Flag football is rapidly evolving from a recreational pastime into one of the most competitive and fastest-growing sports in the U.S.-and the numbers tell the story.
In 2018, approximately 11,000 high school girls played flag football. By 2023, that number climbed to over 20,000, marking an 82% increase in just five years. Participation is expected to surpass 25,000 athletes in 2024, fueled by growing state support. As of this year, 15 states-including Florida, California, and Washington-have sanctioned girls flag football as a varsity sport, with 10+ additional states currently exploring legislation to follow suit.
At the collegiate level, the sport has also taken off. Over 65 colleges and universities now sponsor women's flag football programs, many through collaborations with the NFL and NAIA, offering athletes a pathway to higher-level competition-and even Olympic dreams.
Globally, flag football has spread to over 100 countries, with 38 nations represented at the 2022 Flag Football World Championships. The sport's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games is expected to further accelerate international growth.
NFL FLAG, one of the largest youth organizers in the U.S., now serves more than 700,000 boys and girls across 1,600 leagues in all 50 states. With this explosive rise in participation at every level, flag football is firmly establishing itself as the future of the sport-on local fields, college campuses, and soon, the Olympic stage.