How girls’ flag football became a sanctioned sport in the state and what it means
The sport has emerged across the area. Now, schools will have the support of the PIAA and access to compete for championships sponsored by the state.
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The PIAA sanctioned girls’ flag football as a high school sport on Wednesday. The sport’s meteoric rise from an emerging activity to an official high school sport came about after years of advocacy by the Eagles, community organizations, and local girls’ flag football players.
Here’s a breakdown of what to know about girls’ flag football, including who’s playing it, how long it has been around, and what it means to be sanctioned:
How did we get here?
Before 2022, most girls’ flag football leagues were independently operated. The Eagles helped get the sport off the ground in Southeastern Pennsylvania, starting the first girls’ flag league in 2022 with 16 schools. Since then, the league has expanded, and in 2024, 65 teams across the area were signed up to play. This year, the Public and Catholic Leagues approved girls’ flag football as a sport and hosted a separate championship outside of the Eagles’ league, since so many of their schools were participating.
The PIAA designated girls’ flag as an emerging sport in 2023, the first step to becoming an official varsity sport at the high school level.
What does it mean to be PIAA-sanctioned?
Flag football access has grown immensely across the Philadelphia area, and it’s catching on across the western half of the state as well. The PIAA’s sanctioning will help provide support for schools outside of the footprint of the Eagles’ league that want to start a team, in addition to a centralized school structure for state championships.
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“They’re playing a full championship sponsored by the state — every school can add it in,” said Dan Levy, the Eagles’ youth football and community relations manager. “It’ll really make a big difference for access to girls everywhere throughout the state, not just here in District 1 and District 12.”
When will the first championship be?
The first PIAA girls’ flag football championship won’t take place until 2026. The status quo of the sport will remain for one more season while the governing body develops an official PIAA rule book for the sport in 2025. After that, the PIAA will host its first official girls’ flag football season with a state championship game at the end, bringing athletes in Eastern and Western Pennsylvania together to compete.
What about New Jersey?
In 2023, New Jersey approved girls’ flag football as a pilot. It’s eligible to become an official sport in the state in December 2025. Currently, it’s still classified as a “non-strenuous” sport, so girls can compete in flag football and also compete in lacrosse or softball in the spring. If and when the sport is officially approved, girls will have to choose.
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What happens to the Eagles’ league now?
It’s unclear. The Eagles released a statement celebrating the decision and heralding the success of the league, but did not provide an update on whether the league will compete for a fourth season and beyond now that the state will host its own championship starting in 2026.
What about boys’ flag football?
The Eagles collaborate with NFL Flag, which hosts youth flag football for boys and girls, but there is no pilot program in Pennsylvania or New Jersey supporting boys’ flag football.