Equipment for Flag Football

The essentials for every team:

Flag football belts - 

There are 3 types of flag belts, Velcro, belt and sonic boom flag belts.  Get your team the sonic boom flagbelts and they’ll be taken more seriously by the other team. Sonic boom flag belts make a loud “pop” when pulled off the belt, eliminating any confusion about when the player was “downed.”

Digital Camera -

Designate someone to record the teams greatest moments on and off the field.

Canopy Tent & portable bench- keep every one’s gear protected from the elements and give players a place to rest in between plays.  Also increases your curb appeal.

Sports Banner -Proudly display your team name and a great place to put a sponsor’s logo.  Mention it when trying to get a team sponsor.

Cooler - keep your teams stocked with water and energy drinks like Gatorade or Powerade.

Field Cones and Footballs  - having your own team equipment means you can practice anytime, anywhere.

The essentials for every team member:

So you have been roped into playing flag football with some the guys from work.  You’ll need more than just your old Umbros and Nike’s from the back of the closet. Here is our list of essential flag football equipment that will make you look like winners on and off the field.

Custom Football Jersey’s - Check with your league on their football jersey policies.  Some leagues give out football jersey so the teams look uniform, other leagues don’t so your team will have to spend the money.  All team players wearing the same custom football jersey means your team looks serious and ready to play.  In flag football mentally defeating the opposing team before you even take the field is just like selling your house, it is all about curb appeal baby!

Sports Performance Apparel is taking the sports scene by storm in the late 90’s, Under Armour led the trend of form-fitting, moisture-wicking performance apparel, keeping you cool and comfortable during the game.  Under Armour makes apparel for hot and cold weather, so depending on where you live, you may want a few different shirts, and possibly leggings as the season progresses to wear under your jersey’s or shorts. Nike makes the Dri-FIT Pro line, which is similar to Under Armour.

Receiver Gloves - gloves provide traction and help players catch more balls. Nike’s Magnigrip Elite gloves was retired in 2002, but is back by popular demand with the New Magnigrip Elite Remix.  The Magnigrip material on the palm and fingertips means you’ll never drop a pass rain or shine.   Other brands - Neumann and Cutter also make good gloves. Half finger glove coverage are popular for those wanting better feel and ball control.

Wrist coach - You may have noticed NFL players using wrist coaches which can hold anywhere from 60-90 plays.  Make sure every offensive players has one and copies of all the team plays.

Mouthguards - All leagues require players to have a mouthguard for safety reasons.  There are 3 types of mouthguards.  Stock mouthguards are one size fits all.  You buy them at the store and wear them without any modifications to fit your mouth.  Mouthguards you stick in boiling water to soften the material and then bite into for a “custom” fit are called boil and bite mouthguards.  These are better than stock mouthguards but most athletes go through several a season.  If you want something that is more comfortable and longer wearing ask your dentist about custom made mouthguards.  Always have a few extra stock mouthguards on hand in case a team member loses or forget their mouthguard.

Shorts Apparel (with out pockets) - All leagues require players to wear shorts without pockets.  Again think curb appeal, have everyone on your team in the same type and color shorts.  Look for the moisture-wicking performance shorts by Under Armour or Nike.

Football Cleats - Like many things in life, you get what you pay for.  Football cleats vary in prices but generally the better the cleat, the better your performance on the field. Buy a cheap pair and you’ll end up with sweaty feet, blisters, ankle problems and possibly an injury.  Cleats come in three heights: low cut, mid height and high tops.  Low cut are the lightest and offer the most maneuverability, mid height offer maneuverability while offering more ankle support and high tops offer the most ankle support, protecting the ankle during lateral movements.  Another option in cleats is molded or detachable. Detachable cleats use studs that can be removed and replaced to fit field conditions on all types of grass–hard and dry or wet and sloppy and are the best cleats if you play primarily on grass. Molded cleats have cleats permanently attached to the outside of the shoe and are best for playing on turf.  Again Nike and Under Armour make some of the best cleats with the most options out there.

Sport Bag - While you’re at the screen printing shop getting your jersey’s get every member a matching bag with the team logo to carry all their gear.

Sports Tape - Weak ankles and wrists should be taped to prevent an injury

Flop flops - To keep your cleats from wearing down excessively, wear them only on the field.  Wear flip flops to and from the car and avoid walking on concrete with your cleats.

Supplements -

Water- Staying well-hydrated undoubtedly affects sport performance so bring plenty of water and drink it throughout the game.

Having the right gear means your team not only looks better but will play better and give you a leg up on the competition.

Tips for Avoiding Flag football Injuries – 10 Tips for Avoiding Injury during Flag football Play

Playing flag football is a lot of fun. It’s one of the most exhilarating activities that you can do. Not only is it fun, though; it’s also healthy.

Playing flag football can also be a form of body and mind exercise. It can strengthen your muscles and your bones. It also improves your thinking abilities since flag football activities hone your mind in matters of strategy and technique.

In fact, playing flag football is such a great activity that it can even improve your personality in the aspects of fairness and good sportsmanship. However, that’s not to say that there are no downsides to playing flag football.

Playing flag football can be quite dangerous especially if you’re inexperienced. If any accidents occur when you’re playing flag football, the effects can range from mild to serious. You can either get a minor bruise, a moderately severe sprain, or an injury that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. You might even sustain an injury that could cost you your life. So, it’s quite important to know how to avoid these flag football injuries in the first place.

The Proper Gear

The first thing to do when you play flag football is to prepare all the equipment that you will need. Your equipment includes not only the balls, the nets and such necessary implements but also your protective equipment.

For example, in flag football – which is arguably one of the roughest sports – there is one protective gear that I never play without. The first and probably the most important one is the mouth piece which is protection for your teeth.

Mouth pieces differ depending on the sport you’re going to play. Football mouth piece are less bulky than say boxing mouth piece. For one thing, mouth pieces are relatively cheap and easy to buy anywhere.

There are other protective equipment like ankle guards, knee brace and jock strap. All of these are designed to protect the important parts of the body from any injury.

If you participate in flag football, chances are high that you’ll be falling a lot. All these protective items cushion your body whenever you fall or forcibly collide with another player. They therefore help in preventing bone fractures or sprains. Such equipment should not be bulky or heavy for they might prevent you from moving freely but, then again, isn’t it always better to be safe than sorry?

Get a Physical

You need to consult with your doctor before you become active in any flag football activity. Get a physical exam. This is a precautionary activity that is usually required of professional athletes. It wouldn’t hurt to follow their example even if you only plan on playing football with your weekend buddies.

Warm Ups

Before doing anything strenuous, you have to warm up your body. Some people forgo doing warm-ups because they think that it’s too troublesome; they’re too impatient and want to get into the game the game immediately.

But this shouldn’t be so. Warm-ups are incredibly important because they condition the body for the work-out that it’s going to receive. Also, contrary to what other people think, warm-ups don’t necessarily mean stretching. In fact, stretching should be saved until after you’ve warmed your body up a little since if you stretch yourself too much, you might end up tearing a few ligaments.

The first thing that you should do when you’re warming up is to take a light jog. Then, when you’re done, start stretching your muscles starting from the head down. You can start by rotating your neck, then your shoulders, then your arms, then your waist, your hips, your legs, and then your foot. Sixteen counts on each body part should do.

All in all, warm-ups should last for 15 to 30 minutes. Stretching helps by improving the blood circulation in the said body parts and also by increasing the body’s temperature. That way, once you get into the field, your body will be more than ready to accommodate all the strenuous tasks that it will have to do.

Strength Training and Bodybuilding Exercises

If you want to be in top form when you play, your body must be in top form, too. Aside from giving you the required energy for flag football, though, a well-honed body is also more resilient, more flexible and, therefore, less susceptible to flag football injuries. Therefore, you should have strength training and regular bodybuilding exercises.

Practice

To avoid typical football injuries, you’d do well to be good in your chosen sport. Thus, you’d better practice, practice and practice some more. Of course, do not do this without proper supervision. If no one qualified is there to supervise, no one would be able to tell you whether what you’re doing is right or wrong.

Following Rules

Rules are there for a reason. Usually, they’re qualified into two: rules made for scores or points and rules made for common courtesy. You see, some flag football can be dangerous and there are some rules that are put in there for the sake of minimizing injuries and accidents.

Some rules in flag football that are focused on safety involve the types of hand blocking and flag pulling. If you hand or screen block the opponent by lowering your shoulder, then your move will be considered illegal. Also, there’s a rule that prohibits lowering the shoulder or crack back blocking from behind and tackling using hip or shoulders. These rules are made for the flag football league but they should also be used in informal games.

Safe Venue

Of course, when you play flag football, you have to choose a safe place to play. When you’re playing rough contact sport like flag football, it’s best if you choose to play on a grass field. It won’t help if you play on concrete because if some accident does happen, falling on the cold, hard concrete will only make the fall harder.

Body Mechanics

When playing flag football, you should employ what’s called ‘body mechanics’. Body mechanics maximizes your body’s potential for movement even as it minimizes the stress that it sustains.

For example, when jumping, make sure to bend or flex your knees to lessen the chance of joint dislocation when you land. Learn all about the techniques that can make falling easier and less severe on your body.

Constant Awareness

Also, when you play flag football, you must constantly be aware of what’s happening around you. It won’t help if you’re not cooperating with your teammates.

For example, if two of you are trying to catch the ball, pay attention or you might crash into each other. If someone’s planning to tackle you, try to dodge. Evading is way better than getting hit since the latter leads to injuries.

Muscle Straining

It’s inevitable that your muscles will start to hurt when you play. Muscle pain is oftentimes normal, but that doesn’t mean that you have to ignore it. Never play through the pain because it will aggravate your condition. Take a break when your muscles start hurting. Rest the body part that hurts. It will also help if you elevate it. For example, if your leg is hurting, prop it up on a pillow or two.

It’s perfectly understandable to want to get right back in the game after you’ve sustained an injury especially if it’s an important game. But you have to remember that safety always comes first. If you disregard your injuries, it might get worse and the damage might become irreversible.

Flag football is fun and all but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up your body in order to play them. Remember that there are things that are more important in life, like your own safety and wellbeing. Be wise when playing flag football, have fun but don’t let it cloud your judgment.

To all who have purchased flag football plays from USA Flag Football, you have made one of the best decisions to improve your flag football  team this season.

In this blog, I will offer tips and ideas for anyone looking to start a flag football team. If your flag football league is about to start in a few weeks, read closely and take good notes. This information will be helpful to anyone looking for ideas to raise money for entry fees, to recruit better flag football players, and to order football jerseys or other flag football equipment.

I am going to share with you an experience I had a few years ago when I put a flag football team together in one week. Not only did I put a team together in one week, we eventually played for the league championship that season. This formula has worked for me every year. It has resulted in 3 league championships and 4 league runner-ups. In the spring of 2004, I put together an undefeated season with a new QB who had never even played flag football before. This method works for me year in, year out.

I am about to discuss how I prepared for a fall season with no players, no money, no jersey’s… no problem. You can do the same if you have faith, luck and a little help from your friends. I know it’s just a few weeks before the season, but if you focus and use these tips that I am about to discuss, you should do well.

Finding Players

Ask everybody you know. Leave no stone unturned. Football is Americas #1 sport. There are thousands of former High School, College, Semi-pro, Arena and NFL players in your city. There are some great athletic guys who have skills in other sports such as basketball, soccer and softball.

For instance, and this is just the opinion of one man… I have found that the better flag football players are the guys who excel in other sports. The guys who have the most trouble adjusting to playing flag football are the guys who played contact football. Give me a good “two” guard or small forward in basketball and I’ll run up the score on offense. Now I don’t want to make blanket statements about players from any sport, but I like recruiting soccer players as well. Softball guys have a great temperament for playing flag football and are usually more patient in learning the game.

Football guys… well I don’t want to rub anybody the wrong way, but it takes a while for football guys to get used to the non contact style of the game. All that aggression that we were taught in Pop Warner no longer applies in flag football. It’s great to bring enthusiasm and excitement to the game, but all the intimidation tactics used in contact sports are useless.

P.S. - For some reason punters and kickers make great flag football QB’s. Go figure?

Raising Funds

Getting the money for entry fees should be a piece of cake. You just divide up the total amount of the entry fee with the number of players. If a guy doesn’t pay … he doesn’t play. It’s as simple as that.
Good teams have matching uniforms. Getting matching jerseys or shirts was also no problem for me. You can do the same thing. Have each guy invest $25—$50 each for a custom jersey at a local jersey shop or online from a web site like footballamerica.com. I prefer to get my jersey’s online simply because you have more of a choice in design and price. If you really want to save money you can buy a set of matching shirts off the clearance rack at your local Wal-Mart or department store. Usually they will have a clearance sale on all summer items.

You can try getting a local bar to sponsor your team. For me… I hate having to call my team “Teddy’s Bar”. When you do that your team will forever be known as “Teddy’s”. On the other hand, my team was once sponsored by the HOOTER’s franchise. We were the envy of the league. For an alternate jersey, have everyone buy a white jersey of their favorite time. Every team should have alternate jerseys.

The best way to get uniforms is to compete in cash tournaments and use your winnings for entry fees, travel expenses or uniforms.

Score More Points, Win More Games

Each year I learn new things that go with the 20 years of acquired knowledge of playing. There are thousands of new players, teams and leagues starting every year. It’s frustrating to see startup teams, leagues or tournaments fold because of lack of money or organization.

The past few years I began to seriously take note to why some teams do better than others. Usually, teams with diagram plays picked apart the teams that didn’t use them. A good team knows what play to call in short or long yardage situations. Good teams have well prepared trick plays and extra point plays that work every time. They can recognize man to man and zone defenses and have plays to counter the opposition formations. I’ve created a series of flag football playbooks with helpful information and tips for managing a competitive flag football team.

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