POP THE FLAGS — VOLUME 2 | ZORTS EVENT DESCRIPTION

POP THE FLAGS — VOLUME 2 officially opens THE GAUNTLET — Unleashed Flag Foundation Event Series, coming to the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW), Texas area, October 31–November 1, 2026.

This Halloween-weekend tournament is an official Gauntlet Opening Event, giving teams their first opportunity to enter the series, compete for championships, earn advancement benefits, and establish preferential seeding on the road to:

OPENERS → QUALIFIERS → NATIONALS → WORLDS

The Gauntlet is more than a collection of individual tournaments. It is a season-long competitive pathway designed to reward teams for showing up, competing, earning their position and advancing through increasingly competitive stages.

Every game matters. Every finish matters. Survive the Gauntlet.

EVENT DETAILS

Dates: October 31–November 1, 2026
Location: Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW), Texas Area
Format: 5v5 Flag Football
Entry Fee: $400 per team
Roster Maximum: 12 athletes
Coaches Maximum: 2 per team
Game Guarantee: 4 games
Age Cutoff: August 1, 2026
Rules: Official Unleashed Gauntlet 5v5 Flag Football Rulebook + Official Gauntlet Series Rules

Girls and boys divisions may be intermixed throughout Saturday and Sunday based on the final tournament schedule.

There is no designated girls-only or boys-only tournament day.

Teams and families should plan to be available throughout the tournament weekend and should not make travel arrangements based on an assumption that a particular gender or division will compete exclusively on Saturday or Sunday.

GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISIONS

8U | 10U | 12U | 14U | 16U | High School

The Girls High School division is a TRUE ENROLLMENT DIVISION.

Athletes participating in the High School division must be actively and academically enrolled in high school during the 2026–27 school year.

Current enrollment documentation may be required for verification.

SELECT BOYS DIVISIONS

6U | 8U | 10U | 12U

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

All divisions compete in 5v5 flag football under the Official Unleashed Gauntlet 5v5 Flag Football Rulebook.

Every registered team is guaranteed a minimum of 4 games, barring circumstances covered by the Official Gauntlet weather and cancellation policy.

Standard tournament format:

3 POOL PLAY GAMES + MINIMUM 1 BRACKET GAME

Pool-play results determine bracket positioning, followed by single-elimination bracket play.

All athletes must satisfy the required registration, roster and player-verification requirements.

CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS

Division champions will receive:

🏆 CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS

🚩 CHAMPIONSHIP FLAGS

But winning Pop the Flags Volume 2 is only part of what is on the line.

Teams are also competing for their position within The Gauntlet Series, including advancement, paid bids, half bids and preferential seeding.

THE GAUNTLET ADVANCEMENT PATH

OPENERS → QUALIFIERS → NATIONALS → WORLDS

Pop the Flags Volume 2 is an official Gauntlet Opening Event.

The TOP 8 TEAMS IN EACH DIVISION automatically qualify for the Gauntlet Qualifier stage and receive preferential seeding consideration.

POP THE FLAGS → QUALIFIERS

1st Place — PAID ENTRY to a Gauntlet Qualifier

2nd Place — PAID ENTRY to a Gauntlet Qualifier

3rd Place — 50% ENTRY BID to a Gauntlet Qualifier

4th Place — 50% ENTRY BID to a Gauntlet Qualifier

5th–8th Place — Automatic Qualification to a Gauntlet Qualifier

The Top 8 teams also receive preferential seeding consideration at the Qualifier stage.

DUPLICATE BIDS

Teams may compete in multiple Gauntlet Opening Events.

However, qualification status and financial awards may only be earned once per team, per division, per advancement stage.

If a team already holds a paid bid and earns another paid bid at a later Opening Event, the duplicate paid bid will roll down to the next highest-finishing eligible team that does not already hold an equal or greater award.

The same principle applies to duplicate half bids.

Bids belong to the team in the specific division in which they were earned and cannot be transferred between divisions or organizations.

YOU MUST ENTER THE GAUNTLET TO ADVANCE

Teams must actually participate in at least ONE official Gauntlet Opening Event during the 2026–27 series to be eligible to compete in a Gauntlet Qualifier.

Simply registering for an Opening Event without participating does not satisfy this requirement.

You cannot skip the journey and appear at the finish line.

SERIES PATHWAY

Opening Events establish the field.

QUALIFIERS → NATIONALS

Up to the Top 12 teams in each division, subject to available Nationals capacity, advance from the Qualifier stage to Nationals.

1st–2nd — Paid Bid to Nationals

3rd–4th — Half Bid to Nationals

5th–12th — Qualification to Nationals, subject to available capacity

Qualifier finish also provides preferential Nationals seeding consideration.

NATIONALS → WORLDS

The Top 8 teams in each division at Nationals advance to Worlds.

1st–2nd — Paid Bid to Worlds

The Top 4 Nationals finishers receive preferential seeding at Worlds.

NATIONAL FLAG SHOWCASE EXPOSURE & ATHLETE IDENTIFICATION

Pop the Flags Volume 2 is not only an opportunity for teams to advance through The Gauntlet.

For our female athletes, it is also an opportunity to get evaluated, get identified and get noticed.

Athletes will be evaluated during tournament competition through the national recruiting and scouting pathway led by the National Director of Flag Recruiting & Scouting.

GIRLS 12U THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

Special evaluation attention will be given to:

Girls 12U | 14U | 16U | High School

The selected MVP from each of these Girls divisions will receive an invitation to the National Flag Showcase in Frisco, Texas, December 17–20, 2026.

MVP IS NOT THE ONLY PATHWAY

Additional athletes who demonstrate elite prowess and ability during Pop the Flags Volume 2 may also receive National Flag Showcase invitations.

Athletes do not have to win the tournament or be named MVP to get identified.

Evaluation may include:

Athleticism • Positional Ability • Football IQ • Competitiveness • Leadership • Effort • Decision-Making • Technique • Game Impact

An elite athlete can get noticed regardless of whether her team reaches the championship game.

Every game is an evaluation opportunity.

COLLEGE COACH EXPOSURE

College coaches will be in attendance.

This creates an additional opportunity for athletes to compete and perform in an evaluation-focused environment.

Tournament participation does not guarantee recruitment, an offer, college contact, ranking or Showcase selection. Opportunities are earned through performance and evaluation.

OPTIONAL FRIDAY GIRLS COMBINE & SKILLS SHOWCASE

An optional Girls Combine & Skills Showcase will take place Friday, October 30, 2026, for middle school through high school-aged girls.

Combine Registration: $89.99 per athlete

The Combine will include athletic testing, measurables, skills and positional evaluation, exposure, rankings and recruiting/All-American evaluation opportunities.

REGISTERED COMBINE ATHLETES RECEIVE:

Customized Combine Dri-Fit Shirt

Drawstring Bag

Unleashed Headband

The Friday Combine is completely optional and separate from tournament registration.

Athletes do not have to participate in the Combine to compete in Pop the Flags or to be considered for a National Flag Showcase invitation.

Tournament performance itself is an evaluation opportunity.

ROSTERS & ELIGIBILITY

Teams are permitted a maximum of 12 athletes per roster and a maximum of 2 coaches.

The official Gauntlet age cutoff is August 1, 2026.

Eligible athletes may play up into an older eligible division but may not play down.

All athletes and coaches must satisfy applicable ZORTS registration, identification and verification requirements.

Coaches are responsible for the accuracy and eligibility of their official roster.

ZORTS ROSTER LOCK

ROSTERS LOCK OCTOBER 28, 2026

Teams should consider their tournament roster final once the roster-lock deadline is reached.

Coaches are responsible for ensuring all athletes and coaches are properly registered, verified and assigned to the correct team and division before the deadline.

Please do not wait until tournament weekend to resolve registration or verification issues.

DUAL-ROSTERED ATHLETES

Eligible athletes may participate for teams in different age divisions.

However:

THE GAUNTLET WILL NOT ALTER, DELAY OR REBUILD TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES TO ACCOMMODATE DUAL-ROSTERED ATHLETES.

If games overlap, the athlete and organization assume that scheduling risk.

An athlete may not compete for two different teams within the same division.

ROSTER CONTINUITY FOR ADVANCING TEAMS

A qualifying team must retain at least 50% of the roster that earned its advancement position when competing at the next stage, unless otherwise approved by Gauntlet Administration.

This protects the integrity of the series and ensures organizations are advancing the teams that earned their position.

OFFICIAL RULES

Pop the Flags Volume 2 will follow the Official Unleashed Gauntlet 5v5 Flag Football Rulebook for gameplay.

The separate Official Gauntlet Series Rules govern eligibility, rosters, tournament format, seeding, advancement, bids, payments, refunds, conduct, protests, weather and series administration.

Coaches are responsible for reviewing both documents before tournament competition.

HALLOWEEN AT THE GAUNTLET

Pop the Flags Volume 2 lands on Halloween weekend, and we want our athletes to enjoy the experience while competing.

EVERY TEAM IS ASKED TO BRING TWO BAGS OF CANDY.

Athletes will have an opportunity to trick-or-treat among participating teams during the event.

We want the team areas and sidelines to become part of the Halloween experience.

Compete. Chase championships. Earn your bid. And let the kids enjoy Halloween with the flag football community.

SPECTATOR ADMISSION

Families can save by purchasing spectator passes in advance.

EARLY BIRD

Single Day — $10

Weekend Pass — $20

DAY OF EVENT

Single Day — $20

Weekend Pass — $30

A single-day pass provides admission for one tournament day.

A weekend pass provides admission for both Saturday and Sunday.

Tournament team registration does not include spectator admission.

Because divisions may compete across either tournament day, families should review the final tournament schedule before purchasing a single-day pass.

REGISTRATION & REFUND POLICY

Teams may secure their tournament spot by paying the required deposit or paying the registration fee in full.

14+ Days Before Tournament — 100% Refundable

9–13 Days Before Tournament — 50% Refundable

8 Days or Fewer Before Tournament — NON-REFUNDABLE

Refund eligibility is determined by the date a written withdrawal request is received by Unleashed Flag Foundation.

Beginning 8 calendar days before the tournament, deposits and registration payments become final and non-refundable.

Team-initiated withdrawals involving schedule conflicts, travel issues, roster availability, injuries, disqualification, failure to attend or similar circumstances do not create an exception to the refund policy.

WEATHER & EVENT CANCELLATION

Player, coach, official and spectator safety takes priority.

Weather delays do not automatically cancel the tournament or create a refund.

Tournament Administration may modify start times, game lengths, pools, brackets, field assignments or other operational details when necessary to safely continue competition.

If Unleashed Flag Foundation cancels the entire tournament before play begins and does not reschedule it, registered teams will be offered either:

100% REFUND OF TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION FEES PAID

OR

100% CREDIT TOWARD ANOTHER GAUNTLET EVENT

Unleashed Flag Foundation is not responsible for third-party travel, lodging, transportation, meal or other expenses.

IMPORTANT DATES

OCTOBER 28 — ZORTS Rosters Lock

OCTOBER 30 — Optional Girls Combine & Skills Showcase

OCTOBER 31–NOVEMBER 1 — Pop the Flags Volume 2 Tournament

DECEMBER 17–20 — National Flag Showcase | Frisco, Texas

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND IS WHERE THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Come to DFW ready to represent your organization, compete for a championship, earn your position and begin your journey through The Gauntlet.

$400 ENTRY • 5v5 • 4 GAMES GUARANTEED • GIRLS & BOYS

TOP 2 PAID ENTRY TO QUALIFIER

3RD & 4TH HALF BID TO QUALIFIER

TOP 8 ADVANCE

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS + CHAMPIONSHIP FLAGS

NATIONAL FLAG SHOWCASE EVALUATION

COLLEGE COACH EXPOSURE

SURVIVE THE GAUNTLET. EARN YOUR BID. REACH WORLDS.

UNLEASHED FLAG FOUNDATION

Building athletes. Developing leaders. Strengthening communities.