Some of the most respected names in football agree that playing tackle football too young puts children at an unnecessary risk for additional brain trauma. Iconic coaches and players believe that waiting to enroll your child in tackle football while their brains are still developing is the best choice.
Education & Advocacy
Flag Football
Under 14
You don’t need to start tackle young to be a great football player.
Flag Football Under 14:
An educational campaign for parents
If you’re a parent considering enrolling your child in football, the Concussion Legacy Foundation strongly recommends you delay the tackle football experience until at least age 14. Research continues to reveal that repetitive brain trauma from tackle football greatly increases risk of the degenerative brain disease CTE.
Meanwhile, football experts – from coaches to Hall of Fame players – remind us that you don’t need to start tackle football young to become a great player. Until tackle football is proven safe for the developing brain, we urgently recommend youth flag football and other non-tackle versions before age 14.
As parents, you deserve to make an informed decision about your child’s future brain health. To support you in making that decision, we created the Flag Football Under 14 program to highlight the risks of tackle football vs flag football.
Tackle football vs. flag football:
Why tackle can wait
Our award-winning PSA, “Tackle Can Wait,” drives home the message that tackle football is unacceptably dangerous for children, and that flag football should be the only choice for children under 14. The PSA and campaign website reference data from a study led by Boston University researchers published in the Annals of Neurology.
This study concluded that the risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is not linked to the number of concussions but is instead linked to the number of years playing tackle football.
The study also found that the risk of CTE increases by 30% each year, meaning it doubles for every 2.6 years of football played. Any future high school, college, or NFL player who starts tackle football at age five may have 10 times the odds of developing CTE than if he had started at 14. In fact, the statistical link between tackle football and CTE may be as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer.
You wouldn’t let your child smoke. But when should they play tackle sports?
Boys’ tackle football, boys’ wrestling, and girls’ basketball have the highest rates of concussion, according to the CDC. Their research shows tackle football players sustained a median of 378 impacts during the season, while flag football players sustained a median of just 8 impacts.
You wouldn’t let your child smoke. But when should they play tackle sports?
Why age 14?
Flag Football Under 14 is part of the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s Stop Hitting Kids in the Head initiative, which aims to accelerate the reform of youth contact sports. We believe each sport should promote a youth version that does not allow purposeful repetitive brain trauma for children before age 14.
A child’s body is not designed for tackle football. Because the head grows faster than the body, a child’s large head makes head impacts inevitable, more powerful, and more dangerous. Sensors show the average head impact in youth football is 20.6 g, the same as the average head impact in college football. Plus, the resources and protections in place for high school athletes are vastly different than those typically offered in youth contact sports.
Check out our Why Age 14 infographic to find out why waiting until age 14 matters. For an extensive analysis of tackle football vs. flag football and why age 14 is so crucial, be sure to read our White Paper.
Some of the greatest players in NFL history didn’t play tackle football before high school
Waiting until high school to play tackle football didn’t hold back some of the greatest players in NFL history. We assembled the Flag Football Under 14 All-Time Greatest Team, composed entirely of players who didn’t start tackle football until high school, to illustrate that it’s better to wait.
See who joined NFL icons like …
Tom Brady
Jerry Rice
Jim Brown
Lawrence Taylor
Walter Payton
The list includes the top five players of all time and another 16 Hall of Famers. Additionally, every single NFL legend on the list was selected for at least three Pro Bowls.
Football stars agree: Play youth flag football first
Some of the most respected names in football agree that playing tackle football too young unnecessarily puts children at higher risk for additional brain trauma.
Iconic coaches and players – including John Madden, Jim Harbaugh, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Tony Romo, Rob Gronkowski, and many more – believe that waiting to enroll your child in tackle football is the best choice. While their brains are still developing, youth flag football and non-tackle versions are safest.
Discover what these and other football legends say about Flag Football Under 14.
Flag football opportunities are growing
American tackle football is a sport enjoyed by millions. However, the athletic landscape is changing and more opportunities are being created for youth and adults alike to participate in flag football.
Did you know Flag Football will be an Olympic Sport in 2028? Your son or daughter could represent the USA on the global stage.
On the collegiate level, female students can obtain college scholarships to play flag football at a number of schools listed here.
Flag football varsity programs are also expanding at the high school level. Here is a list of states that currently have varsity flag football programs. More schools are expected to start programs in the coming years.
National flag football leagues and search tools
I9 Sports– Flag football league for kids ages 4-14
UA Under the Lights Flag Football – Flag football league for kids ages 4-14
AFFL – Flag football league for all ages
USA Football League Finder– Search tool to help you find a flag football league near you (search for “Non-Contact Leagues”)
NFL Flag League Finder – Search tool to help you find an NFL Flag league near you for kids ages 7-17
Smoking is like tackle football. The longer you do it, the higher your risk for disease. Watch our viral, award-winning Tackle Can Wait campaign.