Liberty's Lili Mendez Martinez (41) is congratulated by Emma Shilling (22) after scoring a touchdown. (Photo by Nathaniel Heath)

In its second year as an OSAA emerging activity, girls flag football not only has taken a major step toward sanctioning, but it continues to evolve on the field.

Participation has grown from 32 schools in 2024 to 47 last year and 58 this year, surpassing the 50-school threshold needed for a vote on sanctioning. And with a new rule book from NFHS – the national governing body for high school sports – teams are adapting their strategies.

Pending approval from the delegate assembly in October, flag football can become an official OSAA sport in 2027. Organizers like their chances of clearing that hurdle.

“I tend to be an optimist,” said Liberty coach Rebecca Brisson, a driving force for the sport in Oregon. “I would like to think it's a no-brainer. It's a pretty low-cost sport. My heart will be broken if it's not sanctioned.”

Flag football could become the third sport to gain sanctioning by the OSAA in recent years, following girls wrestling (2023-24) and boys volleyball (2026). Before that, the last sport to become sanctioned was softball in 1979.

Flag football added 20 new schools this year, more than compensating for schools that dropped out. Organizers are hopeful that sanctioning will result in explosive growth next year.

In the Portland area, schools fielding teams for the first time this year include Wells, Nelson, Putnam, Sandy and Horizon Christian. Growth has extended to east with Bend, Madras, Mountain View, The Dalles, and south with North Medford, South Medford, Grants Pass, Eagle Point and Coquille.

Among the other new schools is Amity, which is filled with athletes from the 3A champion soccer and basketball teams. Despite having only a few practices before the season, the Warriors have been dominant, outscoring opponents 285-20 in a 6-0 start. They are No. 1 in the OSAA power rankings.

“It turns out they're pretty good at flag football, too,” said Amity assistant Jed McMullen, the head coach for girls basketball. “They're just so dynamic athletically. There were zero expectations. It was all about them having as much fun as possible.”

Amity's games are drawing crowds.

“A lot of people in the community are coming,” McMullen said. “They're like, 'Hey, that's fun to watch.' The girls are having fun with the success. For the seniors, it's a good way for them to kind of wind it down.”

Flag football is surging in popularity nationwide. It will debut as an Olympic sport in 2028. Colleges continue to add programs, adding incentive for high school girls to participate.

“It feels like every week a college is announcing that they're offering scholarships,” Brisson said. “It's now not just going to be something fun to do. It's like, 'I can do this in college and get my education paid for.'”

The NFHS rule book gives the high school game a much-needed set of guidelines. Brisson, a longtime official for boys high school football, is the state rules interpreter for flag football. She helped get officials and coaches up to speed with video conferences leading up to the season.

The rule book establishes the first national 7-on-7 standard for the sport.

“It has been really well received,” Brisson said. “We don't have to cobble something together. All the states have had various books in the past, and now they will slowly be transitioning to the NFHS one. I think that's huge.”

One of the biggest changes is an adjustment of the rush line. In the past, defenders rushing the quarterback had to start from five yards off the line of scrimmage. The new rule calls for a one-yard rush line.

“That was a big adjustment for teams to figure out what to do,” Brisson said.

The NFHS rule book also allows for punting. Varsity games feature actual punts, but JV games have “virtual” punts – the opposing team takes possession 25 yards from the previous spot, no deeper than its own 14-yard line.

Brisson said the quality of play has made “another big jump” this season.

“The feedback has been really positive about the level of play and attitude,” she said. “It's getting a little more intense. I've definitely noticed that.”

The teams, divided into eight districts under a single classification, can play up to 18 games. Sometimes, three teams meet to play two games in a day.

For the first time, the flag football scores, standings and rankings are available on the OSAA website (osaa.org), under the activities/emerging tab.

Organizers are making plans for the championship event May 17 at Liberty High School. Last year, the 16-team playoff bracket included first-round games at home sites, with the winners advancing to the final sites (Barlow, Gresham). Brisson said that format is likely to remain, but Liberty also could play host to the first-round games.