March 24, 2026 • Football

Girls flag football participation doubles in U.S. high schools

by Wesley Sykes

Girls flag football is on the rise in high schools across the country, and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is adapting to meet those demands.

Currently, girls flag football participation has more than doubled nationally, from 20,875 players in 2022–23 to 42,955 in 2023–24 — a 105% increase, according to NFHS data.

Sixteen state associations have sanctioned girls flag football for the 2025–26 season: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington. An additional 18 states operate independent pilot programs.

Over the summer of 2025, the NFHS released its first-ever national rules book for high school girls flag football, establishing standardized playing rules for what officials call the nation’s fastest-growing emerging sport.

Flag football became the 18th sport the NFHS writes national playing rules for, joining boys lacrosse, which was added in 2000, and girls lacrosse in 2016.

Rapid Growth at the Youth Level

“The popularity of flag football — for boys and girls — has been growing at the youth levels the past 10 years,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “In 2023, about 500,000 girls ages 6–17 played flag football — a 63% percent increase since 2019.”

While much of the country is just beginning to adopt the sport at a breakneck pace, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has been at the forefront of the movement.

Florida first sanctioned girls’ flag football in 2003, a time when the sport was more akin to a niche offering. When Jeremy Hernandez, FHSAA’s administrator of athletics, began in 2016, the state had only one classification. By 2017, participation had grown enough to add a second classification.

Today, Florida’s program includes more than 150 schools, according to Hernandez.

“We are currently at 488 total schools that offer the sport,” Hernandez said, adding that 429 are expected to compete at the state title level this year. “We probably had 15-20 interested schools since the start of the school year,” he added, attributing the surge to increased student interest meeting relatively low barriers to entry.

Low Barriers, High Appeal

Part of the sport’s rapid growth comes from its accessibility and affordability. While there is a low barrier to entry — requiring mainly cleats, flags, balls and uniforms — Hernandez noted that companies like Nike are stepping up by offering grants to schools to purchase equipment.

Another factor is the crossover in skillsets from other girls’ sports such as basketball, volleyball and soccer, without cannibalizing participation in those programs.

“A good chunk of them are coming from outside student-athletes who are just looking for something in the spring to do,” Hernandez said.

Managing Rapid Expansion

With the sport’s rapid rise come operational challenges. Hernandez said finding enough officials is a major issue, as approximately 90% of referees come from football backgrounds.

Scheduling, transportation and facility access are also emerging concerns as more schools add programs.

Despite these challenges, Hernandez said solutions are being developed to support continued growth.

“It’s been pretty awesome to see that, be a part of it, and help with that growth,” he said.

More Opportunities Ahead

Growth is also being fueled by expanded offerings, including club and travel leagues, as well as college institutions beginning to offer flag football programs. In 2028, flag football will debut for both men and women at the Olympics in Los Angeles.

“At a higher level of competition, more universities are beginning to offer flag football for girls, which will certainly enhance the appeal for girls playing the sport at the high school level,” Niehoff said.

“The growth has extended beyond high school offerings, with the rise in club and travel leagues, as well as colleges beginning to offer flag football for girls,” Hernandez added. “There are more and more avenues to continue playing beyond high school graduation.”

With continued exposure and opportunity, stakeholders believe participation will keep climbing.

“Anytime you get that higher exposure, it sets those levels of dreams for the student-athletes that much higher,” Hernandez said. “I definitely believe that our numbers will only increase.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Girls high school flag football participation grew 105% year over year, surpassing 42,000 athletes
• 16 states have sanctioned the sport, with 18 more running pilot programs
• Low equipment costs and accessibility are key drivers of adoption
• Florida leads nationally, with nearly 500 schools offering the sport
• Growth is creating challenges in officiating, scheduling and logistics
• Expansion into college programs and the 2028 Olympics is accelerating interest

Wesley Sykes is the former editorial director of Coach & A.D.