Parent's Guide to Football Canada Flag Football U8-U18 2026

• On the field: a maximum of 5 players in 5v5 and 7 in 7v7. A team needs a minimum of 4 (5v5) or 6 (7v7) players to compete. More than the maximum on the field while the ball is live is an illegal substitution.
• Roster size: depends on the guidelines set by leagues and tournaments.
• Late or short teams: a team without the minimum number of players on the field within 15 minutes of the scheduled start forfeits the game by a score of 6-0.
• Substitutions: substitutes enter only from the team bench area and only when the ball is dead. Offensive substitutions are allowed up to the point the centre sets up for the snap, and defensive substitutions up to the snap. A player leaving the field must go directly to the team bench area.
• Captains: each team may have a maximum of 2 captains in 5v5 (4 in 7v7). Only a captain is entitled to an explanation of the rules, including penalty options.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Rule 3.

• Mouthpiece: all players must properly wear a protective mouthpiece, with no exceptions.
• Flags: a flag belt (looped or clipped), or cloth flags tucked into shorts or pants. All players should wear the same size flags. Shorts or pants must be a different colour from the flags. For cloth flags, the officials must always be able to see a part of the white section of the ball carrier's flag, otherwise flag guarding is called.
• Shorts and pants: no pockets, belt, press studs or clips of any kind (pockets may be sewn shut). Players cannot tape or secure their shorts to meet this rule.
• Jersey: the official jersey must be worn during play and properly tucked into shorts. Numbers, if worn, must be different for each player and visible.
• Shoes: rubber cleats are allowed, with no minimum or maximum number, but they must be part of the natural design of the shoe and in good condition. Spikes, track spikes, metal baseball cleats and golf shoes are not permitted.
• Jewellery: must be removed before the game. If it cannot be removed it must be completely covered, padded and secured. Medical bracelets may be worn if fastened securely.
• Other: soft headgear (including securely fastened religious headdresses with no metal or hard plastic), sunglasses, and flexible knee and elbow guards with no hard material are permitted.
• No flexible padding that could injure a player, and no adhesive, paint, grease or other slippery or sticky substance on the player or clothing.

A player in unacceptable attire or equipment must leave the game for at least 1 play and remove it before returning. Officials inspect attire and equipment at the start of each game.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Rule 2 (Articles 4 to 6).

• 5v5: the official game is 40 minutes, in two 20-minute halves. The game time can be altered based on the skill level of the athletes, the number of participants and the size of the playing surface. 7v7 is approximately 1 hour.
• If there is still time on the clock when the previous play expires, the game allows for another play barring a penalty or a score.
• The play clock is 25 seconds. If the offence fails to snap the ball in that time, it is a delay of game penalty.
• Each team has two 60-second time outs per half. They cannot be carried over to the second half or overtime.
• In the last two minutes of each half the clock stops for things like a first down, a completed penalty, the ball carrier going out of bounds or an incomplete pass. At or after the 2-minute mark of the second half, if the score difference is 25 points or more, the clock runs for the rest of the game except for injuries and time outs.
• If a tied 5v5 game needs a winner, overtime is played, starting with a 2-minute break and a coin toss, with no time outs.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Rule 4, Rule 5 (Article 2.16) and 5v5 Rule 3.

• The offence takes possession at its own 5-yard line and has 3 plays to cross midfield. After crossing midfield it has 3 plays to score a touchdown. If it fails, possession changes and the other team starts from its own 5-yard line.
• A play starts with the centre snapping the ball to the quarterback, who may stand close to the centre or in shotgun formation.
• Defenders cannot line up in or enter the 1-yard neutral zone before the snap.
• Players who rush the passer must be 7 yards (5v5) or 5 yards (7v7) from the line of scrimmage after the snap, and any number of players may rush. Contact with the quarterback's upper body or throwing arm while the quarterback is attempting to throw is an illegal contact penalty.
• The No Run Zone is the 5 yards in front of each end zone. When a play starts in the No Run Zone nearest the opponent's end zone, the result must be a forward pass caught beyond the line of scrimmage. A run in the No Run Zone is a loss of down.
• Once the ball carrier has crossed the line of scrimmage or a forward pass has occurred, the ball cannot be handed off, tossed, pitched or passed forward.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Rule 5 (Article 2), Rule 12 and Rule 23.

• Touchdown: 6 points.
• Extra point: 1 point, played from the midpoint of the 5-yard line only.
• Extra point: 2 points, played from the midpoint of the 10-yard line only.
• Safety: 2 points plus ball possession. A team scores a safety when its opponent is flagged, loses possession of the ball or goes out of bounds while in the end zone.
• An interception returned to the opponent's end zone on an extra point attempt: 2 points plus ball possession.

A touchdown is scored when a player has legal possession of the ball in the opponent's end zone. The ball is in the end zone when any part of it touches the plane of the goal line. Kick offs do not occur in 5v5.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, 5v5 Rule 2 and Rule 5 (Articles 2.13 and 3).

• To stop a ball carrier, a defender pulls off 1 or 2 flags without preventing the carrier from moving forward. The ball is dead at that point, and the defender must hold the flag up for the officials and hand it back to the ball carrier. Tossing a flag aside or onto the ground is unsportsmanlike conduct.
• A defender may not pull a flag before the player gains possession of the ball or touches it with the intent of gaining possession (Illegal Flag Pull, an automatic first down for the offence).
• The runner may dip (bend the knees and lower the flags), and spinning is legal if the height of the flags is not significantly raised.
• Diving (leaning the upper body forward to avoid a flag pull) and jumping are types of flag guarding and are illegal.
• Players must not wind flags on belts: the first time brings a warning, the next time removal from the game.
• The quarterback may not run the ball across the line of scrimmage unless possession has been transferred to another player and returned.
• There are no fumbles: if the ball carrier loses possession and the ball touches the ground or a defender's hands, the play is whistled dead and the ball is spotted where possession was lost.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Definitions, Rule 5 (Article 2.9), Rule 6 (Article 1.4), Rule 13 and General Rules (Ethical Play).

For youth and recreational leagues the rule book recommends appropriately sized footballs, with these as the minimum sizes (equivalent makes also work):

This table follows the "Rule Changes 2026" page. The table in Rule 2 of the same rule book places U16 female players in the Youth size instead of the Junior size, so a league may differ for that group. Teams may use their own ball or agree to use one game ball, and for regional, national and international events the ball is set in the event's Technical Package.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Rule Changes 2026 (Rule 2.2) and Rule 2, Article 2.

Lightning: the rule book advises having an action plan, a designated person monitoring the weather, a cell phone for emergencies and an accessible first aid kit. Take appropriate shelter when you count 30 seconds or fewer between lightning and thunder; safe shelter includes inhabited buildings and fully enclosed vehicles. Remain sheltered for 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning flash before resuming.

Bleeding: a player or official with a wound or laceration where oozing or bleeding occurs must leave the field until appropriate medical treatment is given. They may return only after the bleeding has stopped and the wound is completely and securely covered, and the referee must approve the return. A uniform or equipment saturated with blood must be cleaned or changed immediately.

Injuries: if an official calls a time out for an injured player, the player must be removed from the field for at least 1 play unless their team calls a time out. If a referee feels that continuing may jeopardize a player's safety, the official may remove that player from the game immediately, and that decision is final.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Lightning Safety, Rule 1 (Articles 4 to 6) and Rule 4 (Article 7).

• Only team members may stay in the marked team bench area. Anyone else in the area must leave immediately or the team is penalized for objectionable conduct.
• Team accessories such as buckets, bags and equipment should be placed at least 5 yards from the sidelines.
• A spectator who interferes with the normal course of the game will be ejected from the field area, and the local organization is responsible for making sure the ejected spectator complies.
• If a spectator interferes during a play, the official judges the impact. If a touchdown would obviously have been scored, it is allowed; if the impact is not clear, the down is replayed at the initial line of scrimmage or the distance gained at the point of interference, at the official's discretion.
• Any obscene act of roughness or unfair play by players, coaches, teams or spectators brings a 15-yard penalty against the team.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, Rule 2 (Articles 1.3 to 1.6) and Rule 20 (Article 1.1).