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Girls' Flag Football in Missouri: Is It a Sanctioned High School Sport?

Not sanctioned yet

Not yet. As of October 26, 2026, the MSHSAA is not among the 25 state associations that have voted to sanction it. It has run girls' flag football as an emerging sport since April 2025, the step before sanctioning.

No date for full sanctioning is set.

Emerging

Last checked .

Missouri,stop by stop.

Now: Emerging sportNext stop: Approved

  1. Start
  2. Pilot leagueSkipped
  3. Emerging sportThe MSHSAA lists it as an emerging sportYou are here
  4. ApprovedWould be voted inNext stop
  5. SanctionedWould become a sanctioned high school sport
  6. First state championWould crown a first champion

Missouri state flagMissouriat a glance.

Status
Emerging
Governing body
MSHSAA
Emerging since
Participation
53 schools (17 in the St. Louis area), 2026

Sources

Start a teamin Missouri.

  1. 1Talk to your athletic directorYour school can join the emerging-sport season now, without waiting for the vote. Every new team helps the MSHSAA reach full sanctioning.The full start-a-team guide
  2. 2Find a coach and build the rosterRun an interest meeting early and keep the list: it is the case for the team, and in the app it becomes the roster.Set up a roster
  3. 3Run the season with leagues and tournamentsSchedules, pools, standings and brackets sit in one place. Create a league for the season, or create a tournament for a weekend.Leagues and tournaments
  4. 4Stat every gameStatting is free, and a season with numbers behind it is one people can see. Our guide walks through statting a game from the first snap.Stats on BreakAway
  5. 5Let families follow liveEvery play lands in Game Center as it is logged, so parents and grandparents who miss the trip still see the game.Game Center for families

Momentum to point to

Run your seasonon BreakAway.

The home of flag.See it in action.

Collegenext.

In Missouri, 96% of high school girls live within 100 miles of a college program; the farthest county is 136 miles away. 95% are that close to a scholarship program.

Nearest college programs

Program miles are from the state's population center. Miles as the crow flies from each county's Census center point to the nearest campus, weighted by the girls 15 to 17 who live there (US Census ACS, the age band closest to high school). College program: 388 confirmed varsity and club programs; unconfirmed clubs are left out, and 2 without a known campus location are skipped. Scholarship program: confirmed varsity programs at levels whose governing body allows athletic aid for the sport (D-I, D-II, NAIA), 126 today. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files: counties (internal point latitude and longitude); US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B01001 (Sex by Age): female, 15 to 17 years.

Questions,answered.

Is girls' flag football a varsity sport in Missouri?
Not yet. An emerging-sport season is a step short of varsity. Every state's status is on the tracker, with its source.
How would Missouri sanction girls' flag football?
The MSHSAA would have to vote it in. Most states run a season or two as an emerging sport before that vote.
Which rules do teams in Missouri play by?
Each league picks its own until an association steps in. There is no single national rulebook, and rules vary by state.
Who runs high school sports in Missouri?
The MSHSAA. It decides whether girls' flag football becomes a sanctioned sport. The girls' flag football FAQ covers how sanctioning works across the country.
How do I find a team in Missouri?
Ask your school's athletic director first, then the MSHSAA for the schools in this season. The start-a-team steps cover the rest. Near the state line, check Illinois's status too.