Flag football rules quiz

How the quiz works

1. Pick a level. Rookie sticks to the basics every player and parent should know. Coach adds the calls that decide games. Ref includes the tricky approved rulings that catch out experienced officials.
2. Watch the play. Most questions start with a short animated play on a 5v5 field. Use Replay, or step through it with ◀ ▶. Offense is drawn as circles and a square, defense as triangles, and the orange tabs are flags.
3. Make the call. Legal play, or which foul? You’ll see the right answer straight away, with the penalty and how it’s enforced.
4. Learn why. Each answer explains the rule in plain words and cites it, for example R 7-1-4-f, so you can find it in your own rulebook. Where NFL FLAG rules differ, the answer says so.

Or pick a single topic, such as rushing the quarterback, no-run zones or flag guarding, to drill the calls you find hardest. Questions you haven’t seen come up first, so playing again gives you new ones.

The ref test and certificate

Ready to prove it? The ref test is 25 questions drawn from every topic, and it doesn’t show the answers until you finish. Score 85% or more (22 of 25) and you can print a ReadyRef certificate of achievement with your name, score and date, or save it as a PDF. Miss the mark and you’ll see every answer explained; you can try again an hour later.

The certificate is a fun way to show you know the rulebook. It isn’t an officiating certification: for that, ask your league, your national federation or NFL FLAG about their referee programs.

What the quiz covers

• Rushing the QB: the 7-yard rush line, the blitz signal, and what releases the rushers.
• When the quarterback can run, and who counts as the quarterback.
• No-run zones near each goal line, and the 1- and 2-point tries.
• Passing: one forward pass per down, illegal touching, batted balls, and why there’s no intentional grounding.
• Laterals and handoffs: reverses, the hook-and-lateral, and the forward handoff to the center.
• Flag pulling: flag guarding, jumping, spinning and diving, and whose flag a defender may pull.
• Contact and shielding: right of place, right of way, pick plays and the blitzer’s lane.
• Downs, scoring and the clock, plus the most common referee signals.

Which rulebook?

The quiz follows the IFAF Flag Football Rules 2023, the international rulebook for 5v5 and 7v7 flag football. NFL FLAG leagues and many local leagues change some of these rules, so where an answer is different under NFL FLAG, we say so. Your league’s own rulebook always wins on game day. New to the game? Start with flag football rules explained, then come back and test yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Which rules does this quiz use?

IFAF Flag Football Rules 2023, the international rulebook used for 5v5 and 7v7 flag football. Every answer names the rule it comes from. Where NFL FLAG rules give a different answer, the explanation says so. Many local leagues add their own changes, so check your league’s rulebook for those.

Can the quarterback run in flag football?

Not straight from the snap. Under IFAF rules the quarterback, meaning whoever first gets the ball after the snap, can’t run past the line of scrimmage unless another player has had the ball and given it back (a handoff and pitch back, for example) or a defender has touched a pass in flight.

What is a no-run zone?

The 5 yards in front of each goal line. When the ball is snapped on or inside the 5 going toward the end zone, the offense has to run a forward pass play: a forward pass that crosses the line of scrimmage. IFAF has no no-run zone at midfield; NFL FLAG does.

When can defenders rush the quarterback?

A defender who lines up more than 7 yards from the line can rush as soon as the ball is snapped. Defenders closer than 7 yards must wait until the quarterback hands off, fakes a handoff or passes. Up to 2 deep defenders can raise a hand before the snap to signal a blitz, which gives them right of way.

Is a hook-and-lateral legal in flag football?

Not the usual way. Under IFAF rules a backward pass is only legal if the ball hasn’t been carried past the line of scrimmage, so a receiver who catches the ball downfield and then pitches it back commits an illegal backward pass. The exception is a receiver who pitches the ball while still in the air, before landing. NFL FLAG allows laterals only behind the line.

Can I get a certificate for passing?

Yes. Take the ref test: 25 questions from every topic, with no answers shown until the end. Score 85% or more and you can print a ReadyRef certificate of achievement or save it as a PDF. It recognizes that you passed our rules test; it is not an officiating certification from IFAF, NFL FLAG or any league.

Is my score saved or sent anywhere?

No. The quiz runs in your browser. Your level, best scores and the name on your certificate are kept in your browser’s storage on this device, and nothing about your answers is uploaded.