You watched a game, you saw the highlights, maybe a friend just made her school’s roster. Now you want in. The good news: girls flag football is the fastest-growing sport in high school athletics, and there are more ways to find a team than ever. Here’s exactly where to look.
Step 1: Start With Your High School
Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C. now sanction high school girls flag football as an official varsity sport with a state championship. More than 37 states offer it in some form, including pilot programs and district leagues.
The catch: seasons aren’t the same everywhere. Here’s how it breaks down right now:
- Fall: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, North Carolina
- Winter: Nevada, Washington
- Spring: Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee
- Coming soon: Kentucky begins play in 2027–28
Kansas is playing its first sanctioned season this fall. Photo: @ladymavsflagfb
What to do: Ask your athletic director or check your school’s athletics website. If your school has a team, find out when tryouts or interest meetings happen. In spring states, those meetings often happen in the winter, so ask early.
Step 2: Search NFL FLAG Leagues
If your school doesn’t have a team, or you’re not in high school yet, NFL FLAG runs youth leagues all over the country, including girls-only divisions. Their site has a league finder where you enter your zip code and see what’s nearby.
Many NFL teams also run their own girls flag programs with local high schools and rec departments. Check your closest NFL team’s community page. They often list partner schools and leagues.
NFL teams like the Ravens back girls flag programs in their states. Photo: @cburg_flag
Step 3: Look at Club and Travel Teams
Club flag football teams play outside the school season and travel to tournaments. They’re a great fit if:
- Your school season is months away and you want reps now
- You want more competitive games against top players
- You’re thinking about playing in college
Photo: @jserra.girlsflagfootball
Search “girls flag football club” plus your city on Google and Instagram. Most club teams post tryout dates on social media first.
Step 4: Use Instagram Like a Search Engine
Almost every high school and club team has an Instagram account, and that’s where they post schedules, tryouts and open practices. Try searching:
- Your school name + “flag football”
- Your city or county + “girls flag”
- Hashtags like #girlsflagfootball plus your state
Then send a DM. Coaches want more players, and most will answer.
You can also drop your city in the comments on our Instagram. Teams and players from all over the country hang out there, and someone near you might see it.
Step 5: No Team? Start One
Plenty of today’s programs started because one player asked. If there’s nothing near you, talk to your athletic director, find a teacher willing to coach and gather a list of interested girls. In many states, a petition with enough names is how a sport gets added. We’ll walk through the whole process in an upcoming post.
What to Bring to Your First Practice
- Cleats (soccer cleats work fine to start)
- A mouthguard (most high school leagues require one)
- Water and a good attitude
- Gloves if you have them, but they’re not required on day one
Never played football before? That’s fine. Soccer, basketball, track, softball and volleyball skills all transfer. Every flag girl started somewhere.
And when you’re ready to gear up, everything at Flag-Up is made for female flag football athletes, including the MVPocket sports bra with a built-in mouthguard pocket. No more losing it in your sock.
Found your team? Tag us on Instagram. We want to see you out there.
Her Game. Her Gear. Raise Your Flag-Up.
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