The usual joke when discussing the NFL Pro Bowl was that there had been no tackles in the game since its heyday in the mid-2000s.
The NFL took that to the next level by completely banning tackles at the game by turning it into a flag football showcase.
The decision to introduce flag football as part of the Pro Bowl was a necessity. Players simply didn’t want to go all out and take big hits in an exhibition game, as any injury could have a major impact on their future.
The NFL decided to take tackling out of the game and try something new, and it looks like the flag football-centric “Pro Bowl Games” are here to stay.
Here’s what you need to know about the NFL’s Pro Bowl decision and why there will be no tackles in flag football’s version of the All-Star Game showcase in 2024.
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When did the Pro Bowl become flag football?
The Pro Bowl became a flag football game ahead of the 2023 version of the event. The league announced its decision to eliminate the traditional football game as part of a revamped “Pro Bowl Games.”
That makes the 2024 Pro Bowl Games the second to have flag football as its main attraction.
The Pro Bowl Games were designed to be “a week-long celebration of players’ skills with an exciting new format that highlights American flag football,” as the NFL detailed in a press release in September 2022.
Throughout the week, the Pro Bowl Games will also integrate new challenges where players will showcase their football and non-football skills in unique competitions. The revamped programming allows top stars to showcase their skills and celebrate their achievements in a fun and memorable way, surrounded by their families and fans.
The changes to the Pro Bowl did not result in an increase in viewership in 2023. It averaged 6.2 million viewers, a 7.5 percent decrease from the previous season, per Reception sports.
Still, NFL teams saw the changes as a victory, as it ensured their players were less likely to suffer major injuries by removing tackles from games.
When did the Pro Bowl stop tackling?
Officially, the Pro Bowl banned tackling in 2023 when it made the switch to the flag football format. However, tickets had already been gradually worn out of the All-Star Game over a 15-year period.
The last big success in the Pro Bowl occurred when the late great Sean Taylor destroyed Bills punter Brian Moorman on a fake punt in 2007. In the years since, the NFL gradually asked officials to blow the whistle. whistles were whistled earlier and earlier as the players expressed their reluctance. play, or try your hardest, in the All-Star Game showcase.
The late great Sean Taylor always played at 110%.
Even in the Pro Bowl. (via @nflthrowback) pic.twitter.com/KPqyzZ4mC1-NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2022
In the last few years of the Pro Bowl as a traditional football game, it was effectively officiated as a touch football game. Quarterbacks were considered sacked if the defense caught up to them and wrapped them up without tackling them to the ground, and players often dropped to the ground or ran out of bounds to avoid being wrapped up by defenders.
After seeing that for a couple of seasons, the NFL finally opted to try the flag football format.
