MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA) took the first steps to approve girls' flag football as a sport in Pa.
The PIAA held its monthly board meeting to discuss, among other things, the emergence of girls' flag football. The Board of Directors approved the first reading by a unanimous vote of 30-0.
Girls' flag football achieved emerging sports status in July 2023, reaching 25 schools hosting teams. Last month, the sport surpassed more than 100 schools sponsoring girls' flag football.
Over the past three years, the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL have been working to provide resources for female student-athletes across the state.
“We are very appreciative of the Board of Directors support and taking this first step to sanctioning girls’ flag football,” said Frank Majikes, PIAA President. “We have a lot of work to do, but with the support of the Eagles, Steelers and the NFL, we’re hopeful of creating a solid foundation for girls’ flag football that will develop the sport for years to come.”
According to the National Federation of High School Associations, nine states have already sanctioned girls' flag football.
“The popularity of flag football – for boys and girls – has been growing at the youth levels for the past 10 years. In 2023, about 500,000 girls ages 6-17 played flag football – a 63 percent increase since 2019,” said Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS President.
Even more growth is expected as the sport was approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October 2023 and will be an official Olympic Sport played in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
