How to Play Touch Football

These rules for informal backyard touch football games are among countless variations. League rules are much more rigid and complex.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Drinking Waters
• Paper Cups
• Trash Bags
• Flag Football Belts
• Flag Football Flags
• Footballs
• Paper cups

Establish Rules, Field and Positions

1. Find a large, grassy area to serve as your playing field.

2. Divide players evenly into two teams.

3. Have each team decide who will act as its quarterback, running backs, receivers and line players.

4. Set your playing field's boundaries. The playing field should be rectangular, with an end zone at each end. Anything outside the playing area is out of bounds.

5. Decide whether you'll play one-hand touch or two-hand touch (see Tips).

6. Choose a method of deciding a winner by limiting either playing time or points scored. For example, the winning team could be the one with the highest score at the end of an hour or the first team to score five points.

7. Determine if you'll be able to earn new first downs. Traditionally, teams have four tries, or downs, to gain at least 10 yards. If they do so, they start over with a new set of downs. Your field may not be long enough for this. These instructions describe a game without new first downs.

8. Flip a coin to decide which team will begin playing offense.

Play the Game

1. Place the ball in the middle of the field.

2. Take an allotted time for deciding offensive and defensive strategies.

3. Line up the teams on either side of the ball, parallel to the end zones and facing each other.

4. The offensive player in the center of the line (the 'center') passes the ball to the quarterback between his legs.

5. While line players block the defensive line, the quarterback hands off the ball to a running back or passes the ball to a receiver, who then runs with the ball toward the opposite end zone while defensive players try to tag him or her.

6. Other offensive players try to keep defenders from tagging the ball carrier by blocking for him or her.

7. Stop the play once the runner is tagged, drops the ball or runs out of bounds. This counts as a down.

8. Set down the ball where it was last in play, and repeat steps 9 through 14.

9. Switch possession of the ball if three more tags, drops or out-of-bounds runs occur (for a total of four downs) before the offensive team reaches the end zone with the ball. The defense then becomes the offense at the point where the ball was last in play. The new offense gets four attempts to move the ball toward the opposite end zone.

10. Also switch possession of the ball when a point is scored; the scoring team then takes the defensive position. Play begins again by setting the ball in the middle of the field and lining the teams up as before.

11. Continue the game in this fashion until the point or time limit is reached.

Tips & Warnings

• It's easy to overdo it out there - take it easy, or be prepared for sore muscles in the morning.