Garstang & District Flag Football League
Register your interest

Summer 2027 · Proposed league

Garstang & District Flag Football League

A new way for local kids to play football

We’re looking at bringing youth flag football to Garstang and the surrounding communities for Summer 2027 — and we want to find out how many local families would be interested.

Flag football is a fast, exciting, non-contact version of American football. Instead of tackling, players stop the ball carrier by pulling a flag from their belt.

Kids get to run, pass, catch, defend, compete and work as a team.

No previous experience or knowledge of American football is required.

REGISTER YOUR INTERESTVOLUNTEER WITH US

A new sport. A new opportunity. A new community.

Local kids. Local teams. One community.

Local children playing flag football on a grass field, one running with the ball as another reaches for the flag

Every child deserves a chance to play.

This isn’t about finding the biggest, fastest or most experienced kids.

It’s about giving local children another opportunity to discover a sport they love.

Players would register individually rather than having to find or join an existing team. Teams would then be created with the aim of producing balanced, competitive divisions.

Every child should have meaningful opportunities to play — to catch, run, pass, defend, try different positions, learn new skills, make friends and build confidence.

Competition matters — but participation matters more.

Proposed age groups

Divisions are based on the child’s school year during the 2026/27 academic year.

Years 5 & 6

Mixed

Years 7 & 8

Mixed

Years 9 & 10

Mixed

Year 11

Boys

Year 11

Girls

Tykes (Below Year 5)

Mixed

These are proposed divisions and may be adjusted depending upon the number and age distribution of children interested.

What the league could look like

Subject to sufficient interest, the proposed Summer 2027 league would run for approximately 10 Weeks.

  • All practices and games happen on one night, in one location each week. We hope parents stay and support their child's team making the evening as much a social event for the parents as a sporting event for the kids!

Exact venue, dates, times and registration costs will be determined once the level of local interest is known. The league would be local, inclusive and affordable.

A girl leaping to catch an American football during a flag football game
A defender pulling the red flag from the belt of a young player carrying the ball

What is flag football?

Flag football is the non-contact version of American football.

Players wear flags around their waist. Instead of tackling an opponent to the ground, a defender removes one of their flags.

The game still contains many of the things that make American football exciting: passing, catching, running, defending, touchdowns, teamwork and strategy.

It’s fast, accessible and suitable for children with many different body types, abilities and sporting backgrounds.

Flag football will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. We are not affiliated with the Olympic movement or the NFL.

Why bring it to Garstang?

  • Give children another way to get active
  • Create opportunities for children who may not have found their sport yet
  • Bring young people from different local schools, towns and villages together
  • Develop confidence, resilience and teamwork
  • Create new friendships
  • Build something the wider community can become involved in

You don’t need to already love American football. You just need to be willing to give something new a try.

A mixed team of local children and two volunteer coaches celebrating together

Help us build it

A community league needs local people behind it.

We’re interested in hearing from adults who might consider becoming:

Coaches · Assistant Coaches · Referees/Officials

Previous American football experience isn’t essential. Training and guidance would be provided, and volunteers can learn the sport alongside the children.

I’M INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING

Questions? Email diggers25@gmail.com.

Frequently asked questions

Interested? Tell us.

We’re currently trying to understand how much local interest there would be in a Summer 2027 youth flag football league.

This isn’t registration and there’s nothing to pay.

We just need a few pieces of information to help us understand potential player numbers, ages and where interest is coming from.

How many children in your household might be interested in playing? *

Please enter the town or village where you live.

We only ask this so we can understand where interest in the league is coming from. Please don’t enter your address or postcode.

If you’d like us to let you know what happens next, you can leave your email address. This is completely optional.

Could you help run the league? — optional

Your email is completely optional. We won’t ask for your child’s name, date of birth, address or any other personal information at this stage. We’re simply trying to understand the level of local interest in a potential Summer 2027 youth flag football league.