Is there punting in flag football?
Only college and high school have a real punt that you kick. In NFL FLAG, the coach just calls a punt and the other team starts at its own 5. We found no punt rule in USA Flag. IFAF has no kicks at all.
LC Legends 0, Harbor Point Mariners 0Q14th & 5Ball on own 15
Example: NFHS (girls' high school), high school (NFHS rules, treated as youth)
On 4th down at its own 15, LC Legends punted for real. The kick traveled 47 yards, and Harbor Point fielded it at its own 18.
In NFHS play, a punt is a real kick that the other team can return.
Watch: Punting on 4th down (0:26)Punt rules change your 4th down call. Know whether your league kicks or just calls it.
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
No kicking. On 4th down (or 3rd) the coach calls punt or play. A punt gives the other team the ball at its own 5.
NFL FLAG One-Way Field
5v5 · Youth, on a one-direction field
Once you call a punt, you can't change it.
USA Flag 5's
5v5 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
We found no punt rule. If you don't cross midfield, the other team gets the ball at its own 5.
USA Flag 7's
7v7 · Leagues and tournaments, all ages
We found no punt rule. If you don't cross midfield, the other team gets the ball at its own 5.
NFHS (girls' high school)
7v7 · Sanctioned high school
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
Illinois HS (IHSA)
7v7 · Illinois girls' high school
Punts follow NFHS. Illinois allows no field goals and no kicking tee.
IFAF Flag Football
5v5 · International play
No. Kicking is not allowed at all. Kicking the ball on purpose costs 5 yards and the down.
College Flag Football
7v7 · College, including NAIA women's
Yes, a real punt. Tell the referee on 4th down, then kick within 4 seconds. No surprise punts. The other team can run it back. Into the end zone, they start at their 14.
High school: what each state chose
NFHS leaves this to each state association. These are the states whose documents BreakAway has read.
California (CIF)
Punting
CIF bans place kicks, kickoffs and field goals. Its list says nothing about punts, so this is left blank.
Field goals and kicked tries
None. CIF has no field goals, no kickoffs and no place kicks, and no kicking tee.
Illinois (IHSA)
Punting
Not stated. Neither the 2025-26 Illinois list nor the 2026-27 manual mentions punting.
North Carolina (NCHSAA)
Punting
Not stated. Punting is not on North Carolina's list.
Field goals and kicked tries
Not adopted. Under NFHS, that means no field goals or kicked tries.
Tennessee (TSSAA)
Punting
Not stated. Punting is not on Tennessee's list.
Field goals and kicked tries
Not adopted. Under NFHS, that means no field goals or kicked tries. No kicking tee.
Maryland (MPSSAA)
Field goals and kicked tries
None. No goal posts, no tee, no field goals and no kicked tries. Punts follow NFHS.
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 · 0:26Punting on 4th downOne tap on 4th down
- 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.
Only if the state allows them. Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee and Maryland do not. So there are no field goals or kicked extra points there.
Related rules
- Flag football rule changes for 2026-27
- 7v7 flag football positions
- How many players are on a flag football team?
- Can the quarterback run in flag football?
- Rushing the passer: the rush line and the 7-second rule
- What is a no-run zone 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 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)
- MPSSAA Girls' Flag State Association Adoptions (MPSSAA, 2026-27)
- IHSA adoptions for the 2025-26 NFHS Flag Football Rules (IHSA, 2025-26, Section 7)
- 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)
- NCHSAA adoptions for the 2026-27 NFHS Flag Football Rules (NCHSAA, 2026-27, June 2026)
- TSSAA adoptions for the 2026-27 NFHS Flag Football Rules (TSSAA, 2026-27)
- 2026 CIF By State Adoption (NFHS Rule 1, Table 1-7) (CIF, 2026-27, posted on cifstate.org August 13, 2026)