There was a lot of talk at the UIL's legislative council meeting about the possibility of adding girls flag football as a sanctioned sport somewhere down

The landscape of girls flag football in Illinois continues shifting as the foundation being built at the high school level now grows toward higher education. What started with 22 teams in Chicago Public Schools in 2021 spread like wildfire to become an Illinois High School Association-sanctioned sport in February.

In the past year, participation from girls has doubled at FRC Youth football, going from 6 teams up to 12. Nationwide, studies show participation increased from 1 million girls to 1.6 million in 2023.

Flag football has become one of the hottest and fastest growing sports for kids to play. For girls specifically, it’s one they have seized.

The Illinois High School Association sanctioned girls flag football this year, one of many states to do so amid a national wave of attention for the burgeoning sport.