Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photo by Colleen Peterson

A football game you can go to... for free

By Ben Giles

The referee's whistle blows. The game begins. The first play: the ball is batted away. The defense roars with triumph. The coaches bark orders to players on the field. The next play: the quarterback looks downfield. No one is open. He sneaks out into the open. He runs downfield. Untouched, he runs into the end zone.

Let the ridiculous touchdown celebration begin.

Just like that, football is underway at VWC. No, it's not real football, just flag football. At VWC, we'll take what we can get.

But don't tell the guys and gals who play every week that it isn't competitive. These people take their game seriously.

"The playing is real intense," said flag football referee Kirk Jeter. "Your dealing with people who all live with each other so these guys get to hears crap all week if they lose to their friends."

Did I mention some teams have coaches?

Flag football has been playing in the field outside of Rose Hall for a couple weeks now, and the competition is always intense. Teams like the Hustlers, the Caucasian Sensations and the Squirrels leave everything on the field every time they play. With nothing to win but superiority over your fellow classmates, everyone who plays is entirely consumed by the game.

"What's important is the fact that you've got the baseball team against the people who live in the townhouses," said Jeter. "It's all about the different social groups playing against each other and gaining bragging rights."

The rules for flag football are a little different than real football. First, the field is split up into three sections. Lines at each section designate fist down markers. The offense has four chances to get past the next line for a first down. Extra points are not kicked. The offense can play the ball from the five yard line, and if they get it into the end zone, it counts as an extra point.

There are also rules to keep the quarterback from easily scoring touchdowns on quarterback sneaks. A quarterback can only score on a run if he is in one of the two sections of the field farthest away from the end zone. You also aren't allowed to block with your hands. And of course, tackling is prohibited.

As referee, Jeter is called upon to enforce these rules, some of which are confusing because of their dissimilarities to the rules of professional football. And as it is with most competitive sports, players often get carried away and will yet at Jeter and the other referees. But this doesn't bother him.

"I [get yelled at] because I live with all the guys who play, but it always ends on the field," said Jeter.

The most significant rule of all is that two girls must be on the field at all times for each team. And these girls can play. Girls like Suzie Mace, Jaci Downey, and King Simmons play all aspects of the game. They block, they rush the quarterback, and catch a few touchdown passes too. They prove that VWC flag football is for everybody.

"The girls, funny enough, are the most effective players out there cause some of the guys tend to ignore them," said Jeter. "They're the most underrated players out there. People are not being as trusting of the girls as they should be."

Right now the season is at its midway point. The best players from each team competed in an All-star game and skills competition. And after a few more weeks of play, the best for teams go on to the playoffs and then the championship.