Sept. 4 was opening day for the first-ever Montgomery County girls flag football season. Through their partnership with both the Ravens and Under Armour, MCPS has put together a notable league.
With the inaugural opener held at Richard Montgomery, the Lady Panthers of Paint Branch girls flag football made history by taking home the pioneer win. Keeping this spirit, other teams have also solidly flourished this season. “I heard so many good things about Damascus flag team saying they are very competitive and an all-around good team,” Ella Cummings at Richard Montgomery wrote in a message. Bearing this in mind, both Damascus and Clarksburg had strong seasons, bolstering a 7-1 record, respectively. Kennedy is close behind with a 7-2 record and Sherwood with a 6-2 season record.
The league splits all 25 schools in the county into four divisions, based on both past rivalries and location. The four divisions are The Trailblazers, The Innovators, The Dreamers and The Pioneers. All schools must play a minimum of eight games, and at the end of the season, division winners earn trophies and then advance to the county playoffs. In the county playoffs, division champs will play each other to further advance to the county playoffs.
The rules of the game are a little different from regular football , one main factor being that it’s a no-contact sport. “Flag football differs from football by using flags instead of tackles, which reduces injury risk. The smaller field and fewer players speed up the game and encourage scoring, focusing on strategy and teamwork while making it more accessible for everyone,” Northwood student Angie Leiva said. With only three timeouts allowed for the entirety of the game, it creates a greater focus on clean play and skill-derived actions.
While a normal football field is 120 yards long and 53.3 yards wide, a flag football field is 80 yards long and 40 yards wide. The one last key difference rules wise is that there is no punting. According to the Maryland Girls Flag Football Rules (Abbreviated Version))“If a team punts on 4th down, the other team takes possession on their own 14-yard line.”
The new league is noticeably competitive, with many close games occurring. Cummings said, “[Games are] definitely very competitive. I know for me when I’m in a game I want to win and I’ll always try to give it my all while still having fun and being a good captain to my team picking them up and pushing us to do our best.” Leiva backs this idea by affirming that competitiveness is driven by eagerness to win and perform well. “The dynamics often blend competition with eagerness. Players are typically driven to perform well and represent their school, fostering a competitive atmosphere,” Leiva said. “However, there’s also a strong emphasis on teamwork and camaraderie.”
The Ravens were essentially the driving force in the creation of the league, funding the league and hosting training clinics for players. One took place on April 6, and was hosted in support of the future league, and it focused on building interest, support and knowledge in regards to girls flag football. “The Ravens have likely been involved in the league this year through sponsorship, promoting youth participation, and they gave us really nice items like glasses, gloves, etc,” Leiva said.
The league itself is a huge stepping stone for girls, opening new doors and opportunities that wouldn’t have been available before. It fosters the future of women in sports and builds a healthy community of women supporting each other.
“I also think because flag football is getting so much attention, it is empowering girls and women to just prove to everyone that we are capable of so much and to always put their best foot forward on and off the field,” Cummings said.
Written by Ronya Sen
Photo by Aisosa Ojo-Odiase