2027 Calgary Jr. Cardinals Flag Football League

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. Over six hundred kids played that first season in Calgary. For 2027 the league splits into two conferences here, and it runs in Edmonton as well.

We use the NFL FLAG age windows, which run August to August rather than by calendar year. Two birth years in each division.

Week one is different. Your athlete gets an extended coached practice and one game, so they meet their team properly before it counts. Every gameday after that is two games back to back.

Every team plays on both playoff weekends, whatever their seed. Every division crowns a city champion, and the teams that are not in a final play consolation games alongside them.

Two hours on site. A 20-minute warm-up with your team, then two 50-minute games back to back, and you are done.

Playing time. Through the regular season every athlete gets roughly even playing time, and our coaches are directed to attempt to get the ball into every player’s hands in every game. In the playoffs, no player plays more than 70% of a game and no player plays less than 30%.

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 is no tackling and no blocking. Every player on the field is an eligible receiver, so your kid has a chance to catch the ball whatever position they play. U6 and U8 play a version built down for those ages.

Games are two 20-minute halves on a running clock. Rosters cap at 12.

Your athlete gets their jersey, belt and flags on Draft Day and keeps all of it. After that, bringing it every gameday is on them.

You choose your athlete’s jersey size at checkout. Every jersey is ordered in a single bulk order, and once it is placed we cannot exchange, resize or reprint.

Do not guess from your athlete’s age. Take a shirt that fits them well and lay it flat. Chest: measure straight across, just below the sleeves, then double that number. Length: measure from the top of the shoulder where it meets the collar, straight down to the bottom of the shirt. Match both numbers to the chart below. If you are unsure, size up.

Measurements are from NFL FLAG’s official size chart for their athletic-fit jersey. There is no Adult Small. If Youth X-Large is too small, choose Adult Medium.

If you need to change a size after registering, email flag@rawsports.ca before February 1, 2027. After that date the order is locked.

Ten Wednesday evenings of pure skill development running alongside the season. Every session covers position specific work on both sides of the ball, movement and athleticism, core flag skills like pulling and catching, team play, and a competitive period. This is not team practice and there is no scheme: athletes work in position groups inside their age band. Two sites, one in the northwest and one in the southeast, so you go to the one nearest you. League players only, U8 to U16 plus girls U18. $400 plus GST.

Add it right here, in the third dropdown above. Choose “Yes, add Separation Wednesdays” and it is on your registration, nothing else to do. Already registered for gamedays and want to add Wednesdays? Email flag@rawsports.ca and we will send you the link.

There are 600 spots in the league for 2027. That is what our confirmed field bookings carry. If we secure additional booking times we will open more, but 600 is what we can promise today. Each division has its own share of those spots and closes when it fills. Registration closes April 17, and divisions that fill will close before then.

Draft Day, Saturday March 20, is the first session of the season, so the tiers below are built off that date. The administration fee is $75. RAW Sports credit never carries a fee.

Injury is handled separately. With a doctor’s note received within 14 days, we credit every session missed from the date you tell us, with no fee.

Refund requests in writing to flag@rawsports.ca. Full league policies, including safety, concussion, conduct, weather and refunds, are on the Jr. Cardinals Calgary League Policies page.

At RAW Sports, we offer more than just football training. We provide an all-encompassing development experience that equips young athletes with both exceptional skills and strong character. Our elite coaches and mentors use football as a platform to teach essential life values such as resilience, hard work, and teamwork. We believe adversity is a powerful teacher, and our programs are designed to help athletes build a positive mindset and overcome challenges.