‘Here to win’: Girls flag football becomes sanctioned high school sport in Pennsylvania

Girls flag football is officially a recognized sport in the state of Pennsylvania thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Inc. (PIAA) announced on Wednesday, Sept. 18 that the high school level of girl’s flag football is now a sanctioned sport.

“We’re thrilled that we can offer another opportunity for girls to participate in interscholastic athletics,” PIAA President Frank Majikes said. “This is the second girls’ sport in two years to be approved.”

The PIAA explained that a sport can be considered for sanctioning once it has adopted “a set of operational and safety standards set forward by a governing body.” Those standards must be used by members of the program.

For girls flag football, PIAA required that there be at least 100 teams throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. That number was reached in April with 65 schools participating on the eastern side of the state thanks to the Eagles and 35 schools on the western side thanks to the Steelers.

The Eagles and the Steelers worked together over the last three seasons to grow the flag football program in Pa.

“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,” Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie said. “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.”

When the Eagles launched their flag football program, it started with just 16 schools in the spring of 2022 from the Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues. In 2023, it grew to 38 before reached 65 this year. There are currently over 1,600 girls playing on the eastern side of Pennsylvania.

The Eagles have helped with learn-to-play support as well as coaching and officiating clinics and much more.

The Birds also partnered with Operation Warm to design a new sports bra line called FLY:FWD specifically for young girls and women in flag football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are credited with starting their girls flag football in 2022 with just six schools before eventually growing to 36 schools this year.