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The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is planning to launch a pilot program for girls’ flag football. The program is expected to commence next spring and continue through the following spring.
Flag football has seen an increase in popularity in recent years, with many clubs already established in New Jersey. This growth mirrors a national trend. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, in partnership with the NFL, sanctioned flag football as an official varsity sport for female student-athletes in 2020. Furthermore, the number of girls playing flag football in U.S. high schools doubled to 11,000 in the decade leading up to 2018-19.
One of the challenges that the NJSIAA faces is the codification of rules for girls’ flag football at the national level. Currently, club rules in New Jersey can vary, and the sport is already sanctioned in seven other states. The NJSIAA will need to evaluate these differences to establish a standardized set of rules for the sport.
The NJSIAA is a non-profit organization that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments in various sports. It is comprised of approximately 440 accredited public and non-public high schools. The organization sponsors championship competition for girls in sports such as basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, outdoor track, winter track, volleyball, and wrestling.