Thousands of people around the world love flag football: competitions are held at the regional and international level, and the game is becoming increasingly popular in Russia.

Dynamic, exciting flag football is suitable for people of any age and gender, especially women and children. Each participant fulfills his role and can turn the tide in favor of his team.

Flag football was shortlisted for inclusion in the program of the 2028 Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles. This means that it can become an additional discipline at the Games.

History of appearance

Flag football is a kind of American football in which the opponent needs to be “defaced”, i.e. to tear down the flag. In American football, falling, pushing opponents are a common thing. Points are awarded not only for goals, but also if the ball hits a certain zone or the player is overwhelmed.

Flag football was invented for those who want to spend time on the field, tactically beat the opponent, but do it painlessly. This is its main difference.

Although the game is almost contactless, minimal contacts still remain, otherwise the ball cannot be taken away from the opponent. But an athlete can run across the field without fear of being knocked to the ground or knocked down.

Grabs, punches and other forceful techniques in flag football are prohibited. The risk of injury is minimal, and any attempts at rudeness are suppressed by the referee and coach.

The game does not require inventory and protective equipment. For this reason, you can play it in the company of friends in nature or on the street.

Rules and tactics of flag football

Each team has five players and one spare. They usually play two halves of 20 minutes each. Stops during the game are usually not made.

A flag or ribbon is attached to the belt of each participant. Sometimes they are replaced with a piece of cloth or paper. If it is disrupted, then the game episode ends — a new draw begins. The loss of the ribbon in flag football is equivalent to the fall of a player in American football.

The draw determines which team starts the game. The team is given four attempts to move to the other side of the field, and four more to earn a touchdown, i.e. to bring the ball into the scoring zone. All actions are given 30 seconds: players need to think through tactics and act quickly. If they fail, the projectile passes to the opponents.

Every 20 minutes the teams change sides of the field. In the amateur version, the time is reduced at the discretion of the players. If the result of the match is a draw, then the participants continue to “fight” in overtime until the winning goal.

According to the rules, participants are allowed to wear boots only with rubber spikes and it is forbidden to run in a frame and helmet. It is acceptable to use gloves to improve grip on the ball.

During the competition, the participants actively interact with the team and jointly beat the opponent. Players catch the ball, run around the field, warm up before the competition — this strengthens the overall physical condition.