Flag vs. Tackle Football

By Abe
Published February 7, 2025

Flag football and tackle football are different in a few ways. One of the differences is that tackle football is a contact sport, wIth flag football having a strict no contact rule. Another difference is that in flag football you get a touchdown, which is 6 points, and then you have the chance to go for 1 or 2 points.

Flag football is a great starter for a career of tackle football. Some of the biggest stars in NFL history played flag football first, including Tom Brady and Archie Manning. Manning learned from his past injuries that playing flag football first is very good before going to play tackle. That’s why he made Peyton and Eli Manning, his sons, wait until 7th grade to play tackle, and now they are very successful in the NFL. They both were Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks and got their start in flag football.

Of the 3,025 injuries reported in the NFL, 582 occurred during weeks 1-4 of the 2020-2021 regular season, whereas 1,292 occurred during preseason weeks 1-4, and 1,151 occurred during regular-season weeks. In flag football the risk of getting an injury is way more unlikely. A test on the risk of injuries in tackle and flag concluded that overall injury rates were 2.60 per 1000 AEs in tackle football and 5.77 per 1000 AEs in flag football (AEs are the risk of being hurt in a game). The most hurt position is offensive lineman. Because flag football  was designed to be a fun, lightly competitive, and above all else safe sport, it has a no-contact rule. This is why there are fewer injuries. Of course, there are still some injuries including accidentally fouling and tripping. This is why knee and leg injuries are still slightly common. Flag football is a safer career starting, fun sport that is great for young athletes.

Flag football is played by over 20 million people in over 100 countries. It is so popular that it will be played in the 2028 Olympics. People from the NFL that are serious about joining pro flag football will be playing in the Olympics.