Flag football is a sport played by men and women, but primarily the latter, that is quickly gaining in popularity. With over 1.5 million youth participants in the United States, more kids are now playing flag football instead of traditional football. Flag football is very similar to its parent sport including the objective of scoring as many points as possible, but differs on other aspects, especially those pertaining to contact. For example, designated flag football fields are often shorter than regular football fields, a player is “tackled” by their flag being pulled, instead of being forced down, there are fewer players on the field, and no field goals are allowed or kickoffs after scores. Many schools across the country are now offering flag football teams as an extracurricular activity, and a team was recently brought to Rome High School this school year. The sport, at Rome, is played as a fall sport, and they began their inaugural and highly successful season just a few months ago, even appearing in the GHSA playoffs with a 10-3 record.
“I think that’d be super cool if we had one. I think it’s really growing, and I know a lot of people on my soccer team actually play, and I know they enjoy it,” senior Savannah Palmer said.
Like Palmer said, the buzz about girls flag football has definitely grown since area schools began offering the sport. If the sport came to Darlington, it would likely take place in the fall season, similar to Rome’s schedule, and would fill the gap in girls sports options offered in the fall.
“I think cross country gets a lot of overflow from anything. Volleyball, they have a lot of cuts, and softball is a hard sport to just get started in,” sophomore Callie Eady said.
Eady infers that this would present a new option that people could participate in and take the load of off cross country and the overflow of athletes on that team. Flag football is riding on the hype and love for American football and a girls flag football team could bridge the gap between loving to watch American football and the inability to play the sport, allowing girls to experience what they see on TV.
“I think football’s already super popular. A lot of people take interest in watching college football and everything like that so I think a lot of people would be interested, and I know a lot of athletic people would do great at it,” Palmer said.
Not only is there an overwhelming amount of talented female athletes, there is an especially a great amount who do not have a fall sport or athletes who would be interested in switching or trying something new for a season, seeing it as an opportunity to meet new people or make unique memories with their friends.
“I think since it would be new, not many people who have done it before, and many people would be interested in doing it for the first time and doing it with their friends and having fun,” Eady said.
The desire for an alternative game of football for girls has existed before the last few years, and has just recently seen a rise in interest from younger generations.
[Updated to add a quote from science teacher Stephani Perkins.] “Growing up, I was a tomboy, and I was always doing stuff with the boys, more physical activity. And I actually played tackle football when I was little. But then when I got older the only girls that I saw playing football were typically kickers, and I actually wanted to do things like run the ball. When you get older, there’s obviously a strength difference between a freshman male and a freshman female, and so I wished that we had a flag football team. I did play tackle football, arena football, because post-collegiate, and it was an all-female team, and I enjoyed it…”
What started as hallway buzz and scattered ideas now has legs to run with multiple new opportunities to support schools like Darlington, who express interest in a team.
“I am aware of a grant, and I think it would be trying to find teams that are local to Floyd County and starting with playing teams that are a little bit closer just to develop the team and actually have a couple games. And then obviously figure out what other 1A through 3A schools offer it and try to set up a schedule with those,” said Perkins. “I think that this flag football thing is going to turn into something that could potentially be played at the NCAA level.”