Flag Football is a Non-Contact Coed/Mixed version of American Football Similar to Tag Rugby, where players wear a flag attached to their waist which must be pulled off in order to tackle them. Scoring is as American Football, although under current rules there is no kicking, and is played on a smaller field with 5 players (In the Irish Flag Football League of the 1990s there were seven players per team and kicking was allowed.
Irish Flag Football League & Blitzes
The first Flag Football Leagues in Ireland were in Northern Ireland in the mid-1980s. Then in 1991 members of the Dublin Tornadoes American Football Team started a league in Dublin to grow the game. The league became the Irish Flag Football League with addition of teams in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, and lasted until 2000.
From the mid-1980s to 2000, there were two separate development bodies under the IAFA/AFAI: The Northern Ireland American Football Association & Irish council of American Football (Republic of Ireland) charged with developing Flag Football, Junior Football & 8-a-side DV8 Football.
Flag Football was restarted in 2001 as a series of Challenge Games held Nationally. This grew into a National Series of Blitzes, with approximately four Bowls held annually until the formation of the second Irish Flag Football League in 2007, this time a National one. It lasted two seasons before the blitz system was re-introduced. All of these iterations of Flag Football Leagues and Tournaments were under numerous Irish Flag Football Association banners.
In 2014 the Irish American Football association took over the running of Flag Football, and the Irish Flag Football League was re-instated, with the League named the Emerald Bowl Conference. A second level, the Glas (Green) Bowl Conference is being introduced in 2019.
Irish Flag Football League & Blitzes (Standings)
IFFL
Irish Flag Football League & Blitzes (Bowls & Finals)
Irish Flag Football Association Logo
Irish Flag Football League | Emerald Bowls 2015-2018
Irish Flag Football Association | Bowl Finals 2009-2014
Irish Council of American Football | Irish Flag Football Association | League Finals 1992-2000
Irish International Flag Football Challenges (Finals):
Irish-American Flag Football Classic 2010-2014
Anglo-Irish Flag Football Challenge 1997-2005
Irish Flag Football League (Decade / Era Overviews):
The Final Standings & Playoff Results at a glance: Decade / Era Overviews:
Irish Flag Football League (Decade / Era Final Tables & Playoffs Overviews)
Irish Flag Football League Emerald Bowl Conference 2014-2019
Irish Flag Football Association | Irish Flag Football League 2007-2008
Picture Credit:
Irish Flag Football League (Results)
IFFL
Irish Flag Football League (Level 1)(Results)
AFI Flag Premier Division (2020-Present):
IFFL Emerald Bowl Conference (2014-2019):
2019 2018 2017 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15
IFFA Irish Flag Football League (2007-2008):
Irish Flag Football League (Level 2)
As well as organising the Emerald Bowl Conference in 2014-15, the Irish Flag Football Association continued to run Blitzes and Tournaments. In 2019, these unofficial 2nd Levels became a full second division: the Glas (Green) Bowl Conference.
AFI Flag Division One (2020-Present): 2020
IAFA Glas Bowl Conference (2019): 2019
Picture Credit:
Provincial Flag Football Leagues & Blitzes
Dublin Flag Football League; Northern Ireland American Football Association; Irish Flag Football Association; Flag Football Ireland; American Football Ireland Flag
Provincial Flag Football Leagues
AFI Flag Dublin Conference (Seasons):
AFI Flag North Conference Premier Division (Seasons):
AFI Flag North Conference Division 1 (Seasons):
AFI Flag Central Conference (Seasons):
IFFA Dublin Flag Football League (1991-2000):
1999-2000 1998-99 1997-98 1996-97 1995-96 1994-95
IAFA Flag Football League (1985-1990):
NIAFA Flag Football League:
Irish Flag Football Tournaments, Blitzes & Scrimmages
IFFA Flag Football Blitzes (2014-Present):
IAFA Indoor Flag Football Tournaments (2014):
IAFFA Tournaments (2009-2014):
2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10
IFFA Tournaments (2001-2007)
Picture Credit: [3] Dublin Bay Raptors Whats App Conversation (18 August 2020) Photo Uploaded by Jimmy English at 15:46 .
Irish Flag Football Association (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Irish Flag Football Association; Anglo-Irish Flag Football Challenge
Box-Scores & Match Reports for each game, arranged on a season-by-season basis:
IFFA Challenge Matches (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Anglo-Irish Flag Football Challenge (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Picture Credit: [6] FD Reporter (1996) “Photo caption: Irish Cream: the Lads from Drimnagh celebrate their Championship” First Down. April 20, 1996. Pg. 20.
Other Flag Football
A number of other Flag Football Competitions have taken place in Ireland besides the Irish Flag Football League & Blitzes, and International Competitons.
The most prominent of these would be the Junior Flag Football & Two-Touch Football (prior to Ireland getting Flags from America, teams had to rely on a system whereby the ball carrier was ‘tackled’ if he was touched with two hands.
There has also been College / University and Schools Flag Football Tournaments, and Indoor Flag Football Tournaments (the rules differ due to the walls of the Indoor Hall impinging on play).
Irish Flag Football League & Blitzes
The first Flag Football Leagues in Ireland were in Northern Ireland in the mid-1980s. Then in 1991 members of the Dublin Tornadoes American Football Team started a league in Dublin to grow the game. The league became the Irish Flag Football League with addition of teams in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, and lasted until 2000.
From the mid-1980s to 2000, there were two separate development bodies under the IAFA/AFAI: The Northern Ireland American Football Association & Irish council of American Football (Republic of Ireland) charged with developing Flag Football, Junior Football & 8-a-side DV8 Football.
Flag Football was restarted in 2001 as a series of Challenge Games held Nationally. This grew into a National Series of Blitzes, with approximately four Bowls held annually until the formation of the second Irish Flag Football League in 2007, this time a National one. It lasted two seasons before the blitz system was re-introduced. All of these iterations of Flag Football Leagues and Tournaments were under numerous Irish Flag Football Association banners.
In 2014 the Irish American Football association took over the running of Flag Football, and the Irish Flag Football League was re-instated, with the League named the Emerald Bowl Conference. A second level, the Glas (Green) Bowl Conference is being introduced in 2019.
Irish Flag Football League & Blitzes (Standings)
IFFL
Irish Flag Football League & Blitzes (Bowls & Finals)
Irish Flag Football Association Logo
Irish Flag Football League | Emerald Bowls 2015-2018
Irish Flag Football Association | Bowl Finals 2009-2014
Irish Council of American Football | Irish Flag Football Association | League Finals 1992-2000
Irish International Flag Football Challenges (Finals):
Irish-American Flag Football Classic 2010-2014
Anglo-Irish Flag Football Challenge 1997-2005
Irish Flag Football League (Decade / Era Overviews):
The Final Standings & Playoff Results at a glance: Decade / Era Overviews:
Irish Flag Football League (Decade / Era Final Tables & Playoffs Overviews)
Irish Flag Football League Emerald Bowl Conference 2014-2019
Irish Flag Football Association | Irish Flag Football League 2007-2008
Picture Credit:
Irish Flag Football League (Results)
IFFL
Irish Flag Football League (Level 1)(Results)
AFI Flag Premier Division (2020-Present): 2020
IFFL Emerald Bowl Conference (2014-2019): 2019 2018 2017 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15
IFFA Irish Flag Football League (2007-2008): 2007-08 2007
Irish Flag Football League (Level 2)
As well as organising the Emerald Bowl Conference in 2014-15, the Irish Flag Football Association continued to run Blitzes and Tournaments. In 2019, these unofficial 2nd Levels became a full second division: the Glas (Green) Bowl Conference.
AFI Flag Division One (2020-Present): 2020
IAFA Glas Bowl Conference (2019): 2019
Picture Credit:
Provincial Flag Football Leagues & Blitzes
Dublin Flag Football League; Northern Ireland American Football Association; Irish Flag Football Association; Flag Football Ireland; American Football Ireland Flag
Provincial Flag Football Leagues
AFI Flag Dublin Conference (Seasons): 2020
AFI Flag North Conference Premier Division (Seasons): 2020
AFI Flag North Conference Division 1 (Seasons): 2020
AFI Flag Central Conference (Seasons): 2020
IFFA Dublin Flag Football League (1991-2000): 1999-2000 1998-99 1997-98 1996-97 1995-96 1994-95
NIAFA Flag Football League:1986 1985
Irish Flag Football Tournaments, Blitzes & Scrimmages
IFFA Flag Football Blitzes (2014-Present): 2017-18 2014-15
IAFA Indoor Flag Football Tournaments (2014): 2014
IAFFA Tournaments (2009-2014): 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10
IFFA Tournaments (2001-2007) 2006-07 2005-06 2001-02
Picture Credit: [3] Dublin Bay Raptors Whats App Conversation (18 August 2020) Photo Uploaded by Jimmy English at 15:46 .
Irish Flag Football Association (Box-Scores & Match Reports):
Irish Flag Football Association; Anglo-Irish Flag Football Challenge
Box-Scores & Match Reports for each game, arranged on a season-by-season basis:
IFFA Challenge Matches (Box-Scores & Match Reports): 2001-02
Anglo-Irish Flag Football Challenge (Box-Scores & Match Reports): 1997 1998 1999 2001 2004
Picture Credit: [6] FD Reporter (1996) “Photo caption: Irish Cream: the Lads from Drimnagh celebrate their Championship” First Down. April 20, 1996. Pg. 20.