7v7 Flag Football Rules Explained

Start of game

• Captains meet at midfield.
• The visiting team calls the coin toss.
• The winner chooses offense or defense.
• The loser chooses direction.
• There is no defer option.
• Teams switch sides for the second half.

The offense starts each drive at its own 5-yard line. Under USA Football 7's it has four downs to cross midfield, then four more downs to score. NFL FLAG-style rules often use three downs to score after crossing midfield. If the offense does not score, the opponent starts a fresh drive at its own 5-yard line. Interceptions are returnable and change possession immediately.

• Players on the field: 7 per team.
• Roster maximum: USA Football 7's recommends a maximum of 15 players per team.
• Minimum to continue: Depends on the event; confirm with the organizer before game day.

Offensive positions

• Center: Must be on the line of scrimmage and snap the ball. After the snap, the center can release as an eligible receiver.
• Quarterback: Lines up off the line. Cannot directly run across the line of scrimmage without a legal handoff or backward pass first.
• Five receiver / backs: All five remaining offensive players are eligible receivers. They may line up on or off the line.

Defensive roles

• Blitzers: Up to two defenders may declare as blitzers before the snap and must meet the seven-yard rush-line requirement. A blitzer who voluntarily rushes late, slowly, indirectly, or changes direction loses special right of way but may still defend. If an offensive foul disrupts and forces a change from the established route, the blitzer's protection is not automatically lost.
• Defenders: The remaining players cover receivers in zone or man coverage.

League play

Tournament play (by age division)

Overtime

• Each team gets one possession from a set yard line determined by the event.
• Overtime format and yard lines vary by organizer.
• Some local tournaments use running-clock games of 22–25 minutes with no pool-play overtime.
• Always confirm overtime rules with your event before game day.

• Ball spot: The ball is spotted where the ball is when the runner's flag is pulled, not where the runner's feet are.
• No quarterback direct runs: The quarterback may not directly run the ball across the line of scrimmage without a legal handoff or backward pass first.
• Handoffs and backward passes: Allowed behind the line of scrimmage. A handoff or backward pass ends the seven-second pass clock. After a handoff, all defenders may rush.
• No center sneaks: The center is ineligible to receive a handoff.
• No-run zone: The no-run zone is the five yards before the goal line the offense is attacking. Plays from this zone must be pass plays. USA Football recommends removing it for players learning basic passing and catching.
• No jumping, leaping, or hurdling: Players may not jump, leap, or hurdle to advance the ball.
• Spinning: Spinning is allowed if controlled and used to avoid a flag pull, not to initiate contact.
• No blocking or screening: Offensive players may not block, screen, or run interference for the ball carrier.
• No running with the ball carrier: Once the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, offensive players cannot run alongside the ball carrier to shield flags or create interference.

• One forward pass: The offense gets one forward pass per play.
• Pass from behind the line: A forward pass must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.
• Illegal forward pass after crossing: If the passer has crossed the line of scrimmage, a forward pass is illegal.
• Intentional grounding: A throwaway must cross the line of scrimmage and be in the vicinity of a receiver.
• Spike rule: With two minutes or less, a spike to stop the clock is allowed if the ball goes directly to the ground near the quarterback's feet.
• Shovel passes: A shovel pass is legal if it is forward, thrown from behind the line, and received beyond the line.
• 7-second pass clock: The quarterback has 7 seconds to release the ball unless the ball is handed off or passed backward behind the line.
• All players eligible: All seven offensive players are eligible receivers, including the center after the snap.
• Legal reception: A receiver needs possession with one foot or another body part in bounds.
• Simultaneous possession: If offense and defense catch the ball at the same time, possession goes to the offense.
• Interceptions: Interceptions are live and may be returned. A pick-six counts as a touchdown for the defense.

• Blitz line: A blitzer must meet the rulebook's seven-yard rush-line requirement.
• Number of blitzers: Up to two defenders may be declared as blitzers.
• Identifying blitzers: Blitzers must raise a hand before the snap so officials and the offense can identify them.
• Blitzer right of way: A blitzer who voluntarily rushes late, slowly, indirectly, or changes direction loses special right of way but may still defend. If an offensive foul disrupts and forces a change from the established route, the blitzer's protection is not automatically lost.
• No required blitz: The defense is not required to blitz on any play.
• After a handoff: After a legal handoff, all defenders may cross the line of scrimmage.
• Illegal rush: The source's illegal-rush triggers need clarification. An indirect route alone is not treated here as a confirmed illegal-rush penalty.
• Illegal signal: An invalid blitzer signal, a signal that fails the required rush-distance rule, or more than two players keeping a hand raised after the snapper touches the ball. Not rushing after signaling is not itself an illegal signal.
• Roughing the passer: A blitzer attempting to block a pass makes contact with the passer; contact with the passer is prohibited.
• Sack: A sack occurs when the quarterback's flag is pulled behind the line of scrimmage.
• Safety: If the quarterback is sacked in the offense's own end zone, it is a safety for the defense.

• Established path: Before the snap, a declared blitzer has a path to the quarterback.
• No moving into the path: Offensive players cannot move into that path and disrupt the blitzer.
• Stationary offensive player: If an offensive player is already stationary in that path, the blitzer must avoid contact.
• Moving after the snap: If an offensive player moves after the snap and interferes with the blitzer's path, officials can call impeding the blitzer.
• Blitzer changes path: Being forced off the established route by an offensive foul does not automatically remove the blitzer's protection. A voluntary departure from the route may end protection on the abandoned path.
• Why it gets called: Because 7v7 has no blocking or shielding, players who are not getting the ball still need to know where the blitzer is coming from.

• Holding: Grabbing, clutching, or restraining an opponent to prevent them from reaching the ball carrier or to create space is holding. Both offense and defense can be called for holding.
• Shielding: An offensive player who positions their body between a defender and the ball carrier to slow or redirect the defender is shielding. Shielding is illegal in 7v7 flag football.
• Right of way: A moving player does not automatically have right of way. A moving player who runs into a stationary player who has established their position is responsible for the contact.
• Right of place: A player who is stationary and in a legal position has the right to remain there. An opponent who runs into them is responsible for the contact.
• Contact with impact: Any contact that affects the outcome of the play — disrupting a route, limiting access to the ball carrier, or impeding movement — can be called as a penalty.
• Aiming or avoidable contact: Initiating contact that could reasonably be avoided — such as running through a flag puller or charging through a defender — can be called as aiming or unnecessary roughness.
• Why it matters in 7v7: More players on the field means more incidental contact. Officials watch for contact that has impact versus contact that has no effect on the play. Understanding these distinctions helps players and coaches know what to expect from officiating.

• Legal flag pull: A defender can pull the flag only after the ball carrier has possession.
• Diving for flags: Defenders may dive to pull a flag, but they cannot tackle, hold, or run through the ball carrier.
• No tackling or holding: Defenders must pull the flag to end the play. Tackling or physically stopping the runner without pulling the flag is a penalty.
• No stripping: Defenders cannot strip or knock the ball out of the carrier's hands.
• Flag falls out: If the ball carrier's flag falls out on its own, the player is down at that spot.
• Receiving with one or zero flags: If a player with one or zero flags gains possession, the play is dead at that spot.
• No pulling flags from players without the ball: Defenders cannot pull flags from players who do not have possession.
• Good-faith flag pull on bobbled catch: If a defender pulls a flag while the receiver is bobbling the ball, officials determine whether possession had been established.
• Flag guarding: Flag guarding includes using a stiff arm, dropping the head, shoulder, arm, or ball, or using the jersey to cover or protect the flags.

• Center on the line: The center must be on the line of scrimmage. The center is the only player required to be on the line.
• Quarterback off the line: The quarterback must line up off the line of scrimmage.
• Any number on the line: Under USA Football 7's, any number of offensive players may line up on the line of scrimmage, as long as the center is among them.
• Legal snap: The snap must be one continuous motion between the center's legs directly to the quarterback.
• Shifts: Shifts are allowed if all players reset and are set for at least one second before the snap.
• One player in motion: Only one player may be in motion at the time of the snap.
• Motion direction: Motion must be parallel to or away from the line of scrimmage. A player in motion may not move toward the line of scrimmage at the snap.
• False start: Motion that simulates the snap, or any offensive player moving toward the line before the snap, can be called a false start.

• Defensive penalties usually add yardage and often result in an automatic first down.
• Offensive penalties usually lose yardage and often include a loss of down.
• Spot fouls are enforced from where the foul happened. Other enforcement spots and down effects depend on the specific penalty.
• Officials decide whether contact is incidental or illegal.

Defensive spot fouls

Offensive spot fouls

Defensive penalties

Offensive penalties

• Basic idea: Pass interference happens when a player more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders an eligible player's chance to catch a forward pass.
• Same right to the ball: Offensive and defensive players both have a right to play the ball, but they cannot illegally restrict the opponent's chance to catch it.
• Defensive pass interference examples:
  • Playing through the receiver's back.
  • Grabbing the receiver's arm.
  • Hooking the receiver.
  • Cutting off the receiver's path with contact.
  • Making contact without playing the ball.
• Offensive pass interference examples:
  • Pushing off to create separation.
  • Blocking downfield before the pass.
  • Blocking a defender near the intended receiver while the ball is in the air.
• Usually not pass interference:
  • Incidental contact.
  • Tangled feet.
  • Light hand contact that does not restrict the catch.
  • Contact on a clearly uncatchable pass.
• NFL FLAG-style 5v5 vs USA Football 7's enforcement: Under USA Football 7's, defensive pass interference is enforced as +10 yards from the line of scrimmage and automatic first down. Offensive pass interference is enforced as −10 yards from the line of scrimmage and loss of down.

• Which 7v7 rulebook is being used — USA Football 7's, NFL FLAG-style, or local tournament rules?
• Is this flag pull or one-hand touch?
• Field size and layout — one-way or two-way?
• How many downs after midfield or the first-down marker?
• Is running allowed?
• Are blitzers or rushers allowed, and from how far?
• Does the event award points for defensive stops or interceptions?
• What is the play clock or pass clock?
• What are the overtime rules?
• What football size is required for this division?
• What are the mercy rule and forfeit conditions?
• Where is check-in, and what equipment is required at check-in?

For related guides, see our 5v5 rules, tournament rules, beginner's guide, and rules FAQ.

These links are useful when a league, tournament, school, or international event uses a different 7v7 rule set than USA Football 7's.

• IFAF Flag Rules 2023 PDF ↗

  International flag football rules used for global competition pathways.

• NFL FLAG Rules Overview ↗

  NFL FLAG's official rules overview, including NFL FLAG-style 7v7 information.