The nation’s fastest-growing new sport

Flag football is the fastest-growing sport in the nation and internationally. It is being heavily supported by the NFL, and has been sanctioned as a high school sport on the NCAA level. It will be a full-medal sport featured at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

And now, Flag is becoming more than a sport. It’s one of the biggest movements for inclusion in the world of sports today. It’s welcoming everyone to play, regardless of age, gender and background—and it is opening new doors for millions.

For the Harlem Jets, Flag offers an opportunity for Harlem’s women and girls to get involved with the Jets—either as Flag coaches or as Flag athletes, playing on the field.

Demand permitting, we’ll be fielding 12 Flag teams during the year, to include teams in six divisions: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U – and then Junior Varsity and Varsity High School-age games. There will be one co-ed team and one all-girls team in each age division.

How Flag Differs from Tackle

Flag football shares DNA with tackle football. It’s highly competitive, strategic and intense, and has the same objective: move the ball, score touchdowns and defend your end zone. But Flag has evolved into something different. Here’s what Flag changes:

No tackling, no helmets, no heavy pads

Flag is a no-contact sport. Safety is key. Tackles are made by removing a fabric Flag from a player’s belt. In Flag, you don’t need to worry about tackles or collisions, and you don’t need expensive equipment. All you need is a ball, Flag belts, shorts without pockets, a team jersey or shirt, and a mouthguard. That’s it.

Anyone can play

Because the game doesn’t rely on physicality or contact, it opens the door for more inclusive formats, like co-ed and all-girls teams. High school varsity and college teams have begun recruiting good players.

Teams are smaller

Most competitive and youth leagues follow a 5-on-5 format, though 7-on-7 and other variations exist. The Harlem Jets focus on 5-on-5 rules, as it’s the format most widely played in competitive leagues and by middle schoolers and varsity teams in the U.S. and around the world.

Games are shorter

Flag games typically last about an hour or less, while Tackle games can often last over 3 hours. Flag football uses a running clock to count down two 20-25 minute halves and only stop play for timeouts or incomplete passes.

Jets CEO Jamel Wright is co-leading the development of a new Flag Football League in NYC.

NFL Flag Nationals are in the Fall and NFL Flag Nationals are in July. Each year, The Harlem Jets will run its programs with the goal of participating in the Fall regionals, so that we can take part in the Nationals the following quarter.

Flag play begins in April and runs through the end of October. Each year, as our Program develops, the Harlem Jets will run its Flag program with the goal of participating in the Fall and Spring Flag regionals.

Yes, there is a female co-director of our Flag program and a roster of certified male and female Flag coaches with Flag experience being added to the roster. All of our Flag coaches must be safety-certified and trained in CPR.

We’ll be fielding 12 Flag teams during the year, to include teams in six divisions: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U — and then Junior Varsity and Varsity high school-age teams and competitions. We’ll be building one all-girls team and one co-ed team in each age division.

The Harlem Jets advantage is three-fold. We convert middle schoolers playing casual, school-based Flag into committed Jets athletes—and we also offer kids practice games to try Flag in a more casual format. Those who register with us also get exposure to Flag League competition that school-only programs don’t offer and Jets-only benefits that enable all-girls and co-ed Flag team players to attend our annual Summer Camp, take our Jets Success workshops and gain access to our free high school tutoring.

Our experienced Flag coaches are safety-certified and also offer extra training and guidance in Flag’s new rules—and work hard to ensure each team has fun while providing lessons in teamwork, discipline, focus and what it takes to win. Jets who play Tackle are welcome to sign up for Flag.

Our Harlem Jets Founder and CEO, Jamel Wright, has been invited to co-lead and co-develop a new Regional Flag League with the Big Tri-State League—to harness the Jets’ expertise preparing boys, girls, and coed teams for state and local competition.

The Flag Program is open to anyone from age 7 to 18, and registration is $365 for a full-season practice and Spring and Fall League competition. To sign up, we require proof of identity, as well as copies of a player’s birth certificate, a recent doctor physical and a recent report card.

For more information and to register, click here.

Flag Football’s Growth

The Harlem Jets are reputed for their excellence in creating fun and award-winning football teams. Kids who sign up with us to play Flag will also benefit from this distinction.

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The number of countries in which Flag football is now being played, with the most significant participation in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Europe
0M
The number of American children aged 6 to 12 now playing Flag football
0K
The number of Flag football leagues now operating nationwide with nearly 700,000 players and with 43% of them including female players.

Harlem Jets Flag players get the same access to our educational enrichment and support programs that all of our other players get.

To sign up or request more information visit our Registration Page

Make a Difference For Our Kids

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