原标题链接：A safe but still exciting form of football emerges
Flag football has emerged as a new trend in sports for young people in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Flag football has recently become a new sports trend for youth in Zhanjiang, a port city in western Guangdong province.
Many young people can be seen playing flag football on local playgrounds, particularly during weekends, according to Zhanjiang Daily.
Zhang Zhenyu, a teacher from local Lingnan Normal University, organized a flag football competition last year that he said "quickly raised great interest among local young people and attracted many participants" after he posted photos on social media and elsewhere on the internet.
Flag football has emerged as a new trend in sports for young people in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Flag football is less violent than rugby or full-contact American football. Players do not need to wear heavy protective equipment on the playground, which is one of its attractions, he said. It has been dubbed "gentle rugby" among locals.
"The flags are tied on each side of players' waists during competition. And when the defender has pulled a waist flag off the attacker, the attack is finished," Zhang said.
Flag football has emerged as a new trend in sports for young people in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
No hugging or pushing is allowed, he added.
Zhang now frequently organizes students and colleagues to play flag football in Zhanjiang in their spare time. It provides exercise and a way to lose weight, he said.
Flag football has emerged as a new trend in sports for young people in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Liu Xiaojia, a local university student, said flag football is actually an intense sport that offers an exciting experience to players, because the rules limit excessive body contact.
"It doesn't matter if a player cannot run fast or jump high in flag football. The player can use flexibility to run and attack, which is particularly attractive to women," she said.
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