Flag football
Encyclopedia
Flag football is a version of Canadian football
or American football
that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game (often called "tackle football" for contrast), but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a down. In most organized play, players wear a belt. These belts vary from "Triple Threat" which the entire flag belt is removed, to "Sonic Pop" which only the flag is pulled.
size, NFL
size (120 yards long by 53 1/3 yards wide), to fields a third that size.
An important distinction is whether linemen are allowed to catch passes ("Eligible Linemen") or, as in the CFL
/ NFL
, are not allowed to do so ("Ineligible Linemen"). Flag (and touch
) football may also be divided into "contact" or "non-contact", depending on whether or not blocking
is allowed; if allowed, blocking is usually restricted to the chest
.
In Non-Contact flag football, there is no blocking, usually no linemen, and if there are linemen they can not use their hands to block an opponent. Defensive players cannot get in the way of a runner; they can only attempt to grab the flag without impeding the path of the runner. Offensive players are not allowed to hand block defensive players to prevent them from grabbing the flag.
In Contact flag football, none of the rules above apply. There are linemen blocking only around chest area, no chop blocks or blocks below the waist. Defensive players can get in the path of an offensive player to attempt to grab the flag.
featuring teams from the United States
, Mexico
and several other nations.
The International Federation of American Football
(IFAF) organizes the IFAF Flag Football World Championship every two years since 2002.
The International Woman's Flag Football Association
hosts contact flag football tournaments across the world with participants from the United States
, Canada
, Mexico
, Sweden
, Norway
, Finland
, Denmark
and several other nations. The organization also known as the IWFFA is the largest organization for women and girls in the sport of flag football. The most active tournament is held each February in Key West, Florida
, called the Kelly McGillis Classic where over 90 women and girls teams participate in 20on98 contact flag football.
The NFL conducts their own Youth World Championship for children 12–14 years of age. Held in different nations around the world. It is five man no contact football played between ten countries. Previous NFL Flag Football World Championships have been held in Beijing, Cologne, Mexico City, Tokyo, Toronto, and Vancouver. The NFL has also at times sanctioned "Air It Out" competitions aimed primarily at its fans in which tournament-winning teams were allowed to compete against retired NFL All-Pros
. Many universities around the continent have flag football divisions and leagues.
is organized by the BAFA Community Leagues
. At a senior level as of 2011, it is played by fifteen teams divided into two regional conferences, North (Scotland), and South (England & Wales) with the top teams qualifying for playoffs at the end of the season. The league also organizes teams competing at youth and cadet levels. Flag matches in the UK are played with five players on each side with no contact, and are officiated according to the IFAF flag football rules with a few minor variations.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
or American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game (often called "tackle football" for contrast), but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a down. In most organized play, players wear a belt. These belts vary from "Triple Threat" which the entire flag belt is removed, to "Sonic Pop" which only the flag is pulled.
Variations
Chiefly because there is no dominant sanctioning organization for the sport, the game has mutated into many variations: 9-man, 8-man, 7-man, 5-man, and 4-man on a side; with kicking and punting and without; with point-after conversions (including some with 1, 2, and 3 point tries) or without; and field sizes that vary from full CFLCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
size, NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
size (120 yards long by 53 1/3 yards wide), to fields a third that size.
An important distinction is whether linemen are allowed to catch passes ("Eligible Linemen") or, as in the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
/ NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, are not allowed to do so ("Ineligible Linemen"). Flag (and touch
Touch football (American)
Touch football is a variant of American football in which the basic rules are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the person carrying the ball need only be touched by a member of the opposite team to end a down...
) football may also be divided into "contact" or "non-contact", depending on whether or not blocking
Blocking (American football)
In American football, blocking is a legal move occurring when one player obstructs another player's path with his body. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players tackling the ball carrier, or to protect the quarterback while attempting to pass or hand-off the ball...
is allowed; if allowed, blocking is usually restricted to the chest
Chest
The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...
.
In Non-Contact flag football, there is no blocking, usually no linemen, and if there are linemen they can not use their hands to block an opponent. Defensive players cannot get in the way of a runner; they can only attempt to grab the flag without impeding the path of the runner. Offensive players are not allowed to hand block defensive players to prevent them from grabbing the flag.
In Contact flag football, none of the rules above apply. There are linemen blocking only around chest area, no chop blocks or blocks below the waist. Defensive players can get in the path of an offensive player to attempt to grab the flag.
Competition
The sport has a strong amateur following and several national and international competitions each year sponsored by various associations.International
The International Flag Football Festival (IFFF) organizes the World Cup of Flag FootballWorld Cup of Flag Football
The World Cup of Flag Football was created in 2000 in Cancun, Mexico with six countries.In now its 11th annual event, The 2010 World Cup of Flag Football Festival will take place in Boston in July....
featuring teams from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and several other nations.
The International Federation of American Football
International Federation of American Football
International Federation of American Football is the international governing body of American football associations. Its headquarters are in La Courneuve, France, and its current president is Tommy Wiking...
(IFAF) organizes the IFAF Flag Football World Championship every two years since 2002.
The International Woman's Flag Football Association
International Woman's Flag Football Association
The International Woman's Flag Football Association is the umbrella organization for women and girls flag football leagues and teams around the world.The International Woman's Flag Football Association mission is to professionalize women's flag football and to promote the sport of flag football...
hosts contact flag football tournaments across the world with participants from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and several other nations. The organization also known as the IWFFA is the largest organization for women and girls in the sport of flag football. The most active tournament is held each February in Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, called the Kelly McGillis Classic where over 90 women and girls teams participate in 20on98 contact flag football.
North America
The United States Flag and Touch Football League (USFTL) has a number of smaller organizations spread out over the US. Located in Ohio, this league supports a number of teams from the Mid Atlantic, NorthEast, and Midwest states.The NFL conducts their own Youth World Championship for children 12–14 years of age. Held in different nations around the world. It is five man no contact football played between ten countries. Previous NFL Flag Football World Championships have been held in Beijing, Cologne, Mexico City, Tokyo, Toronto, and Vancouver. The NFL has also at times sanctioned "Air It Out" competitions aimed primarily at its fans in which tournament-winning teams were allowed to compete against retired NFL All-Pros
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
. Many universities around the continent have flag football divisions and leagues.
Europe
Flag football competition in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is organized by the BAFA Community Leagues
BAFA Community Leagues
The BAFA National Leagues are the primary American football competition in England, Scotland and Wales. They were formed by the British American Football Association in 2010 to coordinate contact football and flag football across all age ranges...
. At a senior level as of 2011, it is played by fifteen teams divided into two regional conferences, North (Scotland), and South (England & Wales) with the top teams qualifying for playoffs at the end of the season. The league also organizes teams competing at youth and cadet levels. Flag matches in the UK are played with five players on each side with no contact, and are officiated according to the IFAF flag football rules with a few minor variations.