It's football season again.
Flag football, the sport continues to grow as the West Jersey Football League enters its second season of women's flag football.
Twenty-four teams will now play in the league, and organizers hope the NJSIAA will eventually welcome the league as a sanctioned sport at all public high schools. (The sport is in a pilot phase for at least the next two seasons.)
Flag football is very similar to standard American football, with some different rules (no tackles being the obvious one), but still just as tough. The NJSIAA classifies it as a strenuous sport.
So here's what you need to know about girls
Flag football to get the most out of the upcoming season:
South Jersey Women's Flag Football Team
Last season, 14 teams participated in the league. This spring, about a dozen more people joined the group.
The teams currently participating in the league are:
- Kingsway
- Cedar Creek
- Hammonton
- washington township
- camden
- Absegami
- main land
- Timber Creek
- east side
- oak crest
- Egg Harbor Township
- pensauken
- new egypt
- mill building
- ocean city
- woodbury
- Willingboro
- middle township
- Delcy
- collingswood
- KIPP Norcross
- cape may tech
- Pleasantville
- Cherry Hill West
- ewing
- Mastery Charter, last season's champion
How is flag football played?
There are many differences between flag football and regular tackle football. Here are some of the differences and distinctions:
- There are seven players on the field instead of 11.
- No tackles. Instead, players must remove the ball carrier's flag to end the play.
- The match will be played in two halves of 24 minutes.
- After a touchdown, teams have the option to score 1, 2, or 3 points by moving the ball into the end zone again. Scoring from the 3-yard line earns 1 point. Two-point attempts begin at the 10-yard line. Three-point attempts will be made from the 20-yard line.
- The field can be as small as 40 yards, excluding the end zones.
- The clock runs for the first 23 minutes of the first half unless there is a timeout. The clock stops in the final minute of each half for a variety of reasons, including scores, incomplete passes, out-of-bounds calls, first downs, and possession changes.
- The quarterback always receives the ball in a shotgun formation.
- No diving to gain extra yards.
- There is no such thing as an ineligible player downfield.
- No fumbles.
- A quarterback cannot throw the ball out of bounds to save yards to avoid a sack.
- Teams must say whether they are punting the ball. During a punt, a team cannot move until the kick is removed. If the ball hits the ground, it is dead.
When will flag football become a full-fledged sport?
“The plan is to become a pilot NJSIAA sport in 2025 and a sanctioned sport in 2026. As for the NCAA, we don't know at this point, but it's a start with the NJSIAA adding it,” said June of The Athletic. Cioffi said. Principal of Kingsway Regional High School.
Flag football is growing in popularity across the country, and sanctioning it to high schools could give players a chance to play in college. The NFL recently made its annual Pro Bowl game a flag football competition, and the sport is scheduled to be featured in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“It's actually being done at the collegiate level (albeit at the NAIA and NJCAA level), and it's only a matter of time before the notoriety spreads along with it. We all know how many talented female athletes we have in many sports. We've seen it happen and we expect it to happen again this time.''As we continue to grow, and I'm no different, we're going to see a lot of female athletes who perform at a very high level quickly make huge leaps forward.'' said Cherry Hill West head coach Justin Arabia.
“Every school is handling it differently this year. At Kingsway, we practice flag football every day like any other spring sport, so we treat it as a sport and the expectations are the same for the girls,” Cioffi said. Told.
Cioffi's group isn't the only group spending time preparing for the match.
“Just like any other team prepares for a season or a game, we focus on individual skills and build on them in a group setting. We watch film, run, catch, etc. , throwing, and flag-pulling. We simplify and focus on the core fundamentals' important parts of the game, as well as improving speed, strength, and agility in those elements. We are also working on this,” Arabia said.
Do you have news information about flag football in South Jersey? Contact Nick Butler to share your story.
Nick Butler is an impact reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times covering community news in South Jersey. Have a tip or story? Contact us at NButler@Gannett.com.Subscribe to stay informed
