Girls and Women in High School Football
How girls and women take part in high school football as players, flag athletes, coaches, officials, trainers and staff, and how state rules and Title IX shape their options.
On a Friday night, count the women you can see at a high school football game. One is the head athletic trainer taping an ankle on the sideline. Another is in the press box running the clock. A third is a game official in the striped shirt, another is leading the cheer squad, and several more are sitting in the booster club's concession stand. Somewhere on the field there may be a girl in a helmet, a kicker or lineman or linebacker, practicing with the same team as the boys.
Football's public image still leans toward men and boys, but the sport at the high school level has long had women and girls in many roles, and the number of ways to take part has been growing. This guide covers where girls and women fit in high school football: playing on a tackle team, playing flag football, coaching, officiating, athletic training, and the many jobs behind the scenes. It also explains how the rules and laws work, because they are less simple than people expect and they vary by state.
Can girls play on a high school football team?
The short answer is that in many places they can, but the details depend on the state and the school.
What the law says
The federal law that covers equality in education, Title IX, applies to schools that receive federal funding. In athletics, it generally requires schools to offer equitable opportunities to girls and boys. It also contains a provision about contact sports: a school may offer separate teams for boys and girls, and where a school has a team in a non-contact sport for only one sex, the other sex generally must be allowed to try out. The regulations list football among the contact sports, so Title IX itself does not require a school to let girls onto a boys' football team. It also does not prohibit it.
That leaves the decision to states and schools, and the result is a patchwork. Many state athletic associations allow girls to try out for and play on football teams. Some have specific rules about it, such as requiring that a girl follow the same physical, eligibility and equipment requirements as everyone else. Others leave the decision to districts. A girl or her family who wants to play should ask the school's athletic director and consult the state association's policy. Because rules and interpretations change, the association is the best source.
What it looks like in practice
Girls who play tackle football on a high school team usually do so as a member of the regular team. They are held to the same standards in practice, conditioning and academics. Common positions for girls include kicker and punter, where the skills are specialized, but girls also play on the lines, at linebacker, in the secondary and at running back and receiver. A position is a job for whoever can do it, and a coach decides who plays by performance, as for any other player.
The experience varies. Some girls are welcomed immediately. Others meet doubt and have to earn trust in practice. A strong program has clear expectations about respect, and a coach who treats a new player as a player first. Locker room arrangements, changing space and travel rules also need to be handled sensibly, which is a good reason for a family to talk with the coach and athletic director before the season. Schools have policies about harassment and discrimination, and a player who experiences either should report it to a coach, the athletic director, a principal, or the district's Title IX coordinator.
Girls' flag football
For many girls, the more common path into the sport is flag football. In flag football, defenders remove a flag from the ball carrier's belt instead of tackling, which lowers the contact and removes the need for most protective equipment. The sport has been played recreationally for a long time, and in recent years a growing number of state athletic associations and districts have added girls' flag football as a sanctioned high school sport, with schedules, playoffs and championships of its own.
Because the sport is growing, the picture changes from year to year. Some states have a full sanctioned season, some are running pilot programs, and some leave it to clubs and community leagues. If you are interested in flag football for a girl at your school, ask the athletic director whether the sport is offered, which state association governs it, and what the season looks like. Our Play section also covers recreational football, including flag, for people who want to play outside the school system.
Flag football rules differ from tackle football, and they differ from league to league: the number of players, the field size, whether there is blocking, and how plays begin. A good league explains these rules in a handbook. If you are new to the game, the basics in Downs and Distance Explained still apply to most flag formats.
Beyond playing: the many roles for women and girls
Football at the high school level depends on a long list of roles. Women and girls hold many of them.
Coaches
Women coach football in a variety of roles, including as position coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, coordinators, and head coaches. There are also women who coach girls' flag teams and who coach in youth programs. The path to coaching usually starts with a coaching certification required by the state or district, a background check, and experience as an assistant. You can read about the process in How to Become a High School Football Coach.
Officials
Game officials are in constant demand. A woman who wants to officiate high school football can register with her state association, complete rules training, pass an exam and begin with sub-varsity games. The pay is modest, but the work is steady, and associations actively recruit new officials. See How to Become a High School Football Official.
Athletic trainers and medical staff
Many athletic trainers are women, and the profession is open to everyone. Athletic trainers prevent, evaluate and treat injuries, and they are essential for player safety. Team physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and emergency medical staff may be women too. Read about this work in Athletic Trainers in High Schools: Why They Matter.
Team managers, statisticians and video staff
Student managers, who can be girls or boys, help with equipment, water, film and organization. Statisticians record the data that appears in newspapers and websites. Videographers record film for coaches. These roles are a good way to learn the game, and they sometimes lead to careers in coaching, sports media or athletic administration.
Band, cheer, dance and spirit
Marching band, cheer and dance programs are a large part of game day, and women and girls make up a large share of them. They are athletic and artistic programs in their own right; see Marching Bands, Cheer and Dance Teams at High School Games.
Administrators, broadcasters and photographers
Athletic directors, principals, superintendents, game managers and communications staff keep the whole thing running. Local radio and streaming broadcasts, school newspapers, yearbook staff and community photographers also play a part, and many are women. A student interested in sports media can start by volunteering for the school's broadcast or newspaper.
Women and football beyond high school
High school is not the end of the story. Women play tackle football in adult leagues at several levels, and there are women's national and international competitions. At the college level, women work as coaches, staff, officials and executives, which we cover in Women in College Football: Coaches, Officials, Staff and Players. For the longer arc, see The History of Women's Football. The NFL has also hired women as coaches, officials and executives in recent years, though the details change over time and are better found in current news than in a reference article.
For a girl who plays flag football in high school, the next steps may include college club flag teams or varsity programs where they are offered. Programs for women's flag football at the collegiate level have been growing, but the availability depends on the college and the governing body, so ask a college's athletic department.
Safety and equipment
Anyone who plays tackle football should have properly fitted equipment and appropriate medical oversight. That is just as true for a girl as for a boy. Some points to consider:
- Fit. Helmets and pads must be fitted by someone trained to do it. A helmet that is too large or too small is a safety risk. Some players need different sizing for shoulder pads or other equipment, and a good equipment manager adjusts for it.
- Medical clearance. All players need a pre-participation physical as required by the state association. Questions about individual health are for a doctor.
- Concussion awareness. Concussions occur in football for any athlete. The rules for recognizing and responding to them apply to everyone; see The NFL Concussion Protocol Explained for the professional model and ask your school about its own policy.
- Conditioning. Start strength and conditioning early and under qualified supervision.
- Facilities. Locker rooms, restrooms and training rooms must give everyone privacy and dignity. If a school lacks adequate facilities for girls on the team, that is something to raise with the athletic director.
For safety questions specific to an individual player, a doctor or athletic trainer is the right person to ask, not a general article.
Challenges that remain
It is fair to be honest about the obstacles.
- Stereotypes. Some people assume girls do not belong in the sport. Good coaching and consistent standards help break that down.
- Access. Not every school or state offers the same opportunities, especially for flag football.
- Role models. Girls benefit from seeing women in visible roles, which is one reason recruiting women as coaches and officials matters.
- Resources. Girls' programs may need equipment and field time, and funding rules apply. See Funding High School Athletics: Fees, Fundraising and Budgets.
- Climate. A team culture where respect is expected, and misconduct is addressed, is as important as any rule.
Practical steps for a girl or family interested in playing
- Ask the athletic director whether the school allows girls to try out for tackle football and whether it offers girls' flag football.
- Read the state association's policy on mixed participation and flag football.
- Talk with the coach about expectations, positions, and the team's conditioning program.
- Complete the physical and paperwork required of all athletes.
- Visit practice or a game to see how the program works and whether it is a good fit.
- Consider community leagues if the school does not yet offer a program. Our Play section is a good starting point.
- Find mentors. Coaches, trainers and officials who are women can offer advice.
What coaches and schools can do to make a program welcoming
Whether a program has one girl on the roster or a full flag team, a few habits make a difference.
- Set expectations before the season. A short talk with the whole team about respect, language and conduct tells everyone that the standard is the same for all players.
- Treat the player as a player. Coaching feedback should be about technique, effort and results, not about who the athlete is.
- Plan the logistics. Changing space, restrooms, travel arrangements and room assignments on overnight trips should be settled with the athletic director in advance, so the player is not left to solve them alone.
- Make reporting simple. Everyone on the team should know whom to tell if they experience harassment, and that the school will take it seriously.
- Recruit women into the staff. A girl is more likely to feel she belongs when she can see women as coaches, trainers, officials and managers.
- Share the spotlight fairly. Recognition, newspaper mentions and awards should reflect what players do on the field.
Myths worth retiring
- "Girls are not interested in football." Participation in flag football and in support roles shows otherwise, and plenty of girls have wanted to play for as long as the sport has been played.
- "Girls cannot be good at the sport." Skill depends on the individual, the position and the training, not on a label.
- "Safety rules are different for girls." The safety standards for fit, conditioning, concussion recognition and heat apply to every athlete.
- "Women only help behind the scenes." Women also coach, officiate, treat injuries and manage programs at the highest levels of the sport.
The short version
- Title IX does not require schools to put girls on a tackle football team, and it does not forbid it; state associations and schools decide.
- Many girls play tackle football on regular school teams, often as kickers or linemen, and they are held to the same standards as other players.
- Girls' flag football is a growing sanctioned sport in a number of states, but availability varies, so ask your athletic director.
- Women hold many roles in high school football: coaches, officials, athletic trainers, managers, statisticians, band, cheer, administrators and media.
- Fit, medical clearance and a respectful team culture matter for everyone.
- Rules differ by state and change, so check your state association for the current policy.