As noted from the rule book tab flag guarding is a spot foul. However, does the down get replayed after the spot foul is assessed? I.e, the flag guard happened on 3rd down. Is it still 3rd down after the penalty is assessed or is it now 4th down? To me its weird that the offensive team can still gain yardage on this penalty and then get to replay the down.

3.Flag Guarding - A runner shall not flag guard by using their hands, arms, shoulder, or the ball to deny the opportunity for an opponent to pull or remove the flag belt. A player may use a spin move, however; must keep their arms away from their flag to avoid flag guarding. If a runner blocks another players attempt to grab their flag within their normal running motion, it is to be accessed as Flag Guarding.


Penalty: Flag guarding, 5 yards from the spot of the penalty.

I always thought it worked essentially like the play was over, and the runner gets 5 yards back from where he was tackled. It makes no sense why you would replay the down and I don't remember a game where we replayed the down on a flag guard. In our game we had enough people arguing about the call so I didn't feel the need to jump in though.

Same. I would like an explanation though because I am still not sure what the correct call was. Definitely not the reason we lost but I do want to know the rule! I think it should be a 5 yard penalty and loss of down? Right?

I would think any replay downs would be dead ball fouls or offsetting penalties. Flag guard shouldn't be a repeat down. Flag guard on 3rd would go to 4th down assuming the 5 yard penalty takes the offense behind the first

I am not playing this season just bored and checking up but am a tenured ref of the league. The call for flag guard should be easy. It is a 5 yard spot penalty with a loss of down (or down counts) however you want to put it. So on a 20 yard run past the first you get the first then 5 back from the spot and its first down. If the QB is called for a flag guard behind the line of scrimmage then its 5 back from the spot and a loss of down. A pretty basic straight forward rule.

Its a loss of down.

What if he runs for the first down but the flag guard took place before the first down marker? Would it be 5 yards and then a first down or 5 yards and then 4th down? Assuming the play took place on third down.

It's a loss of down/spot foul + 5 yard penalty.

If the flag guard happened before the first down, then you do not get credited for the first down, you lose the down and it's a 5 yard penalty.

It's official: JT got it wrong and our loss is because of him. Wow now I want to quit the league altogether! C'mon I can't get over it...... Sarcasm!

What did he rule it as?