[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/girls-flag-football\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/girls-flag-football\/","headline":"Girls Flag Football: Ready to Step into the Spotlight","name":"Girls Flag Football: Ready to Step into the Spotlight","description":"

Girls' flag football is now an official school sport in Pennsylvania, offering safer, inclusive play. Explore the sport's growth, safety tips, and future.<\/p>","datePublished":"2024-09-09","dateModified":"2025-05-09","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","name":"Sports Medicine","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/sports-medicine-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/sports-medicine\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1792022860.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1792022860.jpg","height":868,"width":1999},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/girls-flag-football\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Sports Medicine"],"wordCount":784,"articleBody":"If you or your child has ever wished for a safer, more accessible way to play football, a solution may be coming soon to a playing field near you. If it\u2019s not already there, that is.Girls flag football \u2014 a sport whose time has come.The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) is adding girls’ flag football as an official school sport.\u00a0Sixty-two high schools\u00a0in the state will compete in the sport during the next two school years.And Aaron Mares, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician with UPMC Sports Medicine, couldn\u2019t be happier.\u201cTackle football is a fun sport, but there’s much greater accessibility with flag football,\u201d he says. \u201cThere’s empowerment, inclusion, and teamwork \u2014 all the things that make football great.\u201dFlag Football BasicsFlag football matches are divided into halves, and each team has four to 10 players, depending on league rules. The biggest difference between flag football and classic American football is that there’s no tackling. Instead, the goal is to pull off a \u201cflag\u201d or ribbon from the ball carrier\u2019s belt.Players don’t wear pads in flag football. The relative lack of equipment makes flag football an affordable sport.Flag football isn’t just for teens, either. There are leagues for children, college students, and adults around the country.Dr. Mares notes that some organizations now even award flag football scholarships to talented players. Flag football made its World Games debut in 2022 and will make its Olympics premiere in 2028, so its future is bright.Dr. Mares, who’s also the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Head Team Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician, finds flag football’s rapid growth impressive.\u201cRight now, this is mainly a fun way for people to play a sport that they love,\u201d he says. \u201cBut within a decade, there will be flag football competitions at the highest level globally.\u201dSafer, But Not Risk-FreeFlag football is considered a noncontact sport due to its no-tackling rule. \u201cThere’s a decreased safety risk without tackling,\u201d Dr. Mares says. \u201cBut it\u2019s definitely not risk-free since players do occasionally get concussions and other sports-related injuries.\u201dAccording to Dr. Mares, other common injuries occur in the lower extremities. \u201cJust like in tackle football, we see higher rates of injuries in knees, ankles, and feet,\u201d he says. \u201cThey can be either strains or sprains, involving both muscles and ligaments.\u201dFlag football players may also get shoulder injuries. \u201cWhen you\u2019re running or jumping and fall directly on your shoulder, a shoulder separation might result,\u201d Dr. Mares explains. \u201cEven though it\u2019s a noncontact sport, you can still dive or go up for a ball with mild player contact and hard landings.\u201dFocus on Injury PreventionAs with any other sport, flag football players can take steps to prevent injuries on the football field. Dr. Mares endorses preseason strength training and conditioning. \u201cGet into the gym, lift those weights, and build your flexibility as the best way to prevent injuries,\u201d he says.But just becoming a gym rat isn\u2019t enough, either, says Dr. Mares.\u201cI recommend mixing things up and including running, biking, and swimming in your routine,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe variety will elevate your level of fitness and can help prevent injuries instead of doing the same thing over and over.\u201dDr. Mares encourages athletes to work on balance and proprioception, or spatial awareness of the body\u2019s location. Here\u2019s how he explains proprioception to patients: \u201cIf I put my hand behind my back, I can\u2019t see it, but I still know that it’s there.\u201dDr. Mares also endorses wearing proper footwear and noticing any changes in field conditions that could affect safety.Proper coaching is also an important element of playing safely. \u201cHaving someone understand the game at a high level and techniques that will optimize your performance is great for safety,\u201d Dr. Mares says.You\u2019ve Come a Long WayIn addition to playing tackle football in his youth, Dr. Mares also played in some flag football tournaments. \u201cI remember flag football being very exciting and a really fun game,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of running around, and the games are high scoring.\u201dDr. Mares also remembers powder-puff football as a novelty event in which women took the field just one day per year. \u201cNow flag football is a sport like any other, and the athletes who do it can be as dedicated and serious as they want to be,\u201d he says. \u201cMy 10-year-old daughter is so excited to get on the field and try it.\u201dSourcesNational Football League. Flag football for all. LinkInternational Olympic Committee. Flag football. LinkPennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. School classifications for girls flag football. Link"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Girls Flag Football: Ready to Step into the Spotlight","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/09\/girls-flag-football\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]