For the second straight year, the City Section is allowing a pilot program of high schools forming a boys’ flag football league as its popularity grows.
This year’s group of high school participants is expected to double in size to between eight and 16 teams, City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos said. All will be small charter schools. Last year, several teams that temporarily dropped 11-man football, including Sotomayor and Torres, had flag teams in a league that was played in the fall. Sotomayor and Torres will have 11-man teams this season.
When Lagos mentioned the pilot boys’ flag football league at an 11-man coaches meeting this month, it was met with skepticism. If boys’ flag football ever gets approved, Lagos said schools would have to choose between having an 11-man team or a flag team. When Lagos mentioned having the flag season in the spring, there was concern it would take away participants from track and field teams.
This issue figures to come up around the state as schools in the California Interscholastic Federation have similar discussions. Flag football is likely to gain a boost in exposure when it is played at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Lagos points out that boys’ flag football participants would be different from 11-man. Middle school students engage in flag football, which attracts students whose parents don’t want them to play tackle football for fear of head injuries.
Girls’ flag football is in its fourth year and rising fast. Adding boys’ flag football is a debate and an issue that will be addressed in the future.
Ron Nocetti, executive director of the CIF, said a section must first bring up adding boys’ flag football as a sport before real discussions can begin.
