The 10 Best Flag Football Sets
This wiki has been updated 34 times since it was first published in April of 2016. Like many parents today, with the increasing awareness of chronic traumatic encephalopathy caused by repetitive concussive injuries to the head, you may be reluctant to let your children play full-contact sports. But you don't have to deprive them of competitive games completely if you get one of these flag football sets, most of which are suitable for both youths and adults. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Trained 10-Man Set
2. Unlimited Potential Kit
3. Nerf N-Sports
Editor's Notes
July 06, 2020:
Flag football is a great way to pass an afternoon, but you'll want a set of flags that can take some abuse and come off easily enough to prevent unnecessarily rough play. The Trained 10-Man Set still ticks these boxes, as does the Nerf N-Sports, which even comes with an all-weather football for your convenience. If you would rather have a set that allows for a referee, there's the Curious About Fitness Complete. It boasts a yellow vest and a whistle, along with the gear you need to set up a game, minus the football. Or, for those who want to show a little love for their favorite teams, the Franklin Sports NFL will do the trick. It has two types of flags, home and away, making it easy to distinguish players; unfortunately, however, the belts are on the small side.
After some consideration, we opted to add the Flag-a-Tag Sonic Boom. Although their durability leaves a little to be desired, these belts are required by some leagues, thanks to the loud "boom" they make to signal that a play is dead. If you only need flags, but aren't required to purchase a specific model, the Triple Threat Triple Flag is one to consider. They are relatively inexpensive, but it's worth noting that the flags do not actually come off the belts; the entire belt comes off the body to end the play. For some, this is a dealbreaker, although others appreciate that the permanently affixed flags ensure that there are no pieces to lose.
Special Honors
NFL Fantasy Football App If you're really just looking for a way to get more involved in football, but without the potential for injury, you should check out the NFL Fantasy Football App. Offered for both iOS and Android, it allows you to compete in a public league or create your own, while providing you with all the most important news and stats from the NFL. nfl.com
Flag-a-Tag Junior Flag Football Pack It requires quite an investment, but the Flag-a-Tag Junior Flag Football Pack has everything a coach needs to get students started. This includes red and yellow Flag-a-Tag belts, mesh vests, a stopwatch, game cones, and much more. Plus, everything fits into the included wheeled transport bag for easy portability. bsnsports.com
CoachPlus Flag Football Pack The CoachPlus Flag Football Pack has everything from balls to belts, all stored in a handy carrying bag that's ready to go where you need it. It also comes with a book that will help you get started as a coach, in case you need a few pointers. gophersport.com
4. Franklin Sports NFL
5. Curious About Fitness Complete
6. Franklin Sports Youth
7. Triple Threat Triple Flag
8. Sklz Deluxe
9. Flag-a-Tag Sonic Boom
10. Stumptown Sportz Premium
Go Outside And Play Some Football
Players need exceptional spacial awareness, remarkable reflexes, and the ability to improvise when necessary.
It’s no secret that we don’t spend enough time outside, and we certainly don’t spend enough time exercising. There are a lot of good reasons to stay indoors nowadays, with an unprecedented amount of excellent television available for binging, online communities where we can go to talk with and make friends, and delivery services for everything from groceries to marijuana. But when the weather is nice and you begin to feel cooped up from being inside all day, it’s vital that you get up, go outside, and move around.
This is especially important when you consider the alarming rates of diabetes and obesity, both among children and adults. Just a little exercise each week, as little as 20 minutes every couple of days, — combined with a better diet than most people stick to — can be enough to help stave off these maladies.
There are a lot of ways you can get some good outdoor exercise, but few are as exciting as a good game of football. Football is a sport that combines strength, agility, speed, and intelligence. Players need exceptional spacial awareness, remarkable reflexes, and the ability to improvise when necessary. Unfortunately, it’s also a sport where head injuries are becoming an epidemic, and some experts have begun to wonder whether it will survive the century.
On the bright side, you can still play a rousing game of football with your friends that features all the positive aspects of the game, and none of the negative ones. All it requires is a modest investment in a flag football set.
Flag football obeys all the same rules as the professional sport, with tackling strictly prohibited. Instead of players being called down by tackling, defensive players have to simply strip a flowing piece of colored fabric from the belt of the ball carrier. That makes flag football a much safer version of the sport. It’s suitable for all ages, and you don’t have to invest in or wear a ton of protective gear to play it.
A game of flag football is liable to last at least an hour, as well, meaning you’ll get plenty of exercise, burning calories and giving a boost to your cardiovascular system. Just make sure you don’t invite that one guy who only likes to tear your flag off after he’s violently tackled you to the ground.
How To Choose The Best Flag Football Set For You
Flag football sets are pretty simple things, but there are some differences among the available options on the market that might be important to you. I suppose you could always just tape some dish towels to your belt, but once you see the ease of use, durability, and versatility these sets have to offer, you’ll realize what a good idea it is to pick one up.
The flags usually have a small strip of Velcro on them that adheres to the corresponding Velcro material of the belt.
The first thing that sets flag football kits apart from makeshift D.I.Y. varieties is their attachment point. The flags usually have a small strip of Velcro on them that adheres to the corresponding Velcro material of the belt. That keeps the flags firmly in place as you run, and it also makes them just a little harder to tear off, so that defending players really need to be in a good position to down the ball carrier.
Many flag football sets also come with additional accessories that can help you set up a field of play wherever you find a suitable patch of grass. Not everyone is going to have access to a 100-yard football field with clearly defined end zones, after all. If you do, that’s great, and you can afford to go with one of the simpler kits on our list. For the rest of us, investing in a set that comes with small pylons to designate the lip of the end zone is vital to knowing whether you scored or not.
If you have a hard time getting your group organized, or too many members of the group are too bashful (or too sweaty) to play shirts vs. skins, you might want to look for a set that comes with colored pinnies. These are lightweight jerseys that one side can wear over their clothes to clearly delineate who is on which team.
Lastly, if you’re reading this list, there’s a good chance that you already own a football. If not, then seek out a set that comes with a football you can use exclusively for your flag games. You could always buy an additional football to complement a set you otherwise prefer, but getting your hands on everything all at once means you can head outside and start having fun right away.
A Brief History Of Flag Football
The history of flag football is deeply entwined with the history of traditional American football. The early years of football didn’t include very much padding, so games of touch, or so-called “touch and tail” football were often played as a means of practicing that wouldn’t injure the players.
And since the flag version of the sport had a much reduced risk of injury, there was no reason for commanding officers to prevent the soldiers from playing.
During World War II, flag football became an incredibly popular pastime on military bases. The men were already in exceptional shape, but this was a great way to keep them fit and sharp while they waited around for assignments. And since the flag version of the sport had a much reduced risk of injury, there was no reason for commanding officers to prevent the soldiers from playing.
After the end of the war, soldiers returning home kept the tradition of the game going, and recreational leagues cropped up in communities all around the nation. At its peak, an attempt to create a professional flag football league launched in the early 1990s, but it wasn’t financially successful. Recreational leagues have largely waned through the years, but flag football remains a popular game on college campuses, where intramural leagues can get incredibly competitive.
Melissa Harr is a language-obsessed writer from Chicagoland who holds both a bachelor of arts and master of arts in English. Although she began as a TEFL teacher, earning several teaching certificates and working in both Russia and Vietnam, she moved into freelance writing to satisfy her passion for the written word. She has published full-length courses and books in the realm of arts & crafts and DIY; in fact, most of her non-working time is spent knitting, cleaning, or committing acts of home improvement. Along with an extensive knowledge of tools, home goods, and crafts and organizational supplies, she has ample experience (okay, an obsession) with travel gear, luggage, and the electronics that make modern life more convenient.