4-ON-4 FLAG FOOTBALL RULES REVIEW

Introduction | Equipment, Timing, Scoring | Scrimmage & Snaps | Screen Blocking | Passing & Interference | Running & Flag Guarding | Extras

Legal Forward Pass Required Each Down
An Offensive Player May NOT Advance the Ball Across the Line of Scrimmage.
(1) NO Run Plays.
(2) NO Passes May Be Caught BEHIND the Line and Then Advanced Past the Line of Scrimmage.

Legal Forward Passes MUST Be Caught BEYOND the Line for any Positive Gain in Yardage.
Once Beyond the Line, the Ball May Be Carried ANYWHERE on the Field Including Back Behind the Line of Scrimmage.

Only ONE Legal Forward Pass is Permitted Per Down, Regardless of Where It is Caught by a Receiver.
The Passer’s Feet Must Be Behind the Line of Scrimmage at the Time of the Pass.
The Penalty for an Illegal Forward Pass (Second Forward Pass in a Down or Any Forward Pass Thrown Beyond the Line of Scrimmage) is 3 Yards from the Spot of the Pass and Loss of Down.
Unlimited Backward Passes or Laterals are Permitted Each Down.

Eligible Receivers
ALL Players on the Field are Eligible Receivers. The Passer May NOT Catch His/Her Own Untouched Pass.
The First Part of a Receiver’s Body to Contact the Ground Shall Determine In-Bounds or Out-of-Bounds. Only 1 Foot is Required to Be In-Bounds.

Pass Interference
The Offense May Not Contact a Defender to Gain an Advantage on a Pass Route or Interfere with a Defender in Position to Intercept a Pass (Both Interference).
The Defense May Not Interfere with an Eligible Receiver While the Pass is in the Air (Interference) or Prior to the Pass (Contact). Face Guarding is Not Allowed (Interference).
Pass Interference is a 5-Yard Penalty and a Loss of Down (Offensive) or Automatic First Down (Defensive). Illegal Contact is a 5-Yard Penalty, But is Not Loss of Down (Replay Previous Down).

Illegal Contact by the Defense

Here the Defender Has Impeded the Receiver During His Route. There is No Bumping Off the Line Permitted.

Roughing the Passer
The Defense May Not Contact the Passer In Attempt to Disrupt the Pass When He/She is Throwing the Ball. This Includes the Follow-Through.
The Defense May Always Attempt to Deflag a Passer, However Contact During Attempted Pass Blocks is Typically Considered Roughing.
The Defense is Advised to "Go In Low" in an Attempt to Deflag the Passer Rather Than "Going in High" in an Attempt to Block a Pass.
Prior to the Throwing Motion and After the Pass is Released (and Normal Follow-Through is Completed), an Contact on this Player is Considered Illegal Contact Rather Than Roughing the Passer.
Roughing the Passer is a 5-Yard Penalty and an Automatic First Down. On a Completed Pass, This Penalty is Tacked onto the End of the Run.

Roughing the Passer

Obviously, Roughing the Passer.

Roughing the Passer

Again, the Defense is Advised to Go for the Flags Rather than the Ball.

Introduction | Equipment, Timing, Scoring | Scrimmage & Snaps | Screen Blocking | Passing & Interference | Running & Flag Guarding | Extras