Flag football gaining popularity, says association
PETALING JAYA: Flag football, which is modelled after American football, is fast becoming Malaysia’s pastime sport.
The Malaysian Flag Football Association (Maffa) said up to 200 members had joined since it was first introduced eight years ago.
“We started playing it with a small group who developed an interest in it. We’ve played different versions with either seven or eight players per team.
“Recently, women are showing interest, so the team has changed to five players with four men and one woman,” Maffa spokesman Peter Carmen said yesterday.
Instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a detachable “flag belt” tied around a player’s waist.
Flag football was said to have been developed on military bases in the early 1940s as a recreational sport for army personnel.
Although not much is known about the sport, it has garnered interest in many countries.
“A team can consist of between seven and 30 players. But when it comes to major tournaments, it’s 15 players.
“It’s interesting because it’s a non-contact sport. A player only needs to pull the flag belt, or flag. That’s equivalent to a tackle.
“Each game lasts 30 minutes, and six points are awarded when the ball is in the rectangular zone. That’s a goal,” he said.
This weekend, nine teams in the Klang Valley will compete in a major event called “Merdeka Bowl” at TSI Cyberjaya.
Maffa is reachable via its Facebook page “Flag Football Malaysia”, or its president Muhamad Zairulnizam at 012-227 6713.