Draw, print and share football plays

Flag Football Penalties Reference

Pick the rule set, the ball spot, the down and the foul: see where the next play starts, which down it is and the rule it comes from.

Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded

Overview

This flag football penalties reference works out where the next play starts after a penalty. Choose NFL FLAG 5v5 or USA Football 5’s, set the line of scrimmage and the down, and pick the foul. The tool shows the new ball spot, the next down or an automatic first down, and the rulebook section it follows. It also applies half the distance near a goal line, a loss of down on the last down, and a safety for an offensive spot foul in its own end zone.

Below the calculator is the full penalty table of the chosen rule set: yards, where the penalty is walked off from, and the result. In both rule sets the line to gain is midfield. FlagPlayLab is not affiliated with NFL FLAG or USA Football, and local leagues often change these rules, so check your league’s own sheet.

Flag football penalties reference example

How to use the penalties reference

  1. Choose the rule set. NFL FLAG 5v5 gives 4 downs to reach midfield and 3 to score; USA Football 5’s gives 4 and 4.
  2. Set the line of scrimmage. Pick your own half or the opponent’s half and the yard line (1 to 24), or midfield.
  3. Choose the down that was being played when the flag was thrown.
  4. Pick the penalty. For a spot foul (for example flag guarding or defensive holding) also enter where the foul happened; for unsportsmanlike conduct, where the play ended. You can pick an end zone as the spot.
  5. Read the result: the next spot and down, or first down, turnover or safety, with the yards and the rule.
  6. Check the table below the tool to compare the same foul in the other rule set, then confirm the result against your own league sheet before you call it on the field. Change the down or the spot to see how each foul plays out.

Try the same foul on different downs. A flag guarding call on first down and on the last down of a series can end with a different next spot and a different result, because a loss of down on the last down is a turnover. Switch between the two rule sets to see where NFL FLAG and USA Football 5’s disagree.

How penalties are enforced in flag football

From the line of scrimmage unless it is a spot foul. In both rulebooks most penalties are walked off from the line of scrimmage. Spot fouls are walked off from where the foul happened. In NFL FLAG these are defensive pass interference, holding and stripping by the defense, and screening, charging, flag guarding and holding by the offense (section XVII ii and iii).

Half the distance. When the yardage is more than half the distance to the goal line, the ball moves half the distance instead. On your own 8, a 5-yard false start puts the ball on the 4. On your own 10, the same 5 yards is not more than half, so the ball goes to the 5.

Loss of down or first down. In NFL FLAG every offensive penalty is a loss of down and every defensive penalty is an automatic first down. Defensive pass interference gives the ball at the spot of the foul with a first down and no extra yards. USA Football 5’s is different: a defensive offside or illegal rush is 5 yards and the down is played again. The USA rulebook’s Rule 4 also adds a first down to those two, so the tool shows a note. Offensive offside or a false start is 5 yards with no loss of down, and pass interference is 10 yards.

Midfield and turnovers. A first down in flag football means reaching midfield. A penalty that moves the ball to midfield or beyond starts the series to score: 3 downs in NFL FLAG, 4 in USA 5’s. A loss of down on the last down of a series is a turnover. In NFL FLAG, when the offense goes for it on 4th down and fails to reach midfield, the other team starts where the down ended. If a team fails to score after crossing midfield, the other team starts on its own 5. In USA 5’s the other team starts on its own 5 in both cases.

In the end zone. An offensive spot foul in the offense’s own end zone is a safety (both rulebooks). In NFL FLAG, a defensive spot foul in the end zone puts the ball on the 1-yard line with a first down. The USA rulebook does not say, so the tool asks you to check with your league.

How this tool works and where the numbers come from

Penalty tables and enforcement read from the NFL FLAG Official Playing Rules (revised 2025-03-24, section XVII) and the USA Flag 5s Rulebook v2026.2 (Rule 6 and its approved rulings) on 2026-11-03. Where the USA rulebook contradicts itself, the tool says so.

Sources

Published by FlagPlayLab

Frequently asked questions

What are the common penalties in flag football?

Flag guarding, illegal rush, offside or false start, pass interference, screening or blocking, and holding. NFL FLAG lists 24 penalties in section XVII, and the table above shows each one with its yards and result.

Is flag guarding a loss of down?

Yes. In NFL FLAG and USA Football 5’s, flag guarding is 5 yards from the spot of the foul and a loss of down. In USA 5’s, a flag guard behind the line of scrimmage is walked off from the line of scrimmage instead (A.R. 4-2-4). In the offense’s own end zone it is a safety.

How many yards is defensive pass interference in flag football?

In NFL FLAG it carries no yards: the ball goes to the spot of the foul with an automatic first down. In USA Football 5’s it is 10 yards from the line of scrimmage and an automatic first down, or half the distance to the goal line when that is less.

Can a game end on a defensive penalty?

No. NFL FLAG says a game or half may not end on a defensive penalty unless the offense declines it, and USA Football 5’s says the same for a game.

Is diving or jumping a penalty?

Not in NFL FLAG. A runner who dives, jumps or hurdles to gain yards is not penalized: the play is blown dead and the ball is spotted where the runner left the ground (section X.6). In USA Football 5’s, jumping to avoid a defender’s reach counts as flag guarding (A.R. 4-2-4).