NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Flag Football League (AFFL) opened registration today for the inaugural 2018 US Open of Football™ – a single-elimination 7-on-7 flag football tournament featuring 1,024 teams and four Pro Teams commencing in March 2018.
The tournament follows a traditional bracket format, culminating with a winner-take-all $1,000,000 Final in July between the champion of the "Pros' Bracket" and best of the 1,024 in "America's Bracket." Participants will have the opportunity to recoup their $99 Registration Fee by winning their first two games, with further large prizes available as the tournament progresses.
Beyond the chance to win those prizes, players who participate in the Tournament have the opportunity to have their talents recognized at the professional level for the first time. All players who play in the first round of the tournament, win or lose, have a chance to play for the $1 million Ultimate Final. If a player's team is defeated, they will enter a Free Agent pool from which surviving teams can upgrade their rosters. Additionally, AFFL scouts will be evaluating all Tournament talent in preparation for the launch of the American Flag Football League, the first ever professional flag football league. Bottom line: a player's pro flag football career can start in 2018 even if their team doesn't win a single game.
The four Pro Teams, consisting of professional and collegiate athletes, and athletic superstars, will be captained by Michael Vick, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, Marshall Faulk, and a soon to be announced "outside the box" tandem. The rosters for the Pro teams will be selected via a special draft early in 2018.
The AFFL is about bringing together athletes from a variety of sports, sizes and places to see who has the most athletic ability. Max Seibald, a lacrosse star, had the most flag pulls in the AFFL launch game in June, outdoing a number of experienced ex-professional football players.
In keeping with that theme, former slam dunk champion, and college football player, Nate Robinson will play on one of the Pro teams. In addition, YouTube sensation and Flag Football star Michelle Roque will be on one of the teams in America's Bracket. It is entirely possible that the best flag football players in the world may actually be basketball or baseball players, or elite athletes from another sport.
"Our launch game has one million plus views on YouTube which is a testament to fan demand for a high-level football game that can attract athletes from all sports," said AFFL Founder Jeff Lewis. "While players get the thrill of a lifetime, fans are treated to a fast, competitive, action-packed and technologically advanced football game like they have never seen before, up close and personal."
To register, teams must have a roster of between seven and twelve players. Whether players have already formed a team or are looking to be placed on a team, they will have the opportunity to play and can register here.
The tournament begins with regional qualifiers in five football hotbeds: Austin, Texas; Irvine, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; Sarasota, Fla. and Richmond, Va. The AFFL will provide discounted accommodation options for players throughout the tournament. All athletes must be 18 years or older by March 23, 2018. For more information and Terms & Conditions please visit www.americanflag.football.
The AFFL Advisory Board includes an all-star team of industry leaders and football greats including Vick, Faulk, Trent Dilfer, Isaiah Kacyvenski, Rob Konrad, Donovin Darius, and former senior pro baseball executive Tim Brosnan.
"I am thrilled to join the Advisory Board of the AFFL where I hope my experience can help the growth and development of the organization," said Dilfer, who recently joined the AFFL. "I'm part of an incredible team that has the vision and the ability to make professional 7-on-7 flag football a huge success."
For more information on the US Open of Football™, please view this infographic here.
Streaming, broadcast details and later-round tournament dates and locations, including the Ultimate Final, will be announced in the coming months. Visit www.americanflag.football for all registration requirements, instructions, game rules and league information.
ANNOUNCED DATES AND LOCATIONS
REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
- March 23-26: Austin, Texas; Round Rock Multipurpose Complex
- March 31-April 1: Tucson, Ariz.; Kino Sports Complex
- April 7-8: Irvine, Calif.; Orange County Great Park
- April 13-15: Sarasota, Fla.; Premier Sports Campus
- April 27-29: Richmond, Va.; River City Sportsplex
ROUND OF 256 Teams
- May 4-6: Tulsa, Okla.; Mohawk Sports Complex
PAYOUT FORMAT
- Advancing past Preliminary Stage: Up to 256 prizes of Return of Total Entry Fee
- Reaching Round of 64: Up to 64 prizes of $5,000
- Reaching Final Sixteen Round: 16 prizes of $10,000
- Quarterfinals winning team: 4 prizes of $25,000
- Semifinals winning team: 2 prizes of $25,000
- America's Bracket Finals winner: one prize of $50,000
- Ultimate Finals winning team: One prize of $1,000,000
About the AFFL
The American Flag Football League is the preeminent professional flag football league in the United States and the first of its kind. The AFFL combines the energy of one of the fastest growing youth sports in America with world-class, elite athletes. The AFFL 2018 season will produce great football games, filled with speed, action, and plays that make it cutting-edge entertainment for fans and spectators. For more information on the AFFL, please visit www.americanflag.football and follow the AFFL on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
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SOURCE American Flag Football League (AFFL)
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