Girls Flag Football in Montana
Pilot Montana has organized play without a formal sanctioning vote.
Is girls' flag football a varsity sport in Montana?
Not yet as a fully sanctioned sport. The Montana High School Association (MHSA) recognizes organized high school play — as an emerging, pilot or association-run event — without having formally adopted girls' flag football as a sanctioned sport. Checked against MHSA's own materials on 2026-09-15.
Does Montana have girls' flag football?
Yes. High schools in Montana play girls' flag football in MHSA-recognized programs that are not yet fully sanctioned. The season is played in fall.
When is girls' flag football season in Montana?
Fall. From MHSA's own materials.
Can you play college flag football in Montana?
We have not yet found a varsity women's flag football program at a college in Montana. Neighboring states with checked programs: North Dakota (1). Our college list covers NAIA, NJCAA and NCAA programs nationwide.
The details
| Governing body | Montana High School Association (MHSA) |
|---|---|
| Season | Fall |
Checked on 2026-09-15 against MHSA's association sport page.
The MHSA describes girls flag football as an MHSA emerging sport, listed among its fall activities. An emerging sport must complete a two-year provisional period; the sport committee then reports to the MHSA Annual Meeting, where the membership votes to sanction it, keep it provisional, or remove it. An NFHS article in January 2025 said Montana was expected to sanction that year; the MHSA's own page still lists it as emerging. Not to be confused with MHSAA, the abbreviation used by both Michigan and Mississippi.
College programmes in Montana
We have not yet checked a college women's flag football program based in Montana. See the programs we have checked in other states, or the college overview for the NAIA, NJCAA and NCAA timelines.
How states sanction the sport
Our guide explains how Montana's association handles new sports, alongside the rules other states use.
Where Montana fits nationally
23 states and the District of Columbia have sanctioned girls' flag football as a high school sport, by our count. See the national tracker for every state, or why published counts differ.
Neighboring states
- Idaho Not sanctioned
- North Dakota Not sanctioned
- South Dakota Not sanctioned
- Wyoming Not sanctioned
Equipment rules in Montana
| Headgear | Knit cap without a bill only |
|---|---|
| Mouthguard | Required |
| Flags | Three |
| Cleats | Up to ½ inch; no projecting metal |
| Ball | Wilson 1784 TDY for semifinals and final |
From MHSA Flag Football Rules Book 2026 (2026). The NFHS rules apply where the state is silent — see equipment rules by state.
Funding for girls' flag football in Montana
- 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