Girls flag football approved to be next sanctioned fall sport in Arizona for 2023

AIA voted to get girls flag football off-and-running next fall as newest championship sport

YUMA, Ariz., (KYMA, KECY) - The Arizona Interscholastic Association’s Executive Board has voted to establish girls flag football as the association’s newest sanctioned sport, kicking off in the fall of 2023.

After years of collaborating and vying to make flag football an official high school sport, Monday night's vote makes it a reality for a sport that has been played competitively in the spring for some time now - mainly in the east valley.

Over the past two seasons, the AIA has observed flag football leagues across Arizona that featured member schools. An exploratory committee then convened to gather information on these games and to create a rulebook.

The guidelines the AIA will adopt were based on rules from the few other states that carry flag football and now its fall season will coincide with the tackle football championships.

When it comes to the schools who will be participating, at least in the inaugural season next fall, many of them have already had a team playing in the spring and were the driving force in getting the sport sanctioned.

Many of the schools were within the Chandler Unified School District - so that is the model the AIA used to review how they ran the league and the rules implemented.

That's the AIA put together a committee to review the rule book and presentation, followed by inquiring other districts with surveys across the state.

So far, there hasn't been much feedback from Yuma schools, according to the AIA.

For AIA Sports Information Coordinator, Seth Polansky, the association's goal is to give student athletes and the most opportunities that make sense for the school.

"Any time the AIA and its executive board, the administrators, the athletic directors of the state have a chance to add a sport or add an opportunity through activities, we're going to do it," said Polansky. "We will add sports that make sense to schools whether it be by collegiate scholarship opportunities or if it's a sport that's easy to manage and maintain, either from a facilities stand point or a financial stand point."

It's also a huge step up for female athletes with a chance to excel on the field in another sport.

"Kids are in high school only once, so we might as well make it the best we can for them," added Polansky. "We want to give them the most opportunities as possible and do what's best for the school."

The AIA expects at least 30 schools to participate in the inaugural season that kicks off in Fall 2023, with a shot at a state title.