Flag Football vs. Football with Flags

 

After seeing my first 9-man tournament at the World Championships in Orlando, FL this past January, I saw first-hand the extreme differences between 8-Man Eligible and 9-Man Ineligible, and why this style can really take off in the West if given a chance. 

8-Man is a fast paced, wide-open game in which teams try to spread you from sideline to sideline using their speed including on both the offensive line and defensive line.  While with 9-Man, it is more of a traditional set with massive linemen, power rushers and more one-on-one match-ups in the secondary.

Having experience and a unique scheme in 8-Man Eligible, is enough to get you through a tournament.  However, with 9-Man you will need strength in the trenches and skill guy’s who can handle their own.  In 9-Man, there are no linemen releasing confusing the secondary; in other words there is nowhere to hide in 9-Man.

This summer, competitive 9-Man will be introduced to the west coast in an effort to generate more interest, create more teams and awaken the current 9-Man teams to desire to compete for more.

9-Man is football with flags, where as 8-Man is flag played like football.  One of the glaring differences between the two styles outside of the obvious, is the ability to utilize the traditional football stiff-arm by the runner along with the football techniques used on the O-line and D-line; all of your past football training will be needed once more in 9-Man!

One thing that was evident from watching 9-Man is the size of the linemen. If you don't have enough size and strength to win the battle on the line of scrimmage, you will not win!  Also, you have to have a different mentality in order to compete in 9-Man.  Middle LB in 8-Man is not the same as Middle LB in 9-Man - big difference.

The Union believes that once teams get a taste of the 9v9 game out West, it will take off and soon produce top teams nationally on the WC Circuit.  But, it will be a huge challenge for teams currently playing 8-Man to adjust to this style of play, but it can be done. Teams must go through the growing pains just like when first experiencing 8-Man.

9-Man will eventually be played in Las Vegas and it is our hope that the West will embrace this style, further expanding it into new regions.  Once this happens, 9-Man could possibly become flag footballs most dominate style on the World Championship Circuit.

Reggie Tisdell

 

 

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