By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 8, 2019 | Gwinnett County has a new sport for high schools, girls flag football. Each of all 19 high schools of the Gwinnett County Public Schools fielded a seven-woman team last year, with Peachtree Ridge High coming out the county winner in a playoff over Grayson, 20-0. The Gwinnett public schools offer the only girls high school flag football program in the state.
The new program was funded through a grant from the Arthur Blank Foundation, plus smaller grants by ESPN and USA Football, says Jon Weyher, the school system’s director of athletics, student activities and community schools.
If you are familiar with college intramural flag football, you will understand the girls’ rules. Weyher says: “We figured we would use college rules, so that once we got the program going, and if the players wanted to compete at the college level, at least they would know the rules.”
The players wear belts with three flags attached, one on each side, and another flag on the back. Whenever a flag is pulled (stopping play), the entire belt is released. Weyher says: “Pulling the flag releases the buckle and whole belt. The player puts the belt back on and is quickly ready to go.” One team wears a yellow flags, the opponent red flags. Each team has 25 members, and there is unlimited substitution.
The playing field measures 40×80 yards. “Each game uses half a football field to play on, and have two games of four teams going at the same time. There are two 20 minute halves with the clock continuing to run the first 19 minutes. The last minute of each half is similar to boys football, with a pass stopping the clock.” There is only a two minute halftime. Each of the high schools played 14 games. With 19 teams, one team had a bye each week. Games were played on either Tuesday or Wednesday night at 6:30. Games saw an average attendance of about 100 spectators, paying $3 to enter the game.
The four top teams went to the playoffs. That included Grayson, North Gwinnett, Collins Hill and Peachtree Ridge.
Weyher says that the game was much easier on the body than tackle football. “It’s a non-contact sport. We had bumps and bruises, and a couple of knee and ankle injuries. We had a trainer there for each team.
“The teams soon learned that screening is a big deal. At first, they were more hesitant, but got more confidence as they went along. We saw great improvement in play and execution during the year, and in strategy, for at the end of the season, there were more complicated plays, reserves and double passes.”
The games turned out to be highly competitive. Weyher says: “We were surprised at how athletic and hard working the girls were. You could tell that they were really having fun.”
Of the 19 teams, there were both male and female coaches from the teachers and counselors. “Some had played flag football in college, and at first had more advanced offenses, but the others caught up quickly.”
Weyher has been in Gwinnett for 20 years. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University, and has a master’s from Shippensburg (Pa.) University. He and his wife have two adult children and live in Lilburn.
There is a sanctioned girls flag football sports program in Florida, but so far, this has not advanced further in Georgia. Look for another Gwinnett season of this sport come fall, 2019.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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