The Beginnings of a Program
The Cleveland Browns and the NFL have worked over the past few years to organize a flag football league in Ohio and across the nation. Last season the Browns held held a flag football youth camp in Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Massillon expressed interest in being involved with the Browns program; they were accepted and began the process of building a team. This inaugural team will be sponsored by the Cleveland Browns and participate in their league. Massillon Co-head Coaches Becca Moore and Greg Corsale–along with assistants J.P. Simon, Sam Keirns, and DJ Zimmerman– will guide the inaugural team.
“This is an incredible opportunity for the girls of Massillon to represent the Massillon Tigers”, says Coach Becca Moore. “It is an opportunity that could open a door to a future in NCAA flag football as the sport is implemented at the college level. It’s another opportunity for the girls and the student-athletes of Massillon to continue their education at the college level– hopefully on a girls flag football scholarship.”
How the Tigers and Others will Play
Basic Rules
The game is played with five players on either side (offense or defense). Each team will be allowed 15 players on their roster. On the offensive side of the ball will be a center (who will snap the ball and can act as a receiver), a quarterback (who can pass or run if the ball is touched by a second offensive player), and three receivers or backs that can catch passes or run after handoffs. Defensively there are two positions– corner and safety. Either of these players can also be designated as a blitzer or rusher. The blitzer will line up seven yards away from the line of scrimmage. They must signal that they are a designated blitzer by raising their hand to indicate a blitz. The blitzer is then granted a right of way toward the quarterback in which they may attempt to stop the play for a loss. If the blitzer changes direction on a rush they lose the right to attack and must participate as a regular member of the defense. These “regular members” perform duties similar to tackle football defensive backs; they can defend the pass or stop a run. The rusher is a member of the defense who crosses the line of scrimmage without signaling for right of way– they can do this following a handoff. With any defensive play a legal flag pull will result in the ball carrier being down.
The uniforms used are simple– they consist of a top, shorts, and a flag. Players are also required to wear mouthpieces. The ball used is a “youth-sized” ball that is smaller than the standard football.
The fields will measure 25 x 70 yards… the playing field is 50 yards long with two 10-yard endzones. There are several lines or zones on the field. One of these is a “no-run” zone within 5 yards of the opposing goal line. In this zone players are prohibited from running the ball and must throw. A line of scrimmage will also be used (as with tackle football) and will mark the spot of possession.
The game will be a length of 40 minutes with two 20-minute halves. A running clock will be kept the entire game unless injuries occur or timeouts are called; the game will be a running clock with no score kept if one team gains a lead of 30 or more. Halftime will ten minutes long. Each team is granted two 30-second timeouts per half. Overtimes will not be played if the game remains tied after the clock expires unless the game takes place in the playoffs. Many of these time rules will change in tournament play.
The Game
The ballgame will start with the ball being placed at the offense’s 5-yard line. This will represent the original line of scrimmage. The offense will then attempt to advance the ball across the line to gain (midfield) for a first down; they will be given four attempts as in tackle football. If the team gains a first down, they will have four opportunities to score (unless a defensive penalty is committed) to avoid a turnover on downs. If a touchdown is not gained by the offense and a turnover on downs is committed, the ball will be placed at the 5-yard line of the team who started on defense. From there the second team will take over on offense. If the ball is intercepted, it can be returned; if so the line of scrimmage will be the spot that the interceptor was down or out of bounds. Other than an interception return, the ball will always be placed on the 5 on a change of possession.
Scoring
A touchdown will count for six points for either an offensive or defensive score. A point-after attempt can be taken from the five (if successful it will count for one point) or the ten (for two points). If a defender scores off a turnover on the try it will count for 2 points. Safeties will also count for two points– if an arm or knee touches, if the ball goes out of the endzone, or if a flag is pulled in the endzone it will be a safety.
Penalties
A few of the penalties that can be enforced for illegal play…
Signals… What is the Referee Saying?
Take a look below at the guide to officials’ signals.
Regular Season and Playoffs
The regular season for the Tigers will consist of 8 games; 6 at home and 2 away. Following the regular season, the Tigers will be placed in the Browns’ “Orange” bracket. They will have an opportunity to take the bracket championship, which will then be followed by the Cleveland Browns Championship. This game will be between the winner of the “Orange” and “Brown” brackets. The winner of this game will take on the southern Ohio champ (Bengals Champion) for a chance at a state title. Take a look at the Tigers’ regular season schedule HERE.
