What to know about the 2024 NFL Flag Championships taking place in Canton

Posted by Admin July 18, 2024 Football

CANTON ‒ NFL football is back this week – with a twist.

The NFL Flag Championships are underway in Canton, showcasing youth talent from across the country and offering a chance for fans to get involved.

Flag football is growing quickly, according to the NFL, as it is played now by over 20 million people. It is also gaining global recognition, as it will be represented in the 2028 Olympic Games for the first time.

Scott Salsbury, head coach of the Rossford Dome Bengals, appreciates the opportunity to compete and travel with his team.

“We’ve only played one game so far, but we’re having a great time,” he said Thursday. “Back in February, we were lucky enough to be out in Vegas, so it’s nice to see a lot of returning teams and returning faces.”

Here’s what to know about the ongoing 2024 NFL Flag Championships taking place in Stark County:

What are the NFL Flag Championships?

The NFL Flag Championships are a premiere youth flag football tournament that began Thursday and end Sunday.

“This tournament emphasizes the importance of flag football and will showcase it as the highly competitive cornerstone of affordability, accessibility, and inclusivity of football for all,” Troy Vincent Sr., executive president of NFL football operations, said in a statement.

Why is flag football so popular?

Robert Griffin III, a former NFL quarterback, said he thinks the rising popularity of the sport has a lot to do with accessibility.

“Flag football has become a global sport,” he said. “It allows people to access the game who maybe can’t afford helmets, shoulder pads, [or] the time that it takes to put into the game.”

RG3 said flag football has a lot to offer to all the athletes that participate.

“A lot of the men will end up going on and playing tackle football, [and] for the women that are here, this is now a high school sport. It’s a division,” he said. “It’ll be a Division I sanctioned sport pretty soon, in my opinion.”

Where are the NFL Flag Championships?

The championships is being held in the Hall of Fame Village in Canton.

The majority of action is taking place at the ForeverLawn Sports Complex, and select games will be played at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

How much are tickets for the NFL Flag Championships?

Tickets are available to fans for free but registration with NFL OnePass is required for attendance. This can be done for free by either downloading the NFL OnePass app or registering online.

What can fans do at the NFL Flag Championships?

In addition to watching the games, fans can also access the “NFL Experience,” a football festival available for free to fans in celebration of the NFL Flag Championships.

“Fans of all ages will be able to participate in interactive games, take photos at exhibits including The Vince Lombardi Trophy, run the 40 Yard Dash, test their throwing skills at Hail Mary, purchase exclusive NFL FLAG merch, and more,” according to the NFL Flag Football website.

How many teams are playing in the NFL Flag Championships?

The championships will feature more than 280 teams of girls and boys and 2,860 players. The teams represent all 32 NFL clubs and include regional winners from across the country.

Griffith said there’s a lot of passion driving the athletes involved in the sport.

“These kids, they have one thing on their mind. They want to be great,” he said. “These are the stars of tomorrow.”

Where can I watch the NFL Flag Championships?

The flag championships will receive complete live coverage from ESPN platforms, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+ and ESPN YouTube. The event can also be streamed on NFL+.

When the championship finals begin, coverage will expand to include live coverage on ABC, Disney Channel, Disney XD and ESPN Deportes and streaming on Disney+, ESPN+ and NFL+.