Q. What is NFL FLAG?

A: NFL FLAG operated by RCX Sports allows boys and girls ages 5-17 to enjoy America’s favorite sport in the largest flag football program in the nation.  Players benefit by being active through non-contact, non-stop action while being able to learn lessons in teamwork and sportsmanship as well as learning the fundamentals of football. To protect the integrity of the sport, all coaches and league operators have passed background checks. Our regional tournaments include the following age divisions: 8u, 8uRec, 10u, 10uRec, 10u Girls, 12u, 12uRec, 12u Girls, 14u, 14u Girls, and High School Girls. 

Q: What is the NFL FLAG Regional Tournament Series?

A: NFL FLAG Tournaments are for athletes who participate in an active NFL FLAG league ONLY and will kick off in October 2025. Tournaments will consist of NFL FLAG Regionals, and NFL FLAG Super Regionals. NFL FLAG Regionals will take place across the country throughout the year. Closed Regional borders will be in place for all NFL FLAG Regionals, unless it is an NFL FLAG Super Regional. NFL FLAG Super Regionals will have OPEN Borders for any official NFL FLAG League across the country to participate. NFL FLAG League Guidelines apply.  

Q: What does “open borders” mean? 

A: “Open Borders” applies to NFL FLAG Super Regionals and means that any active NFL FLAG Program in the country can attend the Tournament, and you are not restricted to only your region.   

Q: What does “closed borders” mean? 

A: Closed Borders apply to NFL FLAG Regionals and NFL FLAG Select Regionals, meaning that any NFL FLAG Program in the region can attend the event, and only teams from within that region are eligible to attend.  

Q: How do you qualify for a Regional Tournament? 

A: ONLY participants from an ACTIVE NFL FLAG League, in good standing, are permitted to compete in Regional and Super Regional Tournaments.  

• For a league to be considered active, and in good standing, the League Operator must meet the following requirements: 

  • Serve Local Community

  • Min. 40 Players/4 Teams (case by case)

  • NFL FLAG Jerseys for All

  • Min. 1 Season/Year

  • Min. 4 Weeks/Games. 

  • Active Insurance on File 

Q: Can an individual player attend more than one Regional Tournament? 

A: Yes, however, once you qualify for NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota at one regional tournament, you are ineligible to attend Regionals for the remainder of the tournament series. 

Q: Can you attend more than one Regional Tournament? 

A: Yes, but your team must abide by the regional border guidelines of each individual tournament. Once you win a Regional, your team is unable to attend another. 

Q: Can an individual player attend more than one Regional Tournament? 

A: Yes, however, once you qualify for NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota at one regional tournament, you are ineligible to attend Regionals for the remainder of the tournament series. 

Q: Can I attend a Canadian Regional tournament? 

A: Only Canadian Teams, with their entire roster residing in Canada, are eligible to play in Canadian Regional Tournaments. NFL FLAG Leagues from Canada are not eligible for US Regionals.  

Q: Can my international team play in a US Regional? 

A: No, only active NFL FLAG Leagues from the US are permitted to play in US NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments. 

Q: What if there are no NFL FLAG Leagues within 75 miles of me? 

A: Unfortunately, you will not be eligible to compete in a regional event. 

Q: How do I know what region I am in and eligible to attend? 

A: Click Here for map

Q: What is Stay to Play? 

A: Stay to Play is in place to help keep registration costs down for all teams. It means that any team, outside of a 75-mile driving radius, must use our provided hotel link to book their rooms. Not being compliant with Stay to Play, BY THE DEADLINE, will result in removal from the tournament.  

Q: What will the involvement be from NFL Clubs? 

A: Each NFL Club has the opportunity to be involved with the Regional at their own discretion. 

Q: Are dogs allowed? 

A: Service animals and service animals in training are permitted into the NFL FLAG venues and may accompany fans with a disability in all public areas of NFL FLAG events (where other fans are permitted). However, other animals, including household pets and emotional support animals will not be admitted. 

Q: What is the structure of an NFL FLAG Regional Tournament? 

A: Each team is guaranteed three games in pool play, unless your division only has two or three teams total. The top 50% of teams advance to single elimination playoffs. The winners of each division in each tournament qualify for the NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota. Some Regionals may be one day, and others are two days depending on the anticipated number of registered teams.  

Q: What happens if there are only two teams, three teams, or another odd number of teams in my age division? 

A. Every team is guaranteed a minimum of (3) three pool play games.

• If there are only two teams, you will play a best of three (first team to win two games). Once a winner is determined in a best of three series, no additional games will be played as the Champion has already qualified.
• If there are three teams in your division, you will play each other team once. From there, the top two teams will go directly into a championship game. 
• If there are an odd number of teams higher than 3, one team in that division will be randomly selected to play a fourth pool play game. The fourth pool play game counts towards overall standings.  

• towards overall standings. 

Q: What are the Age Divisions and age cutoffs for NFL FLAG Regionals? 

August 1st, 2025 Age Cutoff (Whatever age your child is on August 1st, 2025 is the age division they are eligible for) 

• 8u Coed 

• 8u Rec 

• 10u Girls  

• 10u Coed 

• 10u Rec 

• 12u Girls  

• 12uCoed 

• 12u Rec 

• 14u Girls 

• 14u  

• High School Girls 
      -  Must be enrolled in the 2025/2026 school year 

Q: What size football will my team use? 

A: 8u, 8uRec and 10uG will use our premium black footballs. All other age divisions will use our white premium footballs. Footballs will not be given out at check-in, but they will be available for purchase at our NFL FLAG Merchandise tent onsite. Game balls will be available on every field. 

Q: Can my team wear their own jerseys at a Regional Tournament? 

A: No, teams must wear the Regional Tournament provided jerseys. Athletes are not permitted to alter or cut their jerseys. 

Q: Can my athlete wear shorts with pockets? 

A: No, shorts with pockets are against NFL FLAG rules. Athletes with pockets will be required to tape their pockets before playing. Shorts will not be provided. 

Q: Is my athlete required to wear a mouthguard? 

A: YES, mouthguards are required for all athletes. Mouthguards will not be provided but are available for purchase at the NFL FLAG Merchandise tent. 

Q: What gear is given to athletes at an NFL FLAG Regional Tournament? 

A: Athletes will receive an NFL FLAG Regional jersey and flag belt the morning of the tournament at check-in. Shorts will not be given out. 

Q: Can my Team photographer be on the sidelines with our team? 

A: Team photographers are not eligible to be on the sidelines with the team. NFL FLAG has photographers and videographers onsite to capture content of your team! Parents and fans are welcome to take photos and videos from the spectator viewing area. 

Q: Can my Team Admin or League Organizer be on the sidelines with our team? 

A: Unless they are a coach, Team Admins and League Organizers are not eligible to be on the sidelines with the team. 

Q: What qualifies a team as a recreation team? 

REC Divisions- The NFL FLAG definition of REC is the following: A Recreation Team must be a Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, JCC (Jewish Community Center), PAL (Police Athletic League), or a Park and Recreation NFL FLAG Program. Only athletes that have participated in one of the above NFL FLAG leagues in the last 12 months of the date of the event are eligible to register in the Recreation division. 

• If you register in the Rec division, and you are not part of one of the above NFL FLAG Organizations, you will be moved to the co-ed division, and a refund will not be issued. 

Q: Can my all-girls team play in any regional tournament? 

A: Yes, all girls’ divisions are able to travel and play in any regional tournament, within your borders. 

Q: Can a player from another NFL FLAG League be on my Regional Tournament roster? 

A: NO, Rosters must be built from the same program/organization within the last 12 months. The league organizer must be able to prove that the player participated in their league.  

Q: If someone plays in multiple NFL FLAG leagues, can they play for different teams during different Regionals? 

A: Yes, that individual would be eligible to play for either organization adding a team to the event. However, if the individual qualifies and wins with “Org A”, they are now ineligible to play for “Org B” 

Q: Can a player play for more than one roster at NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments? 

A: NO, at regional tournaments players are restricted to one roster only. 

Q: What if my daughter is in college? Can she still play? 

A: No. The oldest Female division is High School Girls. All athletes must be actively enrolled in high school in the current school year to be eligible. 

Q: How many players and coaches can be on a roster at a Regional Tournament? 

A: A roster must consist of a minimum of 6 players and a maximum of 10 players. A maximum of 2 coaches are permitted.  

Q: How do I invite players to my roster?  

A: Once you have created a team in NSID, you will be directed to your team view page. Once there, you will see a “invite player” button at the top of the page. You will enter each player/player’s parents email address. This will send an email to the player/parent of the player for them to accept. This will place the athlete on your roster.  

Q: What do the different symbols mean on NSID? 

A: Red X – Not verified (have not submitted or completed the verification process) 

    Red Repeating arrows – Need to renew player verification card 

    Yellow – Pending (Waiting to be verified with National Sports ID) 

    Blue – Missing something outside of the verification process (updated photo, updated school document, missing signed waiver) 

    Green – Fully verified 

Q: How do I know my team is fully validated? 

A: The team page will turn green and state “Team Verified” with the division the team is eligible for. 

Q: How much does it cost to register my team for a tournament? 

A: Team Registration is $399 per team during our early registration period and $549 per team during our late registration period. Please be sure to check the individual tournament page for detailed timelines on early and late registration 

Q: Is there a cap on the number of teams that can participate in the Age Division? 

A: Yes, each event and age division will be capped depending on the amount of field space, so don’t miss out and register early! Some age divisions may sell out prior to the registration deadline.  

Q: What happens if a tournament is full and I don’t get a chance to register? 

A: Please join the waitlist IMMEDIATELY. NSID has a timestamped waitlist. If we can, we will pull teams from the waitlist based on a first come first served basis. 

Q: Will players be age-verified for NFL FLAG Tournaments?  

A: Yes, participants must be age verified through the National Sports ID (NSID) Website by the roster deadline. Onsite age verification will not take place under any circumstances. If you do not meet the roster deadline, your child/athlete will not be eligible to participate. 

Q: What is age verification? Do I have to complete this step?  

A: Age verification confirms the appropriate age of each athlete, ensuring that no documents are being altered or falsified. Every player is required to do age verification by the roster deadline.  

Q: How do I get my athlete “age verified”? 

A: Once the coach of a team has sent the player an invite from NSID, the player will receive an email allowing them to “join the team”. They will then begin uploading the needed information for their age verification process to begin. There is a $14.99 cost to be age verified. 

Q: What documents do I need to get my athlete age verified?  

A: A birth certificate or passport or state id may be used. All participants are required to upload school documents, like a report card or progress report, as well as a photo head shot.  

Q: Does getting my athlete age verified cost money?  

A: Yes, the age verification process costs $14.99. Once your child is age verified, they will not need to be re-verified for another tournament this year.  

Q: My athlete is playing in more than one tournament. Do I need to pay for age verification each time?  

A: No. You will only need to pay for the age verification process once and your athlete is eligible to participate in any NFL FLAG tournament this year. When you register for another tournament, be sure to log into NSID with the same log in email to make sure you are using the correct ID number for your athlete. If you have any questions regarding payment, please reach out to NSID directly at billing@nationalsportsid.com

Q: My athlete is not showing as age verified. What do I do?  

A: There are a few reasons why your athlete may not be shown as eligible, or age verified on their team roster.  

        1) Your player(s) NSID may be in the pending review status and in this case, it will be orange when you log in. Please allow up to 24 hours for the review to take place. 

       2) Your player(s) NSID may have been rejected and is awaiting a change or more information. If so, the NSID will be red, and you can view the reason on your Dashboard or on the player’s NSID. 

In either case, we encourage you to check your athlete’s status with NSID by reaching out to customer service at admin@nationalsportsid.com 

Q-How do I invite players to my roster?  

A: Once you have created a team in NSID, you will be directed to your team view page, where you will see a “invite player” button at the top of the page. You will enter each player/player’s parents email address. This will send an email to the player/parent of the player for them to accept. This will place the athlete on your roster.  

Q: What do the different symbols mean on NSID? 

A: Red X – Not verified (have not submitted or completed the verification process) 

    Red Repeating arrows – Need to renew player verification card 

    Yellow – Pending (Waiting to be verified with National Sports ID) 

    Blue – Missing something outside of the verification process (updated photo, updated school document, missing signed waiver) 

    Green – Fully verified 

Q: How do I know my team is fully validated? 

A: The team page will turn green and state “Team Verified” with the division the team is eligible for. 

Q: What qualifies a team as a Recreation Team? 

REC Divisions- The NFL FLAG definition of REC is the following: A Recreation Team must be a Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, JCC (Jewish Community Center), PAL (Police Athletic League), or a Park and Recreation NFL FLAG Program. Only athletes that have participated in one of the above NFL FLAG leagues in the last 12 months of the date of the event are eligible to register in the Recreation division. 

• If you register in the Rec division, and you are not part of one of the above NFL FLAG Organizations, you will be moved to the co-ed division, and a refund will not be issued. 

Q: Can my all-girls team play in any regional tournament? 

• A: Yes, all girls’ divisions are able to travel and play in any regional tournament, within your borders.  

Q: How many players and coaches can be on a roster at a Regional Tournament? 

A: A roster must consist of a minimum of 6 players and a maximum of 10 players. A maximum of 2 coaches are permitted.  

Q: Can a player from another NFL FLAG League be on my Regional Tournament roster? 

A: NO, Rosters must be built from the same program/organization within the last 12 months. The league organizer must be able to prove that the player participated in their league.  

Q: Can a player play for more than one roster at NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments? 

A: NO, at regional tournaments players are restricted to one roster only. 

Q: If someone plays in multiple NFL FLAG leagues, can they play for different teams during different Regionals? 

A: Yes, that individual would be eligible to play for either organization, adding a team to the event. However, if the individual qualifies and wins with “Org A”, they are now ineligible to play at another Regional for “Org B”. 

Q: Are there multi-team discounts for NFL FLAG Tournaments? 

A: There are NO multi-team discounts. 

Q: Is there any financial assistance from NFL FLAG for teams traveling to NFL FLAG Tournaments? 

A: All teams are responsible for their own financials to and from NFL FLAG Events. 

Q: What if an NFL FLAG Tournament is canceled due to weather, do I get a refund? 

A: There are no refunds. However, if the event is not able to be rescheduled, RCX Sports will provide alternative options to the registered teams at RCX’s discretion.  

Q: Can my team get a refund? 

A: No. After your team registers, there are NO REFUNDS and NO TRANSFERS to different tournaments. All sales are final. 

Q: Can you be a coach for more than one roster at NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments?  

A: Yes, however, Coaches will not be eligible to coach in the same age division in the same tournament. Schedule requests will NOT be taken. 

Q: How old do you have to be to be a coach for a team? 

A: You have to be 16 years old 

Q: Do head coaches and assistant coaches need to be background checked? 

A: Yes, all coaches will need to complete their background check and concussion certification through NSID. 

Q: How much does it cost to complete a coach background check/concussion certification? 

A: $22.99, the certification and background check will last you for 1 year. 

Q: What are the rules for NFL FLAG? 

A: Visit NFLFLAG.com for the NFL FLAG Rulebook 

Q: Can I challenge a roster? 

A: The only things that can be challenged are: 

      - Does this athlete play in the same NFL FLAG league as the rest of their team? 

      - Does this athlete play NFL FLAG? 

       - Does this athlete go to school within 75 miles of the league? 

       - Illegal participant(s) at a regional (playing on the wrong team, illegal wristband, etc.) 

       - I have PROOF that child is not the age they say they are, and I am ready to show it to you 

In order to challenge a roster, please email events@rcxsports.com with all pertinent details and we will get back to you ASAP. 

Q: What are the NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota? 

A: The ultimate youth flag football event of the year will bring the nation's top teams to the home of football legends.   

Q: If a team wins a Regional Tournament, will I receive a free paid bid to NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota? 

A: Winners from each division at a Regional Tournament earn a Full Bid (registration cost only) to the NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota. Teams are responsible for their own travel accommodations (flight/hotel/transportation) to the location for the NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota. 

Q: If a team gets disqualified in an event, and my team was the runner up, does my team get the bid to NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota? 

A: NO. The only way to get into the NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota is by winning an NFL FLAG Regional Tournament. NFL FLAG will NOT backfill spots in the event. The spot will remain empty.  

Q: Can a roster be altered once the team qualifies for the NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota? 

A: No, once your team wins at Regionals, all rosters are locked, coaches and athletes, and no adjustments can be made.