Flag Football Quiz

Blocking

when a player deliberately impedes an opponent’s approach to the ball, ball carrier, or potential ball carrier, with or without making bodily contact with the opponent

Bobbled Ball

when a player attempting to receive a pass touches the ball, loses contact with the ball, then catches the ball without the ball touching another player

Bodily contact

when the player contacts an opponent in such a manner as to stop the opponent's motion, to push the opponent, to knock the opponent down, or to move the opponent off stride or away from the opponent’s intended direction or position

Boundary lines

all the sidelines, end zone sidelines, and the dead lines

Coach

a team member whose primary responsibilities may include team strategy, supervision, and player substitutions

Completed Pass

any pass that is legally caught in bounds prior to the ball being dead

Contact

when a player touches any part of an opponent’s body or equipment in any manner

Control

when a player has the ball firmly held in 1 or both hands, arms, or legs, or holds the ball firmly under the body without having the ball touch the ground. The securement on the ball must be firm enough to enable the player to stop the rotation of the ball and be able to exert influence over its direction

Convert

a score of 1 or 2 points for the team which, during its convert attempt, legally advances the ball into the opponent’s end zone

Convert attempt

a scrimmage play a team is entitled to use to score bonus points immediately after scoring a touchdown.

Dead Ball

when the ball is not playable by either team

Dead line

the line marking the back of the end zone; it is not the end zone itself

Defense

the team that does not have possession of the ball

Dipping

an attempt by the runner, with continuous movement, to avoid a flag pull by extra bending of the knees and lowering the level of the flags significantly compared to regular running. Dipping is legal.

Diving

diving is an attempt by the runner to avoid a flag pull by leaning the upper body forward, with or without jumping, dipping, or spinning. Diving is a type of flag guarding and is illegal.

Down

1 of the 3 consecutive attempts the offense may use to advance the ball towards the defense’s goal line

End zone

the area bounded by the goal line, end zone sidelines, and dead line. The goal line is part of the end zone. Goal posts and any attached material, such as pads, are considered part of the end zone. End zone sidelines and the dead line are not part of the end zone.

Fake Handoff

any movement of the runner with the hands towards a nearby teammate that simulates a transfer of possession. A fake pass (pump or simulated pitch) or the runner turning the body towards a teammate without movement of hands is not a fake handoff.

Field

the area inside the boundary lines. The boundary lines themselves are out of bounds and are not considered in the field of play.

First down

The first of 3 consecutive chances (downs) awarded to a team to advance the ball towards the opponent’s goal line

Flagging (flag)

When an opponent removes a player’s flag to stop the play

Forward Pass

when a pass is aimed towards the opponent’s end zone

Foul/Infraction

a violation of the rules that allows a player to take unfair advantage of the opponent

Free Ball

a live ball that is not in a player’s control and can be legally recovered and advanced by either team. The ball is considered to be free from the time it leaves a player’s body until the instant it touches the ground.

Goal line

the line marking the end of the field of play. The goal line is the end zone.

Handoff

when the ball is handed in any direction from 1 player to another, both players must be touching the ball simultaneously

Huddle

when a team assembles on the field to decide offensive or defensive strategy for the next play

Illegal Participation

a player who goes out of bounds shall not participate further in that play as a result of a slippery field, contact with an opponent, or missed flag pull. This is a LOD penalty if committed by the offense and a Repeat Down penalty if committed by the defense.

Illegal procedure

When a player violates a procedure rule at the beginning of a kickoff, convert attempt, or scrimmage play

Illegal substitution

when a player enters the field between the ball being snapped and the ball going dead

Illegal use of hands

any contact with the hands that is made by a player on an opposing player which clearly interferes with the latter from playing the position desired or the use of goalposts to change one’s direction.

Impede / redirect

to force an opponent to change direction or to slow down without contact.

In bounds

When the ball or player has not touched the boundary lines or a person or object that is out of bounds

In flight

without having touched the ground or any object since last kicked, punted, or touched

Incidental Contact

when a player makes contact with an opponent without moving the opponent offstride or away from the opponent's intended direction or position.

Intercepted pass

when a player’s pass is caught by an opponent

Interference

any obstruction, blocking, pushing off, screening, or illegal contact committed by a player of either team against an opponent

Interference against the rusher

when the offense does not provide the rusher(s) with direct access to the quarterback or punter (7v7)

Jumping

an attempt by the runner to avoid a flag pull by pushing off the ground and thus raising the level of the flags significantly compared to regular running. Jumping is a type of flag guarding and is illegal

Kickoff

when a team kicks the ball to its opponents by means of a place kick to begin a game, a half, or immediately following a convert attempt or safety touch

Lateral Pass / Onside Pass / Toss

any pass that goes in the direction of the opponent’s dead line

Line of scrimmage

an imaginary line extending from sideline to sideline, parallel to the goal line, the position which is determined by the point of the ball closest to the defense’s goal line

Live ball

when the ball is considered to be in play. This begins when the ball is snapped or kicked off (7v7), after the referee has blown the whistle to indicate that a play may begin, and continues until the ball is considered to be dead.

Major Foul

An act which severely threatens a player’s safety or is intended to injure any participant

Muffed

an unsuccessful attempt to catch a lateral, kickoff (7v7), punt (7v7), or snapped ball, or the ball being touched in the process

Neutral Zone (scrimmage)

The 1

Objectionable Conduct

the use of intimidating, profane, obscene, insulting language or gestures to an opponent, official, or spectator by any player or occupant of a team bench.

Obstruction

when the player impedes an opponent’s approach to the ball, ball carrier, or intended receiver with or without contacting the opponent

Offense

the team that has possession of the ball

Offside

when a player is in or beyond the neutral zone the instant that the ball is snapped or kicked off (7v7); or when a player is closer to the opponent’s dead line the instant that a teammate touches the ball

Offside Pass

any pass that goes in the direction of the opponent’s dead line

Onside

when a player is not in or beyond the neutral zone at the instant that the ball is snapped or kicked off (7v7).

Onside Pass

when the ball is thrown, dropped, knocked, batted, or propelled in any manner parallel to, or in the direction of that player’s dead line

Opponent

a player on the opposite team

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Out of bounds

when a player or the ball touches the boundary lines or the ground or any object on or beyond these lines.

Pass

a transfer of the ball from one player to another that has not touched the ground, and the ball is not in contact with 2 players at the same time.

Pass interference

any interference made by a player against an eligible receiver before an eligible receiver has caught the pass.

Passer

any player who attempts to throw a pass

PAT

Point

Personal Foul

an act that does not control the body motions and thereby threatens the safety of others by making aggressive bodily contact.

Play

a period of action that begins when the ball is snapped or kicked off (7v7) and ends when the ball is considered to be dead

Possession

when a player has control of the ball or when a team has the right to advance the ball.

Pushing off

when any player pushes an opponent with sufficient force to knock that player off stride

Quarterback

the offensive player who receives the snap of the ball from the centre during a scrimmage play

Recover

to gain possession.

Referee

the chief official who is in charge of the game and other officials

Regulation Flag

field size of 80x25 yards for 5v5 and 110x65 yards for 7v7

Regulation time

2x20 min halves in 5v5 or 4x15 min quarters in 7v7

Right of Place (ROP)

given to any stationary players who maintain normal player posture and make no horizontal movements to change position.

Right of Way (ROW)

given to a player who established a direction of movement in a regular manner and does not alter that direction.

Rusher

the defensive player who crosses the line of scrimmage before any teammate

Rusher’s line

imaginary line parallel to and 7 yards from the line of scrimmage in 5v5 (5 yards in 7v7)

Safety touch

2 points awarded when a team fails to legally carry, punt, or pass the ball out of its own end zone

Screening

when a noncontact technique where an offensive player stands in the path of a defender to slow them down or force them to change direction, similar to a screen in basketball. [1, 2]

Scrimmage Play

offensive action to score or advance the ball beginning with a snap

Set

when the ball is resting on the ground in the center’s hands, ready to be snapped

Shotgun formation

positioning where quarterback stands further back from the center and line of scrimmage

Sideline

line marking the side of the field of play between the goal lines

Simultaneous Possession

when opposing players legally obtain possession of the ball at the same time

Snap

action of the centre throwing the ball from the ground to the quarterback

Spinning

runner rotating around vertical axis to avoid flag pull (legal if flag height isn't significantly raised)

Stripping the ball

jarred ball

Time count

25 seconds given to the offense to huddle and put the ball into play

Tipped Pass

pass touched by 1 player then caught by the same player, teammate, or opponent

Touchdown

score of 6 points for legally carrying or obtaining possession of the ball in the opponent’s end zone

Unobstructed Path

when opponents allow a runner to continue without slowing down or changing direction

Yard line

imaginary line parallel to goal line representing each yard between goal lines

Live Ball / Dead Ball Rule

ball is live after whistle signal and snap; remains live until dead

Dead Ball Rule

play stops on whistle, flag pull, out of bounds, step down, goalpost contact, or flag falling off

Center Handoff Rule

center cannot receive a forward handoff immediately after snap

QB Advancement Rule

QB cannot advance the ball across the line of scrimmage as a ball carrier

Spinning Rule

spinning is allowed once per play