"PRETORIANOS, Cartagena's American Football Team" by Nacho Lorca (1º A Bachiller)

Let me introduce you all to Cartagena Pretorianos C.F.A. We’ve been Cartagena´s football team (American football, not soccer) since 2011. At the moment we have two teams of flag football and only one category of tackle football. Tackle football is like the NFL, the American football that you can see on TV. However, flag football is another kind of football, it’s like tackle but without physical contact. Instead of tackling an apponent, you have to take the flag from him. At present we have two flag football teams: a female team and a senior team. Now I am playing in the senior team of flag fotball, but hopefully next year I will play in the senior team of tackle football. In tackle football we only have a senior team and this year we are doing an awesome season. In fact now we are third in our conference league (East- Conference) but next sunday at 12:00 am in “La Asomada” (our field is there) we are playing against Cehegín Wolves and we can reach the first position. My intention next year is to recruit people in order to create a junior tackle football team. If someone is interested in joining us you can tell me, everybody is welcome!!

Tackle football comes from rugby. A football field is 120 yards long and 50 yards wide (1 yard = 0.9144 metres). The playing field is divided in lines separated by 5 yards. On both ends you have the touchdown area (10 metres long each) and the goals. The game consists in arriving at the rival’s end zone. Your team scores a touchdown when a player steps on that area holding the ball. You have four chances (“downs”) to advance 10 yards. If you don´t make it, you lose the possesion and your team start to defend. On the contrary, if you advance these 10 yards, you start another attack round with the same objective. It´s very easy!!

Footballers can play in different positions, like in any other team sport: Wide Receiver (the fastest players of the team, the ones who receive the pass), Quarterback (the leader of the team, the one who structures the plays and throws the passes), Guards and Tackles (the biggest and stronger players who stay near the QB), Full Backs, Corner Backs, Safeties, Line Backers… Each position requires specific physical and tactical conditions.

Well, I hope you like this short review about this awesome sport. And remember to contact me if you are interested and want to give it a try. We would be delighted to see you around!!