As flag football ascends to the likes of NFL stars and the Summer Olympics, kids in Greater Victoria will get their chance to try the non-contact sport when it comes to Langford this spring.
NFL Flag Football is hosting an April to June tournament at Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School for children aged 6 to 14.
The sport sees five players a side, with the defence trying to remove a flag from their opponents to mark them down instead of tackling like in traditional football.
“It’s a safe sport for all ages. A lot of parents are worried about tackling and their kids getting concussions,” said Tyler Christensen, the Vancouver Island commissioner for NFL Flag Football. “There is none of that with NFL Flag.”
Flag football was one of the events played during the NFL Pro Bowl and Christensen said it’s part of the league’s attempt to address the sport’s controversy surrounding concussions. But its popularity is growing beyond that initiative as it was announced last year that the sport will added to the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“(Flag football) is a giant sport around the world,” said Christensen, calling the game American football’s answer to rugby sevens.
Christensen said there the Langford tournament will be an excellent opportunity to grow the sport and get a competitive league going on the Island. The tournament’s team will be coed, but it has so far seen more girls sign up than boys.
It also won’t require the big time commitment that comes with traditional tackle football. The Langford flag football games and practices will take place on Saturdays and will be 30 thirty minutes long, Christensen said.
Parents are encouraged to come and volunteer as Christensen seeks people to join the ground crew and officiating positions.