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Understanding the flag football field
This is an excerpt from 2021 & 2022 NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book & Officials' Manual-20th Edition by NIRSA.
Section 2. The Field
Article 1. Safety Margin.
No hard and unyielding rigid fixtures (e.g., trees, poles, fences) shall be located within 5 yards of the sidelines or 10 yards of the end lines, unless covered with at least 1/2" of closed-cell, slow-recovery rubber or other material of the same minimum thickness and having similar physical properties. NOTE: If in doubt, consider the safety of all participants to be paramount to the game.
Article 2. Adjacent Fields.
When fields are located in close proximity, there shall be a minimum of 5 yards between “side by side” fields and 10 yards between “end on end” fields.
Article 3. Field Markings.
The width of the field shall be lined at 20 yard intervals from goal line to goal line. These zone markings may be changed according to field dimensions. All yard lines inside the boundaries shall stop 4" from each sideline. There shall be 2 hash marks. They shall run parallel with each sideline, located 15 yards “in” from each sideline. The 3 and 10 yard Try lines and the 30 yard lines shall be 2 yards wide and 4" thick. Both 14 yard lines shall be marked with an “X” and shall have a height of 1 yard and a line thickness of 4". White is the recommended color for all field markings.
Article 4. Facility Limitations.
In case of facility limitations, distances of field length and width can be modified. However, end zone length must always be 10 yards. If the field length is modified, shorten all 4 zones equally so they are the same length. NOTE: When zones are shortened, the 3 and 10 yard Try lines remain the same. The 14 yard lines must be located 6 yards from the nearest zone line. The 30 yard lines must each be located 10 yards from the 40 yard line.
Article 5. Goal Line.
The entire width of each goal line shall be a part of the end zone.
Article 6. Team Box.
On each side of the field a team box shall be designated for the players and nonplayers. This team box is located 2 yards off the sideline and between the 20 yard lines. When the playing area is modified, so shall be the team box. If teams cannot agree on a sideline, the Referee shall conduct a coin toss. Both team boxes may be located on the same side of the field, provided each team box is marked between their respective 20 and 35 yard lines.
Article 7. End Zone Pylons.
Twelve soft, flexible pylons shall be placed at the inside corner of the intersections of the sideline with the goal lines and the end lines, and at the intersections of the end lines and hash marks extended. The 4 pylons located at the hash marks extended shall be positioned 3' beyond the end line.
Article 8. Sideline Zone Line-to-Gain Markers.
20 yard line and 40 yard line markers, constructed of soft and pliable materials, shall be located 6' beyond the sideline.
Article 9. Field Numbers and Hash Marks.
White field yard line numbers shall be 6' in height and 4' in width, with the tops of the numbers 5 yards from the sidelines, if used. Hash marks shall be 6' long and 4" wide, and intersect with the 20 and 40 yard lines. Additional hash marks, 3' long and 4" wide, shall touch the goal line and extend into the field of play.
Article 10. Field Orientation.
It is highly recommended that fields be laid out in a north/south orientation when new facilities are planned.
Article 11. Field Slope.
It is recommended there be a slope of 1/4" per foot from the center of the field to each sideline on a natural grass field.
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