Colby Firth

Physical Education
Unit Preparation Guide

UNIT or ACTIVITY: Flag football

Students Name: Colby Firth

HISTORY or BACKGROUND OF THE ACTIVITY OR SPORT:

Websters Dictionary officially dates flag football to 1933. Not long afterward, by
the 1940s, it was all the rage on U.S. military bases as servicemen chose sides and played
against each other. Since America could not send football-battered soldiers into combat,
tackling a ball carrier to stop him was replaced with the safer practice of grabbing a flag
attached to his clothing. When the flag was taken, the player was stopped after four
downs it was a turnover. The first leagues started when men left the military and went
home to their families, they took flag football with them. The game spread to Americas
cities and suburbs. Early recreational leagues were in place by the 1950s. A decade later,
in the 1960s, the first flag football organization, the National Touch Football League
(NTFL), formed in St. Louis. The NTFL tweaked the rules a little so that a ball carrier
was stopped by touching him, eliminating the flags attached to players clothing.
ETIQUETTE: The main etiquette of flag football is to realize that its not real
football and to refrain from tackling at all and trying to keep contact to a minimum.
Respect to all players is a must. Generally there is no referees so honesty and
integrity should be displayed.
Safety: minimal contact is allowed to keep players safe. Many players wear a mouth
guard

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: This sport requires some equipment. First you need belts
with flags attached to them with Velcro. You need for cones or pylons for each end
zone to indicate the end zones. Most athletes also wear cleats while playing.

PLAYING AREA DIMENSIONS or MARKINGS: flag football regulation field is a

rectangular area 60 yards x 30 yards with the following markings: respective lines to
gain (1st down) for each team in order are every 15 yards Hash marks will be drawn
parallel to each sideline located 15 yards into the field from each sideline. There will
be marks at the 3, 10, and 14 yard lines.
RULES:
1. CONTACT: All efforts must be made to reduce heavy contact. Tackling a
player involves a motion to de-flag ONLY. Any other motion to obstruct a
players motion is ILLEGAL. ANY CONTACT other than de-flagging
against a passer in a passing motion is a penalty. Charging, running through
an opposing player who has position on the field, on either offense or defense
is illegal.
2. PLAYERS ON FIELD: Games are played between two teams of seven (7)
players each. A team may play with six (6) players, but their opponent may
choose to play with seven (7). If a team has five (5) or fewer players on the
field at the start of their scheduled game time, they must forfeit the game. No
team may recruit players from a different team to supplement their roster.
3. CONTACT: All efforts must be made to reduce heavy contact. Tackling a
player involves a motion to de-flag ONLY. Any other motion to obstruct a
players motion is ILLEGAL. ANY CONTACT other than de-flagging
against a passer in a passing motion is a penalty. Charging, running through
an opposing player who has position on the field, on either offense or defense
is illegal.
4. PUNTS: No kicks. The opposing team takes possession on its own 5yard line.
5. FUMBLE: All fumbles are dead at the spot. In the event a QB drops the
snap, the ball is considered fumbled and will be spotted from the location of
the drop. If a ball is fumbled mid-air, any player may recover the ball before
it touches the ground and advance the ball. If a ball carrier uses his ball
carrying hand to keep his body from contacting the ground, and the ball
touches the ground but the carrier remains in control of the ball, the carrier
is not down and the play continues
6. ONE RUN PER POSSESSION: Only 1 run is permitted per possession; all
other plays must be pass plays. Note that extra point attempts after a
touchdown constitute separate possessions, and therefore a new run play is
available

5 MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST QUESTIONS FOR THIS SPORT:

1. How many consecutive downs do you have to get a first down
A. 5
B. 10

2.

3.

4.

5.

C. 15
D. 20
How many players are required to make a minimum team?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8
How many timeouts are allowed per team per game?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
How many substitutions is a team allowed?
A. 3
B. 2
C. 5
D. unlimited
How many seconds do you have to snap the ball?
A. 10
B. 15
C. 25
D. 20