7v7 Women's Flag Football Rulebook
Updated March 2025

INTRODUCTION & SPORTSMANSHIP

Before diving into the rules, please remember this is a non-contact social league filled with competitive personalities. PlayMakers Club exemplifies competition as well as respect and sportsmanship. As a non-profit, we hold our players to a high standard when it comes to respect for everyone (other players, referees, spectators, etc.).

Failure to adhere to such standards will result in disciplinary action per PlayMakers Club’s authority. PlayMakers Club officials have the power to dictate what classifies as a violation of the above expectation.

Some violation examples include (but are not limited to):

- Intentionally targeting players, referees, fans during active play

- Cursing at players, referees, fans

- Fighting players, referees, fans

- Taunting players, referees, fans

- Offensive Behavior

PlayMakers Club supports and promotes individuals representing all races, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, religions, sexual orientations, and genders. PlayMakers Club does not tolerate any crude behavior made towards individuals’ backgrounds/identities. Any individual who violates this will immediately be removed from Playmakers Club indefinitely.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY, ROSTERS & SUBSTITUTES

Each player must be 14 years old to play on a registered team. If under the age of 18, parental consent is required.

Players are to register and play as the gender that is on their state or federal issued identification documents.

Each player must accept the waiver beforehand to be eligible to play during the season.

Each player that is listed on the roster is regular season and playoff eligible.

Substitutes or (non-registered) players not listed on the roster are INELIGIBLE for playoffs.

Players from other teams can act as substitutes (if need be) for teams that do not have enough players during regular season games. Teams are also able to find substitutes outside of the league, however, said substitutes must sign the waiver before playing.

Teams with enough players are allowed to get extra players from another team to substitute to prevent injury, take breathers/rest breaks, and have water breaks during regular season games. Those substitutes cannot receive more playing time than rostered players, meaning a captain is not allowed to sit a player that does not want to sit.

RULE 1. OVERVIEW

SECTION 1. THE FIELD

Article 1. 60 yards from goal line to goal line with two end zones of 10 yards each.

Article 2. Field shall be divided into 2 zones of 30 yards each.

Article 3. Field shall be a minimum of 30 yards wide and a maximum of 53 1/3 yards wide.

Article 4. Marking the five (5) yard line and ten (12) yard line are optional for use during the PAT. These may be marked as hash marks in the center of the field no more than five (5) yards in width

Article 5. Lines should be clearly marked and use of cones or yard line markers along the sideline to signify zone lines are strongly recommended for use during championship play.

SECTION 2. THE GAME

Article 1. The game shall be played between two teams of no more than seven (7) players each, on a rectangular field with a properly shaped, sized and inflated ball.

Article 2. A team may legally play with no fewer than six (6) players.

Article 3. To start the game, half, or after a touchdown, the offensive team takes possession of the ball at their 10 yard line and has four plays to advance to the midfield.

Article 4. If a team fails to secure a first down, the defense will take control of the ball at their own 10 yard line.

SECTION 3. GAME CLOCK FORMAT

Article 1. Tournament clock is 40 minutes long. Two 20 minute halves and a 2-minute halftime.

Article 2. The play clock is 25 second and starts once the official marks the ball ready for play. (Delay of Game penalty if exceed 25 seconds)

Article 3. Each team shall have two (2) time outs per half.

Article 4. After a team time-out, the game clock will start at the snap of the ball.

Article 5. Because the game clock is a continuous click, it does not stop during P.A.T. attempts or on change of possessions.

Article 6. The game clock will stop for team time-outs, official time-outs, and at the discretion of the official to retrieve long incomplete passes.

Article 7. The on-field captain or quarterback may request the amount of time left in the game from the officials at any time. Officials will be expected to give the correct time.

Article 8. A “stop-clock” will be in effect in the last two minutes of the first and second half.

SECTION 4. MERCY RULE

Article 1. At the two minute warning of the second half, if the score difference is 9 points or more, a pro clock will not be initiated and will continue with a running clock. Same applies if a team scores during the 2 minutes to create a 9 or more point lead. If a team scores to create a one possession game within 2 minutes of the second half, a pro clock will then be initiated.

Article 2. During bracket play, if a team is ahead by 28 points or more at any point in the game or 19 points at 2 minutes, the game will be over. This does not apply during pool play.

RULE 2. OFFENSE

SECTION 1. GENERAL

Article 1. Any number of players may be on the offensive or defensive L.O.S. at the snap. Defense line must be one (1) yard off the ball at the snap.

Article 2. There will be free substitution as long as players being substituted for are off the field prior to the next snap OR player is out of the area of play and is departing the field in haste. “Sleepers” on substitutions will not be allowed on any play. No player may line up closer than 5 yards from the sideline unless they came out of the huddle or unless they were on the field of play during the previous play and did not leave the field of play.

Article 3. Two or more offensive players may be shifting their position at the same time prior to the snap. Their movement may be in any direction but they must become set for one full count before the ball is snapped or before another player can go in motion prior to the snap.

Article 4. Only one player is allowed to be in motion at the snap and their movement must be parallel or away from the L.O.S. and must be continuous.

Article 5. Any stance is permitted. Any number of players may be on the offensive or defensive L.O.S. at the snap. Defense line must be one (1) yard off the ball at the snap. No defensive player may be within 4 yards of the ball if lined up directly in front of the center or within one yard of the ball if lined up to the side of the center at the snap.

SECTION 2. BLOCKING

Article 1. Contact Is Allowed
Open-hand contact is permitted only between the shoulders and the waist and only within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.
Blocking in the back is not allowed.
Players may engage in controlled contact within this 5-yard zone at the line of scrimmage.
Hands may not be extended to push, grab, or hold. All contact must remain balanced and non-aggressive.

Article 2. Downfield Blocking
After 5 yards, players may legally block downfield by positioning themselves in the defender’s path (“shield blocking”) without using their hands or arms.
This means players can get in the way to impede a defender’s pursuit, but no hand, arm, or shoulder contact is allowed.
Blocks must be stationary or lateral — initiating forward contact or driving into a defender will result in a penalty for Illegal Blocking.

Article 3. Crackback and Blindside Blocking
Crackback and blindside blocks are strictly prohibited.
A crackback block is a blindside block where a player starts downfield and then cuts back toward their own goal line to make contact.
A blindside block is any block made on an opponent who does not see the blocker approaching.
Both actions are considered dangerous contact and will result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

SECTION 2. PASSING

Article 1. There can be only one forward pass per play.

Article 2. The quarterback may not run unless the ball has been thrown back, handed or pitched to him or her in the backfield.

Article 3. The quarterback has 5 seconds to pass the ball if there is no rush. If the ball is not thrown, then the play is dead. After the ball is ruled dead it is returned to the line of scrimmage.

SECTION 3. RECEIVING

Article 1. All players are eligible to receive a pass, including the quarterback, if the ball has been pitched or handed off in the backfield.

SECTION 4. RUNNING

Article 1. Teams may handoff (unlimited), pitch, or throw back in the backfield. UNLIMITED laterals or throwbacks behind the LOS are allowed for the player to remain eligible to pass.

Article 2. Pitching (backwards/laterally) is allowed downfield (unlimited). Handoffs are allowed in front or behind. A handoff DOES NOT count as a lateral/throwback.

Article 3. A forward pass DOES NOT have to cross the LOS to be a legal play.

Article 4. Players may NOT block down field in any form.

RULE 3. DEFENSE

SECTION 1. RUSHING THE QUARTERBACK

Article 1. A rusher must be five yards off the line of scrimmage and one yard outside of the center (not head up) in order to rush.

Article 2.The defensive may rush as many players as it wishes.

Article 3. The Center is protected when he snaps the ball. The Center cannot be touched until he/she picks up their head and takes one step towards his/her pattern or assumes a blocking position.

Article 4. Pass rushing occurs when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage to disrupt a passing play or attempt to deflag the quarterback.

Article 5. A pass rusher must not charge directly into an opposing player.

Article 6. If a pass rusher encounters a blocker, they must either:
(a) Stop before making contact, or
(b) Clearly change direction to avoid the blocker.

Article 7. If the pass rusher attempts to avoid the blocker, but the blocker moves into their path, no charging penalty will be called.

Article 8. The pass rusher is allowed to engage with the blocker but must do so within the rules of legal blocking and rushing.

SECTION 2. PUNTS / Kick Off

Article 1. There is no punting or Kickoff. If a turnover on downs occurs, the defense takes possession of the ball at their own 10 yard line.

RULE 4. SCORING

SECTION 1. POINTS