Women’s flag football growth is reshaping the landscape of American sport, and the NFL and a roster of its most decorated players are placing serious money behind it. An estimated 102,360 girls played high school flag football in 2025 to 2026, a 551 per cent increase in just four years, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
The sport is no longer a recreational afterthought. Forty NCAA schools now offer flag football as a collegiate programme, Team USA is planning a debut at the LA 2028 Olympics, and a new professional league is being built to give elite players somewhere to go once those Games are done.
Women’s Flag Football Growth by the Numbers
The scale of the expansion goes well beyond high school corridors. According to TMRW Sports, approximately 4.1 million young people play flag football across the United States, a figure that represents a more than 50 per cent increase since 2020. The high school pipeline is deepening rapidly: the sport is now available in 39 states, and the number of young women playing on their high school teams increased by nearly 60 per cent from 2024 to 2025 alone.
Lower barriers to entry play a part in that surge. Equipment costs are minimal compared with tackle football, and the injury profile is considerably different. The recently confirmed one-in-four rate of CTE among professional tackle football players has sharpened public focus on safer alternatives, and flag football has benefited from that scrutiny.
Team USA Flag Football captain Ashlea Klam has pushed back against the idea that the sport sits below serious competition. ‘One of the biggest misconceptions is that flag football is just a recreational sport. No, people can make genuine careers out of this,’ Klam told Popsugar.
Lamar Jackson, the Lady Dreamers and Women’s Flag Football Growth
Lamar Jackson, quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, has been involved in the sport’s development for years. The Florida native launched the Lady Dreamers flag football team in 2020 as part of his Forever Dreamers Foundation, which focuses on youth mental health awareness.
‘Investing in the Lady Dreamers isn’t just about teaching girls the game of football, it’s about providing opportunities to lead, compete and believe in themselves,’ Jackson told Popsugar via email. ‘Playing team sports is one of the most significant things kids can do, because it builds character, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Every young girl who steps on that field is gaining something that will carry her far beyond football.’
Two of his players speak to that directly. Aubrey G., a Florida high schooler and member of the Lady Dreamers, said: ‘I was introduced to the game in middle school, and haven’t stopped playing since. Flag football has taught me that no matter how hard the game might be, there’s always a possibility to come back and win.’ Kassie H., another Lady Dreamer, has set her sights on the Olympic stage: ‘My goal is to reach the Olympics in 2028, and represent my country.’
The New Professional League and Its Backers
The NFL is partnering with TMRW Sports to launch a full-time professional league for both men and women, designed to give athletes a competitive pathway beyond the Olympics. The investor group includes Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson, Steve Young and Larry Fitzgerald, alongside women’s sports figures Billie Jean King, Ilana Kloss, Alex Morgan and Serena Williams.
Brian Flinn, described in the piece as NFL SVP of Global Flag Football, framed the launch in clear terms. ‘Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and much of that growth is being driven by women and girls,’ he said. ‘The launch of a professional league is an important step in strengthening the flag football pathway, giving elite players more opportunities to compete, increasing visibility for the sport, and providing young athletes with something to aspire to.’
Izzy Geraci, a Team USA athlete and TMRW Sports pro flag football ambassador, grew up watching American football in Cleveland before finding her way back to the game through the flag code after a stint playing collegiate basketball. ‘To go from discovering it, to representing Team USA, to having the opportunity to play in the Olympics, and now seeing a professional league being built by the NFL and TMRW Sports is surreal,’ she said. ‘It feels like a full-circle moment, and I’m beyond excited about what this next chapter represents for the sport.’
With 39 states now offering the game at high school level and a professional league in development, the structural framework around women’s flag football is taking shape at pace. The LA 2028 Olympics, where Team USA is scheduled to make its debut, now represents a step on a longer journey rather than a ceiling.