FAQs

Q: Why should my child play NFL Flag football?

• NFL Flag Football Inland Valley gives your child a much safer way to learn the fundamentals of football. Tom Brady and Drew Brees both started with flag football. 
• Learning to play the game the right way will help your child prevent injuries in the future when they decide to play contact football. 

Q:  What are the divisions?

• Pre-K - Kinder
• 1st-2nd Grade
• 3rd-4th Grade
• 5th-6th Grade
• 7th-8th Grade

Q: I have a son/daughter in 9th grade and they still want to play. 

• If they have experience and are competitive in the sport, we recommend our 7v7 League at https://www.nextgen7v7.com/

Q: How many players will be on each team?

• 6-10 players are on each team

Q: When/Where will games be played? 

• Games will be played on Saturday at an Inland Valley North location and a South location. Check the registration page for the current locations.
• If you are interested in our San Diego league, check the San Diego website for more information: www.nflflagsd.com.
• Game locations can vary by season. Please refer to our registration page for the upcoming season. If it has not been updated then we are still working on confirming the site. 

Q: How long is the season? 

• Season is 8-10 weeks long, including playoffs (with the exception of the Winter / Summer Seasons). Each team makes the playoffs! 

Q: What is the refund policy? 

• Full Refunds (for those who are NOT using a credit) given within 7 days of registration. Last refunds are eligible for processing one week after the close of the season's registration. 
• Cancellations after 7 Days and up to the week after the season close will be given a credit towards a future season
• After the week after the season closes, no refunds or credits will be provided
• Exception to the refund/cancellation policy is a severe injury/illness with a legitimate Doctor’s note provided prior to Game 1 of the Season

Q: I didn't know about your refund policy. Are there any exceptions? 

• We are upfront about our refund policy. It is on the registration page as well as an acknowledgement within the registration. 

Q: What are the football sizes for each grade level? 

• Pre K - Kinder: NFL Flag Mini & Pee Wee
• 1st - 4th grade: Pee Wee
• 5th - 8th grade: Youth & Junior

Q: Can you request teammates? 

• Yes, you can! Within our registration, you are able to request coaches and teammates. Please include their correct first and last name. 
• If you have already completed the registration, you are able to update these details (as long as registration is open). 
• Once registration closes, you will no longer be able to make friend and coaches requests.

Q: How much does it cost? 

• This depends on the season and division you will play. 
• Our Winter and Summer seasons are typically shorter and therefore are less expensive. 
• Look at the “Register” tab for the current league registration information and prices. 

Q: When is extra equipment we ordered available? 

• All extra equipment will be packaged with the jerseys, which your coach will pick up during our Jersey Distribution Days, which will 1-2 weeks before the first game. If you are missing an item after the Jerseys have been distributed, please check with the NFL Flag tent at the game location. They will have any missing or backordered items. Ordered footballs and mouthguards can be picked up at the NFL Flag tent. 

Q: I forgot to add a friend/coach request to my registration.

• When registration is still open, you are able to go in and edit the friend and coaches request by logging into your account online (not in the app). We are not able to do that for you. 
• If you need directions, please check out https://intercom.help/SportsEngine/en/articles/6304406-how-to-edit-your-registration-entry
• This includes Coaches Requests, Jersey Sizing, Shorts Size, Friend Requests, Grade level and more. Essentially anything that is not attached to store item can be edited by the parents.

Q: Do we need a helmet? 

• Soft-Shelled Helmets are not required
• You may purchase a helmet at your favorite sporting goods store or online. 
• We do offer a limited amount of helmets for sale or rent, onsite at your game day location
• The rental fee can be paid with cash, check or Venmo only. It is $20 to rent, plus a $40 deposit (cash or check), which you will get back when the helmet is returned at the end of the season at the game site NFL Flag Tent. 

Q: I forgot to buy extra uniform items.

• Once you are assigned to a team, you can order uniform items from NFL FLAG Shop tab on the NFL Flag Inland Valley website. Gear will be shipped to your house, with a 10% savings (if you use these links)
• Gear for fans link:  (note if you scroll down, you can see all the teams and buy specific team logo wear.)
• Gear for your player link

Q: I requested a friend request or a coach request but my player isn't on that team. Why? 

• Perhaps you requested to be with a player in a lower division. For example If a player is a 6th grader, we will not honor their request to play with a friend in the 3rd-4th grade division.
• Perhaps you requested to be with a friend who requested to be with a coach, who already has a full team. 
• Perhaps you requested to be with a coach who has too many requests, so in order to keep the roster at a good number for all players to get equal playing time, we had to move some players to a new team.
• Perhaps you requested to be with a player or coach who is not registered. 

Q: I'm interested in coaching. Who should I contact? 

• You can register right on our website. Please go to the current season's registration page and click on "Coaches Registration". 
• Check out the Coaches Information pages for more information including handbook and rulebook. Go to https://www.nflflagiv.com/coaches

Q: Are there resources for the coaches? 

• We offer resources on our website under our Coaches Tab. USA Football also offers coaching resources at https://usafootball.com/resources-tools/coach/

Q: When will practices be held? 

• Practices for players will be held at a local city park within your neighborhood (if possible) to make it convenient for parents and coaches. Typically practices are held once a week for an hour. It is up to each individual coach to determine when and where practices will be held. Coaches are encouraged to work with players schedules since many players participate in multiple sports. Please keep in mind that a coach can have up to 10 kids on his/her team so he/she can't always work around everyone's schedule. 

Q: Where are the practice locations? 

• The coaches choose their practice locations. We do permit various fields in the two locations for coaches to choose from if they are having issues. That list comes out a week to two weeks prior to the start of the season. 

Q: When will the schedule come out? 

• The schedule comes out generally the week leading into the season.

Q: What are the rules for NFL Flag? 

• The rule book that we adhere to is found at https://www.nflflagiv.com/coaches on our website. 

Q: How much will my child play? 

• We have equal playing time rules in our league. Please refer to the substitution rules based on the number of players playing a game. Go to https://www.nflflagiv.com/coaches

Q: What are the substitution rules? 

• The substitution rules for our league are found on https://www.nflflagiv.com/coaches as a download. All kids should have equal playing time. 

Q: I'm not with the right coach. What do I do? 

• If you requested a specific coach, we do our best to assign you to his/her team. Please keep in mind that the coach has the final say on their roster. Oftentimes, more than 10 kids request a coach and the coach makes the final decision on which kids he keeps. 
• If you did not have a coaching request, then we add you to a team that is closest to your area. 

Q: My team doesn't have an assigned coach yet. Help! 

• Given the size of our league, we do encounter a shortage of coaches. Please keep in mind that coaches are volunteers and generally have a child playing on that team. 
• We do love when a parent steps up to coach when needed. It shows your child and the team support. We do offer resources if you have not coached previously. 
• On very rare occasion, we are unable to find a coach for a team in which case we do our best to move the players to another team or refund the registration fees. 

Q: I have an assigned coach but I haven't heard from him/her yet. What do I do? 

• Sports Engine gives you the ability to reach out to your coach through our system. You won't necessarily know his cell number or email but be able to send him/her a message through SE. 
• If you haven't heard from the coach after that, please contact us via email. 

Q: When does my team need to do a sponsorship? 

• Teams need to have a sponsorship during our Fall and Springs Seasons. Sponsorship dollars are used to help fund scholarships for kids in need, secure permitted practice locations and help pay for the referees. 
• Sponsorship information can be found at on the website on the Sponsor tab on the main menu bar.

Q. My team can't find a sponsor. What do we do? 

•  All teams are required to have a team sponsor ($275.00) during the Fall and Spring Seasons. If team cannot find a community sponsor, then the $275 fee should be split amongst the team. (Due on or before the first season game)

Q: Do I need the mouthguard for practice? 

• You don't have to wear a mouthguard to practice although we do recommend it. Mouthguards are strongly recommended for all games. You can order a mouthguard on the registration form or buy one at the NFL tent at the first game.

Q: My practices are too far from my location. What do I do? 

• Practice locations can be up to 12 miles from your home/school. We have kids playing from all over the area so it is sometimes difficult to find a team that practices in your backyard. 

Q: Do you offer team photos? 

• We do offer Picture Day during the Fall and Spring seasons. Teams are assigned by the photographer to a specific time based on the playing schedule. We do not have control over that time. 

Q: How do I see my player's team information? 

• Only the parent that registered the player has access to the team once logged into Sports Engine. That parent can add a guardian to the player, so the guardian can see the team practices, games, and chat in the app. For help in adding a guardian:  https://intercom.help/SportsEngine/en/articles/6304039-how-to-add-guardians

Q: How do I remove myself from being a fan of a team? 

• In the app, swipe left on the team's name which will allow you to delete the team from your team's list. You can also uncheck the star in the top right corner when you are on the team page.

Q: How do you handle playoffs? 

• All teams will play in the playoffs. We try our best to give each team a good chance to win their division by dividing teams (if possible) during playoffs to Above .500 (Gold Division) and .500 and below (Silver Division).

Q: What are the awards if we win?

• Champions in our Gold Division win a Trophy
• Champions in our Silver Division win a Medal
• Only Super Bowl games will have an opportunity to win a Super Bowl Ring

Q: Do Pre-K / Kindergarten players all earn an award? 

• For this division ONLY, we offer awards for all of the kids for participation.