About NFL FLAG | Largest Youth Flag Football Program in U.S.

OUR STORY

In the 1990s, when the NFL launched a global health and wellness initiative called Play Football, they had one goal: to make football accessible for all children—no matter their age, size, or gender. And this is where the idea for NFL FLAG began.

In 1994, the NFL officially kicked off its first youth camp series at the New England Patriots’ stadium, where they introduced the rules of flag football and taught children how to play. Shortly after, leagues began to pop up nearby in Massachusetts—and they quickly took off. By the early 2000s, youth athletes all over the U.S. were participating in NFL FLAG, from school programs to local park districts to Boys and Girls Clubs.

Today, with more than 700,000 participants, NFL FLAG continues to evolve. It’s a pathway for female athletes to play in college, as well as an outlet for tackle athletes to compete in the offseason. But as NFL FLAG grows, one thing stays the same: It’s a place for every boy and girl to play football.

_{FEMALES IN FLAG}

NFL FLAG is dedicated to creating more opportunities for female athletes to participate in flag football. We know that the game will only get stronger with the more girls who play. In addition to implementing girls-only leagues and tournaments, we’ve also teamed up with National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and RCX Sports to make women’s flag football a sanctioned college sport for the first time in history. Learn more about the Females In Flag initiative here.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

We’re committed to creating positive sports experiences for youth athletes, regardless of their financial situation, so that they can become confident, happy, and healthy adults.

That’s why we’ve made strategic partnerships to bring flag football to the thousands of schools, communities, and families.

GENYOUth and NFLFLAG created FLAGS-In-Schools, a comprehensive flag football toolkit designed for elementary, middle, and high school PE teachers to implement into their classes. Over 24,000 school communities are using NFL FLAG-In-School kits to build high-achieving futures for their students through physical education.
RCX Sports Foundation is dedicated to developing, promoting and implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives in youth sports. The focus of the foundation is expanding opportunities for all children to experience athletics in a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.