Spring football kicks off with Bunny Bowl weekend

Key season information for all SportsKlub players as season begins with Bunny Bowl weekend

Synergy Healthcare Orillia captain Tamara Evans makes a catch with Wagner Lawn Care captain Oswell James in coverage.

The wait is almost over.

The 2026 Sunshine Superwash Spring Flag Football season officially opens this weekend with the Cordery Electrical Contracting Bunny Bowl, a fast-paced, high-energy kickoff event that sets the tone for the entire season.

Before the standings, before the rivalries, before the Power Bowl dreams begin, this is where it all starts. Friday afternoon at West Orillia Sports Complex, all six teams hit the field for the first time under the new season format.

The opening matchup gets underway at 1 p.m., with McLean & Dickey Insurance taking on Orillia Synergy Healthcare on the left-side field. It’s the first look at two teams led by captains Mitchell Hurtubise and Tamara Evans, setting the tone for what’s expected to be a high-scoring season.

At 2 p.m., the action splits across both fields. Rick Grant Landscaping faces Santa’s Nook on the right side, while Wagner Lawn Care meets CMF Automotive on the left. With three games happening across the opening window, every possession, every touchdown, and every defensive stop matters.

At the end of Friday’s slate, the two teams with the strongest point differential will advance to the Bunny Bowl championship game on Sunday at 8 p.m. The remaining four teams will be back under the lights at 7 p.m., battling for placement and early-season momentum.

All players are strongly encouraged to attend Friday’s game at 1 p.m., even if they are not playing in the opening matchup. This is the first chance to learn the league’s structure, understand the flow of the new rules, and see how teams are operating heading into the season.

Off the field, players are required to log into their SportsKlub account at sportsklub.ca/my-profile. Those who have not yet created an account must do so before their first game. This is where players will find their full season schedule, RSVP for games, track their stats, and access performance data from the previous three seasons.

Each team will also be led by a designated captain this year, adding another layer of structure and communication across the league. Captains will be reaching out directly to players ahead of Friday to confirm availability, share team details, and help organize rotations.

The 2026 team captains are:

CMF Automotive – Jesse Bremner

McLean & Dickey Insurance – Mitchell Hurtubise

Rick Grant Landscaping – Matt Planta

Santa’s Nook – Lucas Di Mattia

Orillia Synergy Healthcare – Tamara Evans

Wagner Lawn Care – Oswell James

When it comes to gear, players are encouraged to come prepared. Molded cleats are recommended for better traction on the field, though they are not mandatory. Receiving gloves are also suggested to help with catching consistency, especially in cold early-season conditions.

SportsKlub will provide all flags and flag belts for gameplay, and players are expected to return them at the end of each game.

If weather becomes a factor at any point during the weekend or throughout the season, updates will be posted directly to sportsklub.ca. Team captains will also communicate any changes to their players to ensure everyone stays informed.

On the field, the 2026 season introduces a structured but fast-moving format built for flow, fairness, and fun. While adapting to NFL Flag rules this season, SportsKlub officials and team captains made a few changes with player safety and inclusion in mind.

Games are played 5-on-5 on a 65-yard field, with teams receiving eight total possessions per game across four quarters. Offences have three plays to reach midfield and three more to score, creating constant pressure and quick decision-making. Quarterbacks are limited to four drives per game, encouraging teams to rotate and stay balanced.

There is no physical blocking, no contact, and no referees. Instead, players and game managers work together to keep the game fair, respectful, and moving.

The foundation remains the same. Compete, play fair, have fun. This is SportsKlub, designed to be a place where people of all skill levels and backgrounds can play in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment. The friendships made and moments shared count more than wins and losses.

The Bunny Bowl is more than just opening weekend. It’s the first chapter of a 12-game regular season that will eventually lead to the playoffs and the iconic Power Bowl.

But for now, it’s simple. Show up, learn the game, meet your teamates, and start building something special.

Friday at 1 p.m. It begins.

SportsKlub Flag Football Spring 2026 Rules and Guidelines:

Field - The field is 65 yards x 30 yards. The endzone is from the front of the yellow line to  the cement line along the fence line.

Team Size - Teams should field no more than 5 players at a time. Games can be played at 4 vs 4 only when necessary based on attendance. 

Game Format  - The game begins with a coin flip, with the visiting captain calling heads or tails. The winning captain of the coin flip decides if they would like to receive the ball first, or during the first possession of the second half. The opposing team captain decides which end they would like to start from. Teams swap field sides at half time. The game is made up of 4 quarters. Each team will possess the ball 8 total times in regulation, twice each quarter. There will be a 2 minute break at half time.

Quarterbacks and Snaps - A player can only play a total of four quarterback drives in a game. Any throw beyond the line of scrimmage counts as 1 total quarterback drive. The ball must be “snapped” or “handed” to the quarterback by a teammate to make the start of a play. 

Start of each drive  - A new drive will begin at possessing teams own red dashed line, roughly five yards out from endzone. 

Downs  - The offensive team has 3 plays to get to midfield (marked by soccer penalty field mark). They then earn a fresh set of 3 downs to score. If they fail to make a first down after two plays, they can either go for it, or agree to turn the ball over to the other team, who will take over on offense from their own red dashed line. If they go for it and fail to convert a first down, the opposing team takes over on offense from the spot of where the previous play ended. 

Running  -  If the ball is spotted within the red dashed line, the offence cannot run for a touchdown, they must throw the ball forward. If the ball is spotted past the hashmarks, the offence can not run the ball for a fresh set of downs, they must throw the ball forward.

Pass rush  - Only defenders counting out loud may rush the quarterback after counting from “Steamboat one” to “Steamboat five” after the ball is snapped. They can’t cross the line of scrimmage until “Steamboat five has been counted out loud. 

Flag pulling  - Each play is dead once a defender has fully removed a flag from a player's belt. Offensive players cannot guard their flag in any way. Players also cannot spin or jump while possessing the ball. 

Blocking  - Offensive players cannot put their hands on defending players. There is no physical blocking allowed. 

Interceptions and fumbles  - Interceptions result in a dead ball, with the defending team taking over possession from where the ball was caught. Interceptions are not returnable. Fumbles are a deadball, with the offensive team maintaining possession. Fumbles and interceptions cannot be advanced. 

Touchdowns and converts  - A touchdown is worth 6 points. The offensive team will choose between a 1 point attempt from the red dashed line, or 2 points from the white solid line about 10 yards from the endzone. 

Safety  - While unlikely to happen, a safety results in 2 points and the end of a drive. The defending team who earned the safety takes over on offence from their own red dashed line. 

Officials  - SportsKlub does not have referees. Each game will have assigned game managers who will encourage players to work in unison together. Each team is assigned a captain who can discuss respectful disagreements with game managers to work out a fair solution. Players are encouraged to play respectfully. Fun, inclusion, and community is what SportsKlub is about. 

Penalties  - Players should be kind, graceful, and respectful to each other when determining spot of the ball, penalties, etc.

Penalties committed by the offence should result in a loss of down, and the next play begins from the line of scrimmage. 

Penalties committed by the defence should result in a re-do down and a gain of 5 yards for the offence.  

Overtime  - Each team possesses the ball on offence once in overtime. If there is still a tie after each possession, the overtime resets until there is a winner. 

Playtime  - Team captains are responsible for ensuring each player is getting equal playing time. If a team has a full lineup of 10 players, it’s suggested that captains set an offensive and defensive unit before the game and then swap for the second half. Unless an injury occurs, players may not substitute in and out once a drive has begun. Substitutions can only be made at the start of a new drive. 

Bowl Games and Playoffs  - During Bowl Game Weekends, the two winning teams from the first set of games with the best +/- differential, advance to the Bowl Game finals. The team with the fourth best point differential plays the team with the third best point differential. The team with the 6th best point differential plays the team with the 5th best point differential. The home team is decided by regular season standings. 

Each team plays a total of 12 regular season games and two “playoff games”. The 6th seed plays the 5th seed. 

The 4th seed plays the 1st seed, and the 3rd seed plays the 2nd seed. The winner of the 4th seed versus 1st and winner of the 3rd seed versus 2nd seed play in the Power Bowl. 

The players on the remaining teams are split up into 4 new teams to play in a Pro Bowl, All-Star Game like event before the Power Bowl.