Settle the argument
Can you pull the flag of a player without the ball?
No. Only the runner’s flags.
A defender can only pull the flags of the runner. Pulling a flag from anyone else is a foul.
There are two exceptions: a player who pretends to be the runner (on a fake handoff, for example), and a player who has touched a pass in flight.
The rule
IFAF Flag Football Rules 2023, R 9-2-2-d
The call
S52 Flag guarding, illegal flag pullRaise an open hand, sweep it down to the hip.
Illegal flag pull: 5 yards from the basic spot (signal S52).
Other rulebooks
NFL FLAG and local leagues can differ. Check the rulebook your league plays.
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