Non-Contact
flag football types
5 man
5-man flag football is the most common form of flag football and is played all around the world. 5-man flag football is played with 5 players on each team and is the safest form of American football. There is no contact allowed in this version of the sport. The ball carrier is stopped when the player’s flag is pulled off.
Click here for more information on the rules of flag football.
In late 2023, this version of 5-man flag football was officially approved as an olympic sport and will be featured in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic games.
The addition to the Olympics was a huge step for the growth of American football and the acceptance of it being a world sport.
PLAYAMERICANFOOTBALL is the offering the first ever Adult Flag and After-School flag football program in the UAE, which is approved by the General Authority of Sports, the Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Rugby Federation.
Our 5-man Adult Flag programs is planned to start in January 2024. Please visit our Adult Flag page for more league details and to sign up.
9 man
9-man flag football is a version of the sport played mainly in the US. For players who are concerned about the risk involved with playing full-contact football (full pads, i.e NFL or college football), but do like to have a somewhat more physical approach to the game, 9-man football brings the best of both worlds.
9-man flag football uses the same tactics and stratagy as 11-man (full-contact) football but with the reduced risk of injury of the non-contact forms. Like 5-man flag, the ball carrier is stopped when the player’s flag is pulled off. With the use of 3 offensive lineman, the offense is allowed to protect the Quarterback from defensive pressure on passing plays, as well as block defenders when running the ball. 9-man flag is considered to be a “semi-contact” version due to the fact that blocking is allowed, albeit in a controled form.
Click here for more informaion on the rules of 9-man flag football.
PLAYAMERICANFOOTBALL offers both 5 and 9 man versions of the game. However our man focus for the Adult Flag league will be 5-man flag, with 9-man coming later in 2024.
9-man will not be offered as part of the After-School program.
For more information about our 5-man Adult Flag league or our After-School youth program, please click one of the options below.