AHSAA sanctions girls flag football as 27th high school sport

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Move over boys; there’s a new sport in town! Come this fall, Alabama football fans could see girls suiting up under the Friday Night Lights.

During the 13th annual Principals’ and Athletic Directors’ Conference, the Alabama High School Athletic Association sanctioned girls flag football as the next official high school sport.

“The big thing is this gives our schools another opportunity to compete,” said AHSAA Associate Executive Director Alvin Briggs. “So it’s not just great news for the sport of football, it’s great news for our young ladies to have another platform to compete on.”

Alabama becomes the fifth state to add the sport, joining Alaska, Nevada, Florida and most recently Georgia. The association is also partnering with the Atlanta Falcons and NFL Flag to make the idea a reality come fall 2021.

“People can expect some exciting football,” said NFL Flag Executive Director Izell Reese. “These young ladies are ballers. They’re very athletic and I know we’re gonna represent and show up in Alabama and I can’t wait to watch these young ladies play.”

“It’s another avenue for the young ladies to compete, you know, and wherever we can give another platform for anyone to compete, anyone to excel in athletics, we want to do that,” added Briggs. “That’s what we’re here for.”

The teams will include a 25-person roster with a minimum of eight games on the schedule. The season would begin in the fall, with the championship taking place on Wednesday during the Super 7.

Briggs says in order for the sport to get started this fall, there needs to be enough interests from schools, nd he’s confident that will happen.

“We believe we will,” he said. “We’ve already got those preliminary formats already laid out. It just all depends on the number of teams we have.”

“Girls deserve this opportunity, young women deserve this opportunity, and when I saw how many girls were playing in Florida, it was only a matter of time before more states continue to pick it up,” added Izell.

This will be the 27th sport to be sanctioned in Alabama.

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