Frequently Asked Questions

Which states sanction girls flag football?

25 U.S. jurisdictions officially sanction high school girls flag football as a varsity sport (as of August 2026): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington. An additional 21 states run pilot or emerging-sport programs that have not yet been fully sanctioned statewide. Girls Flag Football Hub tracks the status of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia at https://girlsflagfootballhub.org/growth, sourced from state athletic association announcements and the NFHS.

Is girls flag football an Olympic sport?

Yes. Flag football (5-on-5, non-contact) will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games for both women and men, governed internationally by the IFAF. The United States holds an automatic host-nation berth in the women's tournament. Source: IFAF (https://www.americanfootball.sport/2026/02/01/olympic-qualification-system-for-flag-football-confirmed/).

What colleges offer women's flag football?

Women's flag football is offered at the college level through multiple governing bodies. The NAIA made it a championship sport for the 2026-27 academic year. The NCAA added it as an Emerging Sport for Women in 2026, with 60+ schools sponsoring varsity programs. The NJCAA contributes teams to the cross-body Women's College Flag Finals. Girls Flag Football Hub maintains a directory of college programs — filterable by division, state, conference, and scholarship availability — at https://girlsflagfootballhub.org/colleges.