Girls Flag Football in Georgia
Sanctioned Georgia recognizes girls' flag football as a varsity sport with a state championship.
Is girls' flag football a varsity sport in Georgia?
Yes. Girls' flag football is sanctioned by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), with a state championship. First sanctioned season: 2020-21. Checked against GHSA's own materials on 2026-09-15.
Does Georgia have girls' flag football?
Yes. High schools in Georgia play girls' flag football as a GHSA-sanctioned sport. The season is played in late fall.
When is girls' flag football season in Georgia?
Late fall; Intent to Participate due 1 March. From GHSA's own materials.
Can you play college flag football in Georgia?
Yes. We have checked 11 varsity women's flag football programs at colleges in Georgia: Andrew College (NAIA), Brewton-Parker Christian University (NAIA), Central Georgia Technical College (NJCAA), Emmanuel University (NCAA D-II), Georgia Highlands College (NJCAA), Life University (NAIA), Point University (NAIA), Reinhardt University (NAIA), and 3 more. Each is confirmed from its conference's, college's or governing body's own pages.
The details
| Governing body | Georgia High School Association (GHSA) |
|---|---|
| First sanctioned season | 2020-21 |
| Season | Late fall; Intent to Participate due 1 March |
| State championship | Yes, first held 2020 |
| Rule set | GHSA Flag Football Rules Book, not NFHS |
Checked on 2026-09-15 against GHSA's association constitution.
Girls Flag Football is written into the GHSA Constitution for 2026-27 as a state championship event organised on an Area basis, five divisions with eight areas each, played in late fall. Georgia uses its own GHSA Flag Football Rules Book rather than NFHS rules. Like NFHS it is seven players a side; GHSA specifies a 40 by 80 yard field, four 10-minute periods, and a try worth 1, 2 or 3 points from the 3, 10 or 15 yard line. Maximum 20 varsity games; 32 teams reach the state tournament via the PSR system. From 2026 GHSA mandates protective headgear rated 5-star by the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. The GHSA announced on 18 December 2019 that girls flag football would become a sanctioned sport in 2020, after Atlanta Falcons-funded pilots in Gwinnett County (2018) and six counties (2019) (GHSA, https://www.ghsa.net/node/11655). The first GHSA championships were played on 28 December 2020 in two classifications, per reporting.
College programmes in Georgia
Varsity women's flag football programmes based in Georgia, checked against conference or school sources:
- Andrew College — NAIA, SSAC
- Brewton-Parker Christian University — NAIA, SSAC
- Central Georgia Technical College — NJCAA
- Emmanuel University — NCAA D-II, Conference Carolinas
- Georgia Highlands College — NJCAA
- Life University — NAIA, SSAC
- Point University — NAIA, SSAC
- Reinhardt University — NAIA, SSAC
- SCAD Savannah — NAIA, Sun Conference
- Thomas University — NAIA, SSAC
- Wesleyan College — NAIA, SSAC
See all checked college programmes.
How states sanction the sport
Every association sets its own requirements before it adds a sport. Our guide to how states sanction girls' flag football compares them.
Where Georgia fits nationally
23 states and the District of Columbia have sanctioned girls' flag football as a high school sport, by our count, and Georgia is one of them. See the national tracker for every state, or why published counts differ.
Neighboring states
- Alabama Sanctioned
- Florida Sanctioned
- North Carolina Sanctioned
- South Carolina Not sanctioned
- Tennessee Sanctioned
Equipment rules in Georgia
| Headgear | Required: soft-shell headgear or headband rated 5 stars by the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab |
|---|---|
| Mouthguard | Required |
| Flags | Three |
| Cleats | Up to ½ inch; no metal, ceramic or detachable cleats |
| Ball | Wilson GST Speedskin Heir Women's for semifinals and finals |
From GHSA Flag Football Rules Book 2026 and headgear requirement (2026). The NFHS rules apply where the state is silent — see equipment rules by state.
Georgia girls' flag football state champions
| 2025 Division 5 | Pope def. McEachern, 14-13 |
|---|---|
| 2025 Division 4 | Blessed Trinity def. Milton, 21-20 |
| 2025 Division 3 | North Oconee def. Whitewater, 31-6 |
| 2025 Division 2 | Greenbrier def. Jenkins, 20-13 |
| 2025 Division 1 | Harris County def. Washington County, 32-0 |
| 2024 Division 4 | McEachern |
From the GHSA's own record. Every final we have confirmed is on our state champions page.
Funding for girls' flag football in Georgia
- Atlanta Falcons and Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation: Grants to launch or support girls' flag programs. Every Georgia high school is eligible for a 2026 grant; the foundation funded 305 Georgia schools in 2025, 45 of them new programs. Earlier rounds launched programs in Alabama and Montana. No amounts published. Apply or register interest. (Falcons, 7 Jan 2026)
National grants open to schools anywhere are in our directory of girls' flag football grants.
More on girls' flag football
- How to start a girls' flag football team
- Grants and NFL club funding for girls' flag football
- Girls' flag football state champions, every state
- Women's flag football scholarships by division
- Flag football at the 2028 Olympics: where high school fits
- High school girls' flag football rules: the FAQ
- Equipment rules by state: headgear, mouthguards, flags, cleats
- How many girls play flag football, by state
- The sanctioning timeline, state by state
- When girls' flag football season is played in each state
- How the rules differ from state to state
- The pathway from high school to college
- Every state and the District of Columbia