SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: CIF-SS Commissioner Gives Update on Girls Flag Football

Since the passing of the proposal to add Girls Flag Football as a CIF-approved sport, there has been a flurry of activity taking place. Specifically, assigning the sport to an administrator in our office, developing a calendar with start and end dates, determining the maximum number of allowable contests within the regular season, and the playing rules for the sport have been discussed at length within our section and state-wide. I am pleased to inform you of the following:

1) Assistant Commissioner Kristine Palle will be the administrator in charge of Girls Flag Football.

2) Assistant Commissioner Palle will begin forming the CIF Southern Section on Girls Flag Football Coaches Advisory Committee and welcomes any recommendation you have for worthy members of that important group. Please reach out to her at kristinep@cifss.org to forward nominations.

3) Start Date, First Allowable Contest – Friday, August 18, 2023.

4) End Date, Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, October 28, 2023.

5) Maximum Number of Allowable Contests – 28

6) Next Step – Our office will reach out to member schools to ascertain who will attempt to fi eld Girls Flag Football teams and leagues for the Fall, 2023 season. Once we compile that list, we will distribute it quickly to assist schools and leagues in developing schedules for the upcoming season.

7) CIF Southern Section Championship – CIF Southern Section Bylaw 1200.1 states, “No playoffs will be conducted by the CIF Southern Section Office in an approved sport when less than 20% of the membership field teams in that sport.” Therefore, there will not be a CIF Southern Section Flag Football Championship in 2023. However, the effort to reach the 20% threshold starts now, and it is our hope by the end of our inaugural season, we will have the required number of schools fielding teams resulting in our first CIF Southern Section Girls Flag Football Championship in 2024.

8) Culminating Tournament(s) – With the absence of a CIF Southern Section Girls Flag Football Championship this Fall, there will be plans for a culminating tournament, or multiple culminating tournaments, at the end of the season. More information on those possibilities will be forthcoming. Be advised that all culminating tournament(s) must be concluded by Saturday, October 28, 2023, the end date for the season.

9) Playing Rules – The adopted Girls Flag Football Playing Rules are now available on our website at www. cifss.org as well as being included as part of this message.

10) Girls Flag Football Season Preview – All of the information included here, as well as other relevant information for the upcoming season, will be included in the 2023 Girls Flag Football Season Preview that will be available on our website in July, 2023.

I hope this information is useful to you and if you have any questions, or we can help you in any way at all, do not hesitate to contact our office. We are excited for Girls Flag Football to begin!

As always, I thank you for your continued help and support, it is truly appreciated.

All the best,

Rob Wigod is the CIF-Southern Section Commissioner of Athletics.

For the list of rules for CIF-SS girls flag football, click [here].