9-Man News
National News and Updates

The Union is currently working in conjunction with several 9-Man leagues and advocates offering a series of 9-Man major tournaments in 2006. The tournaments will be either added to current 2006 scheduled locations or offered as independent 9-Man tournaments.

The goal is to help promote the 9-Man style and increase overall participation throughout the country, as well as introduce the style to new areas. Locations that are targeted will be Tampa, FL, Birmingham, AL, Atlanta, GA, Houston, TX, Austin, TX, Charlotte, NC, St. Petersburg, FL and the entire Atlantic Region where 9-Man is most popular.

Outside of the NE Region of the U.S., 9-Man has experienced a major decline in overall participation and the introduction of new competitive teams. This can be attributed to teams merging to compete nationally and the slow development of new teams, which in return kills off competition. 9-Man teams are without a doubt, the most difficult to build and maintain compared to other styles of flag football.

The south has experienced a dramatic decline in 9-Man participation over the last couple years in National tournament play. Georgia’s only traveling teams are ATL Connection, which is a combination of Atlanta’s past successful teams and Pfuzion, which is mainly an 8-Man eligible team who prefers 8-Man when traveling.

Alabama has a couple of the south’s largest 9-Man leagues located in Birmingham and Montgomery, but seldom travel and are unable to attract teams other than a couple of Georgia teams to participate in tournaments that are usually ran and operated by independent teams rather than organizations.

North Carolina has recently began to produce 9-Man teams looking to travel, but playing under local Park and Recreation rules for so long has placed them behind most of the National competitive 9-Man teams due to the style they are accustom to playing.

Florida has emerged as a haven for 9-man teams when their 8-Man Ineligible league in Tampa Bay converted to 9-Man. However, due to the lack of teams to play outside of their area, teams such as the Tamp Hawks who travel regularly are looking to compete in other style such as 8-Man eligible in order to compete regularly in southern tournaments.

Texas is also home to several 9-man teams who compete locally, but rarely travel outside their state on a regular basis. With the number of teams within the state alone, travel is not a top priority as it is with Northern states.

9-Man desperately needs something to play for; something to peak the interest of teams that play locally to get them to travel 3-4 times a year, as well as something to assist in developing new teams to increase overall 9-Man competition.