(CLAIR) – In a historic move, last September, the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) voted to approve girls flag football as an official sport.
The governing body voted 61-26 with two abstentions to make it official, with the goal of launching it for the 2023-24 school year. This is a major step forward for the sport, as it becomes officially recognized by the CIF, which governs high school sports in Southern California.
This move comes on the heels of growing traction in recent years for girls flag football, both at the high school and college level. The sport is already sanctioned in states such as Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and New York, and is also an NAIA collegiate sport.
The NFL and Nike have also thrown their support behind the sport, launching a $5 million grant toward girls flag football in 2021. Additionally, the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers launched a pilot high school league that elicited response from more than 70 schools wanting to participate.
As for the sport itself, girls flag football will be a 7-on-7 matchup, similar to boys flag football.
Moorpark High School has already begun a girls flag football program, with coach Tim Lins at the helm as the first girls flag football coach in the area.
Simi Valley High School is also getting in on the action, actively seeking a Head Girls Flag Football Coach for the Fall 2023 Season. This will be the inaugural season of girls flag football for the school. Qualified candidates are encouraged to email a letter of interest and athletic resume to the Athletic Director, Joelle Cardona at [email protected]
This move by the CIF to officially recognize girls flag football is a significant step forward for the sport and its female athletes. With more and more girls participating and support from major organizations like the NFL and Nike, it’s likely that we’ll see even more states follow California’s lead in the near future.
