"Loose Women" Wanted and Welcomed!

For all IWFFA tournaments, we offer individual players (who don't have a team of their own), the opportunity to compete in the event under the name "Loose Women's Team". Most times these players meet for the first time, just before the tournaments during the 'Meet & Greet' registration. Some players are elite or moderate in their skill level. But many times, women have never played before and are willing to "jump in the fire" and play their very first flag football game in the tournament.
The Loose Women's team usually plays in the recreational or beginner's divisions and it doesn't matter if we win or loose (well we at least want get momentum on the ball and get a couple of first downs), but most important is that everyone gets to play. Because the only way to learn how to play, is to get out there on the field. It doesn't matter how much training, or practices one has until you are pitted against an opposing team, blocking, running your plays with a full team of defense upon you, you will never know just how good your offensive team really is, or how good you are. And the same goes for the other teams: defense, kicking and receiving teams.

The beauty of the "Loose Women's" team is that since no one really knows anyone else, there is never animosity on the team, and everyone is there to play flag football and that common bond strengthens each team player. We are all friends out there. If anyone drops the ball, runs a wrong pattern, misses a flag, drops the ball... "Nice try" is what you will hear in the huddle accompanied with a "high five".

Sometimes, the loose women's team starts a nucleus of players in the local city of where the tournament is to be played. Usually this nucleus is small in number and many times each of us has to go out and recruit additional players. Where do we go to recruit players? Anywhere and everywhere: other sporting events, social clubs, parades, on the street, adds in local papers, radio announcements, schools, etc. We will ask any female.

We use a simple play book which uses numbers to call plays, and direct each player for every play . By using this number system, the QB can call her play quickly, and new plays can be created during the tournament which everyone can understand. For example, we may use only 6 pass patterns. A "Down and Out / or Square out (you see how confusing words can be, because all over the country, different regions use different terminology to call these patterns. So we eliminate that confusion by using a standard number system) back to this "down and out"..

We give it a number "one". Our right end/or right receiver is number "7" (all players have numbers for their positions). Using a double digit number, the first number tells us who is the player, the second number tells her where to go. So in the huddle, instead of hearing "right end / down and out" all the QB will say is" 71". And when you learn the pass patterns and their numbers, it is really fun putting all the pieces together (easier than solving a puzzle). Click on our link for Drills/Agenda to get the basic package of information which describes the positions, responsibilities, pass patterns and even offers a 2 hour practice routine for the beginner player / team.

For the Loose Women's team, we wear special team shirts which bears the text: "Loose Woman". These shirts cannot be bought, they are only for actual players of our Loose Women's teams. And when they wear these shirts off the field and in public places, they are redefining the term 'loose woman', with a much more powerful and positive definition. Because when you think of the athlete who is willing to join a team, unpracticed, newly formed which joins the night before a tournament, then play our flag football with it's blocks, bumps, drives, passes and kicks... you must realize and admire their guts and courage it takes to be a "Loose Woman".

There is much more to putting a "Loose Women's" team together. You have to add the heart and soul. The love of being there, of accepting everyone's talents and wanting to make it happen. And everyone shares that. There has never been a "Loose Women's" team thus far, which we did not share a wonderful, fun, and very special experience. We leave the tournament as experienced flag football players and as friends.