Flag Football Rolls on in Popularity in Marblehead

On a thick carpet of grass at the intersection of Birch and Lafayette coaches Greg Mahan and Steve Tolan toss passes to the 49ers, a team of scrappy 7- and 8-year-olds.

The 10 players, six from Marblehead and four from Swampscott, run to open spaces waving their arms and calling for the coaches to throw them the soft rubber blue football.

In the 7-8 year old division in the North Shore Flag Football League there are 140 players from Marblehead alone.

The league also includes divisions for 5-6 year olds, 9-11 year olds and 12-14 year olds.

Each season the numbers grow, the coaches say. It is skyrocketing in popularity.

On the field the kids get aggressive, but not too chippy.

Unlike tackle football, the object in the flag variety is to stop the progress of your opponent by grabbing their flag.

The flags hang from belts and the kids regard them as their armor, their sword, their personal property, the coaches say.

The coaches say flag football is a kinder and gentler version of the real thing.

On the sideline, watching the action, parent Dave Potter said flag football is a good introduction to football for the younger kids.

Maybe only one-third of these kids will go on play the tackle game but they still get to try football without the hitting.

Some parents are afraid their kids will get hurt.

Out on the field the players learn about blocking and offense and defense and the rules.

On the field, after a reception, one of the kids got crossed up.

"Wrong way, wrong way, wrong way," one of the coaches hollered, laughter in his voice.

The kids are getting an introduction to the game, an introduction to things like running in the right direction after they catch the ball.