Flag football scoring rules

Flag football scoring at a glance

Put together, a touchdown is worth 6, 7 or 8 points, just as in tackle football, but nobody kicks: a team picks the value of its try by picking the distance.

How do extra points work in flag football?

After a touchdown, the scoring team declares 1 or 2, and the ball is spotted at the 5-yard line or the 10-yard line for one play. A pass caught in the end zone or a run across the goal line scores; anything else scores nothing, and the touchdown's 6 points stand.

The 1-point try from the 5 has to be a pass: NFL FLAG has no-run zones in the 5 yards before each goal line and before midfield. The 2-point try starts outside the zone, so the offense can run or pass.

The defense can score during a try too. If it intercepts a pass on either try and returns it all the way to the other end zone, it scores 2 points, whether the try was for 1 or for 2.

For when a 2-point try is worth the risk, see when to go for two, remembering that flag has no field goals.

How is a safety scored in flag football?

A safety is worth 2 points to the defense. It is called when the ball carrier is down in their own end zone: a flag pulled there, a flag that falls out, a knee or arm touching the ground, or a snap that lands in the end zone. Most possessions start at the offense's own 5-yard line, so the end zone behind the offense is never far away.

Are there field goals or kickoffs in flag football?

No. NFL FLAG has no kicking of any kind. Every possession starts at the offense's own 5-yard line, including the one after a touchdown and its try, unless it begins with an interception. Without field goals, a flag team only scores in 2s (a safety or a returned try) and in touchdowns worth 6 to 8, so a team can never finish regulation on 1, 3 or 5 points. The score combinations tool has a flag mode that checks any total.

How long is a youth flag football game?

It depends on the league:

On the running clock, time stops only for timeouts, injuries and halftime, although some leagues also stop it in the final minutes. Younger age groups often play shorter games, and ties are up to the league.

A flag football game scored play by play

Here is a youth game between Blue and Gold with both kinds of try, a safety and a returned try. The first column is the half.

In the second half, Gold goes for 2 from the 10 to stretch its lead, and Blue's interception return turns a possible 16-9 Gold lead into 14-11. Blue then needs only a touchdown to go ahead, and the missed 1-point try at the end does not matter.