High school girls' flag football now officially sanctioned sport in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA - Girls’ high school flag football has been officially sanctioned as a sport in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) approved the decision Wednesday.
In order to be recognized as a sanctioned sport, there needed to be at least 100 teams across the state, which the sport reached in April, thanks to flag football leagues organized by the Eagles and the Steelers. 65 schools played from the eastern half of the state, while 36 schools played from the western half of the state.
"This is not just an important day for the Eagles and Steelers, but for the sport of football and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," said Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman & CEO, Philadelphia Eagles. "When we launched our girls’ flag football league in 2022, we set an ambitious five-year goal to get the sport sanctioned in our state. Now, here we are three seasons later and two years ahead of schedule. The sport’s organic growth is a credit to the participants, administrators, coaches, officials, and parents who helped raise the profile of girls’ flag football. We thank the PIAA for their leadership in recognizing a sport that has the power to unlock new pathways and opportunities for girls of all ages in every community."
Girls' inaugural flag football championship hosted by Philadelphia Catholic League held in Delco
The championship game was played at Cardinal O'Hara and comes at a time when girls' flag football is exploding in popularity.
The Eagles Girls’ Flag Football League launched in the spring of 2022 with 16 schools participating from the Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues. The program grew to 38 teams in 2023, building on that to 65 teams by the spring of 2024. The Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues are now official sports within their leagues, hosting their own championships. The Eagles Girls’ Flag League has more than 1,600 girls playing throughout the eastern side of Pennsylvania.
The first season will be the 2025-2026 school year.