Creating Divisions for Your NFL FLAG League

Creating Divisions for Your NFL FLAG League

 

Organizing a successful NFL FLAG league involves more than just putting teams together. It requires careful consideration of player age groups and team sizes, ensuring a balance between competition and fun. Ultimately, well-structured divisions are crucial for fostering a positive, competitive, and enjoyable environment for all participants.

Understanding player age groups

 

NFL FLAG leagues typically cater to various age groups, ranging from 9u to 17u.

  • Rec vs. competitive: Decide whether divisions will focus on recreational play, where fun and participation are prioritized, or competitive play, emphasizing skill development and competition. You can also host tryouts for competitive teams. 
  • Co-ed and all girls teams: Consider offering divisions that are co-ed or exclusively for girls, catering to different preferences and promoting inclusivity within the league.
  • Considerations for ages: Take into account factors like school year cut-offs and physical size variations within age groups to ensure fair competition and safety.

Determining team size and roster limits

 

It’s important to balance out your teams and put a cap on rosters to maintain fairness and maximize participation. Keep these factors in mind when forming your teams. 

  • NFL FLAG gameplay: Most NFL FLAG leagues are 5v5 and 7v7, each suitable for different age groups and skill levels.
  • Setting roster limits: Establishing roster limits prevents teams from becoming overly stacked with talent, promoting a balanced playing field.
  • Buddy requests: We do encourage allowing players to request to play with friends to enhance their experience and foster team cohesion, but keep it limited to one per person to avoid unbalanced teams.  

Divisional structure

 

Choosing the right divisional structure sets the stage for a successful season and takes some planning. Here are a few things to keep in mind when organizing your own: 

  • Single vs. combined age groups: Decide whether to organize divisions by single age groups (e.g., 10u, 12u) or combine age groups (e.g., 9u-10u) based on participant numbers and league preferences. 
  • Addressing age group shortages: If there aren’t enough participants in a specific age group, consider combining age groups so they can still compete. We always recommend staying within one school year, though, to keep the game as fair as possible. 
  • Round-robin vs. playoff formats: Determine whether to use a round-robin format for regular season games or implement playoffs to determine division champions, balancing participation with competitive opportunities. For example, the older age groups tend to enjoy a playoff format, while the recreational or younger leagues choose round-robin. 

Learn as you grow 

 

Simply put, league organization is an evolving process. Be open to feedback, adjust and adapt as you go, and remain patient. If you’d like advice as you develop your divisions, don’t hesitate to contact our League Success team: LeagueSuccess@RCXSports.com.