It was the final play of the national championship game. All eyes were on 11-year-old quarterback Cora Hernandez. She scanned the field for an open teammate.

“I was really nervous,” Cora recalls. “Everybody’s depending on you to make the right throw at the right time.”

Then Cora fired a pass. The receiver caught it and sprinted past the defense into the end zone. Touchdown! 

No one even tried to tackle the receiver. This is flag football, where tackling isn’t allowed. Instead, players pull a flag from opponents’ belts to stop a play. 

Cora plays for the Pirate Bay Krewe from Tampa, Florida. They won the 11U title at the National Football League (NFL) FLAG Championships in July. They’re among the more than 2.4 million boys and girls 17 and under who play flag football in leagues across the United States. 

As flag football rises in popularity, fewer kids play tackle now than they did a decade ago. What does this mean for football in America? 

It was the final play of the national championship game. All eyes were on 11-year-old quarterback Cora Hernandez. She searched the field for an open teammate.

“I was really nervous,” Cora recalls. “Everybody’s depending on you to make the right throw at the right time.”

Then Cora fired a pass. The receiver caught it and ran past the defense into the end zone. Touchdown!

No one tried to tackle the receiver. This is flag football, where tackling isn’t allowed. Instead, players pull a flag from opponents’ belts to stop a play.

Cora is from Tampa, Florida. She plays for the Pirate Bay Krewe. They won the 11U title at the National Football League (NFL) FLAG Championships in July. More than 2.4 million boys and girls under 17 play flag football in leagues across the U.S. Cora and her teammates are among them.

Flag football is becoming very popular. More kids are playing it than tackle football. What does this mean for football in America?  

The number of kids who play tackle football has dipped largely because of safety concerns. Youth tackle football players average 378 hits to the head each season. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In flag football, that number is eight.

Many of those collisions lead to concussions. Each year, thousands of kids sustain concussions while playing tackle football. Concussions are injuries caused by hits to the head that shake the brain inside the skull.

These injuries can be especially harmful to kids, whose brains are still developing. Many medical experts suggest that kids hold off on playing tackle football until they are 14 or older.

Richie Lenhart coaches both flag and tackle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He says that when his 5-year-old son was ready to join a team in 2019, his choice was clear. His son would start off in flag.

“I instantly went from coach to over-cautious dad because of his age,” Lenhart says. “In tackle, you’ve got to be ready to get mean and nasty and deliver blows and hits.”

Nine-year-old Zion Fielder is the quarterback on Lenhart’s Pittsburgh Elite flag team. He plays flag and tackle. 

“The injuries in tackle are worse,” Zion explains. “You get hit harder.”

Why are many kids playing flag football instead of tackle? One reason is concerns about safety. Youth flag football players get about eight hits to the head each season. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In tackle, that number is 378.

Many of those collisions lead to concussions. Each year, thousands of kids sustain concussions while playing tackle football. Concussions are injuries caused by hits to the head. These hits shake the brain inside the skull.

These injuries can be especially harmful to kids since their brains are still developing. Many medical experts suggest that kids wait to play tackle football until they are 14 or older.

Richie Lenhart coaches both flag and tackle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2019, his 5-year-old son was ready to join a team. At the time, Lenhart’s choice was clear. His son would start off in flag.

“I instantly went from coach to overcautious dad because of his age,” Lenhart says. “In tackle, you’ve got to be ready to get mean and nasty and deliver blows and hits.”

Zion Fielder is the quarterback on Lenhart’s Pittsburgh Elite flag team. He’s 9 years old. He plays flag and tackle.

“The injuries in tackle are worse,” Zion says. “You get hit harder.”