Unlike some sports that can be traced back to their beginning, the actual date or incident that marks the origin of two-hand touch football remains unknown. According to FlagFootball.org's history of both flag and touch football, touch football is nearly as old as tackle football itself. One reason for its ongoing popularity is that as few as three players can hold a quick game of two-hand touch during lunch or before sunset.
Early History
According to FlagFootball.org, it's likely that tackle football teams first used two-hand touch as a way to practice at full speed without risking injury from contact. Although it might be difficult to establish this as a fact, logic suggests the game grew popular because everyone could play without suiting up in pads and protective gear. It's not uncommon to see a group playing two-hand touch football in shorts and bare feet on a warm day.
Leagues
The National Touch Football League originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1960s: Touch football had been in existence for almost a century before the league was formed. The first championship game in the St. Louis affiliate was played in 1971, and the league held its final championship game 17 years later. The NTFL is credited with publishing the first official rules for touch football.
Rules
Touch football rules are similar to regulation tackle football rules in many respects. League games are held on fields that are clearly marked and games are officiated by league-appointed officials. Teams are penalized for offside and illegal motion. Players are penalized for personal fouls, such as unnecessary roughness and holding. Unlike tackle football, two-hand touch rules regarding downing a ball carrier state that a defender must touch the ball carrier below the waist with two hands. An offensive team can advance the football using runs or passes and defensive teams are not restricted to certain coverage schemes. Touch football fields do not have goal posts for kicking field goals so scoring is limited to touchdowns and the subsequent try for a point after.
Variations
At some point, players came up with one-hand touch football. A ball carrier is downed when a defender touches him anywhere below the neck with one hand. Good ball carriers have a knack for ducking or dodging an attempted touch, leaving a defender swatting at mid-air. One-hand touch may be the fastest version of American football. Flag football is a form of touch that many players consider an alternative to tackle football. Instead of tackling a ball carrier to the ground, a player is downed when a defender pulls his flag. Anyone who has played flag football knows it takes skill to catch a ball carrier and get your hand around his flag. In spite of leagues, variations on the game and rules that govern play, you might see a friendly game of two-hand touch at a park, on the beach or in a neighborhood street almost any time of the year.
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