Flag football is catching on all over the world, so much that it will be an Olympic sport in Los Angeles in 2028.
The West Michigan National Flag Football League is coming to the Holland area in the spring of 2025 and will play at West Ottawa Stadium.
“Our newly formed NFL flag football league will provide an amazing experience for families and student athletes in the surrounding areas Holland, Grand Haven, Zeeland, Hudsonville, Saugatuck, Fruitport, Muskegon, Allendale and more,” said coach Antaiwn Mack. “We will also have the first All Girls NFL flag football league in West Michigan.”
Registration is currently open and will end April 2, 2025.
Leagues run for seven weeks and are available for boys and girls grades Pre-K-eighth grades. Games will be played on Sundays, each team will practice on Sunday each week prior to their games.
A flag football field is shorter than a standard field at 25 yards wide and 64 yards long, with two 7-yard end zones and a midfield line-to-gain. To prevent power football in tight spaces, no run zones are located 5 yards before the end zone and on each side of the midfield line-to-gain. If the ball is spotted on or inside the no run zone, the offense must use a pass play to get a first down or touchdown.
When learning how to play flag football, it’s best to start with the basics. In NFL FLAG football leagues, teams play 5 on 5 and each game consists of two halves, usually 15 to 25 minutes long. Tournament games are typically shorter with two, 10-to-12-minute halves. The clock only stops for halftime, timeouts (each team has three), or injury, making games quick and competitive. Each player has a specific role on the field and every play counts.
The most important rule in flag football is that there’s no contact allowed, including tackling, diving, blocking, screening or fumbles. Instead of physically tackling an opponent to the ground, players wear flags that hang along their sides by a belt. Defenders “tackle” the ball-carrier by removing one or both of their flags.
While this rule is designed to keep players safe, there are several other rules that limit contact among players, including:
The quarterback isn’t allowed to run with the ball, unless it was handed off first. They can run behind the line of scrimmage, but they can’t gain yardage.
All passes must go forward and be received beyond the line of scrimmage.
Laterals and pitches aren’t allowed—only direct handoffs are permitted.
Center sneak plays aren’t allowed.
There are no fumbles. Instead, the ball stays in possession of the offense and is spotted where the ball-carrier’s feet were when the fumble occurred.
The ball is dead when: the ball-carrier’s flag is pulled, the ball-carrier steps out of bound, a touchdown or safety is scored, the ball-carrier’s knee hits the ground, or the ball-carrier’s flag falls off.
Players can’t obstruct or guard their flags.
A new set of rules for a new sport that is looking to take off in West Michigan.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
