Just like NFL, flag football season opens

The time of year has arrived: the semester is finally in motion and the influx of football into students' daily routines is here. The National Football League has just completed its first week of regular season play, while the college football season officially kicked off during the preceding week. But one of the more significant football varieties that directly affect the lives of roughly 3,700 students this fall is the start of the intramural sport -- flag football. \nFlag football retains many similar rules to that of the professional sport, such as certain penalties and the point system, but also has subtle differences. Flag football involves no contact. Players on defense must detach a flag from the offensive player's belt to end a play. The field is divided up into four zones, and each team has four downs to arrive at a zone line in order to get a first down. \nWhile it's understood that IU is steeped rich in basketball tradition, flag football is perceived as the most popular intramural sport during the fall. Understandably so, basketball as an intramural sport also commences during the fall semester, toward the later half, but flag football, which ended its sign-ups at the end of the first week in September, is branded as the most popular intramural during the fall semester.\nJosh Downing, assistant director of Intramural Sports, said he believes the popularity of flag football stems from the professional league itself. \n"I think the popularity of football in this country helps," Downing said. "It's a lot of fun and anyone can play it."\nFlag football's attractiveness is also apparent in the number of teams that sign up. Three hundred fifty to 380 teams with approximately 10 players on each team signed up this year.\n"It gives people a chance to socialize with their friends," Downing said. "(The students) want to be outside and enjoy themselves."\nThe popularity of the intramural sport lies heavily with the students that participate in the activity. Sophomore Harrison Brandt said he understands his participation in flag football, and that of many other students, is because of the start of a new sports season. \n"I think it is popular because the football season is starting and some people are getting tired of baseball and look forward to playing and watching football," Brandt said.\nBut many other students don't just participate in the widely popular intramural just because of the seasonal coincidence. Others partake in flag football for its spirited work out. \n"(Flag football) gives me my exercise for the day," sophomore Cory Keslow said. "It's going out and playing with your friends that's fun," sophomore Cory Keslow said.\n-- Contact staff writer Evan \nHarris at evharris@indiana.edu.