The West Jersey Girls Flag Football League kicked off last week; what you need to know

The inaugural West Jersey Football League girls flag football league officially kicked off last week. Here’s what you need to know about the new league, which is being sponsored by the Philadelphia Eagles and Nike.

What teams are competing?

There are 14 teams broken into two conferences.

The Tri-County Conference consists of Pemberton, Kingsway, Burlington City, Mastery Camden, Pennsauken, Washington Township and Willingboro.

The Shore Conference features Cedar Creek, Absegami, Oakcrest, Mainland, Ocean City, Hammonton and Middle Township.

What’s at stake?

The top two teams in each conference will head to Lincoln Financial Field to play the semifinals and championship game. The schedule for those games has yet to be released, per Mainland athletic director Mike Gatley.

What rules differ from regular football?

• Flag football is played between two teams that start seven players each.
• The game lasts 48 minutes and is divided into two 24-minute halves.
• There is no tackling. Players are ruled down when their flags are removed.
• Touchdowns are still six points, but teams have the option to go for 1, 2 or 3 afterward. A one-point play occurs from the 3-yard line, a two-point play is snapped from the 10 and a three-point play begins at the 20-yard line.
• Fields can be as small as 40 yards (plus two 10-yard end zones).
• The clock runs continuously for the first 23 minutes unless there is a team or referee timeout. The clock will stop in the final minute of each half for a variety of reasons including a score, incomplete pass, out-of-bounds call, first downs, change of possessions and more.
• Regular-season games do not go to overtime, meaning games can end in a tie.
• Quarterbacks always receive the ball in a shotgun formation.
• Ball carriers cannot dive to gain extra yards.
• All players are eligible to catch a pass.
• Fumbles cannot be picked up by either team. The ball is dead once it hits the ground.
• Passers can’t throw the ball out of bounds to save a loss of yardage.
• Teams must declare if they want to punt on fourth down. All players on the lines of scrimmage must remain motionless until the kick is made. If the ball touches the ground, it is dead where it lands.

What was the interest like at competing schools?

“We had over 45 girls sign up. They had to make cuts,” Hammonton athletic director Chris Sacco said. “It was high interest for the first time.”

“It has been probably the most popular thing that has come across my desk for the girls since I’ve been an athletic director,” Gatley said. “… The kids thank me every day. They’re having so much fun. We practice at six in the morning, we put lights on the football field and they’re there every day. It rained one morning and they were all there.”

Has flag football affected other girls’ spring sports?

Mainland is allowing girls that play NJSIAA sports in the spring to also compete in flag football, which is currently a club sport. That’s why the school is running practices at 6 in the morning so as not to interfere with other teams.

“We’re not going to compromise other sports,” Gatley said.

Other schools, like Hammonton, limited participation to flag football or another sport. Senior Giada Palmieri decided to leave softball for a new opportunity.

“It’s something new and something that the girls can start up that I think is going to be very prominent to be playing in a couple years,” said Palmieri, who’s the Blue Devils’ quarterback. “I think it’s a lot of fun. It’s more my style of a sport, more running, fast paced, I think that’s more fun to me than say softball. I think softball is still a very fun sport, but I thought football was the best decision for me.”

What is the future of girls flag football in South Jersey and the state?

The New York Jets started a program in North Jersey in 2021 and the league went from eight teams to 26 in one year.

The Eagles venture into South Jersey could eventually lead girls’ flag football to becoming an NJSIAA sport. That’s the hope for many involved.

“That’s the ultimate goal,” Gatley said. “We’re not knocking on the door yet, but we’re getting to the right people. The popularity of flag football, in my area, with the kids, is unbelievable.”

“I’d like it to be that,” Palmieri said. “Down South it’s a very prominent sport for girls to lay, so it’s starting to grow. This is the first time I’ve really heard about it and seen it with a bunch of girls that are really interested in it, and I’m excited to see where it leads. It’d be very cool to see it go into the college level and high school varsity level for New Jersey. That would be super cool.”

Josh Friedman has produced award-winning South Jersey sports coverage for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times for more than a decade. If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. You can also contact him at 856-486-2431. Help support local journalism with a subscription.