Girls' High School Flag Football Sanctioning by State
23 states and the District of Columbia have sanctioned girls' flag football as a varsity high school sport, by our count.
The NFHS membership map put the figure at 20 on 20 August 2026. Press coverage that month said 24. The Ohio association said 23 in June. Everyone is counting something slightly different, and almost nobody says what. Here is what we count, and how we check it. See the votes still to come.
24 sanctioned 5 pilot 21 not sanctioned 1 unconfirmed 50 of 51 entries checked against an association document. Updated November 1, 2026.
| State | Status | Association | First season | Schools | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Sanctioned | AHSAA | 2021-22 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Alaska | Sanctioned | ASAA | — | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Arizona | Sanctioned | AIA | 2023-24 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Arkansas | Not sanctioned | AAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| California | Sanctioned | CIF | 2023-24 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Colorado | Sanctioned | CHSAA | 2024-25 | 74 | 2026-09-15 |
| Connecticut | Pilot | CAS-CIAC | — | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Delaware | Not sanctioned | DIAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| District of Columbia | Sanctioned | DCSAA | 2026-27 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Florida | Sanctioned | FHSAA | 2002-03 | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Georgia | Sanctioned | GHSA | 2020-21 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Hawaii | Sanctioned | HHSAA | 2024-25 | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Idaho | Not sanctioned | IHSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Illinois | Sanctioned | IHSA | 2024-25 | 234 | 2026-09-15 |
| Indiana | Pilot | IHSAA | — | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa | Not sanctioned | IGHSAU | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Kansas | Sanctioned | KSHSAA | 2026-27 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Kentucky | Sanctioned | KHSAA | 2027-28 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Louisiana | Pilot | LHSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Maine | Not sanctioned | MPA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Maryland | Sanctioned | MPSSAA | 2026-27 | 132 | 2026-09-15 |
| Massachusetts | Not sanctioned | MIAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Michigan | Not sanctioned | MHSAA | — | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Minnesota | Not sanctioned | MSHSL | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Mississippi | Sanctioned | MHSAA | 2024-25 | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Missouri | Pilot | MSHSAA | — | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Montana | Pilot | MHSA | — | — | 2026-09-15 |
| Nebraska | Not sanctioned | NSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Nevada | Sanctioned | NIAA | 2016-17 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| New Hampshire | Not sanctioned | NHIAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| New Jersey | Sanctioned | NJSIAA | 2026-27 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| New Mexico | Not sanctioned | NMAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| New York | Sanctioned | NYSPHSAA | 2022-23 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| North Carolina | Sanctioned | NCHSAA | 2026-27 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| North Dakota | Not sanctioned | NDHSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Ohio | Sanctioned | OHSAA | 2026-27 | 162 | 2026-11-01 |
| Oklahoma | Not sanctioned | OSSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Oregon | Sanctioned | OSAA | 2026-27 | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Pennsylvania | Sanctioned | PIAA | 2025-26 | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Rhode Island | Sanctioned | RIIL | 2026-27 | — | 2026-11-01 |
| South Carolina | Not sanctioned | SCHSL | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| South Dakota | Not sanctioned | SDHSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Tennessee | Sanctioned | TSSAA | 2024-25 | 155 | 2026-11-01 |
| Texas | Not sanctioned | UIL | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Utah | Not sanctioned | UHSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Vermont | Not sanctioned | VPA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Virginia | Unconfirmed | VHSL | — | — | not yet |
| Washington | Sanctioned | WIAA | 2025-26 | — | 2026-09-15 |
| West Virginia | Not sanctioned | WVSSAC | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Wisconsin | Not sanctioned | WIAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
| Wyoming | Not sanctioned | WHSAA | — | — | 2026-11-01 |
Entries marked unconfirmed are not a claim that no program exists. They mean we have not yet checked that state against its association's own materials.
Where it leads after high school
The NAIA crowns its first national champion in spring 2027 and the NJCAA in 2027-28. The NCAA decides in January 2027 whether to create a championship, which would mean a first NCAA champion in spring 2028. We have checked 154 college programs so far. What each governing body has decided, with the dates — or read what the pathway looks like if you are a player or a parent.
Wondering where your state stands?
Every association sets its own bar. Some require a share of member schools participating, some a fixed number of teams, some a petition from schools, some only a board vote. How a state sanctions girls flag football records what each one actually requires.
Guides
- How to start a girls' flag football team — players, coach, equipment, field, money
- Grants and NFL club funding — 18 club programs, and where schools can apply
- State champions — every final we can confirm, from Florida in 2003 to now
- Women's flag football scholarships — what the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA allow, from their own rules
- Flag football at the 2028 Olympics — who has qualified and where high school fits
- Girls' flag football rules: the high school FAQ — players, field, scoring, rushing, contact
- Equipment rules by state — headgear, mouthguards, flags, cleats, the ball
- Participation statistics — 102,360 girls in 2025-26, by year and state
- The sanctioning timeline — every state, from 2002-03 to now
- How a state sanctions girls flag football — every association's requirements
- When is girls flag football season? — fall, spring or winter, state by state
- Girls flag football does not have one rulebook — NFHS rules and state variations
- What the flag football pathway looks like — high school to college, for players and parents