CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – In 2021, the Tennessee Titans introduced an initiative to bring girls’ flag football to Middle Tennessee. Since then, 32 high schools have started offering flag football, and seven of them are here in Montgomery County.
The Titans partnered with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System to empower local student-athletes to participate. The sport is not yet sanctioned by the TSSAA, but the 2022-23 season has served as a test run. On their website, the Titans said they are working closely with the TSSAA to get that status.
“The Titans believe all girls should have the opportunity to play football and experience the game firsthand, learning skills that will enrich their futures. The commitment extends beyond the field, aiming to inform young women about potential career paths available to them throughout the sports industry and other ways to utilize knowledge of the game in life. The Titans Girls Flag Football League provides training in athletics, but most importantly life skills like teamwork and perseverance.”
For this year, CMCSS member schools had their equipment paid for by the Titans, which helped kick start the sport.
Your Week, Your Sports
West Creek High School girls’ flag football coach Aaron King recently joined the Clarksville Now “Your Week, Your Sports” podcast to talk about the game, and he said the Titans have been great throughout this process.
After hearing about the Titans flag football initiative in December, West Creek athletics held a meeting to gauge interest among their female student-athletes. King said they expected around 30 or 40 girls. Instead, over 100 attended the meeting.
The next phase was to hold tryouts. King and his staff kept around 30 players for the final roster and began preparing for the first season of play, watching film to understand the innovative state of flag football.
Rules of flag football
A variety of rules differ between high school football and girls’ flag football, including the size of the field and how it’s utilized, King said.
Girls’ flag football plays on a small field that is 80 yards long and 40 yards wide, plus they play 7-on-7 instead of 11-on-11.
Since the field is smaller, teams don’t earn first downs in the traditional way either. Instead, first downs are split into 20-yard zones.
Another difference is in pass rushing capabilities. In girls’ flag football, players on the offensive and defensive line cannot use their hands to battle in the trenches. Rather, they have to rely on their footwork.
What’s next
The CMCSS district flag football championship will be Thursday, April 27, with Montgomery Central facing West Creek High.
Montgomery Central defeated Northwest 27-6 to advance to the next round. As for West Creek High, they beat Clarksville High 13-12 following a last-second hail Mary for the win.