NachoBall
A referee signals as the Penalty Flags line up in front of a packed crowd

The rulebook

The rules.

Flag football, rebuilt for highlights. Rules are being tuned in scrimmages, so expect a few surprises.

The showpiece rules

Twelve rules nobody else would dare.

  1. 0160-Minute ClockNo new drive after 60:00. Two 30-minute halves on a running clock.
  2. 02No Punts, EverFourth down is always a go. Fail and the other team takes over at the spot.
  3. 03No KickoffsEvery drive starts at your own 10. Safer, faster.
  4. 04Fan CatchThe touchdown ball gets kicked into the stands. A clean fan catch = +1.
  5. 05Trick-Play BonusA flea-flicker or hook-and-lateral that scores: +1.
  6. 06Golden DownOnce per game, one play scores double.
  7. 07Fan ChallengeA fan rep gets one challenge per game, fired by confetti cannon.
  8. 08Showdown OTReceiver vs. defender, one-on-one from the 10.
  9. 09Nacho TimeFinal 2:00: the clock stops on every play and all points count double.
  10. 10Double PassTwo forward passes allowed on every play. Pure chaos.
  11. 11Rookie SnapA kid from the crowd runs the game's first play, escorted by both teams.
  12. 12Dance-Off TimeoutsEvery timeout is a 30-second dance-off. The crowd judges.

Scoring

The scoreboard.

6Touchdown
1·2·3Conversion: throw it in from the 3, 10 or 20
2Safety: tagged in your own end zone
+1Fan Catch: a fan cleanly catches the TD ball
+1Trick-Play Bonus: a trick play that scores
2XGolden Down and Nacho Time

Field + clock

The basics.

  • 7 a side, 14 on the game-day roster, unlimited subs on the fly.
  • Two 30-minute halves on a running clock. No new drive after 60:00.
  • 20-second play clock. The clock stops for scores, turnovers, Fan Challenges and all of Nacho Time.
  • 60-yard field with 8-yard end zones. Midfield is the one first-down line.
  • Four downs to midfield, then four more to score.
  • Interceptions are returnable. A pick-six is 6, and the crowd goes nuts.
  • 12-minute halftime, run by the fans.

Flags + penalties

Keep it clean.

  • Down when a flag is pulled, a knee or hand touches, or you step out.
  • No tackling, no diving, no stiff-arms. Screen blocks only.
  • One pass rusher per play, from 7 yards back. The QB can run any time.
  • Ref Mic: every call is explained to the crowd in one sentence.
  • Offense foul: 5 yards + loss of down. Defense foul: 5 yards + first down.
  • Unsportsmanlike: 10 yards. Taunting the ref is fine. Touching the ref is not.
  • The Time-Out Chair: a second unsportsmanlike sits you out a drive in a giant kid's chair, on the big screen.

Rule by rule

Nacho Ball vs. the NFL.

RuleNFLNacho Ball
Players11 v 11, tackle7 v 7, flag
Field100 yds + 10-yd end zones60 yds + 8-yd end zones
Game lengthAbout 3 hours60:00 running clock
Play clock40 seconds20 seconds
KickoffsAfter every scoreNone: start at your 10
Punts & field goalsYesNone: 4th down is a go
Extra pointKick for 1 or go for 2Throw from the 3, 10 or 20 for 1, 2 or 3
Forward passesOne per playTwo per play
Overtime10-minute period1-on-1 Showdown
Replay reviewCoach's challengeFan Challenge
Timeouts3 per half1 per half, as a dance-off