Flag football facts for kids
A game of flag football being played at the University of Texas at Austin
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| Highest governing body |
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|---|---|
| First played | c. 1940 in Fort Meade, Maryland, U.S. |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Limited |
| Team members | Two teams of 4-10 |
| Type |
|
| Equipment | Ball, flag |
| Venue | Football field |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide |
| Olympic | To be first included in 2028 |
| World Games | since 2022 |
Flag football is a fun and fast-paced version of American football. Instead of tackling players, the defense stops the play by pulling a flag from the ball carrier. This means there is very little physical contact in the game.
Flag football is popular around the world, especially in America where it started. Many national and international competitions happen each year. The main group that manages the sport globally is the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). For women's flag football, the International Woman's Flag Football Association (IWFFA) is in charge.
Flag football will be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This will be the first time any type of football like this is a full Olympic sport.
Contents
History of Flag Football
The sport of flag football likely started in the early 1940s during World War II. It began as a way for American soldiers to stay fit. The game was designed to prevent injuries during wartime. Back then, it was called "Touch and Tail football." After the war, it became known as "flag football."
The first known records of flag football come from Fort Meade, Maryland, USA. This place is generally seen as where the sport was born. The first national flag football group, the National Touch Football League (NTFL), began in the 1960s. This was in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 1971, this league has held a national championship game.
Two teachers from Arizona, Porter Wilson and Norman Adams, created the flag-a-tag belts and flags. These are the models for the flags used in the game today.
Basic Rules of Flag Football
The rules for flag football can be different depending on the league. However, all versions share a key rule: pulling a flag replaces tackling. This is how a play ends.
Many rules from traditional American football are changed or removed. This makes the game more for fun and helps avoid physical contact and injuries. Also, fewer players are usually on each team.
In a typical flag football game, there are two halves. The length of each half depends on the league. The clock usually stops only for injuries, halftime, and timeouts. Most leagues have 10 players per team. This means 5 players are on offense and 5 are on defense. Unlike tackle football, there is no punting team in flag football.
Variations in Flag Football
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Flag football has many different versions because there isn't one main organization controlling all the rules. For example, teams can have 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, or 4 players. Games can be for mixed genders or single genders. Some games include kicking and punting, while others do not.
The way teams score extra points after a touchdown can also vary. Field sizes can range from very large, like a full National Football League (NFL) field, to much smaller fields.
One important difference is whether linemen can catch passes. In some versions, they can, and in others, they cannot. Flag football can also be "contact" or "non-contact." This depends on if blocking is allowed. If blocking is allowed, it is usually only allowed to the chest.
Another rule that changes is whether the quarterback can run with the ball past the line of scrimmage. This also depends on the league.
The sport is also played on different surfaces. Sometimes it's played on a traditional grass football field. Other times, it's played on sand beaches. Beach flag football has even been part of the Asian Beach Games.
International Flag Football Tournaments
IFAF Flag Football World Championship
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) organizes the IFAF Flag Football World Championship. This big tournament happens every two years.
Flag Football at the Olympics
In July 2022, the National Football League (NFL) and the IFAF worked together. They wanted flag football to be an optional event at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The NFL had already helped include flag football as a special event at the 2022 World Games. This event features sports not currently in the Olympics.
At the 2022 World Games, the United States men's team won. The Mexico women's team also won their tournament. An NFL leader, Troy Vincent, said flag football was "the future of American football." He said it was easy for everyone to play and had fewer barriers.
In August 2022, flag football was chosen as one of nine sports to be considered for the Olympics. On October 9, 2023, the Los Angeles Olympic committee officially suggested flag football. A week later, on October 16, 2023, the Olympic committee approved flag football.
Flag Football at the World Games
The 2022 World Games celebrated its 40th anniversary. It took place from July 7 to 17, 2022. The flag football games were held at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Eight men's teams and eight women's teams from around the world competed.
The United States men's and women's teams were already qualified. This was because they were the current world champions. The other seven teams were chosen through the IFAF's selection process.
Flag Football in the United States
USA Football
USA Football is the main group for American football in the United States. It is the only US member of the International Federation of American Football. It is also recognized by the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee. USA Football helps create programs for both tackle and flag football. It also selects and organizes the U.S. national teams for international competitions.
USA Flag
USA Flag runs the largest National Championships flag football tournament in the United States. They also host a club World Championships every January in Florida. In January 2023, this event had over 980 teams. This made it the largest single flag football tournament ever recorded. USA Flag has been growing very quickly each year.
NFL Flag
The National Football League (NFL) and its teams support flag football leagues for young people. These leagues are called NFL Flag. In 2020, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson became a leader and owner in NFL Flag. The NFL wants to help the sport grow in other areas too. The program also focuses on growing women's flag football. This is because traditional football has mostly been played by men.
In 2023, the NFL changed its all-star event, the Pro Bowl. It became a series of skill challenges. It ended with three flag football games. In 2023 and 2024, NFL Flag also held its world championships during the Pro Bowl events. In February 2025, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL was thinking about starting a professional men's and women's flag football league.
American Flag Football League
The American Flag Football League (AFFL) is a flag football group. It offers competitions for youth and women. In 2023, it also added a professional division for men.
Varsity Flag Football
In May 2020, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) teamed up with the NFL. They announced that flag football would be a varsity sport for female college students. The NAIA was the first college sports group to make flag football a varsity sport. NAIA women's flag football started in the 2020–21 season with at least 15 teams.
In May 2022, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) also announced it would support flag football. It would be an emerging women's sport starting in 2023.
In June 2023, the Atlantic East Conference of NCAA Division III announced that five of its schools would start women's flag football in 2025. This was with help from the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles. In July 2024, Conference Carolinas of NCAA Division II said six of its schools would start women's flag football in 2026. In February 2025, the NCAA suggested adding flag football as a varsity sport for women. At that time, about 65 NCAA schools had flag football teams.
Flag Football in Canada
Canadian Flag Football League
The Canadian Flag Football League (CFFL) started in 2019. It runs Canada's CFFL National Championship. The league works with Football Canada. This is the national group for football in Canada. The winners of the CFFL National Championship can represent Canada in international games.
The CFFL wants to connect existing adult flag football leagues across Canada. Teams compete in Regional Championships: Eastern, Western, or Central. The top two teams from each region go to the national championship.
The CFFL has three divisions: male, female, and mixed teams.
Flag Football National Championships
The Canadian Flag Football National Championships (FFNC) began in 2007. It gave athletes a chance to improve their skills and compete nationally. Later, it led to the Canadian Flag Football League (CFFL) in 2019. The championship format has changed over time.
In 2011, a co-ed division for under-15 players was replaced. It became separate boys' and girls' under-16 divisions. These were added to the under-18 divisions that started in 2010.
By 2013, the championship had three divisions. These were male and female under-16 divisions, and a female under-18 division.
In 2017, the championship changed to an under-18 format. It now has male and female divisions.
Flag Football in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, flag football usually involves 5 players on each side. There are two main groups. The Outlaw Flag League is for adults only. They hold tournaments from March to October, ending with playoffs and championships. The second group is the NFFL, The National Flag Football League. This is organized by The British American Football Association (BAFA).
At the adult level, there are sixty teams in two leagues. These are NFL Division One and The Premiership. The best teams qualify for playoffs at the end of the season. BAFA also runs The Youth Flag Football League (YFFL). It organizes teams for players under 17, under 14, and under 11.
Flag football games in the UK have five players per side and no contact. They follow the IFAF flag football rules with a few small changes. The U17s, U14s, and U11s compete in the National Youth Flag Football League. This league runs from April to August. Teams play in local and regional tournaments to reach National Finals Day. There, they can become National Champions.
See also
In Spanish: Fútbol bandera para niños
- Touch football (American)
- American flag rugby
- League tag
- Tag rugby
- Touch rugby
