The 21st Edition of the NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book & Officials’ Manual will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, June 21. The first edition debuted in 1983 and this NIRSA publication is campus recreation’s most trusted standardized code of rules, interpretations, and officials’ mechanics for the sport of flag and touch football. To see this year’s rules changes and help prepare for your next season and latest round of officials’ training, make sure to check out the print and digital options for ordering your rulebook copies today.

Meet the Editorial Board

The NIRSA Flag Football Editorial Board has been established to review and make changes to the next edition of the NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book & Officials’ Manual,  which is edited and updated biannually. Members of the Editorial Board who worked on the 21st Edition are listed below:

  • Nicole Green, University of Michigan, Chair
  • Kurt Klier, University of Maryland, Rule Book Editor
  • Nick Brigati, RefReps, LLC.
  • Julie Johnson, Towson University
  • Dave Siegle, University of Michigan
  • Kelsey Jones, Western Carolina University
  • Joe Wise, University of Texas at Austin
  • Kaulin Andric, Texas A&M University
  • Lane Goodwin, University of Florida
  • Tyler Burroughs, Kansas State University
  • David Gaskins, NIRSA Life Member
  • Clifford Richardson, University of Mississippi

During each two-year rulebook cycle the Editorial Board is hard at work examining, discussing, and writing potential changes for the benefit of flag football. The publication of the 21st Edition is the culmination of two years of effort. With the latest publication, the effort begins anew in preparation for the 22nd Edition that will be published in 2025. The Board welcomes questions and suggestions for potential future edits.

Dedication

Each edition of the NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book is dedicated to an individual who has made significant contributions to the sport of flag football. Nominations for deserving individuals open on the NIRSA website in the summer before a rule book is published. The editorial board reviews those nominations and selects that edition’s recipient in the fall. The 21st Edition is dedicated to Scott “Flick” Flickinger.

Flick has given countless hours to flag football through his work as an official and a volunteer. He was named an All-American official in 2001 and has since created and led officials training workshops, served on and led regional and national tournament committees, and served on the NIRSA Flag Football Work Team. He also built relationships and a community around flag football that continues to thrive. His contributions to flag football have not gone unnoticed.

See related: “Read all about the 2018 NIRSA National Flag Football Championships”

Sneak peek at significant changes

The 21st Edition features a few major changes to flag football rules. After years of research, discussion, and experimentation, this edition features the addition of an option for a team to attempt an onside conversion to retain possession after scoring. This change will improve competitiveness late in games because a team down by more than one score late in a game will still have a chance to get the ball back after a late conversion.

Other significant changes are based on changes made by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and their rules for high school tackle football in this upcoming season. Under the new rules, there is no longer a foul when a player is not wearing a flag belt. Any player who is not wearing a flag belt should simply be sent off for a play or until they put on a belt. If a player who is not wearing a flag belt is involved in play, the individual will be considered downed by a single hand touch of any opposing player.

Perhaps the biggest change for this year is related to how penalties will be enforced. The NFHS changed penalty enforcement procedures this season and the Editorial Board has determined that the best course of action for the NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book is to also change enforcement procedures. The All-But-One Principle still plays a part in enforcement procedures, just a less prominent role. Fouls committed behind the line of scrimmage are now primarily enforced from the previous spot even when the foul is by the offense.

Grab your copy of this year’s rulebook early to see all the details about how to enforce penalties with the latest changes.

We look forward to another season of NIRSA flag football! If you would like to share feedback for consideration in future editions, please submit ideas or suggestions using the NIRSA Flag Football Rule/Mechanic Change Proposal Form.

  • For more information, contact NIRSA Director of National Sports Programs, Nicole Jackson.
NIRSA Profile

Julie Johnson is currently Coordinator of Intramural Sports at Towson University and the NIRSA Flag Football Rulebook Editorial Board Chair; you can email her at juliejohnson@towson.edu.