Gridiron football is popular in the United States, but it has its limitations. The sport, which is also known as American football, is open to male athletes but offers fewer playing opportunities to girls and women.

But there’s another version of football—flag football—that’s gaining popularity, and it’s not limited to boys. 

Here’s how flag football works and why it could be the key that opens football to everyone.

Two Types of Football

There are many differences between gridiron football and flag football, but the most notable one is the level of contact (touch) between the players. In gridiron football, players can tackle each other, which means they can knock and push each other down to get possession of the ball.

Flag football players wear flags at their waists. Instead of tackling to stop the person who has the ball, members of the opposing team must pull that player’s flags off.

As a no-contact sport, flag football is safer than gridiron football. And because helmets and padding aren’t required for flag football, it can be less expensive for players to get involved.

Flag Football for Everyone

Gridiron football has long been much more popular than flag football in the United States. The sport is played in high schools and colleges across the country and, of course, in the National Football League (NFL). Women make up about half of America’s NFL fans. But there’s no professional women’s football team in the United States. There are few female players on high school football teams, and there are no women’s college football teams. Very few women have a chance to play gridiron football.

But women and girls have played flag football for decades. Many countries (including the U.S.) have men’s and women’s national flag football teams, and more and more U.S. high schools have made flag football an official sport. 

“It’s so important for girls to have the opportunity to play in high school,” Stephanie Kwok told Reuters. Kwok is the NFL’s head of flag football. She was hired as part of the NFL’s effort to promote flag football, partly to invite more people into the sport.

Flag Football at the Olympics

Flag football has grown so much that it will be included at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. For the first time, men’s and women’s teams from around the world will have the chance to compete for Olympic gold. Kwok hopes the excitement over the Olympics will bring more girls to flag football.

“[Flag football] provides such an opportunity for new people to come to the game of football and experience it firsthand,” Kwok told Reuters.