Female Flag Football Rises in Popularity

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have a female flag football team at your high school? The possibility of that coming to fruition is much higher than you might imagine.

Flag football has increased in popularity in the past few years, which has brought it attention from all football fans, particularly girls. Associations across the U.S. have been offering programs that are encouraging females to start playing flag football in a more serious environment.

Flag football has officially been pledged as a competing sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“The Olympics will be a chance to compete on a level much higher than the current high school and college contests. For those who are just now joining high school varsity teams, the path forward in the sport is clearer than ever,” The New York Times said.

This is a special opportunity for female athletes who want to play flag football in a more serious environment or for girls who merely want to give the sport a try. The Olympics gives females a level of competition for which they can strive, whereas before there were few of those opportunities available.

Several changes in the past few years have helped inspire women to take on the sport more professionally, and the NFL has helped contribute to recent developments. New York has officially taken flag football in as a varsity sport, with funding provided by the Jets, Giants, and Bills–all New York NFL teams.

“The NFL sees flag football as a way to encourage its female fans. The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers started a pilot high school league during the last school year, giving many girls a first shot at playing,” The Associated Press states.

The Philadelphia Eagles are also committed to promoting flag football. The Eagles launched a league with sixteen teams in 2022, and since then it has expanded to thirty-eight from Pennsylvania and fourteen from South Jersey.