Official 5x5 Football Rulebook

Greater Boston’s original tournament-style 5v5 football format, refined through over 25 years of competitive adult league play.

League Philosophy

5x5 Football is built for competitive adult play. Our rules are designed to create a fast, strategic, physical-but-controlled version of 5v5 football that rewards skill, spacing, execution, and team discipline.

Our format has been played and refined since 2000, making it one of the longest-running organized adult 5x5 football formats in Greater Boston.

Field Dimensions

Our preferred championship field size is approximately 76 yards long by 30 yards wide, measured end zone to end zone and sideline to sideline.

Depending on available space at specific parks, complexes, and facilities, field dimensions may be adjusted as close to this standard as possible while preserving the integrity of gameplay.

Field Layout

The field includes end zones, red zones, first-down zones, midfield, and designated no-run zones. These areas are designed to create balanced play, reduce power-running advantages, and encourage passing, spacing, and strategy.

  • Preferred field width: approximately 30 yards
  • Preferred full field length: approximately 76 yards
  • End zones on both ends
  • No-run zones before key line-to-gain areas
  • Red zone areas near scoring territory

Note: Final tournament fields are preferred to be as close as possible to the full 76 x 30 layout.

Game Format

  • 5 players on the field per team
  • Teams begin drives from their own 10-yard line
  • Offense has four downs to reach midfield
  • Offense has four additional downs to reach the opponent’s 10-yard line
  • Inside the 10-yard line, the offense has three downs to score
  • There is no overtime during regular season games

No-Run Zones

No-run zones are used to prevent power-running plays and preserve the strategic passing nature of the format.

When the offense is inside a no-run zone, the ball must be advanced by a legal pass. Runs, handoff runs, and designed rushing plays are not permitted inside these areas.

Season Points System

Win

3 points

Tie

1 point

Loss

0 points

Group Winner

Additional bonus point for tournament seeding.

Tournament Structure

5x5 Football uses a season-long tournament model. Teams are placed into groups, play group-stage and crossover games, and compete for points throughout the regular season.

Top group winners and wildcard qualifiers advance into the Championship Tournament. Other teams may continue into Silver and Bronze tournament brackets.

To become champion, a team must win twice on championship day.

Flexible Scheduling

Our weekly flex schedule helps adult teams manage roster availability and avoid unnecessary forfeits.

  • Teams may request bye weeks
  • Teams may request doubleheaders
  • Schedules are released weekly
  • The league considers team availability while maintaining competitive fairness
  • Final scheduling decisions are made by league administration

Rules Adaptation

5x5 Football uses its own long-standing league format for regular league play.

For specific tournaments, showcases, or outside events, rules may be adjusted to align with formats such as USA Olympic Flag, USA Flag, NIRSA, or other recognized flag football rule systems.

Rulebook Development

This rulebook is a living document. Rules may be clarified, updated, or adjusted by league administration to protect competitive balance, player safety, tournament integrity, and the overall quality of play.

Built Through Competition

Our rules are not theoretical. They have been tested, refined, and shaped by more than two decades of adult 5x5 football in Greater Boston.

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