: NFL FLAG 5v5, girls' youth, NFL FLAG tournament
SoCal Fire Elite had 2nd down at its own 5, up 7-6. The defense was flagged for pass interference.
In NFL FLAG, the ball goes to the spot of the foul with an automatic first down. That moved SoCal 15 yards, to its own 20.
Watch: Logging a penalty (0:32)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: Logging a penalty (0:32)Penalties move the ball and can swing a close game. Teach the common ones in your first practice.
New to coaching? Start with the coaching guides
Updated · cited to the official rulebooks · Compare every ruleset
The common fouls, rulebook by rulebook
Flag guarding
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 5 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 5's
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 5 yards plus loss of down
Leaving the feet to dodge a flag pull counts as flag guarding (R4-2-4b).
- USA Flag 7's
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 5 yards plus loss of down
Leaving the feet to dodge a flag pull counts as flag guarding (R4-2-4b).
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 10 yards
- IFAF Flag Football
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 5 yards plus loss of down
- College Flag Football
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 5 yards plus loss of down
Offside
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Defense offside, or a bad substitution: 5 yards plus a free first down
Offense offside, moving early, or a bad substitution: 5 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 5's
Offside by the defense: 5 yards
The penalty table gives 5 yards with no first down. But the blitzer rule (R4-5-3b) gives 5 yards and a first down for the same foul.
Offside or false start by the offense: 5 yards
- USA Flag 7's
Offside by the defense: 5 yards
The penalty table gives 5 yards with no first down. But the blitzer rule (R4-5-3b) gives 5 yards and a first down for the same foul.
Offside or false start by the offense: 5 yards
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Offside (crossing the line before the snap): 5 yards
- IFAF Flag Football
Offside, disconcerting signals or an illegal blitzer signal: 5 yards
Offense crossing the line or moving early before the snap: 5 yards
- College Flag Football
Defense offside (crossing the line before the snap): 5 yards
Offense crossing the line before the snap: 5 yards
False start
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Offense offside, moving early, or a bad substitution: 5 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 5's
Offside or false start by the offense: 5 yards
- USA Flag 7's
Offside or false start by the offense: 5 yards
- NFHS (girls' high school)
False start (moving early): 5 yards
- IFAF Flag Football
Offense crossing the line or moving early before the snap: 5 yards
- College Flag Football
False start (moving early): 5 yards
Delay of game
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Delay of game: 5 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 5's
Delay of game: 5 yards
Teams get one warning first unless a play clock is visible (R2-1-3).
- USA Flag 7's
Delay of game: 5 yards
Teams get one warning first unless a play clock is visible (R2-1-3).
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Delay of game: 5 yards
- IFAF Flag Football
Delay of game (ball not snapped within 25 seconds): 5 yards
- College Flag Football
Delay of game, including exceeding the 30-second count: 5 yards
Pass interference
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Pass interference by the defense: Spot foul plus a free first down
The rulebook lists it as a spot foul with an automatic first down and gives no yardage.
Pass interference by the offense: 5 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 5's
Pass interference by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
Pass interference by the offense: 10 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 7's
Pass interference by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
Pass interference by the offense: 10 yards plus loss of down
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Pass interference: 10 yards
No automatic first down: pass interference is not among the fouls that carry one (10-1-7).
- IFAF Flag Football
Pass interference: 10 yards plus loss of down or a free first down
- College Flag Football
Pass interference by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
The table gives 10 yards or the spot of the foul.
Pass interference by the offense: 10 yards
Holding and illegal contact
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Defensive holding or illegal contact: 5 yards plus a free first down
NFL FLAG's rule changes page lists illegal contact as a new 5-yard spot foul from fall 2024.
Offensive holding or illegal contact: 5 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 5's
Holding by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
Blocking, holding or running alongside the ball carrier: 10 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 7's
Holding by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
Blocking, holding or running alongside the ball carrier: 10 yards plus loss of down
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Holding: 10 yards
Using hands or arms illegally: 10 yards
- IFAF Flag Football
Illegal contact: 10 yards plus loss of down or a free first down
- College Flag Football
Defensive use of hands or illegal contact: 5 yards plus a free first down
Offensive use of hands or illegal contact: 5 yards
Holding or blocking the ball carrier: 5 yards
Blocking and screening
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Screening or blocking: 5 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 5's
Blocking, holding or running alongside the ball carrier: 10 yards plus loss of down
- USA Flag 7's
Blocking, holding or running alongside the ball carrier: 10 yards plus loss of down
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Blocking the wrong way: 10 yards
- IFAF Flag Football
Shielding (moving into an opponent's path): 5 yards
- College Flag Football
Illegal screen block, or teammates linking arms to block: 5 yards
Cut from 10 yards to 5 in the 2025-26 book.
College Appendix A (RB-69), R9-3College Editorial changes, 9.3 (RB-5)
Jumping, diving and hurdling
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Not in this rulebook's foul list.
- USA Flag 5's
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 5 yards plus loss of down
Leaving the feet to dodge a flag pull counts as flag guarding (R4-2-4b).
- USA Flag 7's
Flag guarding (shielding your own flags): 5 yards plus loss of down
Leaving the feet to dodge a flag pull counts as flag guarding (R4-2-4b).
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Hurdling an opponent: 10 yards plus a free first down
First down only when the defense commits it. Hurdling got its own definition (2-18) in 2026-27.
- IFAF Flag Football
Jumping or diving by the runner: 5 yards plus loss of down
- College Flag Football
Hurdling: 10 yards
Roughing the passer
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Roughing the passer: 5 yards plus a free first down
- USA Flag 5's
Roughing the passer: 10 yards plus a free first down
If the pass is caught, the offense can choose to mark the yards off from where the play ended.
- USA Flag 7's
Roughing the passer: 10 yards plus a free first down
If the pass is caught, the offense can choose to mark the yards off from where the play ended.
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Roughing the passer: 10 yards plus a free first down
- IFAF Flag Football
Not in this rulebook's foul list.
- College Flag Football
Roughing the passer: 10 yards plus a free first down
Unsportsmanlike conduct
- NFL FLAG 5v5
Unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
Any player or coach flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct in one game is disqualified.
Unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting by the offense: 10 yards plus loss of down
Any player or coach flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct in one game is disqualified.
- USA Flag 5's
Unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
R4-9-5 marks it from the line of scrimmage instead.
Unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting by the offense: 10 yards
The penalty table adds no loss of down. But R4-9-5 marks 10 yards from the line and takes the down.
- USA Flag 7's
Unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting by the defense: 10 yards plus a free first down
R4-9-5 marks it from the line of scrimmage instead.
Unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting by the offense: 10 yards
The penalty table adds no loss of down. But R4-9-5 marks 10 yards from the line and takes the down.
- NFHS (girls' high school)
Unsportsmanlike conduct: 10 yards plus a free first down
First down only when the defense commits it. A second one disqualifies the player or coach.
- IFAF Flag Football
Unsportsmanlike conduct: 10 yards
Two in one game disqualify the player or coach (R10-1-1).
- College Flag Football
Unsportsmanlike conduct: 10 yards
Every penalty, by rulebook
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 a penaltyThrow the flag
- BreakAway U lesson · 0:37Flagging the last playAttach a flag to a play
- 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.
Flag guarding, offside, false start, delay of game and pass interference. Every rulebook here has all 5. Most cost 5 or 10 yards.
Not in the rulebooks here. Every foul listed is 5 or 10 yards, or a spot foul.
Related rules
- NFL FLAG penalties
- USA Flag 5's penalties
- USA Flag 7's penalties
- High school flag football penalties
- IFAF flag football penalties
- College flag football penalties
- 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 Important Rule Changes (NFL FLAG changes, Effective fall 2024 league and tournament seasons)
- 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 Flag Football Rules (NFHS rules page, Rules changes and points of emphasis)
- 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)