Flag football has gotten quite popular in recent years as people look for alternatives to the full-contact sport of tackle football.
Though the gameplay is much like tackle football, flag football is a non-contact sport played with flags attached to players’ belts.
And specifically, parents are drawn to flag football because it poses far less of a risk for head injuries than tackle football.
You may already know a few things about flag football, but there’s much more to this sport than meets the eye.
Here are 20 flag football facts that you must know.
1. Flag Football Dates Back To World War II
Flag football isn’t just a recent invention. It is being played since World War II. It was created as a recreational sport for the US military personnel to stay fit. The name of the game was “Touch and Tail Football” which later become “flag football”.
2. Fort Meade, Maryland, USA Is The Birthplace Of Flag Football
According to records, the first-ever game of flag football was played in Fort Meade, Maryland in the United States. Now this place is known as the birthplace of flag football.
3. Tom Brady Started His Career With Flag Football
Tom Brady, the famous American football quarterback, started his career playing flag football in elementary school. He later joined his high school’s junior varsity team. After that, he played college football for the University of Michigan. He has played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL).
4. Longest Marathon Playing Flag Football Was Over 62 Hours
A group of Canadians set the world record for the longest marathon playing flag football from April 30 to May 3, 2015. The game lasted 62 hours and 4 minutes. The record was set at the Yara Centre in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, by Moose Jaw Touch Football.
The Moose Jaw Touch Football League is a non-profit organization that gives children in Moose Jaw and the vicinity a chance to play flag football within their community. This event helped raise money for the Children’s Wish Foundation International.
5. Flag Football Is Played In Over 70 Countries
Though often thought of as an American sport, flag football is in fact played all around the world. The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) reports that there are over 70 countries with participants playing flag football. Some of these countries are: