Football Rules
Indoor Football
Indoor football rules vary widely and depend on style of play (tackle, flag, and touch), field size, and locality. Below are links to some of the more notable authorities. It is USIndoor’s goal to begin to assemble and develop standard rules, with input from the sport’s leaders and enthusiasts.
- U.S. Flag and Touch Football League (4v4 to 9v9 flag and touch)
- International Federation of American Football (5v5 no-contact)
- NFL Flag (amatuer/youth, 5v5 flag)
- Indoor Football League (professional 8v8 tackle)
The Indoor Field
A typical indoor football field is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide, the same size as a hockey rink or indoor soccer arena. The playing area is approximately 50 yards long with eight-yard endzones on each end. Depending on your chosen ruleset, yardlines may be marked, or the field may be marked by zone.
Outdoor Football
The International Federation of American Football publishes official rules of outdoor tackle football and are based on NCAA rules. The National Football League and Canadian Football League publish their own rulesets, which are more well-known in North America than the IFAF rules.
A typical outdoor football field is 120 yards long by 53 yards wide with markings for each yardline (150 yards by 65 yards in the CFL rules). Football fields can also be modified for use in field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, and ultimate.
