FAQ

Quick Facts:

• All tackle divisions play in full pads, full contact, tackle football.

• Flag Divisions play 6-man flag football

• Sophomore Tackle division plays 8-man tackle football

• Juniors and Seniors play 11-man tackle football.

• Almost all games are played on Saturdays, with a couple of Friday night games under the lights.

• Equipment is purchased, owned and maintained by players. The league will sponsor an equipment day where equipment will be available for purchase.

• Head coaches are recruited by the Division Directors. Assistant Coaches are selected after the draft.

• Minimum Practice Rule: Players in all divisions MUST attend and participate in the entirety of at least one of their SFL team's practices during the week preceding a game. If this requirement is not met the child will not be able to participate in that week's game.

•The SFL board is committed to the safe and competitive play for all league participants. SFL reserves the right to adjust player's position and division play to support safe and competitive play initiatives. 

What is SFL?  The Southwest Football League is a superbly run Youth American Football Organization, with safety and fun as our top priority.  We have Six Divisions for Boys starting from age 6 all the way up to our Senior Division for 7th and 8th graders, plus a wonderful Cheer program for Girls!  It is a fantastic opportunity for kids to learn and experience the life lessons, camaraderie, and positive impact that football distinctively provides.  We offer both Flag and Tackle Football options.  

Who can play SFL? SFL is open to anyone in the Greater Houston Area who can commit to attending 2 practices and 1 game a week. Flag Division will start with two practices a week, and then at the coach's discretion will reduce to 1 practice per week.  

Is the registration fee refundable? The fee is refundable up until August 15th. After August 15th, the fee is non-refundable.

What are the SFL Divisions?  All age requirements shown below apply to both tackle and flag divisions.

- Freshmen Division (Flag): (Born between August 1, 2012 and July 31, 2014) We may accept some younger kids based on availability. Please contact the Freshmen Division Director at freshmen@sfltx.org

- Sophomore Division Flag and Tackle: (Born between August 1, 2010 and July 31, 2012)

- Junior Division Flag and Tackle: (Born between August 1, 2008 and July 31, 2010)

- Senior Division Tackle: 7th and 8th graders

Are there any weight restrictions? Yes, only in the tackle divisions.  Players above certain weights are limited to offensive and defensive line play and are not eligible to carry the ball. The weight limits are established during tryouts. The weight limits by division are as follows:

Flag Divisions - Weight limits not in effect.
Sophomore - Players above 115 lbs. are restricted.
Junior - Players above 145 lbs. are restricted.
Senior - Weight limits not in effect.

Can my child play up or down if they exceed the weight limit for their age based division? Parents who want to have their child play up or down a division are welcome to make that request by asking the President directly. A smaller but older child might request to play down, a larger/very physical child might want to play up. The league always reserves the right to move any child in the interest of safety. For Freshman and Sophomore divisions, exceptions to the rule are likely to be infrequent. At the Junior level we are more likely to approve requests to play down because the Senior Division is grade-based.

Will my child get a lot of playing time?  At SFL, we pride ourselves on our Must-Play Rule:  All players on a team’s roster must at minimum assume a starting position on either offense or defense during all four quarters.  Some players play on both sides of the ball, at their coaches' discretion.  The intent and spirit of this rule is to ensure that ALL players in the SFL play the entire game on either offense or defense or some combination thereof.

What are the formats for each division? Freshman plays six-man flag football. Sophomore plays either eight-man tackle football or six-man flag. Juniors play eleven-man tackle and six-man flag.  Seniors play eleven-man tackle football.

What role does Texas Children's Hospital play with SFL? SFL has partnered with Texas Children's Hospital to provide on-site consultation for all game days. During the game consultants can evaluate in game injuries and provide feedback to parents and coaches for any post game treatments.

Where can I purchase football equipment? Visit Barcelona Sporting Goods at their I-10 location to purchase any new equipment needed at SFL discounted prices. Just mention that you play SFL!  

How many players per team? Typically 8 - 9 for Freshman, 12 for Sophomore, 17 for Junior, and 20+ for Senior team(s).

Can I request that my child play be placed on a team with a friend or friends?  In Flag Divisions, we offer a "Bring Your Own Team" format that allows for a maximum of 6 players to group together to form a team, with the rest of a team's players to be selected via draft or Division Director Allocation.  Tackle Division players are placed on teams via a draft process, but we will accept requests to place a child on their friend's team, and then do our best to accommodate.  

Can siblings be placed on the same team within a division? Yes as long as they can play in the same division. The SFL will assume that you want this unless otherwise informed.

May girls play football in the SFL? If a parent is willing to allow their daughter to play in the SFL then the league will allow it. Prior to it being allowed the parent will need to have a visit with the League President and the Board Director of the child's potential division regarding each case.

May my child play football for the SFL and soccer or another "Fall" sport? Yes, to the extent their schedule can accommodate both activities. Players in all divisions who will also be playing football for their school or any other sport for another league or their school MUST attend and participate in the entirety of at least one of their SFL team's practices during the week preceding a game. If this requirement is not met the child will not be able to participate in that week's game.

May my child play football for the SFL and also for their school? Yes, to the extent their schedule can accommodate both activities. Players in all divisions who will also be playing football for their school or any other sport for another league or their school MUST attend and participate in the entirety of at least one of their SFL team's practices during the week preceding a game. If this requirement is not met the child will not be able to participate in that week's game.

Will you be adding players to existing teams or redrafting? The SFL will be redraft teams each season.

May I coach my child's team? The SFL will identify a Head Coach for each team and the Head Coach will then draft his entire team and in doing so also secure his assistant Coaches. If you would like to coach please contact your respective division director.

If I am selected as a Head Coach may I partner with another adult before the tryouts and draft? No. All Assistant Coaches will come via draft, with no "partnering" allowed beforehand unless approved by the board for special cases.

When are the tryouts? Seniors usually begin in early August. Flag, Freshmen, Sophomore and Juniors usually start in mid August. Check the website for updates. These are mandatory for all players, new & returning, unless your child has a longstanding commitment out of town (vacation, camp, etc…)

Is there a chance that my child might try out and not make a team? No. All children who try out and desire to play will "make" a team.

When do practices begin? Practices begin early August for Seniors, late August for other divisions.

How often do teams practice? Flag Division practices once a week. Other divisions practice twice a week only. Some teams practice Monday/Wednesday, while others are Tuesday/Thursday. You may request to be drafted on a team that practices on your days of choice if you have an ongoing obligation during the season.

What time are events held? The fields at the South Campus have lights. Events may begin as early as 5:00 P.M. and may run until as late as 9:00 P.M. on weekdays. On weekdays the younger divisions' activities are scheduled in the earlier time slots. As for weekends, events generally may be held between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Saturdays. Sunday are reserved for any rain out makeups.

When do games begin, and when does the season end?  Opening Day is early September and the season will end in mid-November.

When will game & practice schedules be published? After the drafts in August, your coach will contact you immediately with the practice and game schedule and then it will be posted to the website.

Where are practices and games held? All games and most if not all practices will take place at the "Stella Link South Campus", at 3600 West Bellfort, 77025.

What about equipment? The SFL will have Barcelona Sporting Goods come out to us in August to sell each player, at his expense, the needed equipment. The new equipment package can cost each player between $200 - $350+ for helmet, shoulder pads, pants, cleats, and mouthpiece depending on what level of equipment a player may get. The equipment can usually be worn for several seasons and can easily be passed down to siblings, or given or sold to friends. Once your child is placed on a team, they will be provided with a personalized practice jersey and game jersey, plus helmet decals.  For Flag divisions, SFL will provide the flags and a personalized jersey, while each player is required to wear a mouthpiece that they provide.

May my child wear equipment that they already have? Yes, if league officials determine that it is safe and well fitting.

What if I miss the equipment day?  You can go to Barcelona Sporting Goods and they will give you the SFL discount.

How often and when are the games? Most games are on Saturday during the day. Typically each team has 2 Friday night games under the lights. Makeups typically are played on Sunday. There may be mid-week games on occasion if needed due to weather or other variables that may force us to play during the week, but the league will do everything possible to try and prevent weekday games.

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