Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Florida Memorial University Athletics

Scoreboard

FMU flag football

Flag Football J.T. Wilcox, Sports Information Director

FMU Inaugural Flag Football Season Opens Saturday

AT A GLANCE
FMU Lions at St. Thomas University Bobcats (1-0)
When: Saturday, February 20, 2021
Where: St. Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Fla. | STU Soccer Field
Kickoff: 2 p.m.
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Live Stream: Link
Live Stats: NONE
 
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Women continue to break through glass ceilings – especially in the world of sports.
 
Florida Memorial University women flag football team will join in the movement as it will make history when it opens play in its inaugural flag football season Saturday at St. Thomas University.
 
The Lady Lions were scheduled to play two games Saturday – taking on Keiser University at 12 p.m. and St. Thomas University at 4 p.m. – however, Keiser University had to postpone due to health and safety precautions.
 
Instead, Florida Memorial will only take on the Bobcats Saturday at 2 p.m. on STU's Soccer Field.
 
Visiting fans will not be allowed to attend the games Saturday due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols but will be able to watch a free online live stream provided by St. Thomas University's athletic department.
 
Flag football was added to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) list of sanctioned sports this past May thanks to a two-year partnership with the National Football League (NFL) and Reigning Champs Experience (RCX). Since then, the NAIA has worked to develop league infrastructure and operations for the first women's flag football competition governed by a collegiate athletics association.
 
Florida Memorial was among the initial schools to start a flag football program, joining four other Sun Conference schools.
 
Teams will compete in 7-on-7 action with mostly standard flag football rules.
 
No deliberate contact, with players making "tackles" by pulling one or both of the flags worn on a players' side by a belt. All passes must be forward and received beyond the line of scrimmage; the quarterback has a seven-second pass clock to get rid of the ball or the play is whistled dead. No kicks will occur in the game, a pregame coin toss will determine which team begins with the ball while extra points after touchdowns will either be a 1-point play from the 5-yard line or 2-point play from the 10-yard line.
 
Games will consist of four 12-minute quarters. The team that gets the ball first will begins on its own 5-yard line and has four downs to cross midfield for a first down. If the offense fails to advance after three tries, they have two options: they can "punt," which means they turn the ball over to the opposing team who starts its drive from its own 5-yard line, or they can go for it. But if they still fail to cross midfield, the opposing team takes over possession from the spot of the ball. If the offensive team crosses midfield, they have three downs to score a touchdown.
 
Florida Memorial head coach Jonathan Alvarez hit the ground running to build a roster ready to compete this season. Many of the flag football players either currently or at one point were a part of other FMU athletic teams.
 
Linsley Francois, a former member of the Lions women's track team, will play wide receiver for the flag football team and was picked as one of the preseason players to watch in the conference.
 
Khloee Caudell played for FMU's women's basketball team this past season while Aryanna Alvarez (no relation to the head coach) is currently a member of Florida Memorial's competitive cheer team.
 
Follow Florida Memorial University Athletics on social media
Instagram: @GoFMULions/@FMUFlag | Twitter: @GoFMULions | YouTube: Official FMU Lions
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Aryanna Alvarez

Aryanna Alvarez

5' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Aryanna Alvarez

Aryanna Alvarez

5' 7"
Freshman