Everyone is excited about the fall for different reasons, one of which is football. And what better way to be a Savvy Auntie than by getting your nieces and nephews and some friends together for a nice outdoor game of flag football? 

Flag football is a very kid-friendly alternative to regular football.  All you need are six players (you can be one of them, just try to be a passive player so your nieces and nephews can learn to handle themselves), and enough space to run around ing (about 60 yards across), six flags, and a football. Here are the major rules:

1. Each player tucks a flag into his or her belt.  Toss a coin to decide which team will have possession of the ball first. Then each team takes its place five yards from the middle of the field.

2. The first team with the ball has three plays to cross the middle of the field. If the starting team performs three plays without crossing the middle of the field, the other team gains possession of the ball from it’s own five-yard line.

3. Once a team crosses the middle the the field, it has three plays to score a touchdown. The same rules apply for this part of the game as part 2.

4. Each play ends when a player from the opposing team steals the flag from the play er in possession of the ball. (This prevents players from tackling each other.)

5. When a team is within five yards of scoring a touchdown, they can’t run to the end zone with the ball -- they must throw it to a team member (this encourages teamwork).

6. A game of flag football is played in two halves, each about 10-30 minutes long. The team with the most touchdowns at the end of both halves wins the game!

It takes little effort to get some kids together for a fun, safe game like this, and it can be played well into the colder fall months. Savvy Aunties can even cap off the outdoor play-time with some heart-warming soup or hot cider and hot chocolate!

Published: September 28, 2011