Is there any contact in flag football?

The rules are built to avoid contact: the most important principle is to avoid any significant and impactful contact. Players are responsible for the safety of their opponents as well as their teammates and must control their aggressiveness to avoid, or minimize, bodily contact.

• Flag pullers must take all reasonable steps to minimize contact when removing a flag.
• Ball carriers must try to avoid defenders, and defenders cannot jump in front of a ball carrier to claim position.
• Players cannot use their arms or hands to impede or redirect an opponent (Interference), and cannot trip an opponent.
• After the whistle, a player may not run into, throw the body against or deliberately fall on an opponent.
• The ball carrier may not elbow, shoulder or throw the body into an opponent.
• Flagrant contact, tackling, elbowing, cheap shots, blocking or any unsportsmanlike act leads to the player's ejection and a Major Foul penalty for the team.
• Incidental contact (contact that does not move an opponent off stride or away from their intended direction) is not a foul.

Source: Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Flag Football 2026, General Rules (Gameplay Principles, Safety), Rule 18, Rule 19 and the Definitions.