Before you coach flag football, you’re going to need to understand the game at least a little bit. Here are 6 basic rules that flag football has, some similar, some different, than tackle football.
When is a Touchdown scored?
A touchdown is scored the same way a touchdown is scored in the NFL. By crossing the plain or the line, at the start of the end zone, you will be rewarded 6 points.
How many points is a Touchdown?
Like I mentioned above, a touchdown is 6 points. In some leagues it could be 7 without making you go for an extra point, but I have yet to see that in an official league.
What are the Dimensions of a flag football field?
There are 3 different field sizes that I have seen. The official flag football field size is 70 yards long and 30 yards wide. That is what they play on for the world games, and what they will play on in the Olympics when they come to the USA. The 5v5 flag football fields that I have played on have been 40 yards with 10-yard endzones on each side, with around 25 yards wide. A 7v7 field is 45 yards long with all teams heading towards the endzone, and the end zone is 10 yards long. The field is the regular width, 53 1/3 yards.
How many players on each side?
In 5v5 football there is 5 players on each side. There is 6v6 football which has 6 players on each side. And 7v7 football is a little different. Some leagues have 7 players on each side, while in the more serious leagues, there is 6 on offense and 7 on defense. The center in 7v7 football is usually ineligible so he basically doesn’t count as a player. This is to replicate tackle football rules where only 6 men are eligible.
What is a Safety?
A safety is when the ball carrier has his flag pulled, or tackled, in his own endzone. Basically, if you’re in the wrong endzone, and your flag gets pulled, it’s a safety. A safety is 2 points, AND the team who gets the 2 points gets the ball back.
And Lastly, What is an Interception
An interception is where the ball is thrown, and the opposite team catches the ball. You very much want to limit these, because they are very costly and can lose you games. When you throw an interception, it is the other teams’ ball after they intercept it. In 7v7 football, some leagues have interceptions that are worth 5 points.
That’s it. Now that you know some of the basic rules of flag football, here are some more recourses to help your team get better.