Flag Football Positions Explained: A Complete Guide for Players
Flag football gets more popular every year. There were 7.3 million flag football participants in the United States in 2023 and 2.4 million players under 17. In 2028, flag football will make its debut at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The reason for its popularity is because it’s fast-paced, exciting, accessible, and safe. The NFL has helped fuel its growth, investing heavily in flag football, helping to fund more than 1,700 youth teams.
Because it’s a non-contact sport, and doesn’t involve tackling or blocking, a wide spectrum of players can participate. Nine states have sanctioned high school flag football for girls: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Nevada, Arkansas, Alaska, New York, Arizona, and California.
Despite its rapid growth, many people aren’t familiar with how flag football is played and how it compares with American football. In this article, we’ll explain how flag football is different than tackle football and what the various positions are on a flag football team.
The Rules of Flag Football
Unlike American football, where the defense tackles the player carrying the ball to end the play, flag football doesn’t allow contact. Instead, players have a flag attached to a belt they’re wearing that must be pulled off to end the play. Flag football rules are generally like American football rules with some notable exceptions:
All passes must be forward.
Laterals aren’t permitted, only direct handoffs.
There’s no blocking. Offensive players can screen defensive players, but they can’t initiate contact or use their hands.
Defensive players must line up 7 yards off the line of scrimmage to rush. Any player can rush once the ball has been handed off.
The dimensions of a flag football field vary, but an NFL flag football field is 70 yards long and 10 yards wide. Scoring is the same as regular football—6 points for a touchdown, 1 point for an extra point, 3 points for a field goal, and 2 points for a safety. Games start with a coin toss at midfield. Whichever team wins the toss gets to choose whether they want to be on offense or defense first.
History of Flag Football
Flag football started during World War II in the military as an alternative to tackle football. It was viewed as safer than regular football, where injuries were common. Before flag football, touch football started in the late 1930s. In touch football, defenders touch the offensive player with the football to stop the play. You can play 2-handed touch, where you must touch the player with both hands, or 1-handed. Flag football was viewed as an extension of touch football. The first flag football game was believed to have been played at Fort Meade. After the war ended, recreational flag football leagues started to become common in the 1950s.
Flag Football Offensive Positions
There are anywhere from 5 to 9 players on each team in flag football. The NFL flag football league uses 5 players. Flag football is designed to be quicker with more emphasis on offense than regular football. In a 5-player league, the only offensive lineman is the center. Because there’s no tackling in flag football, speed and elusiveness are a priority. There are usually 2 receivers, a quarterback, a center, and sometimes a running back on offense for a 5-player team. If there’s no running back, teams use 3 wide receivers. In flag football, the emphasis is on passing, not running, because it’s harder to rush the quarterback. Some teams might use 3 receivers and no running backs. Below is a description of the flag football positions:
Offense
Quarterback: The quarterback receives the snap from the center. They can’t run the ball unless it’s been handed off and then handed back to them. The quarterback is responsible for the offense. They call plays and try to read the defense. It’s their job to put their team in position to score. They must be able to avoid the defense’s rush, and they should be accurate passers.
Center: The center snaps the ball to the quarterback. Typically, the quarterback is 5 to 10 yards behind the center. A center can stay back and protect the quarterback. In flag football, a center can catch passes while in regular football, the centers are usually not eligible receivers. The center also helps read defenses.
Wide Receiver: A receiver must run precise routes and be a good pass catcher. Receivers need to be fast and agile so they can avoid getting caught by the defense.
Running Back: A running back can take a handoff from the quarterback. They can also catch passes out of the backfield. Sometimes, they can stay back and help block. Strong running backs can run over defenders in regular football. This doesn’t happen in flag football, where the goal for the ball carrier is to avoid getting caught. Running backs must be elusive and fast.
Defense
Defensive Back: There are 2 defensive backs on a 5-player team. They’re usually positioned on opposite sides. Unlike American football, where the defensive backs primarily defend against passes, flag football defensive backs play the run first and the pass second. Their job is to cover the outside lanes against the running plays. If it’s not a running play, the defensive backs cover the short passes first.
Safety: There are typically 2 safeties in flag football. They’re behind the defensive backs. Their job is to cover the deep passes. Safeties are responsible for making sure the other defensive players are lined up in the right spots. They’re sometimes called the quarterback of the defense.
Rusher: The rusher’s job is to try to stop the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage on a pass play. A rusher must line up 7 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. They can’t make contact with the quarterback. To sack the quarterback, they must pull their flag. A defensive back or safety can rush, but the rushers must identify themselves before the play.
In 7-on-7 flag football, teams typically add 2 receivers on offense and 2 defensive backs.
The future of flag football is bright. It’s become the recreational sport of choice for all age brackets of people who enjoy watching American football but never played it. It’s a fun, fast-paced, safe sport that encourages teamwork.