Flag football house rules builder

How to use your League Amendments sheet

Most leagues play a published rulebook with a handful of local changes, and those changes usually live in someone's head or an old group chat. A one-page amendments sheet fixes that. Everyone reads the same rules, and the referee can settle an argument by pointing at a number.

• Send it before the season to every coach and captain, and pin the share link in your league chat.
• Print a copy for every referee and keep one at the field. When a rule is disputed, the sheet wins.
• Read it out at the captains' meeting. Five minutes saves a season of “we never play it that way.”
• Keep the base rulebook linked. The sheet only lists changes. Everything else comes from the rulebook you picked.

Which rulebook should we start from?

IFAF 5v5 is the international standard and the format that debuts at the 2028 Olympics. Most adult leagues outside the US use it, and every IFAF amendment on your sheet cites the exact rule it replaces. IFAF 7v7 is the same rulebook on a wider field. NFL FLAG-style 5v5 is what most American youth leagues know: no-run zones at midfield as well as the goal lines, and a 4-then-3 downs structure. IFAF beach 4v4 suits small spaces, sand and gyms. See flag football rules explained and 7v7 rules for the full differences.

What IFAF lets organizers change

IFAF's rulebook lists the changes a league may make and still be playing IFAF flag football. Among them: field size (within limits), roster size, mixed-gender teams, a youth-size ball in mixed games, playing time, the length of the stopped-clock period at the end of a half, the number of timeouts, mandatory mouthguards and soft headwear. Anything beyond that, like limited blitzes or a quarterback who can run, is a league rule. That's fine for a rec league. Just put it in writing.

Frequently asked questions

What are house rules in flag football?

House rules are the changes a league makes to the rulebook it plays under, like limiting blitzes, adding a mercy rule, or letting the quarterback run. Writing them down as numbered amendments to a named rulebook means coaches, players and referees all play the same game.

What is a girl play in co-ed flag football?

In many co-ed leagues, a girl play is a play where a woman is the passer, the intended receiver or the runner. Leagues often require one every few downs or once per set of downs, and many make a touchdown scored or thrown by a woman worth extra points, often 9 instead of 6. The builder lets you set both.

What is a common mercy rule in flag football?

It varies by league. NFL FLAG uses a 35-point mercy rule. IFAF has no game-ending mercy rule; once a team leads by 30 or more, the clock simply keeps running through the last 2 minutes of the half. Rec leagues often end the game or run the clock at a 21 to 28 point lead, sometimes only in the second half.

How does overtime work in flag football?

Under IFAF rules, each team gets one series from midfield (with tries after touchdowns); if it's still tied, teams alternate 1-point tries from the 5 until one is ahead. Many rec leagues let regular-season ties stand and only play overtime in the playoffs, often as a shootout of alternating extra-point tries.

Is my league's information saved or uploaded?

Nothing is uploaded. Your answers are saved in this browser on this device as you go. The share link stores them in the part of the URL after the #, which browsers never send to a website, so you can open the same rules on another device or send them to your co-organizers.