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Rule Book & By-Laws:
click below image to get to rules

Flag football is first categorized by two (2) major classifications:  1)Contact & 2)Non-Contact.  “Contact” refers to the amount, if any, of blocking allowed.  Northeast, Mid-West, and Western leagues have traditionally allowed some form of blocking.  The Southwest and Southeast have traditionally allowed no blocking.  Some leagues on the borders of these areas actually have hybrid blocking, “No blocking down field but blocking at the line of scrimmage”.

The N.A.F.F.L. has always believed the middle ground to be the best.  From it’s inception, blocking is what made “football” the ultimate “team” sport only.  However with no equipment, you can’t have players chop-blocking, throwing elbows/forearms, etc.  This only leads to injuries, fights, and a lack of emphasis on the skill.  The N.A.F.F.L. believes “open hand” blocking (to the chest only) is the most sensible solution to the blocking question when it comes to “contact” forms of the game.  Full contact leagues never attract large numbers of teams and therefore, never expand the sport.

The N.A.F.F.L. recognizes six(6) styles of the sport, 2 with “Contact” and 4 with “No Contact” and (2) Coed "No Contact"

The three(3) “Contact” styles are:

8-Man League; 8-Man Tourney &
Now 5-Man
 

The four(4) “No-Contact” styles are: 

7-Man Eligible Screen Blocking
5-Man NFL (Youth & Adult)
5-Man NFL Ultimate (Youth & Adult)
4-on-4 Eligible Flag
4-on-4 Coed Eligible Flag
8-0n-8 Coed Eligible Flag

The second defining rule of Flag football is the classification of lineman as “eligible” or “ineligible”.  “Eligible Lineman” are allowed to catch passes like receivers.  This is usually allowed in “8-Man Eligible Flag”, “7-Man Screen and Non-Screen Blocking, 5-Man Flag, 4-on-4 Flag and both Co-ed styles.  “Ineligible Lineman” are not allowed to catch a pass, like the lineman in the N.F.L , 9-Man Ineligible” and 8-Man Ineligible” both feature three(3) ineligible, a Center and two tackles.

The 3^rd defining rule of Flag football is field size.  “9-Man Ineligible”, “8-Man Eligible”, “7-Man Touch” and 8-on-8 Co-ed style all use regulation 100X53&1/3 yard field.  “8-Man Ineligible” and “7-Man Screen and Non-Screen” both use 80X40 yard fields.  All of the above feature twenty(20) yard “fixed” 1^st downs with cones at the 20-40-40-20 yard lines or 20-40-20 on 80 yard fields.  “5-Man Flag and 4-on-4 Flag styles use a 50 x25 or 30yd field with 10 yd end zones, the only one(1) 1^st down at the mid-field line.

Certain rules are generic in all of the above styles.  They include:

* No Fumble recoveries (ball is dead at spot)
*No pushing ball carrier out of bounds.
*No flag shielding by ball carrier
*No diving to advance the ball.
*No ball-stripping.
*No charging over a defender by the ball carrier.
*Bad snaps are dead at the spot when past the QB.
*Scoring-same points awarded as in NFL.

Also with any and all league there must be control in place for those who are willing to test the edge of competition and league abilities.  For that reason, the league has its own by-laws and ref-by laws.  If you are to participate in any NAFFL event, these by-laws must be followed.

 League By-Laws

 Referee By-Laws