The flag guarding rule ensures that the defense has a fair chance at deflagging the ball carrier and stopping the run.
James Madison University Intramural Sports
Officials Development Program- Flag Football
Flag Guarding
Flag guarding is an extremely common penalty that all levels of officials must be able to quickly and precisely identify.
Flag Guarding
Enforcing Penalties
Runners shall not use their hands, arms, or the ball to deny the opportunity for an opponent to pull or remove the flag belt. This is one of the most common penalties in flag football. It is the responsibility of every official to look for and call this foul.
The flag guarding rule ensures that the defense has a fair chance at deflagging the ball carrier and stopping the run.
Flag Guarding
1. Swinging the hand or arm over the flag belt to prevent an oppoenent from deflagging.
2. Placing the ball in possession over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging.
3. Lowering the shoulders in such a manner which places the arm over the flag belt.
4. Any other motion that the referee views as giving the player in possession of the ball an unfair advantage over the player attempting to deflag.
Penalizing Flag Guarding
Flag Guarding is a 10 yard penalty on the offense. The penalty will be enforced from the spot of the foul. The down will be repeated.
Advantage
When calling this penalty, take into account if the player with the ball gains an advantage over the defense illegally, if so, call the penalty. If not, it can often be let go. For example, a player may flag guard but be deflagged at the spot of the foul. Since they gained no additional yardage by flag guarding there is no reason to throw the penalty flag, simply mark the end of the run.
Stiff Arm
The runner shall be prohibited from contacting an opponent with extended hand or arm. This includes the use of a “stiff arm” extended to ward off an opponent attempting to deflag/tag.
Helping The Runner
The runner shall not grasp a teammate or be grasped, pulled, or pushed by a teammate.
Obstruction of the Runner
The defensive player shall not hold, grasp, or obstruct the forward progress of a runner when in the act of removing the flag belt or making a legal tag.
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