Girls Flag Football Just Became Official in D.C., and 25 Schools Are About to Explode

Flag football is officially here for high school girls in Washington, D.C., and the District is not messing around. The D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCSAA) just sanctioned girls flag football as a varsity sport, announced Sunday on the National Mall with the 2027 NFL Draft countdown ticking in the background. This is not a drill. This is real.

The Big Play: D.C. Joins 19 States and Maryland

D.C. is now part of a growing national movement. Twenty states have already sanctioned girls flag football as a high school varsity sport, and the District just became number 20. The timing is perfect, too. Maryland approved girls flag football as a state-sanctioned sport just two days earlier through the Maryland Public Schools Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA). The whole DMV area is suddenly moving in the same direction, and momentum is real.

The Washington Commanders backed the move hard. In their statement, the team said it straight: "Girls flag football is now an officially sanctioned sport in Maryland and D.C.! We are proud to support the expansion of this sport through monetary contributions and equipment, resources, and training. Our commitment to creating equitable access to participation and a sustainable pathway to program success continues, with expanded participation coming in 2026."

From Nine Schools to 25: The Growth Is Wild

Last season, nine D.C. high schools played girls flag football. Nine. Now that it is officially sanctioned, 25 schools are expected to participate in 2026. That is a massive jump. The nine schools that were already playing were Bell Multicultural, Benjamin Banneker Academic, Coolidge, Eastern Senior, Frank J. Ballou, KIPP DC College Prep, McKinley Technology, School Without Walls, and Theodore Roosevelt. These pioneers paved the way.

The Commanders did not just talk about it either. They held two flag football skills clinics on the National Mall for local youth and high school players. The team is already supporting 127 schools across the DMV, including 51 teams each in Maryland and Virginia in 2025. That covers Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, plus Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia.

The States Leading the Charge

Girls flag football is now sanctioned in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington. That list keeps growing, and D.C. is the latest proof that high school girls deserve access to football at the varsity level.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.