Flag Football 101: The Top Flag Football Terms You Need to Know

The perfect medium between two-hand touch and tackle football, flag football has revolutionized into something that’s growing faster than you could spell it. It’s projected that flag football will outpace worldwide participants of tackle football soon, as more than 20 million already play the sport in more than 100 countries. It’s a game for everyone, and it’s got major support behind it from the NFL, which runs the biggest youth flag football league in the United States. Women’s flag football has taken over college, too, as the sport recently became NAIA sanctioned, and Alabama State became the first Division I school to hire a women’s flag football coach. Perhaps the biggest breakthrough of all for the sport of flag football? It'll be on display for the entire world during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

Now that you know how quickly this sport has grown (maybe even comparatively to that of pickleball), it’s important to know what you’re doing when you hit the field, as well as what each position, area of the field, penalties, and more, all mean. We’re going to break that down below, but it’s important to note that there’s variations of flag football based on the organization in which you’re following rules from. There are also differences in what you can and can’t do depending on how many members you’re playing with (5v5, 7v7, 8v8, 9v9), as well as where you’re playing (beach vs. turf/grass). It’s crucial to make sure you’re up to date on the rules and regulations of the league you’re looking to join. Let’s jump in.

Basic Flag Football Terms

Below are the basic flag football terms you’ll hear over and over in any rule book, from coaches, and players.

Snap: On offense, this is the action of the ball being given to the quarterback by the center. When the ball is snapped, the play is officially live.

Handoff: When the quarterback gives the ball to a running back. You can only hand the ball off to a player when behind the line of scrimmage.

Line of scrimmage: This is line of play where the offense and defense line up across from each other. An example would be the 20-yard line. The ball is placed on one of the hashes on the line. Players can’t pass the line of scrimmage until the ball is snapped by the center. If you cross the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped on either side, you can be penalized.

Flag pull: Unlike two-hand touch where you down a player by “tagging” them with both your hands, and tackle football where you tackle a player to the ground to get them down, in flag football, you must pull at least one flag off their belt to "tackle” them. Players can also be downed by running out of bounds, or if their body—outside the hands and feet—touches the ground.

Completion/Incompletion: A completion is when a quarterback throws the ball to an eligible receiver, and they catch it. On the flip side, an incompletion is the unsuccessful attempt to complete a catch to an eligible receiver.

Touchdown: You score 6 points when successfully crossing the opposing team’s goal line of their end zone. Whether that’s running or throwing the ball in is totally up to your team and the plays you decide to run. This is the highest form of scoring you can have in flag football.

Seven-second clock: Quarterbacks have seven seconds to throw the ball. If they still have the ball after those seven seconds pass, the play is blown dead, and the quarterback is marked down wherever they last stood.

Flag Football Terms for Playing Offense

The goal of flag football is to win by scoring more points than the other team. These are the positions and terms to know when you’re on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback (QB): Known as the “general” of the offense, the quarterback is mainly in charge of running the offensive operation. They receive the ball from the center at the snap of a play, and can either throw the ball or hand it to the team’s running back behind the line of scrimmage. The quarterback can’t run directly with the ball, but they can catch a pass if handed off first and thrown beyond the line of scrimmage by the player that received the handoff.

Wide receiver (WR): Wide receivers usually line up across the line of scrimmage instead of behind the quarterback. Their main job is to run a route and catch passes from the quarterback. Players that don’t initiate the snap or receive it are considered eligible wide receivers.

Running back (RB): A running back is typically lined up in the backfield with the quarterback. They receive handoffs from the quarterback for running plays, but can also catch passes like a wide receiver.

Center (C): Centers are the ones that start the play. Their main responsibility is to snap the ball back to the quarterback, but they’re also eligible to go and catch a pass after the ball is put in play.

Passing routes: Each play you call on offense is going to involve some kind of route for a receiver to run. The main bunch of routes you’ll find in flag football is called a route tree.

Audible: Depending on what the quarterback is seeing from the opposing defensive look, they might audible out of a call. This means that the original play your team chose to run first out of the huddle is being changed. Teams will usually mention what changes, if any, they will call for the upcoming play while in the team’s huddle.

Legal flag pull: Of course, flag football rules are different from traditional tackle rules. A “tackle” in flag football involves pulling either one or both of the ball carrier’s flags while they’re in the field of play. This is one of the biggest core movements in the game, and it’s essential to get comfortable in pulling flags properly to play. You can’t stop a player’s forward motion by grabbing their body and then pulling a flag.

Flag Football Terms for Playing Defense

The goal of playing defense in flag football is self-explanatory. You want to defend your end zone from your opponent, stopping them from scoring as much as possible. Here’s some key defensive play calls, positions, and more. For the sake of these examples, we’ll put this in the perspective of a standard 5v5 flag football game.

Safety (S): The safety position, in a sense, is a blanket for defenses. They usually will play deeper than a defensive back (starting about 10 yards deep) and help out if and when a wide receiver gets loose deep behind a defensive back.

Rusher (R): A rusher’s main job is to try and get the quarterback’s flags on a passing play. They must start at least seven yards from the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball.

Defensive Back (DB): Defensive backs primarily cover short passes, and are responsible for being the first ones to the ball on a running play. Their roles can change depending on the coverages called, which are listed below.

Man-to-Man defense: Also known as Cover 0, this defensive formation has four defensive backs guard the opposing team’s players, outside of the quarterback. That means someone is responsible for the center, as well as potential pass catchers and running backs. You’ll line up on the line of scrimmage, directly across from your opponent, while your defense carries one rusher seven yards back. Simply put, you’re guarding players one-on-one. The potential downside of this coverage is if you or another defender get beat and lose track of a receiver, you’re not going to have any help on the backside, which you would potentially get with a zone defense.

Zone defense: There are different types of zone defensive schemes you can play. Opposed to man-to-man coverage where your defensive backs are lined up across from opposing receivers, zone defensive schemes have defensive backs and safeties instead cover certain zones of the field. There are different defensive coverages for things you’re trying to prevent, like big passing plays, short passing plays, and those that help prevent first downs.

Cover 1: The first variation of a zone defense, you’ll have three defenders line up in man-to-man coverage, while the rusher stays and attempts to get the quarterback. The fifth defender stays about 10 yards back from the line of scrimmage, instead of guarding the center. Their sole purpose is to defend against any potential long pass the quarterback might throw.
Cover 2: Like Cover 1, Cover 2 keeps a rusher to try and get the quarterback. The difference here, though, is you’ll have two defenders protect outside zones around five yards back, while the other two defenders cover deeper zones in the middle of the field, about 10 yards back. This helps cover the sidelines and deeper throws, but those thrown towards the middle of the field and to the center might be harder to defend.
Cover 3: Welcome to defense without a rusher! In Cover 3, you’ll have two defenders split field responsibilities and cover anywhere from five to 10 yards back left to right. Behind them are the three remaining defenders, each covering 1/3 of the field from 10 yards back and further.
Cover 4: The last of zone coverages, Cover 4 defense puts the field into quarters, as four defenders start 10 yards back from the line of scrimmage and guard their zones from there and beyond. The rusher comes back for this coverage, too. This is a great option to defend long passing plays, but leaves a bunch of room for shorter passes.

Blitz: Some leagues may differ in terms of allowing blitzes or not. It’s always important to check your league’s flag football rule book prior to playing. Typically, any player lined up seven yards or deeper is allowed to blitz, which is rushing the quarterback and trying to get their flags before completing a pass. Some organizations will allow one blitz per possession. If you’re playing recreationally with friends, you might want to set blitz rules before playing to avoid any confusion.

Interception: It’s every defensive player’s dream. An interception is when a defender catches a ball thrown from the opposing quarterback. These can be returnable, meaning the player who intercepts the football can potentially run it towards the opposing end zone for a score.

Sack: The main goal of a rusher, a sack is when a defender rips a quarterback’s flag(s) off while behind the line of scrimmage.

Game Play Terms

Alright, it’s time to hit the ground running. Here are some simple flag football terms to know once the ball is in play, and when it’s not.

Huddle: Before a play is snapped, both teams come together and decide what defensive coverage they’ll play and what offensive play they’ll run. Usually, a team’s safety will lead the defense, while the quarterback leads the offense.

Flag guarding: This is a big no-no in flag football, and results in a penalty. This is when the ball carrier obstructs a defender’s ability to grab a flag. Examples of flag guarding include shielding a flag with your hand, stiff arming, and wearing an untucked shirt that limits access to flags.

Dead ball: Dead ball just means that the ball is not in play at the moment. This is essentially the time after a player is down, to just before the ball is snapped.

Live ball: This is when the ball is in-play. From the time the ball is snapped, to the time the official marks the play as complete (usually when a player is deemed down).

Flag Football Equipment

If you’re going to get into the game of flag football, it’s imperative to have the right gear when you head out to practice and play. And, most importantly, don’t leave it at home.

Cleats: Consult your league’s rulebook and coaches before picking cleats for your league. Though they might help with stability and dynamic movements, some cleats, especially metal ones, can damage the field of play, and aren’t allowed.

Flag football flags: What’s flag football without flag football flags? Exactly. Certain leagues use different types of flags. Some use self-fasteners on your flag belt, others feature a pop socket, which has the flags “pop” out of the holder. This helps everyone recognize when they’re down, since the noise of the “pop” can be heard. Be sure not to wear the same color flags and belt as your shorts or pants, as it’ll be hard to recognize where they are for a defender.

Football gloves: Not only can the right pair of football gloves keep your hands dry when you’re breaking a sweat, but they’re designed to offer a better grip than going barehanded, helping you catch the football better.

Mouthguard: Even though flag football isn’t as physically demanding as tackle, it’s still super important to stay as protected as you can. Mouth guards are designed to help protect a player’s mouth during flag football.

Special Situations

From scoring plays to other mid-play rules, you don’t want to find yourself in a pickle when it’s your time to shine.

Lateral pass: A quarterback can toss the ball backwards or to the side of them to another player while behind the line of scrimmage. In doing so, the quarterback is eligible to then go out for a pass. Any ball that is lateraled behind, forward, or to the side after the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage, the play is blown dead. The quarterback can’t lateral, pitch, or hand the ball off to the center first. The cool thing about a lateral is that the player that legally receives it behind the line of scrimmage can throw the ball or run. When a ball is handed off, pitched, or lateralled, though, the seven-second clock that a quarterback must throw a ball is thrown out, meaning ANY player on the defense can rush them. So, be careful when designing a play that involves a lateral.

Safety: Not to be confused with the position, this safety flag football terminology deals with scoring. When an offensive player is marked down while in their own end zone, or the offensive player holding the ball runs out of bounds while in the end zone. Safeties are worth two points for the defense.

Extra point (PAT): After scoring a touchdown, the offensive team has the chance to score one more point. This is called an extra point, or a point after touchdown (PAT). Teams must declare if they’re going for a one-point or a two-point conversion after scoring a touchdown. A one-point conversion is attempted from the 5-yard line and can only be completed via a passing play. If successful, the offensive team gets one added point to its total.

Two-point conversion: As noted above, a two-point conversion is an attempt after a touchdown to score more points. A two-point conversion is attempted from the 10-yard line, and can be completed by either running or passing the ball, opposed to the one-point conversion that allowed for passes only. If successful, the offensive team gets two points added to its total.

Kickoff (if applicable in certain leagues): Some leagues may allow kickoffs, which occur after every scoring play and at the start of each half (or quarter). Refer to your league’s rulebook when it comes to kickoffs. Most leagues will just have the offense start on a certain yard marker (usually the 5-yard line) and have play begin from there.

Penalties in Flag Football

Just like tackle football, flag football has penalties. Flag guarding was mentioned before, but flag football penalties can either be spot fouls or assessed from the line of scrimmage. A spot foul would be a penalty that happens from the spot in which the penalty occurred. Here’s a list of some penalties.

Offensive spot fouls:

Screening/Blocking: Unlike tackle football, you’re not allowed to block players directly. Instead, you must stay in an upright position, keeping your hands in front, behind, or directly next to you. Some leagues differ in their blocking rules, so check with yours.
Charging: The offensive player tries to create space without using arms and elbows, running into a defensive player.
Flag guarding: Mentioned previously, you can’t shield or intentionally attempt to make your flags inaccessible to your opponent.

Offensive penalties assessed from the line of scrimmage:

Unnecessary roughness: Don’t be a jerk when you’re playing flag football. This is when you’re using aggressive means to grab a player’s flag, instead of using techniques that are legal.
Unsportsmanlike conduct: Any kind of physical or verbal neglect won’t be tolerated. This includes kicking, punching, cursing, taunting, excessive celebrations, etc.
False start: Movement that’s made before the ball is snapped. This is different from going into motion. This is when you’re set, and flinch or go to start the play before the ball is officially in play.
Illegal forward pass: You can’t throw the ball forward once you’ve crossed the line of scrimmage.
Offensive pass interference: This is when an offensive player hinders a defender’s ability to make a play on the ball.
Illegal motion: Going in motion is great, but you must come to a stop and get set before the ball is snapped. Not doing so results in this penalty.
Delay of game: This is when the offensive team fails to put the ball into play before the play clock expires.

Defensive spot fouls:

Defensive pass interference: This is when a defender hinders the offensive player’s ability to catch the ball.
Holding: Self-explanatory, but you can’t hold onto a player and restrict them from moving.
Stripping: You can’t try to poke or smack the ball out of a player’s possession.

Defensive penalties assessed from the line of scrimmage:

Unnecessary roughness: There’s a rule book for a reason. Trying to blatantly go against it to grab an opponent’s flag or disrupt the game in a negative way can result in an unnecessary roughness penalty.
Unsportsmanlike conduct: Any kind of physical or verbal neglect won’t be tolerated. This includes kicking, punching, cursing, taunting, excessive celebrations, etc.
Offside: Crossing the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped.
Illegal rush: Remember, you must be at least seven yards away from the line of scrimmage to be considered a rusher. If you’re less than that, it’s a penalty.
Illegal flag pull: The only time you’re to attempt and take a player’s flag is when they have possession of the ball. Doing so before they have possession results in a penalty.
Roughing the passer: Much like in tackle football, it’s illegal to contact the quarterback after they’ve released the ball.