FORCE FLAG FOOTBALL
Official Adult League Rulebook
ARTICLE 1 — League Philosophy
Force Flag Football operates under an Olympic-style non-contact model designed to:
Maximize speed, skill, and athleticism
Provide safe, low-injury competition
Create a professional, referee-governed environment
Prepare athletes for regional, national, and Olympic-format tournaments
Force Flag Football is committed to fair play, safety, and elite competition.
ARTICLE 2 — Team Structure
5 players on the field
Maximum 10 players per roster
Minimum 4 players to start
All players must be registered and verified before competition
Positions are flexible; all players are eligible receivers.
ARTICLE 3 — Field Dimensions
Field: 50 yards long x 25 yards wide
End zones: 10 yards
No-Run Zones: 5 yards from each goal line
ARTICLE 4 — Equipment
Mouthpieces required
Soft shell helmets permitted
Flags must be worn on the hips and fully visible
No pockets, towels, hoodies, or anything that obstructs flags
No metal cleats
ARTICLE 5 — Game Format
Two 20-minute halves
Running clock
Final 2 minutes of second half uses stop-clock
Two timeouts per half
Halftime: 3 minutes
ARTICLE 6 — Offensive Rules
The ball must be snapped to the quarterback
Quarterback must throw from behind the line of scrimmage
One forward pass per play
Laterals allowed behind the line
All players are eligible receivers
The quarterback may scramble only if:
A defender rushes
OR the quarterback pump-fakes
ARTICLE 7 — No-Run Zones
Running plays are prohibited when:
The offense is inside the opponent’s 5-yard line
The offense is inside their own 5-yard line
An interception return enters the 5-yard line
QB sneaks are illegal in no-run zones.
ARTICLE 8 — Defensive Rush
Defenders must start 7 yards from the line
Rushers must be clearly identified
Once the QB leaves the pocket or hands off, any defender may rush
No leaping, diving, or lowering the shoulder at the QB
ARTICLE 9 — Flag Pulling & Tackling
A legal tackle is a clean flag pull
No contact allowed
No:
Grabbing clothing
Arm wrapping
Pushing
Body contact
If a flag falls off, the defender must touch the runner with one hand
ARTICLE 10 — Scoring
Play
Points
Touchdown
6
PAT from 5 yards
1
PAT from 10 yards
2
Safety
2
No kicking is permitted.
ARTICLE 11 — Possession & Downs
4 downs to cross midfield
After crossing midfield → 4 downs to score
Failure results in turnover on downs at the spot
ARTICLE 12 — Turnovers
Interceptions are live and returnable
No fumbles (dead ball at the spot)
Ball belongs to defense where runner is flagged
ARTICLE 13 — Blocking
NO blocking is allowed
No picks or rub routes involving contact
ARTICLE 14 — Defensive Restrictions
No bumping receivers
No jamming
Defenders must allow free release
Playing the ball, not the body
ARTICLE 15 — Penalties
Standard penalties are 10 yards unless noted:
Violation
Penalty
Holding
10 yards
Illegal contact
10 yards + automatic first
Flag guarding
10 yards
Illegal rush
5 yards
Delay of game
5 yards
Unsportsmanlike conduct
10 yards + ejection
Two unsportsmanlike penalties = ejection
ARTICLE 16 — Overtime
Each team receives one possession from midfield
One play per possession
After first overtime, all conversions must be 2-point attempts
ARTICLE 17 — Mercy Rule
A 28-point lead in the second half ends the game.
ARTICLE 18 — Player Conduct
Trash talk is allowed
Taunting, threats, or fighting result in immediate ejection
Zero tolerance for physical confrontation