The Indiana High School Athletic Association announced the pairings for the first‐ever Unified Flag Football State Tournament Series this evening via webstream at IHSAAtv.org.
Twenty‐five (25) teams have entered the inaugural state tournament and are spread across eight sectionals to be played on Saturday, Sept. 29. The teams that emerge as sectional champions will move on to a single regional championship game on Saturday, Oct. 6 with the four remaining teams advancing to the state finals on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, the training facility of the Indianapolis Colts.
Unified Sports® enables persons with and without intellectual disabilities to participate on the same team for sports training and competition as part of the “Champions Together” partnership between the IHSAA and Special Olympics Indiana.
Unified Flag Football, played on a 25‐yard by 40‐yard field, is five‐on‐five with three athletes and two unified partners to a side. Teams play two 20‐minute halves with a touchdown worth six points, an extra point from the five‐yard line worth one point while two points are added for a successful play from the 10‐yard line. Two points may also be scored for a safety.
Starting on its five-yard line, a team has four plays to cross mid‐field, then an additional four plays to score a touchdown. Failure to cross mid‐field or score a touchdown in the prescribed number of plays results in a change of possession starting at the opposing team own five‐yard line.
Unified Flag Football is the 22nd sport sponsored by the IHSAA and the second co‐ed sport joining Unified Track and Field which debuted in 2014.
The linked video was posted last spring on the Champions Together program and Unified Flag Football in particular.
Sectionals
Date: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018.
Times: Determined by host school.
Admission: $5 per person.
- Griffith (2)
Championship: LaVille vs. Griffith.
- Warsaw (4)
G1: Wawasee vs. Goshen.
G2: Tippecanoe Valley vs. Warsaw.
Championship: Winner of G1 vs. Winner of G2.
- Carroll (Fort Wayne) (4)
G1: Central Noble vs. East Noble.
G2: Fort Wayne North Side vs. Carroll (Fort Wayne).
Championship: Winner of G1 vs. Winner of G2.
- Noblesville (5)
G1: Blackford vs. Noblesville.
G2: Mississinewa vs. Fishers.
G3: Marion vs. Winner of G1.
Championship: Winner of G2 vs. Winner of G3.
- West Lafayette (2)
Championship: West Lafayette vs. Zionsville.
- Carmel (3)
G1: Ben Davis vs. Carmel.
Championship: Warren Central vs. Winner of G1.
- Bedford North Lawrence (2)
Championship: Bedford North Lawrence vs. Mooresville.
- Jasper (3)
G1: Jasper vs. Floyd Central.
Championship: Evansville Central vs. Winner of G1.
Regionals
Date: Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018.
Time: To be determined by host school.
Admission: $5 per person.
Host School: The winner of the even‐numbered sectional
will host the regional championship game.
- Sectional 1 winner at Sectional 2 winner.
- Sectional 3 winner at Sectional 4 winner.
- Sectional 5 winner at Sectional 6 winner.
- Sectional 7 winner at Sectional 8 winner.
State Finals
Date: Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018.
Site: Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center (Colts Training
Complex), 7001 W. 56th Street, Indianapolis.
Admission: $10 per person. All seats are general admission. Children age 2 and younger are admitted at
no charge.
Official Football: The Wilson Unified Flag Football (youth model) will be used.
Semifinals
Regional 1 winner vs. Regional 2 winner | 4 pm ET / 3 pm
CT (Games played simultaneously)
Regional 3 winner vs. Regional 4 winner | 4 pm ET / 3 pm
CT (Games played simultaneously)
State Championship | 30 minutes following conclusion of
semifinal games
