Our third-grade students have started learning about and playing the game of flag football in their P.E. classes this week. As an American looking in, although the game seems to play very different from flag football that we play back in America, it is still a game that requires strategy and unique ideas to play.

The point of the game is for the offensive team to carry the ball down the field as far as they can. The field is split into different zones with each zone awarding different point values if reached. The defending team tries to stop the player holding the ball by taking their flag. The attacking team is awarded points equal to the point value of the zone the player is in when their flag was taken.

The students first got warmed up by quickly passing the ball amongst each other like a bucket relay to practice their ball handling skills. They then split into small groups and discussed different strategies to try to get the ball as far as they could down the field without letting their flag get taken. Although holding the ball behind one’s back to hide it seemed like a good strategy at first, the students quickly realized it didn’t provide the desired result the students were looking for. In this way students tried different strategies and started to realize which plays worked well and which ones didn’t. From there they started mixing different strategies to try to get the best play.

By playing this type of game, the students are able to discuss different strategies with their teammates and come up with many types of plays. It is a good chance for the students to think outside the box, a skill which we hope to instill into all aspects of their student life.