By Andrew Stanton – Weekend Staff Writer
Girls flag football is gaining traction across the U.S. as more states continue to sanction it for high school athletes.
Why It Matters
Flag football has grown in popularity and will be introduced during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles for men and women. Flag football is generally considered safer than traditional tackle football.
The sanctioning of high school sports is critical to allow student-athletes to safely participate in sports without the risk of exploitation. It also can open doors for athletes who are interested in playing beyond the high school level.
What To Know
Several states have sanctioned girls flag football so far in 2025, and many other states are considering pilot test seasons as it becomes more popular.
In total, 17 states have sanctioned the sport for girls, according to NFL FLAG, the official flag football league of the NFL.
“Girls high school flag football is on the rise,” NFL FLAG’s website reads. “With flag football sweeping the nation, the sport is expanding at an unprecedented rate. Schools across the country are recognizing the value of flag football as an official high school sport, paving the way for more girls to compete, earn college scholarships, and make history on the field.”
Ohio in July became the latest state to sanction girls flag football following an effort from the NFL‘s Cleveland Browns. Other states, like Rhode Island, are nearing the potential sanctioning of the sport.
Mississippi, Tennessee and Washington have also sanctioned the sport in 2025. Pennsylvania sanctioned it in 2024 The Rhode Island Principals’ Committee on Athletics met to discuss whether to sanction the sport earlier in August but did not make a decision, local news station WJAR said.
The sport has also grown in states that previously sanctioned it. The NFL‘s Houston Texans, for instance, announced earlier this year that it would be rolled out to more than 80 new schools.
A report from the National Federation of State High School Associations found that it was one of the fastest-growing sports in the 2024-2025 school year with a total of 68,847 girls participating, a 60 percent increase from the previous year.
What People Are Saying
Cleveland Browns managing and principal partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, in a statement in July after Ohio sanctioned the sport: “We have seen firsthand how powerful the game of football can be in shaping confidence, leadership, and community, and we are proud that more young women will have the chance to experience that same growth. When we launched our Girls High School Flag Football League in 2021, the goal was to get to this day, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the continuous work of the athletes, coaches, administrators and parents who all believed in the future of this sport.”
Mario Bailey, the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks vice president of community engagement and legends, in April: “We believe that everyone should have the access and opportunity to play football, and the momentum we’ve seen for girls flag has been incredible. Sanctioning girls flag is an amazing step in giving these girls a new avenue to pursue playing flag football in college and beyond.”
What Happens Next
States will continue to assess whether to formally sanction girls flag football, as pilot programs continue in 17 states.
Original article: https://www.newsweek.com/girls-flag-football-map-2123358
