Steelers And Eagles Helped Make Girls' Flag Football An Official State Sport

The Pittsburgh Steelers and their players are well known for their work in the communities surrounding the Steel City. These include Thanksgiving turkey distributions, player visits to UPMC Children's Hospital, the Chuck Noll Foundation for brain injury research, and the Heyward House, which was started by fan favorite and 2023 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, Cameron Heyward. Now, the team is partnering with their interstate rival to make some more good happen. 

The Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles have joined forces to make flag football an officially sanctioned girls' high school sport. Once considered something elementary school students played during physical education class, flag football has soared in popularity. According to Michelle Steele from ESPN, the two NFL teams banded together and were driving forces in the effort to help more female athletes play football. 

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), the statewide organization governing high school sports, approved the measure. This means that starting with the 2025-2026 school year, female students in the Commonwealth will be able to be recognized as real high school sports rather than just club teams. The PIAA required that the state come up with 100 teams in total, which they did with 36 in Pittsburgh and 65 in Philadelphia. 

Eagles owner Jeff Lurie said this is an important day for both franchises and the state. He shared with Steele that the original goal was ambitious: set in 2022, they hoped to have the sport sanctioned in five years. They have managed to get it done two years ahead of schedule. He acknowledges the hard work of all the players, parents, administrations, coaches, and officials who helped raise awareness. 

Now that flag football is state-sanctioned, the young women who play will be able to compete for state championships. This will allow Pennsylvania to be at the forefront of developing talent that can be channeled into college and even the up-and-coming professional league.   

The sport of flag football is growing in popularity, especially among women. The International Olympic Committee is even considering it as an official sport for both men and women for the 2028 games scheduled for Los Angeles. That is reflected in the growth of high school teams nationwide. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, 42,955 girls play flag football during the 2023-2024 school year. That is a 105% increase from the prior school year. 

Flag football is considered much safer than tackle football, which is so popular in the United States. In the flag version, no one ever gets tackled. Instead, the play ends when the ball carrier's flag is pulled from their belt. 

Steelers Represented In Girls' Flag Football Tournament

Those 36 teams in and around Pittsburgh represent the various communities in Western Pennsylvania. They include the Belle Vernon Leopards, Mount Lebanon Blue Devils, Propel Braddock Hills Lions, and the Upper St. Clair Panthers, among many others. 

The Steelers recently congratulated the first Girls' Flag Football Big 33 team who represented them in the first ever Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association. According to the Steelers, the Big 33 Football Classic is a high school all-star game between Pennsylvania and Maryland teams. This was the first year where girls' flag football was represented. The teams that participated were all sponsored by the Steelers, Eagles, Washington Commanders, or the Baltimore Ravens. The Moon Tigers are back-to-back champions.  

Over the years, women's participation in the NFL has been on the rise. As of the 2024 season, there are three female field referees and six female replay officials or assistants. In 2015, Jen Welter led the way for women in NFL coaching and now there are 12 women in full-time coaching positions in the league, that is more than any other male professional sport. 

What do you think about the rise of flag football? Click to comment below. 

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