Frequently Asked Questions

What is changing in Seahawks NFL Flag Football?

The league has made some changes that all have one goal – increased safety for the young athletes. The most obvious of the changes is requiring participants to use soft helmets. There are also some rule changes to make Seahawks NFL Flag safer and put us back in line with national NFL Flag rules. The changes also bolster the Seahawks’ pursuit of the USA Football football development model that helps young athletes progress. https://fdm.usafootball.com/

Why are helmets needed in flag football?

NFL flag is a non-contact league, but that does not mean there is never contact. Athletes run into one another often by accident as fast-moving plays unfold. This is especially true in the older age groups.

Why is the Seahawks organization making this change now?

This is about being proactive about safety. Seahawks NFL Flag has been fortunate to avoid any serious head injuries over the years. Instead of waiting for an injury to occur and respond to it, the organization is taking steps to make sure a serious head injury never occurs.

What about cost?

The Seahawks organization recommends custom GameBreaker helmets, which cost between $59.99 and $79.99. This is a one-time purchase and the helmets are the property of the athlete. (Other leagues keep the helmets as property of the team, and they are intermingled and used by different players. The Seahawks are not using that model!) The link to order helmets is here: https://gamebreaker.com/shop/south-beach-youth-football/

The helmets should last at least two calendar years (depending on how much kids grow!), so the cost is lower when you consider it can be used for four flag seasons or more. Families can purchase their own helmet models if they prefer a different company.

Why are you changing some of the game rules?

Over the years the Seahawks organization has modified NFL flag rules after coaches asked for changes. That resulted in Seahawks rules being out of synch with national rules on some important details. Seahawks football and safety leaders concluded that reverting to national NFL flag rules would make game play safer and easier to understand.

What are the major rule changes? Complete national NFL Flag rules can be found at this link. Note the rules mention teams of five, but the Seahawks will continue to play with teams of six players on the field at a time.

Some major changes:

· Laterals are not allowed.

· Offensive player’s progress is marked where the ball is when they are downed rather than where their feet are.

· Offenses have four downs to cross midfield for a first down rather than three. If the team goes for it on fourth down and does not make it, the other team gets the ball where it is downed rather than the five-yard line. Once an offense earns a first down it has three downs to score.

· Teams have three time outs per game rather than one per half.

· Time between plays is 25 seconds rather than 30.

· An interception of an extra point is returnable for two points.