Could California See Boys Flag Football Become A CIF Sanctioned Sport?

Girls flag football is one of the fastest growing high school sports in California.

Is it possible boys flag football is coming, too?

A proposal for boys flag football to be a CIF sactioned sport was submitted on February 4, 2026.

The assembly bill labeled "AB-1706 California Interscholastic Federation: flag football pilot program" was introduced by Assembly Member Kate Sanchez of Orange County.

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"This bill would require the CIF to establish a 5-year pilot program, operating from the 2027–28 academic year through the 2031–32 academic year, that sanctions flag football as an authorized sport for high school boys who are enrolled in the California Interscholastic Federation’s member schools in the Counties of Orange and Riverside," the bill reads.

The whole proces is in its infancy, but it appears possible we could see boys flag football started in the 2027-28 school year in Southern California as a pilot program before it goes to other CIF sections. Or, as it grows momentum, other sections can use it as a pilot as well to serve as an option for their membered schools.

REACTION TO POTENTIAL NEWS

When word broke on social media, the initial reaction seemed to carry the same energy as an eye roll. But as the idea got chewed on more, the thought of boys flag football makes sense if its season is played in the spring.

Most football players run track in the spring and play with their respective 7 on 7 passing league teams. Maybe, flag football would be an option for those same football players instead of the passing league circut. It also might be a welcomed idea to high school football coaches that worry about their players being illegally recruited in the spring while playing on various club teams.

GROWTH OF GIRLS FLAG

The CIF sanctioned girls flag football in 2023. In the sports' first year, 10,832 participated.

In 2024, 19,921 girls participated in flag football, which made up 29% of all girls flag football players at the high schoo level nationwide, according to a report from the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS).

According to the CIF’s participation survey released in September of 2025, the fall of 2024 saw a huge jump in schools offering the sport from 433 to 697.

One of the stars of girls flag football is Makena Cook of Orange Lutheran. She's not just good, but her superstardom has earned her NIL opportunities, including the chance to be in an Under Amour commercial.

Cook has been the country's best girls flag football player for the past two seasons, and she has the numbers to prove it from the quarterback position. The standout junior threw for 112 touchdowns and 7,083 yards to ancho O-Lu's 24-3 season which ended in a CIF finals loss to JSerra, the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

She made history in January when she became the first girls athlete to receive a women's flag football scholarship to a power conference. Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule was in Orange County to offer Cook in person.