American football / Rule 18
Captains
NFL · 2026In short
Who communicates team choices to the referee.
Designation and coin toss
Coaches designate no more than 6 captains per team before the game. Up to 6 may attend the coin toss, including permitted honorary or inactive captains, but only one visiting captain calls the toss. Only one captain for each team communicates that team’s resulting choice, avoiding conflicting instructions to the referee.
Penalty choices and replacements
Only one captain may indicate the team’s penalty option. The coach can notify the referee of a captain change; a departing captain or incoming substitute can identify the coach’s designated replacement. A captain on the field cannot unilaterally replace another captain who remains there. Captain status is a communication role, not authority to overrule officials.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Independent summaries of the supplied NFL 2026 rulebook; NCAA and IFAF rules may differ. The comparison covers standard 15-a-side rugby union.
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