What WIAA amendments passed for 2025? Girls flag football finds end zone in second attempt as sanctioned sport

Washington becomes 16th state in country to bring on girls flag football in an official capacity

In its second time presented for WIAA amendment approval, girls flag football officially became a sanctioned sport Monday. / Photo by Steve Faber

It is official - high school girls flag football is now a sanctioned sport with the state of Washington.

A year after being voted down by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) representative assembly made up of district-level and high school and middle school athletic directors and administrators, the return vote Monday passed, giving the state its first new sanctioned sport since 1999.

With the vote approval (22-13), Washington also becomes the sixth state in the West (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii) - and 16th state overall (Louisiana approved it earlier this month as part of pilot program as No. 15) to approve the nation's fastest-growing sport as part of its official slate.

"I am elated," said James Neil, the Tacoma Public Schools athletic director - and author of the girls flag football amendment.

"One, it speaks a lot to the girls. We have girls across the state who can be more valued now because their sport is supported at the state level."

A 60-percent approval rate - 21 votes by high school administrators - was needed to ratify girls flag football as a new sanctioned sport starting in 2025-26.

Last season when girls flag football was officially introduced for amendment voting for high school and middle school administrators, it was voted down by 27 against-26 for vote.

"Every girl who has comes out for practices and games here has asked, 'When is this going to be a real sport? Why isn't it a real sport? I didn't have a really good answer,'" said Don Biszek, the girls flag football coach at Lincoln of Seattle.

"This is something we've been waiting for for a long time. And it's long overdue."

As part of the approved amendment, leagues or districts can choose which season they want to hold a girls flag football regular season - fall, winter or spring.

WIAA assistant executive director Andy Barnes confirmed Monday that girls flag football will be a spring state championship. Dates and championship site will likely be determined by the June executive board meeting, Barnes said.

With financial backing from the Seattle Seahawks, the sport first surfaced in the pandemic-delayed spring of 2021 with seven programs, all in Pierce County.

This winter, 83 schools or co-op programs competed in the sport in six leagues in western Washington - the 4A KingCo, 4A SPSL, 4A NPSL, 3A PSL, 3A Metro League and 3A/2A/1A Northwest.

Woodinville won the unofficial state championship over Capital in February at Mount Tahoma Stadium.

OTHER APPROVED AMENDMENTS FOR 2025-26

* A new one-time 5transfer rule is now in place: Athletes who move to a new school will be ineligible for 40 percent of the maximum number of games allowed from the previous season before gaining eligibility (29-6 vote).

* A "mercy rule" has been instituted in hgih school and middle school soccer. If after 60 minutes of a high-school match, and 45 minutes of a middle-school match a winning team is up by eight or more goals, the game comes to an end (46-7 vote).

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