Flag Football becoming a NYSPHSAA championship sport in spring 2024
Feb. 1—The Executive Committee of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) approved three proposals for the sport of girls flag football at its quarterly meeting Wednesday morning.
These proposals, which were announced on the 37th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, included the formation of a girls flag football state championship starting in spring 2024.
Girls flag football was also approved to follow the NFHS playing rules and the NYSPHSAA high school sports standards, helping the sport become even more in sync with the state's other 21 recognized sports.
"With the support of the NFL, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association has provided thousands of student-athletes with the ability to play girls flag football," NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas said in a written statement. "In less than one year, the number of schools playing girls flag has nearly tripled in our state. Providing participation opportunities for students continues to be one of our top priorities.
Following a collaboration between the NYSPHSAA, Nike and the NFL's Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and New York Giants, 51 high schools across New York State formed girls flag football teams for the Spring 2022 pilot season. 20 of the initial 51 schools came from the Rochester (Section V) and Buffalo (Section VI) regions.
For the spring 2023 campaign, over 140 schools across New York State are projected to compete, with now 50 schools coming from the Western New York region. For a second straight year, the Buffalo Bills Foundation and the NFL Foundation will donate $60,000 worth of grant funding to support Section V and Section VI girls flag teams. A pre-season clinic and scrimmages will also once again be held this April at the Bills ADPRO Sports Training Center.
