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KEEPING SCORE Flag Football Data. Flag football's popularity is soaring in the U.S. and internationally. e annual participation study from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) reveals that in 2022, in terms of overall par- ticipation, there were 7.1 million flag football players in the U.S., of which 5.8 million are male and 1.3 million are female. Of those 7.1 million, 2.4 million are classified as core participants who play 13 days or more a year; 40 percent of all flag football players are age 6-17 year olds; and 55 percent are between the ages of 6 and 24. More Flag Facts: More than 59 percent of players are Caucasian; 51 percent are from households that make at least $75,000 a year; 42 percent have not earned a high school diploma; and 25 percent live in the South Atlantic region. Besides playing flag football, the five most popular athletic and recreational activities for flag football players are basketball, bowling, baseball, camping and working out on the treadmill. Tackle Football Data. According to SFIA, overall participation in tackle football – for ages six and above – is trending in the right direction, but has not made a complete recov- ery from concerns ranging from concussions and overall safety to the COVID pandemic. On the plus side, in 2022, there were 5.4 million tackle football players, up from 5.1 million in 2019. However, there were only 2.3 million core participants — those who play 26 days or more a year. By contrast, in 2019 there were 2.7 million core players and in 2017 there were 3.1 million. Not surprisingly, 91 percent of all football players in the U.S. are male and 60 percent are between the ages of six and 17. High School Tackle Football Findings. Eleven-player tackle football remains the most popular high school sport, with more Photo: FatCamera/istock 48 • November/December 2023 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com TEAM 1ST HALF Participation & Sales Trends A LOOK AT SOME STATS & FIGURES DEMONSTRATING FOOTBALL'S MODERN TRANSFORMATION. BY MIKE MAY

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