CIF-SS Girls Flag Football Rules (2026–27)

The Game in 60 Seconds

Before the First Snap

Neutral zone: The ball marks the offense’s line of scrimmage and is snapped from that spot. The defense’s line of scrimmage is one yard beyond the ball, creating the neutral zone.

Offensive players line up on or behind the ball. Defenders line up on or behind their line one yard away. Except for the snapper handling the ball, players cannot enter the neutral zone before the snap.

• Format: 7 players per team.
• Field: 80 yards by 40 yards, plus two 10-yard end zones. Lines to gain are marked every 20 yards.
• Game clock: Varsity plays four 12-minute quarters; lower levels play four 10-minute quarters.
• Play clock: 25 seconds.
• Timeouts: three per half.
• Equipment: Players wear a one-piece junior belt with two contrasting flags, one on each hip. CIF-SS permits four Wilson GST models in Youth or Women’s sizing: two designated Official Balls and two Approved for Play. A properly fitted mouthguard and pocketless uniform bottoms are required.
• Contact: No tackling. Non-contact screen blocking is allowed.

The Big CIF-SS 7v7 Differences

• Declared punts are real kicks that may be returned.
• Any number of defenders may rush from any legal position on or behind their line of scrimmage, with no waiting count required.
• There are no no-run zones.
• The quarterback may run.
• Legal non-contact screen blocking is allowed, but blockers cannot initiate contact.

How a Drive Works

1. Start at the Own 14: no kickoffs; each half and the opponent’s possession after a try normally begin at its own 14.
2. Advance One Zone at a Time: zone lines at 20, 40, and 60; four downs to reach or cross the next zone line; reaching or crossing earns four new downs.
3. Run, Pass, or Hand Off: QB may run; no no-run zones; one forward pass from behind the neutral zone; all seven players are eligible; legal handoffs behind the neutral zone.
4. Expect Immediate Pressure: any number may rush from any legal position on or behind their line of scrimmage, with no waiting count; defenders must pull the flag through a legitimate flag-pull attempt.
5. Use Legal Screens: blockers cannot lean into defenders, extend arms or legs, or move into defenders to create contact.
6. Know When Play Ends: flag pull, stopped forward progress, or body part other than hand or foot down; grounded fumble or backward pass is dead; interceptions remain live.
7. Make the Fourth-Down Decision: reach or cross the next zone line, or declare an actual punt before the ball is made ready for play; a failed attempt gives the defense the ball at the dead-ball spot.
8. Score and Restart: TD 6; try from the 3 is 1 point; try from the 10 is 2 points; safety 2 points followed by the conceding team’s punt from its own 20.
9. Trailing-Team Retention: After a try, a scoring team that is still behind may choose one fourth-down play from its own 20. Its own 40 is the line to gain, exactly 20 yards away. Reach the 40 and it earns a new series; come up short and the opponent takes over at the resulting spot.
10. Finish: a deficit of 21 points or more in the second half activates the CIF-SS running clock except in playoffs; overtime possessions begin at the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Coming From NFL FLAG 5v5?

Key format differences at a glance. NFL FLAG leagues and tournaments may modify their own rules.

Field Layout

CIF-SS uses an 80-yard field of play flanked by two 10-yard end zones—100 yards total. Width is 40 yards. Zone lines divide the field into four equal 20-yard sections. There are no no-run zones.

How a Possession Works

One drive from start to finish.

1. 1
   Ball placed at own 14

   Every half begins here. After a try, the opponent ordinarily starts at its own 14. A still-trailing scoring team may instead choose one fourth-down play from its own 20 with its own 40 as the line to gain.

2. 2
   Four downs to reach or cross the next zone line

   Reaching or crossing earns a new first down and four more downs.

3. 3
   Zone lines at 20, 40, 60, then the goal line

   Each zone line is 20 yards from the last. Reach or cross all four (or score) to complete the drive.

4. 4
   Failed fourth down

   If you don’t reach the zone line on fourth down, the defense takes over at the spot.

5. 5
   Declared punt on fourth down

   Offense may declare a punt before the ball is made ready for play instead. A legal punt is an actual kick. If the kick goes out of bounds between the goal lines, the receiving team starts at the corresponding inbounds spot at that yard line (centered unless CIF-SS hash marks apply). If it enters the receiving team’s end zone, it is a touchback and the receiving team starts at its own 14.

6. 6
   Interception

   The ball stays live. The intercepting team may return it. The pick counts as a turnover.

7. 7
   Score

   Touchdown: 6 points. Then attempt a try from the 3 (1 pt) or 10 (2 pts).

What Changed From Older CIF Materials

If you have older program materials, rule cards, or pre-2026 guides, several key facts have changed.

Before the Snap

Formation

• Seven players per side on the field.
• Seven required to start; play may continue with five if no eligible replacements exist.
• All offensive players are eligible receivers.
• The snap must reach a player at least two yards behind the line of scrimmage.

Shifts and Motion

• One player may be in motion before the snap. That player must not be moving toward the opponent’s goal line at the moment of the snap; any other direction is legal.
• After a shift, all players must reset for one full second before the snap.

Play Clock

• 25 seconds from when the official marks the ball ready.
• No snapping after the clock reaches zero (delay of game: 5 yards).
• After a timeout or quarter break, the 25 seconds restart on the ready signal.

Running & Flag Guarding

• Any player may carry the ball anywhere on the field. No no-run zones.
• The quarterback may run any number of times per series. No QB-run cap.
• Backward handoffs are legal at any time and from any spot. A forward handoff is also legal when both the hander and the receiver are behind the neutral zone before a change of possession.
• A runner is down when a flag detaches from the belt or when any body part other than a hand or foot touches the ground. The ball is spotted at its forward progress at that moment.
• If a flag belt falls off inadvertently (no foul), play continues. A defender ends the play with a one-hand touch on the ball carrier between the shoulders and knees.
• No stiff-arming.
• No hurdling: a runner may not attempt to leap with feet or knees foremost over an opponent in the runner’s path who is not in a prone or supine position. Spinning and diving are not automatic fouls.
• No flag guarding: a runner may not use a hand, arm, or the ball to contact a defender and deny flag access. (10 yards) Shielding with the body alone, without contacting an opponent, is not flag guarding.

Passing, Catches & Interceptions

• One forward pass per play, thrown from behind the neutral zone.
• All seven offensive players are eligible to catch a pass.
• No second forward pass on the same play.
• No forward pass thrown from beyond the neutral zone.
• No forward pass after a change of possession.
• A legal catch: possession before the ball touches the ground, at least one body part in the field of play, continued control through an act common to the game, and—when going to ground—through completion of the catch.
• Simultaneous catch: offense keeps the ball.
• Interception: live ball. The intercepting player may run it back. The pick ends the possession.
• No using hands or arms to push a defender away while attempting a catch (offensive pass interference: 10 yards).

Intentional Grounding

Intentional grounding is a foul—not a legal play. It occurs when the passer deliberately throws the ball to an area with no eligible receiver nearby to avoid a loss of yardage. Penalty: five yards from the spot of the throw, plus loss of down.

Note: throwing the ball away when in danger of losing yards is not automatically intentional grounding—the official judges whether a receiver had a reasonable chance to catch it. Exception: the player directly behind the snapper may immediately spike a clean, non-muffed snap directly into the ground to stop the clock.

Fumbles & Backward Passes

• A fumble that touches the ground is dead immediately at that spot.
• A fumble caught in the air before it touches the ground is a live ball—either team may advance it.
• A backward pass that hits the ground is dead at the spot where it landed.
• A backward pass caught in the air is a live ball and may be advanced.
• No stripping or knocking the ball from a player in possession. The play continues normally.

Rushing the Passer

• Any defender may rush from any legal position on or behind their line of scrimmage. No count limit, no required depth, no waiting count.
• Rushers must go around, not through, offensive players.
• No avoidable contact with the quarterback after the pass is released. (Roughing the passer: 10 yards + first down)

Screen Blocking

Non-contact, position-based screen blocking is legal. A screener may move in the opponent’s same direction or path while maintaining an established position, but may not move toward the opponent to initiate or create contact.

• No initiating contact with a defender.
• No leaning into or moving your body toward a defender to create contact.
• No extending arms, elbows, or legs to impede.
• Blockers must give a moving opponent a reasonable opportunity to stop or change direction before taking a set position in that path.
• A screener who holds position and allows a defender to walk into them has committed no foul—the defender must go around.

Contact, Tackling & Roughing

• No tackling or physically bringing down a ball carrier. (10 yards + first down)
• Defenders must pull the flag—not run through the ball carrier or make body contact. Slight incidental contact that occurs during a legitimate flag-pull attempt is not automatically a foul; contact that occurs without a legitimate flag-pull attempt may be illegal personal contact.
• No bump-and-run or contact coverage on a receiver.
• No excessive contact of any kind on a runner, receiver, or passer.
• Roughing the passer protection applies after a legal forward pass thrown from behind the neutral zone. Avoidable contact with the passer after that release is roughing the passer (10 yards + automatic first down). Contact with a player throwing a backward pass, throwing from beyond the neutral zone, or contacted before the release may instead be illegal personal contact.

Kicking & Punting

There are no kickoffs. The only kicking play is a declared punt.

How a Legal Punt Works

1. Declare before the ball is made ready for play. The punting team captain announces the punt to the official before the referee marks the ball ready for play. Once declared, the kicking team must execute the kick.
2. Set and stay still. All kicking-team players except the kicker must be stationary when the kick is made. The kicker receives the snap and kicks within five seconds.
3. Kick within five seconds. The kicker must kick the ball within five seconds of receiving the snap.
4. Coverage downfield. Kicking-team players may not cross the line of scrimmage until the ball is kicked.

Punt Outcomes

Turnovers, Touchbacks & Safeties

Note: The table above shows the ordinary result in each situation. Touchbacks, the momentum exception, first touching, fourth-down outcomes, and accepted penalties can establish a different succeeding spot. Always confirm with the officiating crew when a special situation applies.

Scoring & Tries

• Only the offense may score during a try. A change to defensive-team possession ends the try immediately; the defense cannot score on a try.
• After a touchdown, officials inspect the scorer’s flag belt (routine; required). A teammate—not the scorer herself—must remove the scorer’s flag in full view of an official to confirm the score. Routine inspection does not create a penalty. A scorer merely brushing or touching her own flag does not void the TD. Tampering (e.g., an illegally altered belt or deceptive removal by a teammate to deceive officials) negates the touchdown, costs 10 yards from the previous spot, and disqualifies the head coach.
• Possession retention after a try: A scoring team that is still behind may choose one fourth-down play from its own 20 instead of giving possession to the opponent. Its own 40-yard line is the line to gain, so an ordinary penalty-free play requires at least 20 yards. Reach the 40 and it earns a new series; come up short and the opponent takes over at the resulting spot after any penalty enforcement. Availability in overtime depends on the CIF-SS adopted overtime procedure.
• Field goals and kicked tries are state-adoption options under NFHS rules. There is no public evidence CIF-SS has adopted them for 2026–27; do not expect these plays in CIF-SS competition.

Timing & Clock

Shortening by agreement: Both schools may mutually agree before the game to shorten the game or reduce quarter lengths.

Two-Minute Clock Rules (Each Half)

Outside the final two minutes, the clock runs continuously. Inside the final two minutes:

• Clock stops after any incomplete pass, ball going out of bounds, score, safety, kick, touchback, new series (first down), granted timeout, accepted foul, or other dead-ball event recognized by the rules.
• The two-minute warning occurs at the first dead ball at or after 2:00 remaining — not automatically at exactly 2:00.
• Clock restarts on the snap after: incomplete passes, ball-carrier going out of bounds.
• Clock restarts on the ready signal after: official timeouts, penalty administration, first-down measurement, and most other stoppages.
• Under the 21-point mercy rule, the clock runs continuously except for official and team timeouts, with CIF-SS determining which events stop it.

CIF-SS Overtime

Substitutions, Injuries & Equipment

Substitutions

• Substitutes must enter and leave during a dead ball only.
• A replaced player must leave the field before the snap.
• No substitutions that cause confusion or delay the game (illegal substitution: 5 yards).

Injuries

• An injured player must leave the field and sit out at least one play before returning.
• If both teams have injured players on the same play, the clock stops and both are attended to.

Equipment Checklist

Approved CIF-SS Footballs

CIF-SS permits four Wilson GST models for 2026–27 competition, via an agreement running through June 30, 2031.

• Junior and Peewee sizes are not legal for the Youth models (GST TDY and SpeedSkin TDY).
• One of the two designated Official Balls is mandatory for every CIF-SS playoff round.
• If the correct playoff ball is unavailable, the game is still played, but the school is reported and may lose its next available home playoff game.
• The Wilson agreement runs through June 30, 2031. All four models listed are the only approved balls under this agreement; do not describe all four as “Official Balls.”

Penalty Finder

CIF-SS uses NFHS penalty enforcement unless a CIF-SS modification is specifically identified. This covers common penalties only — consult Rule 10 for complete enforcement. Grouped by team.

Offensive Penalties

Defensive Penalties

Team, Sideline & Disqualification

Sideline progression: first infraction is a warning; second is 5 yards; third and subsequent are 10 yards each.

Advanced Game Situations

Edge cases and unusual plays. Each section can be expanded.

How CIF-SS Modifies NFHS Rules

CIF-SS uses the 2026–27 NFHS Flag Football Rules as its baseline and applies section-specific modifications. The table below summarizes the known CIF-SS modifications based on the CIF-SS 2026–27 Girls Flag Football Season Preview. For the complete NFHS baseline, see the NFHS Girls Flag Football Rules guide.

Source: CIF-SS 2026–27 Girls Flag Football Season Preview (cifss.org preview PDF). Verify with your school and CIF-SS before game day. The complete NFHS rulebook is available through NFHS Digital (2026–27 Flag Football Rules Book, ed. Bob Colgate).

Frequently Asked Questions

Official Sources

When exact wording matters, use these primary sources.