Pop Warner is a national football league for youth ages 5 to 14. Pop Warner has a flag football division with teams across the United States. Teams play at district, regional, state and national levels to be named a Pop Warner champion. Pop Warner flag football rules and regulations are designed for a safe and enjoyable playing environment.
Divisions
Each league of Pop Warner flag football must consist of a minimum of four teams in each division. Players ages 5 and 6 are part of the Cat division. The Cub division is for players 5 to 7. The Bobcats are for players 8 to 10. The Wildcats are for ages 11 to 13. The Panthers are the last division, for players 14 to 16. The league's cutoff date is a birthday of July 31. This date determines a child's age group for the coming season. Players are not eligible to play if they participate in Pop Warner tackle football.
Teams
There must be a minimum of 10 players on each team. The maximum number of players for a team is 24. Eight players play on the field at a time. If the minimum number of players is not present for a game, the team must forfeit. Players must be on the roster -- which is completed at the start of the season -- to be eligible to play.
Equipment
All players are required to wear mouth guards and flags during play. Any article of clothing that conceals the flags is prohibited. Players cannot wear caps or street shoes. No padding of any kind if allowed. Players cannot have hard metal or any hard substance on their clothing.
Game Time
There are two 15-minute halves played in the Cub, Bobcat and Wildcat divisions of Pop Warner. The Panther division plays two 20-minute halves. Each team receives three timeouts for each half. There is a 10-minute break between halves.
Scoring
If at any point during a game, one team is leading by 30 points or more, the game ends. A touchdown is worth six points. A safety is worth two points. After a touchdown is scored, players may run the ball for one extra point or pass the ball for two extra points. During the regular season, games may end in ties after regulation time. In tournaments, overtime is used: Each team will have four consecutive downs. The team with the most yardage is the winner.
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