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PENINSULA SPORTS, INC.
FLAG FOOTBALL
As of this school year (2023), flag football is officially a CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) recognized sport for girls. The Central Coast Section officially approved Girls Flag Football as a Fall Sport. PSI is scrambling to assemble a roster of officials to cover the Jamborees and regular games played as solo contests or at Super Sites with three or more schools participating. Plenty of young women have signed up for the sport and a handful of schools have formed squads. Although there is no formal League set up for the PCAL or SCCAL, high schools from both leagues are playing this fall (2023) and PSI expects that more schools will adopt the sport in the coming years.
The upcoming academic year will mark the first time students in California will be able to join girls' flag football as a state-sponsored varsity sport.
Why it matters: Girls' flag football has been around for years, but designating it an official high school sport will allow for expanded programming, funding opportunities and competition.
Catch up quick: The Federated Council of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the state's governing body of high school sports, unanimously approved the plan this year after a surge in interest among recreational leagues.
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Support from California's NFL teams has also spurred widespread engagement across the state, with the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers piloting a regional high school league.
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The San Francisco 49ers similarly backed the push for the state to sponsor the sport and the team has hosted several co-ed school camps, including a girls' flag skills jamboree last year. It has pledged to help with startup costs this season.
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"We really want more women to be at the forefront in the world of sports, specifically in the football industry," flag football athlete and 49ers associate counsel Myka Bell said in a statement in February after the CIF's vote.
State of play: Flag football will be offered as a fall sport this year, though schools with pre-existing spring seasons can retain that schedule if they choose.
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Teams will compete 7-on-7 in four 12-minute quarters, according to rules ironed out after the CIF's vote.
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If enough schools participate, the state could set up regional and state championships.
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The CIF, which is under California's Department of Education, has since shared campaigns focused on the message that football is a "game for all."
Zoom in: The San Francisco section of CIF, which covers the San Francisco Unified School District, has sponsored flag football locally since 2012 and has historically offered spring programs.
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Ten of its teams will participate this season, which will kick off in March, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The big picture: California joins a growing list of states offering flag football in high school athletics, including Florida, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada.