League Organizer Guide

LET'S DO THIS!

Starting an NFL FLAG league is free. The only requirement is that your league holds at least a $1 million general liability policy. All NFL FLAG leagues need to update and upload a copy of their $1 million general liability insurance certificate to their new NFL FLAG League Organizer account.

Once your league is approved you will be able to start placing your equipment orders with us. See insurance requirements for NFL FLAG leagues here.

With more than a thousand leagues, NFL FLAG is the largest, most recognized flag football organization in the U.S. and the only one where the players wear official NFL gear. Whether you’re starting a league or converting an existing league, our leagues are easy to start and a great way to get boys and girls ages 5 to 17 involved.

As the nation’s #1 recognized flag football program, NFL FLAG provides over 1,500 league organizers and coaches the ability to position their programs as the most credible, leading youth flag organization at their local level.

This guide is designed to provide you information on how the program works and suggestions on how to make your league successful.

If you have any questions that are not covered feel free to contact an NFL FLAG staff member at info@nflflag.com or give us a call at 844-940-1005

BENEFITS FOR NFL FLAG LEAGUE ORGANIZERS

Free and easy league setup
Access to NFL FLAG marketing tools to promote and grow your league
Chance to participate in regional tournaments and qualify for National Championships at Pro Bowl
Unmatched credibility from the NFL and the country’s most reputable flag football organization
Liberty to set up and run your league according to the needs of your community
Dedicated support team and frequent league organizer meetups
Annual NFL FLAG Summit for league organizer

NFL FLAG QUICK FACTS

ROSTER SIZE: Rule is set for roster to have at least 5 players at the start of the game.

OFFICIALS: 2 officials per field

LENGTH OF GAME: Two 20-minute halves with a 5-minute halftime. You can then schedule games every hour and allow a 15-minute warm up period.

SEASON LENGTH: 8-10 games plus a post-season tournament

EQUIPMENT PACKAGE PRICE: $25 per player

SHIPPING TIMELINE: Allow 10-14 days to receive ground orders

FIELD SET UP: 30 x 70 yards with 5 yard no run zones before each end zone and midfield

FAQ

Q: I want to order equipment, but I do not have access to the ordering page.

A: First, check to see if your insurance has been approved. You will not have access to order equipment until it has been approved by NFL FLAG. If your insurance has been approved but you still do not have access, make sure your season dates are current. This can be checked in your league organizer dashboard.

Q: I am taking over the account for someone else. How do I update our league information?

A: We can help you transfer the league to another administrator. Please contact us at info@nflflag2020.com or 1-844-940-1005 for assistance.

Q: How do I track my order from the shipping confirmation email?

A: Once your order has shipped, you will receive a shipping confirmation email listing your tracking number. This number can be used on www.fedex.com to track your packages. It may take your order a few hours after receiving the email to be eligible for tracking in the FedEx system.

Q: How do I add a jersey to an order I have already placed?

A: Orders go into processing almost immediately to ensure they get shipped to you as soon as possible. Once an order is in processing at the warehouse, we are not able to make any changes. You can always place another order for any additional jerseys you need.

Q: How do I reset my password?

A: You can reset your password by clicking “Forgot Password” on the log in screen or email us at info@nflflag2020.com for assistance.

Q: What criteria is used to approve a new NFL FLAG league?

A: We are looking for highly motivated league organizers that are mission aligned to grow the NFL FLAG program. We will review the amount of leagues in that area, and require every new league organizer to complete a background check as part of the approval process.

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Code of Conduct) NFL FLAG recommends that each league adopt a code of conduct for players, parents, coaches, and officials. Leagues should have each player, parent, coach, and official sign a copy of your code of conduct. It is also recommended to post them on your website or at facility. Consequences for breaking the codes of conducts should also be posted and enforced consistently.

COACH BACKGROUND CHECKS) Background checks help ensure optimal safety for your league and its players.

To help improve the sport and create a safe environment for its participants, Reigning Champs Experiences (RCX) is providing Sterling Volunteers as an available resource. See below for more information.

Background checks help ensure optimal safety for your league

Sterling Volunteers is the only background check platform tailored to the specific needs of youth sports organizations, and is designed to make background screening of NFL FLAG Leagues, easier and less costly.

Through our partnership, all setup fees have been waived and members can choose from several standardized package by clicking here or above.

AFFORDABLE, QUALITY, COMPLIANT, TIMELY

Low-quality background checks have plagued the youth sports sector - a major factor in creating unsafe environments for children and youth on and off the field. As a sport, we need to do better.

Sterling Volunteers Advanced Level background check includes:

· Social Security Trace

· Government Watch List Search (OFAC)

· 50 DOJ National Sex Offender Registry

· Nationwide Database Search with primary source validation

· Automatic current county/state of residence search going back 7 years

· Monthly updates. Information is updated for you free of charge each month for the first year so you have the added security of monitoring your information for new criminal records.

JOIN NOW

OUR PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES NFL FLAG MEMBERS: with an essential service for maintaining safer environments for everyone involved - without breaking your budget or significantly delaying coaching searches. Sterling Volunteers helps your NFL FLAG league or team gain confidence in its coaches, volunteers, and officials by delivering thorough and compliant background checks. By enabling NFL FLAG members to order, manage and share their background checks via a secure online platform, we create a community of vetted coaches, volunteers, and officials. Sterling’s extensive expertise in screening and compliance best practices help leagues recruit the best coaches, volunteers, and officials in order to maintain a safe environment and positive reputation. Sterling Volunteers is backed by Sterling Infosystems, Inc., the world’s largest background screening company.

EQUIPMENT & SHIPPING

NFL FLAG leagues receive two free ground shipments per season.

Two business days to process
3-5 days transit

Expedited Shipping

All orders can be expedited at the expense of the league.

Leagues can choose overnight or two-day air
Price is determined by destination, weight and speed of service

Please Note: NFL FLAG recommends leagues place their initial order two full weeks prior to desired delivery date

PAYMENT

Paying by credit/debit card is the easiest and ideal method of payment. All major credit cards are accepted.

If your organization must pay by check, please contact an NFL FLAG staff member prior to entering your order online.

• You must provide NFL FLAG with a purchase order prior to placing your order.

• Once your purchase order is received by NFL FLAG, we will set your account so that you can order online without a credit card.

• After your order has been placed online, an NFL FLAG staff member will send you an invoice. You will have no longer than 30 days to submit payment for the order.

• This method of payment is only used for organizations that must pay by check (YMCAs, Parks and Recs, etc.). Independent leagues cannot pay by invoice.

SHIPPING TIMETABLES

FedEx Ground

• 2-3 business days to process and 2-5 business days to ship depending on your location.

FedEx 2 Day

• Orders placed before 1:00 p.m. (EST) will ship same business day and be delivered after two business days. Orders placed after 1:00 p.m. (EST) will ship the next business day.

FedEx Overnight

• Orders placed before 10:30 a.m. (EST) will ship same business day and be delivered the following business day. Orders placed after 10:30 a.m. (EST) will ship the next business day.

PLEASE NOTE:

Orders do not deliver on weekends. If you need an order by Saturday make sure you place the order by Thursday at 10:30 a.m. (EST) at the very latest and select overnight shipping.

To save on shipping expenses, we recommend limiting yourself to two orders. Your first order should be placed shortly after you close registration. You can then place a second order just prior to games starting to include any late sign ups you have.

ORDER CONFIRMATION EMAILS

• Once your order is placed and received by NFL FLAG, you will receive an order confirmation with your order number. This email will have the shipping cost listed.

• When your order has shipped, you will receive a second email with the tracking number listed. All orders can be tracked on www.fedex.com.

CHECKING ORDERS WHEN THEY ARE RECEIVED

Once your order is received, go through the entire order prior to passing out jerseys to your coaches and compare to the packing slip. Make sure to count all flag belts and footballs as well. If there are any issues with your order, please contact us at info@nflflag2020.com or 1-844-940-1005 and reference your seven digit order number from the packing slip.

NFL FLAG RETURN/EXCHANGE POLICY

The NFL FLAG Exchange form is available to league organizers under the resources tab in their account. All exchanged jerseys must be NEW in the original packaging. There is a $25 exchange fee to cover restocking, processing, and return shipping. Limit of one exchange per season. Exchange orders will be shipped via FedEx ground only.

NFL FLAG does not issue refunds on equipment. Please make sure you double check your order prior to submitting online.

LEAGUE REGISTRATION INFO

FLAG leagues can hold registration in whatever way works best for them. We recommend having a league website so parents can register online. You can also do in person, walk-up registrations if that works better for your league.

League organizers can set their season start dates and how long to run the season. On average most leagues run eight weeks with a postseason tournament. NFL FLAG recommends closing your registration two weeks before your first game. This allows for time to create your teams and order equipment. You may want to consider holding an early bird registration period with a discounted price to encourage parents to register for your league early.

POLICIES & PROCEDURES CONT'D

REFUND POLICY FOR LEAGUE REGISTRATION FEES) Each league should establish a refund policy and ensure parents are aware of the policy when they register. NFL FLAG recommends offering full refunds to parents that wish to remove their child from the league before your registration closes. If they wish to leave the league after registration is closed and equipment has been ordered, we recommend offering a partial refund.

INCIDENT AND INJURY REPORTS) League organizers should use an injury report to document any major injuries that occur during practices or games. This document should be filed in case any type of legal or insurance issues arise. Incident reports should be used if any other type of issues arises that you feel should be documented. These reports should include as much detail about the injury or incident as possible and be signed by all parties involved.

EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS) It is recommended that leagues establish an emergency action plan in case severe weather or other emergencies should arise. All referees and coaches should be aware of the plan and what to do. This plan should include where the closest shelter is located, when to clear the fields, and how long to wait until you can return to play.

WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY) League organizers should have a plan in place if bad weather is in the forecast. This policy should include how far in advance you will cancel games and how to notify all parents. Ways to communicate cancellations to parents: • Weather hotline for parents to call. Make sure all parents have this number and you update it as soon as possible • Update cancellations on your league website • Use a phone tree to make sure everyone is contacted • Email or text all parents to notify them of the cancellation Make sure that all parents are aware of which method you decide to use so they know how to check for cancellations before they head to the field.

MAKE YOUR LEAGUE NFL QUALITY