Hi everyone! For those who are new to FPF or haven’t been introduced to the articles yet, my name is Keyon Cyrus and I’ll be covering Division F this season. I’m also a player in Div F and first started FPF in one of the lowest divisions a few years ago. Division F gives the league a chance to highlight new players and underrated talents who are just beginning their flag football journey.

With 22 teams this season, it’s a huge increase compared to the inaugural Division F season last Spring, which only had 10 teams. As much as there are completely new teams entering the league, we also have several squads made up of experienced FPF players teaming up with their friends. Even though it’s still very early, I want to highlight five teams that I feel could become strong championship contenders by August. I’m also hoping some of the newer teams that I’m unfamiliar with can climb into that conversation as the season progresses.

From experience, I know starting flag football can be a challenge. I went 0-10 in my first ever FPF season and had to build not only myself, but my team from scratch. From that experience, I was eventually able to help build a stronger team culture while improving as a player myself. I went on to have two undefeated seasons in later years, won a DPOY award and recently contributed to a Division 3 championship last season. The point I’m trying to make is that development is not always linear. At the end of the day, everyone in this league is playing for the fun, memories and friendships you build along the way.

Here are some tips I learned from my struggles early in FPF.

Read the Rulebook

Not everyone does, especially as a new team. The 6v6 FPF rules aren’t the same as regular 5v5 football. Take some time to read the rulebook and understand certain situations and strategies. Knowing you only have two timeouts, understanding when the clock stops in pro-clock situations or remembering you have an onside attempt can completely change the outcome of a game. You don’t want to be the team that makes a costly mistake late in a close game because of a rule you didn’t know. If you’re unsure about something, ask a referee or scorekeeper. They’ll usually explain it easily and in Division F, refs tend to be more lenient if they see you’re new to the league. Click here to view the Rules and Regulations document.

Keep your playbook small

It’s not Madden, you don’t need 15+ plays. Ask higher division QBs what they run. A lot of them probably use no more than six core concepts and simply adjust on the fly. Simple hooks, slants and attacking mismatches when available can go a long way toward avoiding offensive struggles.

Be more active with FlagPlus on social media and on the field

Everyone who knows me knows how involved I am with FPF. I write articles, film content posted on the Instagram account, attend championship weekends and still play myself at the end of the day. Following FlagPlus on Instagram or Facebook gives you a chance to learn how the game is played while also keeping up with league updates, last-minute schedule changes and highlights. You never know if a post will feature a catch you made and honestly, who doesn’t enjoy seeing their highlights online?

If you finish your game and a higher division matchup is happening right after, stick around for a few minutes and watch. Ask players on the sideline for tips. Experienced players genuinely love FPF and 99% of them are willing to help newer players improve. Heck, I still ask players for ideas and advice myself!

Teams to Watch:

Baby Sharks

The last time Baby Sharks were in FPF was Winter 2025 where Jérémie Laplante led this group to a championship appearance. Tall receiver Maxime Sharkawi was an All-Star with 21 TDs and was a mismatch for almost any defender in Division F. The team was rounded out by the Caron brothers and Maxime’s brother Alexandre.

With Laplante no longer on the roster and some new additions joining the team, I still expect Baby Sharks to remain near the top of the standings for most of the season. It looks like Jonathan Caron will take over QB duties this year after leading his team to a 34-19 victory in their opener. Keep an eye on this group once the season settles in.

Camwins

This team is made mostly of newer players, but veterans Oscar McCavour and Gregory Depatie immediately intrigue me because of the experience they bring. Both players had plenty of success with Win Diesel over the years, winning multiple championships together.

This is a perfect example of veterans helping newer players avoid some of the growing pains that expansion teams usually face. Oscar already led Camwins to a victory over Feu-Clée FJ in their opener. With 84 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs, he brings a level of speed that teams in this division will struggle to contain.

Shoutout as well to Victor Larsen, who only started his FPF career last season in Co-Ed 3 and finished the opener with 2 INTs.

TGs

Will the third season be the charm for TGs?

Over two seasons together, they’ve put together a 17-6 record. QB Mano Kaliotzakis won QB of the Year in Division 6A last season while Nicolas Knez won Two-Way Player of the Year the season prior.

The issue has been playoff success. They lost in the semifinals during their first season together and then exited in the Divisional Round last season. With Mano and Knez leading the way on both sides of the field, this team also features talented players who honestly may be too good for this division, including Nicholas Polletta.

This team shouldn’t struggle too much during the regular season and if they hit their stride late in the year, they can absolutely become finalists.

Sweet Bonanza

Speaking of Sweet Bonanza, they were the team that eliminated TGs in the Divisional Round last season. Even with a 3-7 record last winter, they still gave Booze Crewz a competitive game in the following round.

This team hasn’t had a winning season over their previous three campaigns, but I can imagine they’ve improved their understanding of the game each year. Antoine Caron is one of the best pure athletes in this division and can impact the game in several different ways.

If QB Jean-Philippe Lamaute can limit the interceptions from last season, I genuinely believe this team could finish 6-4 or even better.

1664 Blancs

This team may have lost its opener, but they have a roster filled with players who already have FPF experience. Nicholas Fon, one of the most versatile players in higher divisions, is making the move to QB for the first time.

As someone who was introduced to FPF by respected QB Rocco Christiano, Fon is in a strong position to succeed because of his football IQ and balanced roster.

Luke Genest won Rusher of the Year in 6A last season while both he and Breno Amaral were key contributors during Booze Crewz’s championship run last winter. You also have Evan Vavinis, who already has chemistry with Fon and Rocco from playing together in higher divisions.

There may be some growing pains early in the season, but I trust Fon’s ability to eventually put this team in a strong playoff position.

Closing Remarks

This is my first article covering Division F this season and I wish all of you good luck this year. I’m also playing in this division, so I’m looking forward to lining up against some of you and competing throughout the season. It should be a fun one.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the fields because I’m always interested in hearing players’ perspectives for future articles. As always, if you didn’t get a chance to respond or want to be included in future pieces, you can reach me on Facebook or Instagram @keyoncyrus.