Can the quarterback catch their own pass in flag football?
No.Not unless a defender touched it first.
The passer can’t touch, bat or catch their own pass until a defender has touched it.
If a defender tips the pass and it comes back to the quarterback, the catch is legal, and the quarterback can even run past the line, because a ball touched by a defender in flight frees them to run.
The rule
IFAF Flag Football Rules 2023, R 7-2-5-a, R 7-1-3-e
The call
Illegal touching: loss of down at the line of scrimmage (signal S19).
S19 False start, illegal procedureRoll the forearms in front of the chest.
Other rulebooks
NFL FLAG and local leagues can differ. Check the rulebook your league plays.
