The British American Football Association (BAFA) can today confirm rule changes for 2021.
Contact
There are no rule changes for Contact football in 2021, and therefore the 2020 rulebook will continue to be used. This can be viewed here.
No tackle rule changes
Further to the above, BAFA has followed the lead of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and decided to make no changes to the tackle rules for 2021.
Flag
IFAF has issued a new flag rulebook for 2021, which BAFA has adopted. The new rulebook incorporates a number of small changes, which aim to improve the game. For clarity and standardisation, the default field size in Britain is now 50 yards x 25 yards (plus endzones). Players, coaches and officials are advised to download the new rulebook and familiarise themselves with the changes.
COVID-19
During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, IFAF is permitting national federations some flexibility to make the game safer and to satisfy government advice and regulation. As part of the Return to Play process, BAFA is monitoring the situation and we will announce if there are any adopted changes well before play resumes.
