Flag football evolved from traditional football years ago. With many similarities to football--and a quite a few significant and obvious differences--flag football offers a version of the game that can be played by men and women of all ages. It's competitive and a good way to stay active. You also don't have to worry about getting tackled by someone twice your size.
History
Flag football is believed to have originated in the 1930s at Fort Meade in Maryland during the run-up to World War II. Bored military personnel were getting injured playing tackle football, so flag football was born. It still gave the troops a way to blow off steam without all the injuries.
Equipment
First, you need a football--any size will do. Next, you need the flags. You can buy flags that are specially made for flag football that usually come with a special flag belt you wear around your waist. Or you can fashion flags out of anything you want, from old socks to washcloths.
Depending on the surface you're playing on, you may want to consider what footwear you choose. For example, if you're playing on grass, you may want to wear cleats or sneakers with a good tread to avoid injuries.
Rules
There is no universal set of rules for flag football, and rules often vary from league to league or depend on factors like number of players and field size. But there are basics that typically stay the same. For example, it's standard for the ball to be snapped by one offensive player to the quarterback. Sometimes that player can go out on a pass pattern, and sometimes he will stay in to block.
Most importantly, the flags are used to "tackle" a ball carrier without actually pulling them to the ground. A defensive player must pull the flag completely away from the ball carrier. He can't just touch it; it must be removed from the belt, pocket or by whatever means it's secured to the ball carrier.
The other rules basically follow the same pattern as standardized tackle football. For example, six points are awarded for a touchdown, fumbles and interceptions give the other team possession of the ball, first downs must be earned by reaching a certain point on the field, and so forth.
Positions
No matter how many people are on each team, you will always have a quarterback. Next, you'll have wide receivers, or wideouts. Wideouts run pass patterns and catch the passes from the quarterback. If you have more people, you can add running backs who line up in the backfield behind the quarterback, and offensive lineman who line up and block for the quarterback. On defense, most of the available players will play defensive back, and cover the wideouts. With more people, the defense may be able to have defensive lineman, who will rush the quarterback and try to get sacks.
Organized Leagues
According to the online publication Football Babble, there are more than 20 million people in the U.S. who play organized flag football. College intramural flag football has become a huge success over the years. And every year since 1979, the National Collegiate Flag Football Championships have been played in New Orleans. The largest non-college league is the United States Flag Touch Football League, which has its championship tournament in Orlando every year. It draws hundreds of teams from all over the country.
There are thousands of local leagues that just about anyone can be involved in, from leagues for children as young as 4 years old to adult co-ed leagues to serious semi-professional leagues. There is even an International Flag Football Federation, which sponsors the World Cup of Flag Football featuring teams from around the world. Other leagues include the International Women's Flag Football Association and the NFL Youth World Championships which is an international tournament for children ages 12 to 14.
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