No. Prior football experience or knowledge is helpful, but not a requirement. Our league’s primary focus is on developing new players and we pride ourselves on our coaches’ abilities to teach the game of football, from sound fundamentals to strong sportsmanship.

No, but you must consider yourself an ally towards LGBTQ+ people. We believe in the inclusivity of all people and that football is for everyone, however our league has a strict zero tolerance policy as it relates to sportsmanship and respecting the lifestyles of our members. Violation of this policy will result in the immediate disqualification from participating of the league.

The only required equipment is a pair of solid-colored, pocketless shorts. Cleats are highly recommended but not required and they must be non-metal. Flags will be provided.

Each registered player receives a team jersey as part of the registration fee. It must be worn at all games and tucked into the shorts prior to each play on the field. If you wish to cut your jersey into a crop top, the bottom edge of the cut must be a minimum of 4” above the waistline.

Players may not wear hard, unyielding, or stiff material items that in the view of the officiating crew may present a hazard to other players.

No. All players who have registered and paid their league fee in full prior to the day of the draft, and have participated in at least one of the player skills clinics, will be drafted to a team.

All players who have met the requirements above will be selected to their teams through a draft process. The draft is a closed event where all team captains and members of the board are present. Each player is assigned a number and photographed at the clinic(s) they have attended for identification purposes. This is why it is mandatory that you attend at least one of the two player clinics in order to be eligible for the draft. Once the draft is over, the teams are announced at the HIGFFL Draft Party which is held the same day once the draft is complete and all players have been chosen.

The HIGFFL follows the rules set down by the NGFFL with a few exceptions. The rule book can be found here.

When registration is open, you can find a link to register on the home page of this website. This link will allow you to enter your personal information and pay your season registration fee. When registration is officially closed, the link will be removed.

Captaining is a long and involved commitment that one should take very seriously. Captains typically attend every practice and game, as well as all of the extracurricular activities the league provides, including post-game social events, philanthropic events, captain’s meetings, field set-up and take down, as well the player draft. The HIGFFL will ultimately determine who will be selected as a captain from a pool of potential and qualified candidates. The board takes into consideration past experience in coaching, football knowledge, sportsmanship, league involvement and history, among other factors. If you wish to be a team captain, please contact the league with a brief description of your commitment and coaching acumen.

Please contact anyone on the board immediately if you feel you are being mistreated by any members of this league. We will assess the situation and take action as necessary to mitigate and/or squash any and all mistreatment. The HIGFFL has a zero tolerance policy with this sort of behavior. 

The primary purposes of this policy are to (1) ensure that players, referees, coaches, and spectators who are participating in or observing HIGFFL games are safe from physical harm or verbal abuse and (2) encourage and teach principles of good sportsmanship.

1. Any HIGFFL fan, captain, or player who speaks or behaves disrespectfully or aggressively with a referee or a player or a coach will be asked, by the HIGFFL captain whose team is playing or a HIGFFL representative, to stop the offending behavior or language. If a friendly request is not sufficient, the captain or an HIGFFL board member will ask the individual to leave the field.
2. If HIGFFL captains or board members see that aggressive or disrespectful behavior continues after a friendly request to stop, they may ask the Honolulu Police to visit the field.

Examples of verbal harassment include name calling and audible statements that question another person’s capabilities or intentions or suggest that their decisions or play may be the result of physical or mental limitations. For example, shouting at a referee, “Are you crazy?” or “Ref, you need your glasses fixed” would qualify, under the terms of this policy, as verbal harassment, as would “That’s a terrible call.” Shouting suggestions that players or coaches engage in unsportsmanlike behavior or commit fouls would qualify as verbal harassment. Post-game critical comments directed aggressively at referees, players, or coaches would also qualify as verbal harassment. Coaching of players by spectators is not considered “harassment,” however the HIGFFL strongly discourages this practice.

Any verbal or physical harassment on or near our playing fields should be reported to an HIGFFL board member or captain, as soon as possible after the incident via telephone or e-mail. Please give a full report of the incident (time, place, people involved, specifics about language or behavior).

Under NO circumstances does this policy authorize or encourage players, captains, or spectators to argue with, physically restrain, or in other ways assume the role of local police or authorities. If friendly, measured requests to stop offending behavior are ignored, we depend on the Honolulu Police for assistance. Call them from the field, say you are calling for assistance with a disorderly fan at a flag football game. The HPD will send a cruiser.