The Prowl Bowl: American Flag Football

Lions, cheetahs, phoenix, titans, and jaguars descended on Nuneaton’s Liberty Way for Nuneaton Jaguars American Football Club’s U14s Prowl Bowl. It was the first time that they had ever hosted the tournament and it was a massive success. It was also my first time photographing this sport! Teams as far as Wales, Hertfordshire, and Northamptonshire had travelled to take part, including: Northants Titans; Hertfordshire Cheetahs; Birmingham Lions Academy; Flag Football Wales Wildcats; and Phoenix Phutures.

Flag football is a non-contact variant of American football. The first rule of flag football is that no contact is allowed. Instead of tackling players, the defensive team must remove a flag, or tag, from the belt of the offensive. It is very similar to tag rugby, but all passes must be forward and received beyond the scrimmage line. You can find out more about British American Flag Football here.

It’s a very inclusive sport, enabling boys and girls to compete with each other. There is the possibility that flag football will become an Olympic sport, in time for the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles.

In terms of sports photography, this was a fantastic event to photograph. Lots of action and emotion to capture. Hopefully, I’ll get to photograph more flag football soon.