Our Mission:

The Delaware Football League is a non profit football and cheerleading instructional program whose mission is to inspire the youth of our community and surrounding areas, regardless of race, creed, or national origin, to practice the ideals of sportsmanship, scholarship, and physical fitness.

Our league is run by dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers who spend hundreds of hours each year planning and preparing to make each season a fun and educational one for all of  the football players and cheerleaders.

We have children that participate from the surrounding school districts, giving our kids a unique playing game/advantage as if they were on the middle or high school teams. Our league works with the Middle School and High School football and cheer coaches to ensure that we are teaching the proper fundamentals of football, plays that they will be running , and the proper cheer techniques necessary to participate as a middle or high school football player or cheerleader.

Coaches/Volunteers

Every person involved with our program is required to pass a background check form using a national database registry that produces records showing any misdemeanors and felonies that involve both youth and adults. Our league also checks every volunteer with the National database registry for sex offenders. It is our goal to ensure the safety of your children and whom they will be learning from is no exception. 

Every coach must attend a  mandatory coaching clinic that include discussion of coaching ethics, the rules of each division and what is expected of them as a coach or volunteer in our league.  All of our coaches are also certified in the Heads up Concussion training course and our league works with USA Football to ensure that we stay on  top of the safety procedures. Once they have completed the coaching clinic and their background checks have met our standards each coach will receive a field pass that must be worn at all times during practices and games. They will also receive a coaches t-shirt that they are required to wear at every game. Without both of these they are not permitted on the field. This is our way of identifying to our referees, families and all other board members who is approved to be on the field with the children. 

Volunteers with the league are also required to undergo a background check and ethics meeting. Once the meeting is attended and background check has cleared to our standards they too will be giving a identification badge and volunteer t-shirt.

Referees

Our referees are background checked and work for the P.I.A.A. ( Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) referee's association. In conjunction with the rules of the Delaware Football League, the rules of the P.I.A.A. are also instilled furthermore helping the children learn the game of football as the middle school and high school players do.

Equipment

Football: Your child will receive all equipment necessary to play football from the Delaware Football League with the exception of a sports cup and cleats. This includes a mouth piece and team jersey. If you choose to purchase your own mouth piece, they cannot be clear as per P.I.A.A. rules. Sports cups are mandatory for your child to wear in every practice and in every game for their own safety. Cleats are not mandatory however, we strongly recommend that you child wear them over sneakers. Cleats must have a 1/2" molded rubber cleat. We do not allow any other cleat in our league for safety purposes. All equipment we provide meets the NOC-SAE guidelines. Each child will also be fitted for an air helmet. This is very important to us to ensure all safety aspects. In order to do so we will have a trained helmet fitting station measuring your child's head and placing the correct size helmet on your child making any adjustments necessary. Should you want to purchase your own equipment, please check with your team delegate as some of it will need to be approved before being used.

Cheerleading: Your child will receive a uniform which includes shell, skirt, and hair tie. Briefs are not provided by the league but must be worn underneath the uniform at all times. Sneakers must be worn as well but are not provided.

Practices

Practices will begin the week of July 20th and will run Monday thru Thursday from 6pm-8pm. The first week of  all teams must run condition drills only. Children will come in only their helmets and will work with their coaches on speed agility, strength training and team building exercises. As the league progresses into weeks 2-4 of practice, physical fitness is still worked on through practices as we begin to introduce the purpose of the positions, how to play them and what plays the team will be running.

Once school begins practices will be cut to a maximum of 2 nights per week with an allowance if the team chooses to hold a 1 hour walk through with helmets only on a Friday night. This is mandatory for all teams as we want your children to focus on their academics as well as football and cheerleading.

Games

Games will begin August 16th. Some games will require travel to the field of our opposing teams, while others will be held in the Dingmans Ferry area. Schedules will be posted shortly.

Rules

The league has a set of rules for every division in the league as well as cheerleading. We are governed by the P.I.A.A. set of rules and follow them accordingly.