Questions about playing Flag

[Icy]

One of my broken dreams and frustrations is that i haven't ever played a football game or even wear a football helmet and pads. Of course it's so hard in Spain. We had an amateur football league, sponsored by the NFL Europe to get new talents for the Barcelona Dragons mainly, who played a few years in the NFL EU. The Dragons dissapeard 2 years ago as there were not enought spectators in the stadium for NFL EU requirements, and without that support, the Spanish football league dissapeard.

This year a new amateur league started, even way more amateur than before (the players even need to buy their equipment etc) and i thought about applying to one of the Madrid teams as i live at 40 Miles from Madrid and they needed players. The thing is that at the end i thought too much on it and the league already started. My main worry was that i'm already 30 years old plus the 40 miles 4 days per week to train and play games.

I'm in good shape and strong, i go to the gym 3 days per week and do cross country running another 3 days per week. I'm also 5'11" and weight 222 pounds so i'm a big man for the Spanish average. But again i'm 30 years old, maybe too old to play a contact sport without risks. Of course i'm talking about amateur football, not even close to your high school football.

The thing is that while i'm considering aplying for a team next season, a new league for the spring/summer is being planned by old football vets,
but this time a flag league to avoid injuries. Some football fans from my city want to create a flag team and compete in that league.

I have read about flag and it's rules, but i haven't ever seen it beign played. I wonder if that is close to football or is just "the pussy" version as there is no contact. Is it fun? is a real sport or is it more like playing with a ball in the school? Is any skill required or is it just for kids and old men? Have any of you played it? if so, what are your experiences?

I would like to play it but only if i see that it's a real sport and we have a real competition, and maybe it could help me to decide if i can apply for real football next season as some of the guys in this league are also who play in the football league.

[st.cronin]

Flag football is a lot of fun, and definitely a real sport.

[Desnudo]

Flag football is legitimate. A lot of adults in the US play it for fun. I wouldn't worry too much about your age either way. Since you haven't been playing full contact football your whole life, you probably have a lot less wear on your body.

[Logan]

I'll agree that it's legitimate. I just didn't have as much fun playing it as I did tackle, because I'm not fast but was hard to bring down. That's a major disadvantage in flag football. :)

[RPI-Fan]

There are a lot of differences in Flag -- i.e. hook and ladders are common, you pretty much have to have some kind of option game, but overall it can be a lot of fun.

[volfan77]

It is a legit sport. Give it try, I think you would like it. I have known several people in their forties and fifties that have played in the same league as twenty-somethings and have held their own. In the leagues I have played in there has been a moderate amount of contact, but that is what makes it fun. The great thing about flag is in some leagues linemenare eligible so everyone has an opportunity to catch the ball.

[saldana]

i have taken hits in "friendly" flag games that have been as hard as any rec league soccer or hockey games i have played in...any kind of seriously organized flag game is a legit sport as far as i am concerned.

[Balldog]

I played last Fall. Broke my nose on a cheap shot, when they were running a reverse with about 20 seconds to go, while they were up by 14. The Findlay City League is pretty rough, when I went to the ER they said they usually get 3-4 people on gamedays.

It was fun for the most part though, except for the fact that some people basically treat it as its their life. Seriously one team had a couple guys with a tatoo on their leg with their team names. I've also seen idiots get in fights with refs and the other team, way to frequently, about once a week actually.

[kcchief19]

i have taken hits in "friendly" flag games that have been as hard as any rec league soccer or hockey games i have played in...any kind of seriously organized flag game is a legit sport as far as i am concerned.I was the lineman for my campus champion flag football team in college (code for I could snap the ball and was slow :)), but we had some screens we would run to me everyonce in a while because we had some burners at wide receiver and throwing to me in the middle of the field would help keep the defense honest. During one game, our QB threw the ball behind me and I reached out and batted it toward myself and started running down the field juggling the ball. I finally got a firm grip on it just as a defensive back come over to make a play. I was running hard and wasn't trying to avoid him, so at the last second he realized if he didn't do something I was just going to barrel roll over him. So he grabbed me and flat out tackled me -- hard. I rolled away from him and popped up on my feet and realized he didn't pull my flag and took off running. I'm still mad the refs ruled me "down by contact" -- didn't know that was a rule.

Clearly there are two forms of flag football, akin to slow pitch softball versus fast pitch softball. One is for anybody and everybody and can be played while drinking, the other can only be played by people with speed. It's a fascinating sport at the highest levels, but I think it's more like Arena football than regular football.

[MacroGuru]

Actually, there are paying semi-pro leagues throughout Europe, I just recently turned down an offer to coach one of their teams.

It was a dream type gig, however, it wouldn't pay me enough to support a family on for the 6 months I would be over there.

If you need help getting into contact with some of the leagues, let me know, I can see what I can do.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'll agree that it's legitimate. I just didn't have as much fun playing it as I did tackle, because I'm not fast but was hard to bring down. That's a major disadvantage in flag football. :)
Same here. It can take 3 guys to bring me down, but I'm pretty slow. Tackle football was always more fun for me. However, Flag football is definitely a legitimate sport that can be fun, particularly if you are fast.

[Ben E Lou]

I had a blast playing flag football throughout college. I played QB and we won one title, and finished second another time. The game changes pretty radically depending on whether or not "guarding the flag' (stiff-arming, slapping the hand away) is allowed. Our team was built around quickness first, speed second and we were top-tier my sophomore and junior year (title and second-place finish), but my senior year, we were middle-of-the-pack after stiff-arming was allowed in our league. If stiff-arming is not allowed, the abilty to change directions and shift the hips to avoid the pull becomes very important. When stiff-arming came in, though, people starting having running games predicated on power, for which we weren't ready.

[Logan]

Same here. It can take 3 guys to bring me down, but I'm pretty slow. Tackle football was always more fun for me. However, Flag football is definitely a legitimate sport that can be fun, particularly if you are fast.

Just wanted to add on...if you're in a "friendly" game or league (where not everyone is great and people are just playing to have fun), one player who is just head and shoulders above the rest can completely dominate the game.

One of my best friends growing up had ridiculous speed (played WR/CB in high school). When we would play flag ball during gym or something, I'd hit him on quick slants and watch him run about 80 yards for a score. Everytime.

[Mr. Wednesday]

So he grabbed me and flat out tackled me -- hard. I rolled away from him and popped up on my feet and realized he didn't pull my flag and took off running. I'm still mad the refs ruled me "down by contact" -- didn't know that was a rule. The leagues that I've played (rec in Houston and IM at ND), they play it like in college fb where you're down if your knee hits the ground. I imagine that was your situation.

[Poli]

I coached a student team (where the students ranged from 18-23 in age for the most part) last season here at the base. We did well for the most part. Our practices were cut off halfway through the season by the Navy sending me to a leadership course, and we struggled after that. We finished 6-3. 3 wins to start, not allowing a point in the process, followed by 3 losses. We finished with three wins and promptly lost in the playoffs.

I still think about what I could do differently for this season. Since everyone is eligible and there's essentially no contact allowed, I'll probably have more practices and drills dealing with speed and quickness.

An assistant to help out wouldn't be too bad, either.

[Icy]

Thanks for the answers guys, i would preffer contact football as i'm also a big guy, stronger than faster that would benefit from contact (i would love to play linebacker). I'll consider applying for one of the Madrid amateur football teams for next season, the amateur football league is well organized, with flys to the other cities to play etc and the requirements are not so high, apart from the money to buy the equipment (around $400 i have been said), but i think i could get into the worst team, as they don't have enought players to fill the roster and i'm in good physical shape, plus i have almost a year to keep training.

I will have two problems, first that i'm going to be a dad in 2 months, so my whole life/schedule will change, and second, but also related, that the team practices 3 days per week plus the game day, and i would need to travel around 40 miles from my city, being a lot of time out of my home. So maybe this is just a dream that i won't be able to acomplish (for sure would write a dynasty).

About the flag league, i'm going to talk to the guys in my city team, to see how serious they are about it. It would be a good chance to start to practice if i want to play real football next season.

Btw, a question about flag, if there is zero contact, what does the Oline apart from the snap? can you at least block the defenders?

[Poli]

Icy,

It's called "shadow blocking". It's fairly lame. Basically you hold your hands behind your back and try to get in the way of the rushers. If a rusher reaches out to grab you, stand still. In theory, the defender should be called for illegal contact. The defender has to get around you, and will most times. Your goal as a lineman in no contact is to delay the defender as much as possible in no contact.

Of course, if you don't stand still, the referee will deem you're at fault, and you'll get the penalty. I prefer to lock my legs out as I fall, regardless if I was standing still. It at least gives the impression I was standing still.

I've drawn a defensive penalty four plays in a row doing this.

[Icy]

Icy,

It's called "shadow blocking". It's fairly lame. Basically you hold your hands behind your back and try to get in the way of the rushers. If a rusher reaches out to grab you, stand still. In theory, the defender should be called for illegal contact. The defender has to get around you, and will most times. Your goal as a lineman in no contact is to delay the defender as much as possible in no contact.

Of course, if you don't stand still, the referee will deem you're at fault, and you'll get the penalty. I prefer to lock my legs out as I fall, regardless if I was standing still. It at least gives the impression I was standing still.

I've drawn a defensive penalty four plays in a row doing this.Ah ok, sounds like in basketball when you as defender stand without moving and the offensive player gets charged a fault if he pushes you.