Flag Football Leagues

Flag football is popular all over the world. In the United States, flag football leagues exist for everyone from six and seven year-olds to adults, and both boys and girls and men and women participate. In flag football, both sexes can play on the same team in the same league. In some cases, the number of players on each team is determined by whether both sexes are represented in the league.

In the last few years, the National Football League has established partnerships with several colleges and universities located near NFL teams in order to foster organized flag football league play. The NFL has, in fact, donated financial support and advertising as well as team gear to teams in these areas. The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) is also an active player in encouraging league play, especially at the college level.

Local Recreation Department Leagues

It is not unusual to find flag football leagues hosted by local city or county recreation departments. These leagues commonly work similarly to baseball, softball, and contact football leagues, with inter-league play and playoffs. Some leagues charge a fee to play while others, usually those that are loosely organized outside of the recreation department, are free.

It is estimated that several million people participate in flag football games or leagues in the United States each year. Annual tournaments are held in New Orleans and Orlando. League play is popular in Europe as well. League schedules usually include six to eight games per season, plus the playoffs.