Flag Football: The Next Big Thing?...Maybe

Football is everywhere in America. It’s got its own network, scores of video games and various professional leagues throughout the country. But the football that most Americans are used to is the kind with pads and tackling. However for some Americans, there is another type of football that reigns supreme.  

Flag football has been around in one capacity or the other since the 1930s. Seven decades after its inception flag football is still played by tens of thousands of Americans each year. 

There are many leagues throughout the United States on the city, state, and national level. There is even a World Cup of Flag Football, which in 2008 took place in San Jose, Costa Rica.  

Apart from playing in Costa Rica, what on earth compels grown men to get together and play a contact sport in a seemingly sissified way? The answers are as to be expected. 

“The passion for playing a sport you love.” 

“The competitive spirit of the game.”
 
“It’s football, that’s why.” 

And when it comes to flag football, Colorado is beginning to hold its own. The Mile High Mayhem, a team based out of Arvada, has been ranked as the 34th best team in the world and the 16th best team in the United States.  

The Mayhem were founded by Pomona High School player Dustin Brackett, who is currently just 19 years old. In fact, the oldest player on the Mayhem is just 23 years old.  

The majority of nationally ranked flag football teams are comprised of players who are under 30. This game is clearly not one for the ex-gridiron warriors but instead one for high schoolers or college kids who wanted to start their own teams.  
While the Mayhem are representing Colorado quite well, the majority of flag football leagues are in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions. Ohio and Maryland are the two hotbeds for this sport.  

Flag football’s biggest problem is its lack of one big time league. Flag football in America is littered with so-called national associations, federations, and leagues. If flag football ever wants to make it big as a legitimate sport, it must have one consolidated all-incomposing federation.  

There are a few other problems on flag football’s way to greatness. The most highly competitive flag football leagues are played four-on-four. That means there are only four players on each team. 

Most fans who have seen eight man football think that it is not real football. How does any flag football league expect to garner legitimate interest when there are only eight people total on the field? 

Some leagues, however, use nine men per side. The only way flag football will become mainstream is to use this nine men per side rule. 

Another problem with flag football is that the quality of play simply isn’t as good as other football. This is the same problem that is facing semi-pro tackle football leagues. How to resolve this is anyone’s guess, but having legends such as John Elway and Joe Montana promote the sport seems like a step in the right direction. 

Until there are a clear set of rules and regulations, flag football will never be more than a place for college intramural players to get together and play.