Flag Football

CYO NY is offering 5-on-5 Flag Football to girls in grades 3-8 in the Fall of 2024.    All games will be played at Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, on Saturdays. Open to Parish/Parochial School Teams in All Regions for girls grades 3-8.  All games will be played at Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, on Saturdays, 1-4pm.

Team Interest / Registration LINK, No payment due at this time:

 REGISTER HERE

Each CYO Parish/School team consists of 6-10 players. Cost is $350 per team (includes belts/flags but no jerseys). Limit 1 team per division per parish/school and 3 teams maximum. For 2024, ALL registrations must be completed through a school/parish team, no individual registration until 2025.

HS Team Registration: ONE per school.

Divisions: Early (Grades 3 & 4), Mid (5 & 6), Late (7 & 8)

Schedule: 9/28, 10/5, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2 Playoffs, 11/09 Championships

CYO Girls Flag Football Rules:

• ALL players MUST have a TEAM-issued jersey to play

• No-contact league which includes NO tackling, diving, blocking, and screening

• All passes must be forward and received beyond the line of scrimmage

• Only direct handoffs are permitted—there are no laterals or pitches anywhere on the field 

• The quarterback has seven-second pass clock to get rid of the ball

• The quarterback can’t run with the ball unless it was handed off first

• Offensive players must steer clear of the rusher and may not get in his/her way
  Any defensive player lined up seven yards off the line of scrimmage is eligible to rush

• If the ball is handed off, any defender may rush

• Interceptions are returnable (even on extra point attempts)

• The ball is dead when it hits the ground, the offensive player’s flag is pulled from their belt, the ball-carrier steps out of bounds, or the ball-carrier’s body—outside of their hands or feet—touches the ground

• All offensive flag football penalties result in a loss of down and yardage

• All defensive flag football penalties result in an automatic first down and some are associated with yardage

Field Size:

To accommodate a smaller team size, a flag football field is shorter than a typical football field at 30 yards wide and 70 yards long, with two 10-yard end zones and a midfield line-to-gain.

Overview:

Every CYO flag football game begins with a coin toss to determine which team will start with the ball (there’s no kickoff). Games are two 15 to 25 minute halves, depending on the league, and the clock only stops for injuries, half-time and timeouts (each team has one 60-second timeout per half).  

The starting team begins on its own 5-yard line and has four downs (essentially four plays) to cross midfield for a first down. If the offense fails to advance after three tries, they have two options: they can "punt," which means they turn the ball over to the opposing team who starts its drive from its own 5-yard line, or they can go for it. But if they still fail to cross midfield, the opposing team takes over possession from the spot of the ball. 

If the offensive team crosses midfield, they have three downs to score a touchdown. The rules of flag football only differ slightly from tackle when it comes to scoring: a touchdown is 6 points and a safety is 2 points (1-point conversion from the 5-yard line; 2-point conversion from the 10-yard line).