Girls' flag football ... it's here and it's official

Backers of girls’ flag football have been working for more than four years to make it a fully-supported championship sport.

All that work comes to fruition Wednesday evening, when the first season of N.C. High School Athletic Association-backed flag football begins across the state.

The NCHSAA voted last spring to add girls’ flag football and boys’ volleyball as championship sports, starting with the 2026-27 academic year.  Boys’ volleyball will be a winter sport.

Girls’ flag football in North Carolina got its start in the Charlotte area, thanks to the Carolina Panthers.  The team sponsored a season in spring 2022 and has provided funding to launch programs at schools across the state.

In approving flag football as a fully-fledged championship sport, the NCHSAA had to clear some hurdles.  One of them was when to conduct the season.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools had been playing in the spring.  Elsewhere across the state, flag football was played in autumn and in the winter.

The official season now runs from September through November.

Here are some other things to know about this first season of flag football:

Playoffs

Playoff brackets will be announced Oct. 28, with playoffs set for Oct. 31, Nov. 7, Nov. 11 and championships Nov. 14.

While the NCHSAA has not announced a decision, tentative plans called for playoffs in three divisions – Class 8A, Class 7A, and Class 1A-6A.

When are the games?

Schools can play any day of the week (except Sunday), but it appears from the schedules that most Charlotte-area teams will hold games on Mondays and Wednesdays.  In most cases, three teams will gather at one site, with each team playing twice on a given night.

Who is the favorite?

Palisades is the clear-cut favorite from the Charlotte area.  The Pumas are three-time defending Mecklenburg County champions.  They beat Butler (12-7) in last year’s semifinals and then downed Berry Academy (13-0) in the finals.

While Palisades has not released its roster, the Pumas could have their top two offensive players back from a year ago.

Quarterback Brooklyn Young threw for 1,659 yards and 28 touchdowns (to just one interception) in 11 games.  Receiver Miracle Moore had 48 receptions for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns.  Both were juniors.

Who else could be good?

Butler (8-2 last season) and Rocky River (9-2) have fielded strong teams the past few seasons.  Other strong Mecklenburg teams last spring were Berry Academy (10-2), Chambers (7-3) and Providence (6-4).

From elsewhere in the area, look for Cox Mill (11-1), Cuthbertson (15-3) and Marvin Ridge (11-2).

Opening night schedule

Games begin at 5 p.m. at most sites

At Ballantyne Ridge: Garinger, Ballantyne Ridge, Parkwood

At Berry Academy: Hickory Ridge, Berry Academy

At Butler: Butler, South Mecklenburg, Mallard Creek

At Central Academy: Monroe, Central Academy, Mount Pleasant

At Central Cabarrus: Olympic, Central Cabarrus, Harding

At Independence: Rocky River, Independence, Myers Park

At Jay M. Robinson: West Rowan, Jay M. Robinson, Salisbury

At Jesse Carson: Northwest Cabarrus, Jesse Carson, South Rowan

At Providence: Union Academy, Providence, North Mecklenburg, East Mecklenburg

At West Mecklenburg: West Charlotte, West Mecklenburg

At Ardrey Kell (Thursday): Cox Mill, Ardrey Kell