First girls only flag football league in Greater Manchester launches

The first flag football league for girls in Greater Manchester has been launched.

The Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League, the first all girls’ competition of its kind in Manchester, will see 100 girls aged 12-14 from across the region compete in two conferences of five teams each across five weeks, with the winners going head-to-head in a championship event.

The winning team from the Manchester league will attend the NFL London game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the Chicago Bears play there later this year.

What is flag football?

Flag football is the fastest growing format of American football. It’s a non-contact format with tackles made by pulling off flags which players wear on their hips.

Play is based on the same principles as the contact game with offensive teams having four attempts (downs) to reach a certain point on the field with the defensive team seeking to halt their progress.

There are multiple different formats and variations of flag football globally, but in Britain the main format is five v five.

Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The league was launched with an immersive flag football session at Bolton School where the girls took part in an NFL flag taster session led by Britain’s first female coach in the NFL Phoebe Schecter together with NFL flag coaches hoping to inspire the next generation of flag football stars ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut at LA28.

They were joined by former Chicago Bears cornerback and Super Bowl XX champion Shaun Gayle and Great Britain women’s flag football stars Amy Wells and Grace Furie.

They also received their official team kit from Nike who are a partner of the Flag Football League.

The Bears previously visited Manchester in 2022 and 2023 as a leg on their Mini Monsters Tour which provides free youth coaching in NFL skills and drills for boys and girls between the ages of 7-12.

Earlier this year as part of their continued efforts to increase their presence in the UK, the Bears again joined forces with the New York Jets in London to co-run the second year of the Jets & Bears NFL Girls Flag Football league.

A spokesperson for the Chicago Bears said: “We are thrilled to be back in Manchester having brought our Mini Monsters Tour here in 2022 and 2203. The new league will provide young girls from all backgrounds with an introduction to the sport.

“To see the enthusiasm and engagement for American Football is incredible, and we are excited for the opportunity this new league will bring, especially ahead of the Bears playing a game in London later this year.”

Head of International Flag Football Development at NFL Afia Law said: “NFL UK is seeing great momentum in flag football participation across the country and this initiative from the Bears is a fantastic way to engage young girls in the sport.

“I’m delighted to see an increase in opportunities for girls to play flag, helping them to feel like they belong in a sport, and I am excited to see the continued growth of flag football in the UK in the coming years.”