NFL FLAG-In-Schools — Get in the Game!

Recognize the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge & social interaction.

What You'll Do

Start an official NFL FLAG football league or recruit teams from your school to join a league in your area. FLAG teams can include as few as five or as many as 10 players, so start a league in your own school or look for one that’s already in place in your community.

Why This Play

Get in the game and #PlayFootball! Looking to tie your Play to specific standards in education? SHAPE America has developed curricular materials specific to NFL FLAG football that can be used to meet grade-level outcomes for K–12 standards in elementary school, middle school and high school. Note that these materials are supported by the online curriculum mentioned in Spread the Word and available here.

FLAG Football can be a great way to get students — both boys and girls — involved in a fun physical activity that will really keep them moving! When done in a safe, “fun-first” and child-oriented way, organized sports have been linked to many positive effects on students. These can include improved concentration, improved weight control, minimized risk of some chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, less participation in some risky behaviors (particularly smoking and taking drugs), improved self-worth and decreased risk of depression (in girls) 1 . The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reports a growing interest in FLAG football among high school students, especially girls, with a 25% increase from 2014 – 2015 to 2015 – 2016 2 .

Warm Up Activity Idea! Not quite ready for the full Play? Try this.

Organize some FLAG games during recess or PE classes. After students have learned the rules and had some time to play games, run a round robin or bracket tournament.

Host some games with parents vs. students, teachers vs. students, and teachers vs. parents to show how fun this sport can be!

Sources

1 Merkel, D. J., *Youth sport: positive and negative impact on young athletes. 2013. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. Accessed January 21, 2019.

2 Walsh, D.,Girls’ participation in high school, FLAG football is up. 2016. West Virginia Huntington-Dispatch. Accessed January 21, 2019.

What to Do

There are three main steps to this Play: get organized and recruit, take care of logistics and launch your league.

If a local league already exists, meet with its organizer(s) to discuss adding teams from your school. If a local league doesn’t exist, use this Play to get one started.

Step 1: Get organized and recruit

• Visit the NFL FLAG website to find out how to start a league or register with an existing one so teams can get official NFL jerseys, footballs and FLAG belts. Keep an eye on FuelUpToPlay60.com for special offers!
• Recruit coaches from teaching and coaching staffs and from interested family members or caregivers.
• Recruit students to join teams. Have them sign up with friends and divide the recruits into teams, striving for fairness and balance of athleticism across all teams.
  • Ask your PE teachers if your Fuel Up to Play 60 team can present briefly on the fun and the physical activity benefits students will get from joining the league.
  Credit: Sam Gordon

  Step 2: Take care of logistics

  Whether you join a local league or start one of your own, there are specific things you’ll need to get done:

  • Locate a place where practices and games can be held and work with those in charge of the venue to obtain permission and reserve time slots.
  • Meet with volunteer coaches to set up practice times and begin recruiting players.
  • Remind coaches about the Football Development Model for Coaches and other resources that provide coaching tips, plays and other information so they feel comfortable getting started.
  • Be sure coaches go through the NFL training resources, including certifications in FLAG coaching and the Heads Up Football safety initiative.
  • Recruit volunteer referees and have them take the NFL FLAG Football Officiating certification course.
  • Consider askinglocal businesses or organizations to help fund the equipment fees for the league or to provide funding for official referees or other needed resources. You can work with your school or district athletic director for help on scheduling official referees for your games.

  Step 3: Launch your league

  • Have volunteer coaches meet with their teams to discuss practice schedules and expectations.
  • Work with coaches to create a game schedule.
  • Then, create and distribute a schedule of NFL FLAG football league games for the season!