Flag Football

Flag Football Information

Age Divisions:

Jr. Division - this division is for participants who are 5, 6 or 7 years of age. The Jr. Division is primarily a developmental league, with the main emphasis being placed on learning the rules of the the game and sportsmanship.

Sr. Division - this division is for participants who are 8, 9 or 10 years of age. The Sr. Division is a more competitive league.  While good sportsmanship is still strongly emphasized, players at this level will play more specialized positions based on their athletic ability and the effort they display during practices.

Eligibility: In order to be eligible to participate, a player must be between the ages of 5 years old and 10 years old on July 31 preceeding the upcoming football season. Due to Pop Warner requlations, league insurance requirements and fairness to all participants, we are unable to make exceptions for players who do not meet the age requirements. There are no weight restrictions for flag football.

Coaching: Each season, we are in need of parents or other adults to volunteer their time to coach the flag football teams. However, all new coaches and coaches whose certification has expired, must attend a mandatory four (4) hour Pop Warner coaching clinic in order to obtain or retain a coaching certification badge. Only certified coaches, wearing their official Pop Warner coaching badge, are permitted to coach players at practices and games. The cost to attend the clinic is approximately $40.00. SOYFA will pay this fee, but will request a reimbursement from each coach prior to the start of practice.  Each year, we have around 50 new coaches between our tackle football, cheerleading and flag football programs. Over the years, we've requested that coaches pay their own registration fees which allows the Association to have more funds available to spend on participants.  The coaching badge is valid for 3 years, so coaches don't have to attend the clinic every year. The 2010 clinics are scheduled for July 10 and July 24.  There are morning and afternoon sessions for both dates, but a registrant need only attend one session, not both.  The morning session is from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. The afternoon session is from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

        Additionally, Pop Warner requires that a background check is performed on all coaches, whether they are head coaches or assistants.   All coaches, whether new or returning, are required to complete a Pop Warner Volunteer Application, which is then submitted for a background check

        The time commitment is be a coach is about 3 to 4 hours a week. Teams practice twice a week from mid-August until the first game. Once the season begins, there are one or two practices a week and games on Saturday mornings.   If you are interested in coaching, please indicate your desire to be a flag footall coach on your child's registration form.

Practices & Games: Flag football practices begin in mid-August. In early August, parents will be contacted by their child's coach as to the specific date and time of the first practice. All teams practice twice a week until the first game, which is usually the Saturday after Labor Day. Once the season begins, all teams will practice once or twice a week depending on a decision made by the coaches prior to the start of the season. Regardless of the decision, all teams within an age division will practice the same number of times each week, either once or twice. All flag football teams will practice at Cypress Grove Park located near the intersection of Orange Avenue and Holden. Practice times are at the discretion of the coach, but for most teams practice begins around 5:15 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. and generally lasts about an hour and a half.

Game Schedule: Teams play a six game regular season and two or three additional games for the playoffs. All teams will play at least one playoff game. Teams that are not victorious in their playoff game will play a consolation/runner up game, which ensures that all teams will play at least 8 games. Games are played at Boone High School on Saturday mornings (weather permitting) in September and October. Playoff games are played in late October and the first Saturday in November.

Fees & Uniforms: The participation fee for the 2010 season is $85.00. Prior to the first game of the season, each player will receive a game jersey which is their's to keep. Players should wear their jerseys to all games. In order to participate in practices and games, players will need to wear athletic shorts with no pockets and have mouthpieces. Also, players should wear t-shirts to practice which are long enough to be tucked into the waist of their shorts. Cleats are recommended, but are not required. At the end of the season, each player will receive a trophy.

Special Requests: The coaches will decide prior to the start of practice whether a draft or some other system will be implemented to determine which team a player will play on. If no such system is used, then requests by a player (or a player's parents) to be placed on a team coached by a specific coach, or to play on the same team as a friend, will be considered, but not guaranteed.