In a move that comes on the heels of growing traction in recent years and could prelude growth in other states, the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section has voted to approve girls flag football as an official sport.
The governing body voted 61-26 with two abstentions to make it an official sports with the goal of launching it for the 2023-24 school year, according to ABC7.
At both high school and college, girls flag football participation has increased in recent years. It is sanctioned at the high school level seven states — Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and New York, per CBS — and is an NAIA collegiate sport. In 2021, the NFL and Nike launched a $5 million grant toward the sport, and the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers launched a pilot high school league that elicited response from more than 70 schools wanting in, according to the Associated Press.
