NFL FLAG Expands Annual Tournament Series

NFL FLAG today announced the expansion of its 2021-2022 Tournament Series with the addition of the NFL FLAG Opens and NFL FLAG Bowl at Super Bowl LVI.

NFL FLAG Opens and NFL FLAG Bowl at Super Bowl LVI join the NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments and NFL FLAG Championships at Pro Bowl as part of the NFL FLAG Tournament Series.

The 2021 NFL FLAG Tournament Series offers athletes more opportunities to compete than ever before, including younger and older age divisions, recreational divisions, and expanded opportunities for girls.

For the first time, non-NFL FLAG teams are invited to compete in the NFL FLAG Opens. The NFL FLAG Opens will include a total of 16 tournaments – 8 tournaments run by NFL FLAG and 8 sanctioned tournaments run by third party operators. Winning teams from all 16 tournaments will go on to compete at the NFL FLAG Bowl at Super Bowl LVI.

"Every child deserves a chance to play," said NFL FLAG Executive Director Izell Reese. "As we've worked to expand NFL FLAG, we've seen increased interest from all age groups and genders. We're excited to add new tournaments like the NFL FLAG Opens to provide even more opportunities for kids to get in the game."

NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments Presented by Subway will remain exclusive to teams who participate in NFL FLAG Leagues. All Regional Tournaments are supported by the NFL Club in the nearest market. Winners of the 12 NFL FLAG Regional Tournaments will go on to compete in the NFL FLAG Championships at Pro Bowl Presented by Subway.

A comprehensive schedule of events can be found at www.nflflag.com/tournaments.

Schedules for the NFL FLAG Regionals and NFL FLAG Opens are now live, and registration for the first NFL FLAG Tournament Series event May 1-2 in Cleveland, OH will open on Monday. Registration for the remaining events will open two months prior to the scheduled event date (subject to change).

Official NFL FLAG sponsors include NERF and Subway® restaurants. Subway is the presenting sponsor of the NFL FLAG Regionals and Championships at Pro Bowl and NERF is the exclusive provider of footballs and game belts for NFL FLAG league play. NFL FLAG technology partners include LeagueApps, National Sports ID, and newly appointed Official Tournament Application Sponsor, TeamSnap. NFL FLAG will be utilizing the TeamSnap Tournaments software from TeamSnap's industry-leading sports organization product suite to manage their tournament needs.

NFL FLAG is an NFL licensed property of more than 1,600 locally operated leagues and over 500,000 youth athletes across all 50 states.

NFL FLAG is a fun and accessible non-contact league made available for youth ages 5-17. Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, with regular participation of more than 3 million youth and adults each year.

Athletes interested in joining NFL FLAG can visit NFLFlag.com for more information and to join a league near them.