Approval from the PIAA reflects a commitment to expand opportunities for female athletes in the state.
Pennsylvania has officially sanctioned girls’ flag football as a high school sport, marking a significant milestone for female athletes in the commonwealth. This decision, announced by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), will take effect in the 2025-26 school year, driven by efforts from the state’s NFL teams to promote greater participation among young women.
To achieve this status, the PIAA mandated the formation of at least 100 participating teams statewide. That goal was met earlier this year, with 65 schools involved in the Philadelphia Eagles’ league and 36 in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ league.
“This is not just an important day for the Eagles and Steelers, but for the sport of football and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Eagles owner Jeff Lurie in a statement. “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.”
The sanctioning allows schools to officially compete for state championships, creating new pathways for young athletes and potentially feeding talent into college programs. This aligns with a broader national trend, as nearly 43,000 girls participated in flag football during the 2023-24 academic year, reflecting a staggering 105% increase from the previous year.
At a girls’ flag football event sponsored by the Eagles last year, team president Don Smolenski emphasized the importance of early engagement with the sport. “That engagement at this age; you make a lifetime fan in this age bracket,” he noted. “And if more are playing the game and enjoying the game — and taking away the lessons that the game provides — the better that is for the game and for the National Football League as a whole.”
With this move, Pennsylvania joins a growing list of states that have incorporated girls’ flag football into their high school athletic programs.
