2027 Edmonton Jr. Cardinals Flag Football League
TEN SUNDAYS. INDOORS. ALL LEVELS.
JR. CARDINALS
FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE · EDMONTON, AB · FOOTE FIELD DOME
10 SUNDAYS · 15 HOURS ON TURF · 5 FIELDS · 30 TEAMS · 1 NFL CLUB
Who you’re signing up with
flag league in Canada
first season
first season
NFL FLAG Championships
We built this in Calgary in 2026. Edmonton is next.
Contents
CHAPTER 01
01 THE LEAGUE
Ten weeks. An unforgettable season.
In 2026 we partnered with the Arizona Cardinals to launch the first youth flag football league in Canada with direct investment from an NFL club. Now, for the first time, the Jr. Cardinals are coming to Edmonton.
Ten Sundays at the Foote Field Dome, January 31 to April 18. Your athlete gets evaluated on the first day, placed on a balanced team, then plays a full season with standings, stats, playoffs and a championship.
A COACHED PRACTICE AND A GAME
Through the regular season, every Sunday is a 40 minute practice followed by a 50 minute game. Each team will have a paid coach leading their team. Every session is designed to maximize our players’ flag football development.
BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED, ON BALANCED TEAMS
A first-time player and a kid who has played for years both belong here, and that works because of how teams get built. Every athlete is evaluated on Evaluation Day, and we build the rosters off those ratings so the teams come out even.
With that being said, there will still be a first place team, and a last place team. We either win or we LEARN. Our coaches are committed to helping our players navigate winning and losing games, and keeping the right mindset in both situations.
A COMPETITIVE LEAGUE
Standings, tracked stats, playoffs and a championship. Regular season playing time is split evenly across every athlete on the roster. In the playoffs our rule of thumb is that no player plays more than 70% of the game, and no player plays less than 30%.
THE CARDINALS PARTNERSHIP
The Arizona Cardinals invest directly in this league, and Big Red and the Cardinals cheer squad come to one gameday this season.
CHAPTER 02
02 THE SEASON
Evaluation Day to Championship Day.
You’ll know your Sunday window before you register, and it stays the same every regular season Sunday. Ninety minutes, then you’re done.
Three Sundays are different. April 4 starts two hours early, and playoff times on April 11 and 18 go out with the bracket.
SUNDAY JANUARY 31
Evaluation Day
The Foote Field Dome
Our coaches run your athlete through drills and live reps
Rated by our coaching staff on the day
Teams built off those ratings, so they come out even
You have their roster within 48 hours
FEBRUARY 7 TO APRIL 4
Regular Season
7 games, every Sunday
40 minutes of coached practice before every game
50-minute games, 5-on-5, NFL FLAG rules
5 fields running at once
Stats and standings kept all season
No games February 14 or March 21
APRIL 11 AND APRIL 18
Playoffs and Championship
The Foote Field Dome
Playoffs round one, April 11
Championship Day, April 18
Every team plays both days
A champion in every division
Awards, and their full season stats to keep
The season, Sunday by Sunday
Ten Sundays · Jan 31 to Apr 18, 2027
- SunJan 31Evaluation Day
- SunFeb 7Game 1
- SunFeb 14No games
- SunFeb 21Game 2
- SunFeb 28Game 3
- SunMar 7Game 4
- SunMar 14Game 5
- SunMar 21No games
- SunMar 28Game 6
- SunApr 4Game 7
- SunApr 11Playoffs
- SunApr 18Championship
Scroll to see the full season. Regular season blocks run 11:00–12:30, 12:30–2:00 and 2:00–3:30. April 4 starts two hours earlier, at 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00. Playoff and Championship times go out with the bracket.
CHAPTER 03
03 THE COACHES
Every team has a paid head coach
Your athlete’s coach is someone we interviewed, paid, trained and background-checked before the season started. They know football, and they’re there every Sunday. A parent volunteer works alongside them.
If a coach is ever away, one of our reserve coaches steps in, and the parent volunteer stays the constant.
Edmonton coaching staff announced here as each coach is confirmed.
CHAPTER 04
04 THE CARDINALS
An NFL club, in Edmonton
Your athlete plays the whole season in Arizona Cardinals colours. Here’s what that gets them.
What the partnership actually means
- 01
The Cardinals come to Edmonton
One gameday this season, Big Red and the Arizona Cardinals cheer squad are on the turf with your athlete. It’s the Sunday every phone in the building comes out, and we’ll have more to announce before kickoff.
- 02
First of its kind in Canada
The Arizona Cardinals are the first NFL club to launch a junior flag football league north of the border. Edmonton is only the second city it has ever run in.
- 03
A route to nationals
Kids out of this league have gone to the NFL FLAG Championships in Ottawa wearing Jr. Cardinals colours.
- 04
Official Cardinals colours
A reversible NFL jersey in Arizona Cardinals colours, plus belt and flags. Theirs to keep at the end of it, not a loaner you hand back.
CHAPTER 05
05 WHAT YOU GET
What your registration includes
#1 | A PAID HEAD COACHSomeone we hired, paid and trained. They’re there every Sunday, not whoever put their hand up. |
#2 | 15 HOURS OF FLAG FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENTTen Sundays in the Foote Field Dome, the best indoor turf in Edmonton. A coached practice and a full game through the regular season, then playoffs and Championship Day. |
#3 | EVALUATION AND EVEN TEAMSEvery athlete is rated on day one, and we build the teams off those ratings. |
#4 | STATS AND STANDINGSWe keep stats and standings across the season and publish them to your team. |
#5 | A CARDINALS GAMEDAYBig Red and the Arizona Cardinals cheer squad on the turf with your athlete for one Sunday of the season. |
#6 | JERSEY, BELT AND MOUTHGUARDOfficial reversible NFL jersey in Arizona Cardinals colours, plus flag belt and a mouthguard. Theirs to keep. |
$500 plus GST for the season.
That’s $50 a Sunday.
-
2027 Edmonton Jr. Cardinals Flag Football League
$500.00-
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
CHAPTER 06
06 DIVISIONS
Five divisions
We use the NFL FLAG age windows, which run August to August rather than by calendar year. Two birth years in each division, so the games stay close.
U8 born Aug 2, 2019 to Aug 1, 2021 · U10 born Aug 2, 2017 to Aug 1, 2019 · U12 born Aug 2, 2015 to Aug 1, 2017 · U14 born Aug 2, 2013 to Aug 1, 2015 · U16 born Aug 2, 2011 to Aug 1, 2013
Every division has a set number of teams. When one fills, it closes.
The Divisions
Five divisions, two birth years in each, so your athlete is playing their own age all season.
30 teams · 5-on-5 · co-ed · max 12 per roster
Your Sunday
90 minutes in your division block. 40 minutes of coached practice, then your game.
What a Sunday actually looks like
Your athlete is on the turf for 90 minutes, in one fixed block every regular season Sunday.
Your block is the same every week, so you can plan the winter around it. Three Sundays are different. April 4 starts two hours earlier, so the blocks run 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00. April 11 and April 18 are games only, no practice, and those times go out with the bracket.
The Jr. Cardinals
What this league is, in about a minute
We made this to launch the Jr. Cardinals in Calgary. Same league, same jerseys, same Cardinals partnership. Edmonton starts January 31.
CHAPTER 07
07 QUESTIONS
Questions
What kind of football do they actually play?
5-on-5 under official NFL FLAG rules, the same rules used at the national championships. A play ends when someone pulls a flag off a belt, so there’s no tackling and no blocking. Every player on the field is an eligible receiver, so your kid has an opportunity to catch the ball no matter what position they play. U8 plays a version built down for that age.
Does my kid need to have played before?
No. Beginners through advanced are all welcome, and they all play in the same division.
Our coaches make sure first-timers are brought up to speed without losing their confidence, and they help experienced players keep growing and get the most out of their development.
Teams are built off the evaluation so they come out evenly matched, which is what keeps the games close.
Can my athlete play with a friend?
You can name one friend when you register, and we’ll put them together where we can do it without unbalancing the teams. We can’t promise it, and it’s one friend, not a group.
If they’re coming on their own, plenty do. Ten Sundays with the same teammates and the same coach is a real chance to make friends they didn’t have in January.
How do teams get picked?
Our coaches run every athlete through drills and live reps on January 31 and rate what they see. We build the teams off those ratings so they come out evenly matched, which is what keeps the games close right through to April.
What if their coach can’t make it one week?
We carry reserve coaches on staff for exactly this. If your athlete’s head coach is away, a RAW Sports coach steps in rather than the team being handed to whoever is nearby.
The parent volunteer on each team stays the same all season, so there is always someone on that sideline who knows the kids.
Will my kid actually get to play?
Through the regular season, every athlete gets even playing time. That is the standard we hold our coaches to, and it is the first thing we talk to them about.
Our coaches are also directed to attempt to get the ball into every player’s hands in every regular season game.
Playoffs are different. Our rule of thumb is that no player plays more than 70% of the game, and no player plays less than 30%.
How long is our Sunday?
Ninety minutes, and you know which ninety before you register. U8 and U10 start at 11:00, U12 at 12:30, U14 and U16 at 2:00. Same block every week, so you can plan the winter around it.
Two exceptions. April 4 starts two hours early, so blocks move to 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00. Playoff times on April 11 and 18 go out with the bracket.
What if we miss a Sunday?
It happens. Tell their coach so they can plan the lineup, and your kid picks up where they left off the following week.
We can’t refund individual Sundays, and missing one doesn’t cost your kid their spot or their playing time.
How many Sundays do we actually get?
Ten. Evaluation day January 31, seven regular season games, playoffs April 11, and Championship Day April 18. There are no games on February 14, Family Day weekend, or March 21.
How do the playoffs work?
Every team makes the playoffs. There’s no cut and nobody’s season ends early.
April 11 is round one and all 30 teams play. Where you finished the regular season sets your seed, and how you do that day decides which bracket you’re in on Championship Day, either the championship side or the consolation side.
April 18 every team plays twice. The five division finals run at the same time on five fields to close the season, then awards.
Which division is my kid in?
We use the NFL FLAG age windows, which run August to August rather than by calendar year.
U8 born Aug 2, 2019 to Aug 1, 2021
U10 born Aug 2, 2017 to Aug 1, 2019
U12 born Aug 2, 2015 to Aug 1, 2017
U14 born Aug 2, 2013 to Aug 1, 2015
U16 born Aug 2, 2011 to Aug 1, 2013
If that looks different from hockey or soccer, it is. We match NFL FLAG so an athlete who goes on to the NFL FLAG Championships plays the same division there that they played here.
Their division also sets their Sunday. U8 and U10 are in the 11:00 block, U12 is 12:30, and U14 and U16 are 2:00.
Can they play up or down an age group?
Up, yes. Down, no.
If you want your athlete in an older division, email flag@rawsports.ca before you register and tell us why. Playing down is never an option, since it puts an older athlete in with younger kids.
Is it co-ed?
Yes, all five divisions.
Where is it, and what’s the parking like?
The Dome at Foote Field, University of Alberta, 11601 68 Ave NW. Full indoor turf, so it’s the same temperature in February as it is in April.
There’s parking on site. Water is the only drink allowed anywhere in the dome, and no food, so leave the coffee and snacks in the car.
What do we bring?
Cleats, a water bottle, and shorts or joggers with no pockets. Pockets catch flags, so NFL FLAG rules don’t allow them.
Your athlete gets their jersey, flag belt and a mouthguard on the first day and keeps all of it. After that, bringing their jersey, belt and mouthguard every Sunday is on them.
We’ll have spare mouthguards, jerseys and belts available to buy at the dome if anything goes missing.
You pick their jersey size when you register, and that size is final. There’s a sizing chart on the registration page. If you need to change it, email flag@rawsports.ca before December 1, 2026. After that the order is locked.
How do I pick their jersey size?
You pick the size when you register and it is final. Every jersey is ordered from NFL FLAG in one bulk order, so once it goes in we can’t exchange or resize anything.
The full NFL FLAG size chart and how to measure are on the registration page. Check it before you pick a size.
Need to change one after you’ve registered? Email flag@rawsports.ca before December 1, 2026.
Can I stay and watch?
Yes, and most parents do. It’s indoors and warm, your kid is on the turf for ninety minutes, and you’re not required to do anything but watch. One rule from the facility: water is the only drink allowed in the dome, and no food.
What if my kid gets hurt?
We have an athletic therapist at the dome every gameday, ready for any injured player.
If they can’t play, bring them anyway. They’re still part of the team that week.
What does the $500 cover?
Everything. Their jersey, flag belt and mouthguard to keep, a paid head coach, fifteen hours of coached football, referees, stats, standings, awards and Championship Day.
The league is sanctioned by Football Alberta.
$500 plus GST, which works out to $50 a Sunday.
If cost is a barrier, KidSport Canada helps Alberta families with registration fees. Worth a look before you rule us out.
What if we have to withdraw?
On or before January 16. Full refund, less a $75 non-refundable administration fee. Or take 100% in RAW Sports credit and we waive the fee.
After January 16, before the season starts. 50% cash, or 100% in RAW Sports credit.
Once the season begins. No refunds.
Injury. With a doctor’s note, we refund the Sundays missed, in cash or credit.
What about photos and video?
We have videographers at the dome every Sunday, and everything they shoot goes into a folder every family in the league can get into. It’s yours to keep.
You’ll sign a media release when you register. If you’d rather your kid not be in any of it, tell us then and they’ll wear a wristband each week so our crew knows to leave them out.
When does registration close?
We have very limited space in each division and we can’t go over our caps. Once a division fills, registration for it closes.
Who do I email?
flag@rawsports.ca. A real person on our staff will get back to you.