Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, surging 8.7 percent in participation for children between ages 6 and 14 from 2015 to 2016.

With more kids playing flag football, the need for qualified game officials is at an all-time high.

USA Football is excited to unveil Mechanics of Officiating NFL FLAG Football, an online video course designed to educate officials on how to properly officiate a flag football contest.

In the course, head NFL FLAG official Tom LaNeve guides officials through elements of flag football officiating such as proper positioning, maintaining game tempo and recognizing penalties. The course will have something to offer for all flag football officials, whether rookie or veteran.

It also provides leagues with a platform to help their officials get trained.

“This course gives local flag league organizers and youth organizations running—or thinking about running—NFL FLAG a resource to train and improve their officials and officiating in general,” LaNeve said.”

Those who complete the course and also complete USA Football’s Fundamentals of Officiating course will earn youth flag football officiating certification.

While NFL FLAG shares similar aspects to traditional tackle football, it is a distinct sport with its own set of rules. Those who know the game of football—or who have officiated 11-person football before—still need to understand the intricacies of the game that make flag football unique.

“We’ve had numerous officials that officiate the 11-person game at the high school level and college level who enjoy the pace of this particular game and the opportunity to get out on the field at different times during the year,” LaNeve said.

Sign up for the Mechanics of Officiating NFL FLAG here and find an NFL FLAG league near you by clicking here.