Welcome to the VMFL and the Fall Football
section of the website. The Vancouver Mainland
Football League runs both a 9-Man and a 12-Man Canadian
rules football
program that starts in September and runs through to the
Provincial finals in December.
Although we call this our 12-Man league
this mainly refers to the older player divisions.
This league as all our leagues is open to both boys and
girls however typically, as players reach their teenage
years, disparities between the physical development and
aggressiveness of boys and girls emerge. This may cause
many girls to stop playing co-ed football. However,
these differences typically are not present at the
younger age levels.
Kids do not have to have any prior
experience and can start playing football at any age.
In most cases the associations supply most of the
equipment with players usually only having to supply
cleats. Games are mostly Sundays and each team
will be scheduled for five home games and five away
games.
The divisions and styles of play are as
follows:
Flag
Our 12-Man program starts off with
they youngest player division of Flag where 5-7 years
play a 9 on 9 game in a 50 yard by 50 yard field. The
emphasis here is teaching team concepts, basic football
fundamentals all the while producing a fun environment
and positive experience for the kids.
Atom
This is the first level where the full
contact tackle style is implemented. However to
minimize the learning curve we remain a 9 on 9 football
game with the field now 110 yards by 50 yards.
This division is for 8 and 9 year olds.
Peewee
Here the players move up to the full 12
man football game with standard Canadian rules that are
implemented. This division is for 10 and 11 years
and is played on the full Canadian football field of 110
yards by 63 years. Players at this level start to
learn greater details of how to play the game of
football and learn more detailed techniques. This
is also one of the biggest divisions with many
associations having multiple teams at this level.
Junior Bantam
As with Peewee this division and the
remaining divisions all play 12 on 12 full field
football. Players in this level are 12 and 13.
Here the passing game begins to develop along with the
learning of schemes and bigger playbooks. In recent
years this has become one of the most competitive
divisions in football.
Bantam
For players 14 and 15 this is the
division where you would play. Most associations
only have one team at this level. Players here
will learn all there is to know about the game and will
be challenged by their coaches to see how much they can
learn.
Midget
The final division in Community Football
is for the 16, 17 and 18 year olds. Each team is
limited to how many 18 year old players they can have on
their roster but for most associations that is not an
issue. By allowing the senior players a chance to
stay in community football it gives these kids a break
where they can look at future involvement at either the
Junior or College level. The Midget level has
produce some of the most exciting football including
many of the last VMFL finals and Provincial games.
9 - Man League
Last year the VMFL started a 9-Man league
in an effort to allow more kids to participate and learn
the game of football as well as allow smaller
associations to develop and expand their football
program.
One of the driving concepts behind 9-man
ball is getting kids playing time. By having less
players on the team the participating teams have found
that players are getting more time per game on the field
and therefore are developing faster and gain more
confidence in themselves. As well this provides a
mechanism for associations to grow and still maintain a
competitive environment.
There are very few differences in rules
from 9-man versus 12-man other then the size of the
field remains at 110 yards by 50 yards. Currently
the VMFL has run both Peewee and Junior Bantam divisions
while they hope to expand to include Bantam for the 2010
season.
As with 12-man there are VMFL
championships as well as Provincial championships.
