Flag football

Flag football is a fun and exciting version of gridiron football. Players cannot tackle each other. Instead, the goal is to pull a flag or flag belt off the player who has the ball. This makes the game safer because there is less contact between players.

People all around the world enjoy playing flag football, especially in America where the sport began. There are many amateur teams and big competitions held every year. The main organization that oversees flag football internationally is the International Federation of American Football. For women’s flag football, the International Woman’s Flag Football Association helps run the games.

In the future, flag football will be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This will be the first time any type of gridiron football will be included as an official event in the Olympics.

History

Flag football began in the early 1940s during World War II as a fun way for soldiers to stay active. It was first called "Touch and Tail football" and later named flag football.

The first known game happened at Fort Meade, Maryland, which is now known as the birthplace of flag football. The first national flag football group, the National Touch Football League (NTFL), started in the 1960s in St. Louis, Missouri. Teachers in Arizona made the flag belts and tags that are used today. Flag football grew and included college tournaments, with the first one held in 1979 at the University of New Orleans.

The International Federation of Flag Football (IFFF) began in 2000 and organized world cups and regional tournaments for different groups, including men, women, and youth. The United States often won the men's competitions, while Mexico did well in the women's. As worries about injuries in traditional American football grew, the NFL began promoting flag football as a safer choice. This included supporting youth leagues, games at the Pro Bowl Games, and efforts to include flag football in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Basic rules

The rules of flag football can be different depending on the league, but they all replace tackling with pulling a flag instead. This makes the game safer and more fun.

Traditional American football rules are often changed to make the game more relaxed and to avoid physical contact. In a standard game of flag football, there are two halves. The length of time depends on the league. The clock stops only for injuries, half-time, and timeouts. Most leagues have 10 players per team, with 5 on offense and 5 on defense. There is no punting team in flag football.

Variations

Flag football can be played in many different ways because there is no single main organization that sets the rules. Teams can have from 4 to 9 players each, and games can include both men and women or just one gender. Some versions allow kicking and extra-point tries, while others do not. The size of the field can also change, from full-sized fields used in the Canadian Football League and National Football League to much smaller ones.

One key difference is whether players on the line can catch passes. In some forms, they can, while in others, like in the NFL or CFL, they cannot. Flag football can also be "contact" or "non-contact," depending on whether players are allowed to block others, usually only at the chest.

The sport is not just played on grass fields; it can also be played on sand beaches. Beach flag football has been part of the Asian Beach Games before.

International tournaments

IFAF Flag Football World Championship

Main article: IFAF Flag Football World Championship

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) holds a big flag football competition every two years called the IFAF Flag Football World Championship.

Olympics

In July 2022, the National Football League (NFL) and the IFAF worked together to ask for flag football to be added as a fun activity at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The NFL had already helped include flag football in the 2022 World Games. In October 2023, the people planning the Olympics said yes, flag football would be part of the games.

World Games

Main article: American football at the World Games

Flag football has been played at the World Games—a big event for sports not in the Olympics—since the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. Both men’s and women’s teams played. Flag football came back for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, with just a women’s tournament.

International Flag Football Festival

The International Flag Football Festival (IFFF) holds a World Cup of Flag Football with teams from the United States, Mexico, and many other countries.

Kelly McGillis Classic

The Kelly McGillis Classic is a fun event for women and girls each February in Key West, Florida. Over 90 teams play a special version of flag football.

United States

USA Football

USA Football is the main group that manages American football in the United States. It works with the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee and creates programs for tackle and flag football. USA Football picks and organizes the U.S. national teams for international competitions.

USA Flag

USA Flag runs the biggest flag football tournament in the United States. It also holds a world championship every January in Florida. In January 2023, many teams took part, making it the largest flag football event ever.

NIRSA

NIRSA helps colleges and universities with sports programs. Since 2006, it has included flag football in its championship events. The rulebook is managed by the NIRSA Flag Football editorial board.

NFL Flag

The National Football League supports flag football for young people through its NFL Flag program. In 2020, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson joined as a leader of NFL Flag. The NFL has focused on growing women's flag football. In the Pro Bowl, the NFL held flag football games in 2023 and 2024. In February 2025, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell talked about starting professional flag football leagues. By October 2025, the NFL planned to launch leagues for women and men soon. In December 2025, NFL teams agreed to support the league financially.

American Flag Football League

Main article: American Flag Football League

The American Flag Football League (AFFL) organizes competitions for young people and women, and started a men's professional division in 2023.

Varsity flag football

Main article: College flag football

Flag football grew quickly as a high school sport for girls in the 2000s, with the NFL and others helping new programs. Florida was the first state to officially support girls' flag football in 2002. By the 2025-26 school year, many states had state championships for girls' flag football, with more states planning to add them. The NFHS published its first national rule book in 2025. The rule book suggests each team have seven players and allows states to decide on field size and other rules.

By May 2020, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) started adding flag football for women, with the NFL helping. NAIA women's flag football began in the 2020–21 season.

In 2023, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) began sponsoring flag football for women.

In spring 2025, the Atlantic East Conference of NCAA Division III started women's flag football, with help from the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles. In July 2024, Conference Carolinas (CC) of NCAA Division II announced that schools would start women's flag football in spring 2026. By the time CC started, more schools had joined. In February 2025, the NCAA suggested adding flag football as a varsity sport for women. In January 2026, all NCAA divisions approved this, with the first season in spring 2026.

On March 21, 2026, the Big South Conference announced it would start flag football in the 2028 season (2027–28 school year). At that time, members planned to add the sport soon.

Canada

Varsity flag football

In 2021, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec started supporting university women's flag football. This group is part of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association. They have supported college women's flag football since 2009 and men's flag football since 2017. Their game mixes rules from American and Canadian football.

Canadian Flag Football League

The Canadian Flag Football League (CFFL) started in 2019. It holds Canada's CFFL National Championship. The league works with Football Canada. Winners can play for Canada in international contests.

The league wants to connect adult flag football leagues across Canada. Teams compete in Regional Championships in the Eastern, Western, or Central regions. The top two teams from each region go to the national championship.

The CFFL has three divisions: male, female, and mixed.

Flag Football National Championships

The Canadian Flag Football National Championships (FFNC) began in 2007. It helps players improve and compete for national teams. This led to the CFFL in 2019. The championship has changed its format over the years.

In 2011, new divisions were added for boys and girls under 16. These joined the under-18 divisions added in 2010.

By 2013, there were three divisions: male and female under-16 and female under-18.

In 2017, the championship changed to an under-18 format with male and female divisions.

Europe

The IFAF European Flag Football Championship began in 2003. The last event was in 2025 in Paris, France. That year, Italian men's and British women's teams won their European Championship titles.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, flag football is usually a 5-a-side game. Two groups organize competitions. The Outlaw Flag League is for adults only and holds tournaments from March to October. The National Flag Football League (NFFL) is run by the British American Football Association (BAFA). BAFA also runs the Youth Flag Football League (YFFL) for players under 17, under 14, and under 11. These youth teams play from April to August to become National Champions. All games have five players on each team and follow IFAF flag football rules with a few small changes.