International Woman's Flag Football Association
Encyclopedia
The International Woman's Flag Football Association (IWFFA) 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
to women and girls through tournaments, trainings and promotional tours held annually throughout the world. IWFFA ranks teams nationally (USA) and internationally
The IWFFA recognizes athletic achievements of female flag football players. The Porter Wilson Award (man who invented flag a tag belts & flags used as equipment to play the sport) honors any woman or man, each year, who has done so much for the sport.
The World Challenge is a special competition between USA All Stars vs International All Stars.
IWFFA Videos highlight some of the best female flag football action. The IWFFA has won numerous awards such as the Dick Butkas Award for their website. The IWFFA sanctions leagues, ranks leagues nationally and offers great support to members. The IWFFA Flag Football News is a monthly newsletter updating players on current news in the sport which is directly to each player. The IWFFA Forward Pass is an annual girls & women's flag football magazine. Women are encouraged to be a part of the IWFFA and to help develop the organization.
, Canada
, Denmark
, Sweden
, Finland
, Mexico
and various other countries. Starting in 2011, the IWFFA will structure regional tournaments across the USA.
2011 IWFFA Tournaments
(Regional USA Tournaments will be added to list January, 2011)
Contact the IWFFA if you would like to host a sanctioned tournament in your city
Kelly McGillis classic 20 February 6–14, 2011
Key West, FL USA
Hjorring, Denmark 6th June 10 – 12, 2011
Oslo, Norway 12th July 1 – 3, 2011
Montreal, Canada 7th August 13–14, 2011
Gothenburg, Sweden 11th Sept 2 – 4, 2011
Ptown Classic, MA 6th September 17 – 18, 2011
Key West,FL Women’s Wk 3rd September 25, 2011
(For Loose Women Only)
Mexico, City 1st October 8 –9, 2011
In April 1997, the International Women's Flag Football Association (IWFFA) was founded by Diane Beruldsen and is the first international women's flag football association. The IWFFA traveled to other countries to introduce the sport and start new teams and leagues. In the fall of 1997, the IWFFA brought flag football to Scandinavia by starting the first women's flag football team in Denmark called the: Copenhagen Mermaids. In 1999 the Oslo Trolls was formed. In 2000, the Gothenburg Angels was formed and as the IWFFA traveled for six months during its 2000 promotional tour throughout the Nordic Region (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland), many teams were formed and thus, the Nordic Region for Women's Flag Football. The IWFFA will travel to any country. The IWFFA focuses on the United States for a 2011 promotional tour and in 2012 their promotional tour will be in India.
The IWFFA was developed from previous leagues founded by Diane Beruldsen: Brooklyn Women's Flag Football League, New York Women's Flag Football League, Key West Women's Flag Football League. In 1995 Ms. Beruldsen founded the National Women's Flag Football Association, the very first women's national flag football association.
The First Annual World Challenge Game sponsored by Tylenol was held in 2008 following the regular tournament play of the Kelly McGillis Classic. The Championship team of the IWFFA / U.S.A. National Team Division played against the tournament's top International team.
The International team consisted of the Montreal Warriors along with recruited members of the Montreal Rebelles, Norway, and the Tennessee Turkeys. The U.S. team was headed by Lethal Weapon and recruited players from the Playmakers and Blue Wave A teams. Team USA won the game, with the final score: 13–6
Flag football
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 , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
to women and girls through tournaments, trainings and promotional tours held annually throughout the world. IWFFA ranks teams nationally (USA) and internationally
The IWFFA recognizes athletic achievements of female flag football players. The Porter Wilson Award (man who invented flag a tag belts & flags used as equipment to play the sport) honors any woman or man, each year, who has done so much for the sport.
The World Challenge is a special competition between USA All Stars vs International All Stars.
IWFFA Videos highlight some of the best female flag football action. The IWFFA has won numerous awards such as the Dick Butkas Award for their website. The IWFFA sanctions leagues, ranks leagues nationally and offers great support to members. The IWFFA Flag Football News is a monthly newsletter updating players on current news in the sport which is directly to each player. The IWFFA Forward Pass is an annual girls & women's flag football magazine. Women are encouraged to be a part of the IWFFA and to help develop the organization.
Rules
Basic Rules are as follows:- 8on8
- Center and Two Guards are ineligible receivers
- Blocking between shoulders and waist
- Down field blocking allowed
- Field goals, extra point kicks and punts are allowed
- Fake kicks and defensive rush allowed
- Defensive line may rush QB as soon as ball is snapped
- No helmets, no fumbles, no pads, or tackling allowed
Tournaments
The most notable tournament is the Kelly McGillis Classic held in the February in Key West, FL. This tournament has brought in 49 teams from across the world including the United StatesUnited 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...
, 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...
, 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....
, 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...
, 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 various other countries. Starting in 2011, the IWFFA will structure regional tournaments across the USA.
2011 IWFFA Tournaments
(Regional USA Tournaments will be added to list January, 2011)
Contact the IWFFA if you would like to host a sanctioned tournament in your city
Kelly McGillis classic 20 February 6–14, 2011
Key West, FL USA
Hjorring, Denmark 6th June 10 – 12, 2011
Oslo, Norway 12th July 1 – 3, 2011
Montreal, Canada 7th August 13–14, 2011
Gothenburg, Sweden 11th Sept 2 – 4, 2011
Ptown Classic, MA 6th September 17 – 18, 2011
Key West,FL Women’s Wk 3rd September 25, 2011
(For Loose Women Only)
Mexico, City 1st October 8 –9, 2011
History
The IWFFA is the umbrella organization run by women for girls and women's flag football around the world. The IWFFA offers girls and women's flag football tournaments in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Scandinavia. Their outreach program offers flag football clinics and training for players, coaches, officials and any groups wanting to develop flag football in their area. Their promotional tours . The IWFFA travels all over the world to promote, and introduce the sport.In April 1997, the International Women's Flag Football Association (IWFFA) was founded by Diane Beruldsen and is the first international women's flag football association. The IWFFA traveled to other countries to introduce the sport and start new teams and leagues. In the fall of 1997, the IWFFA brought flag football to Scandinavia by starting the first women's flag football team in Denmark called the: Copenhagen Mermaids. In 1999 the Oslo Trolls was formed. In 2000, the Gothenburg Angels was formed and as the IWFFA traveled for six months during its 2000 promotional tour throughout the Nordic Region (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland), many teams were formed and thus, the Nordic Region for Women's Flag Football. The IWFFA will travel to any country. The IWFFA focuses on the United States for a 2011 promotional tour and in 2012 their promotional tour will be in India.
The IWFFA was developed from previous leagues founded by Diane Beruldsen: Brooklyn Women's Flag Football League, New York Women's Flag Football League, Key West Women's Flag Football League. In 1995 Ms. Beruldsen founded the National Women's Flag Football Association, the very first women's national flag football association.
The First Annual World Challenge Game sponsored by Tylenol was held in 2008 following the regular tournament play of the Kelly McGillis Classic. The Championship team of the IWFFA / U.S.A. National Team Division played against the tournament's top International team.
The International team consisted of the Montreal Warriors along with recruited members of the Montreal Rebelles, Norway, and the Tennessee Turkeys. The U.S. team was headed by Lethal Weapon and recruited players from the Playmakers and Blue Wave A teams. Team USA won the game, with the final score: 13–6