American football, also known as contact football, gridiron football, or simply ‘football’ in the US, has a long heritage of pride, excitement, and iconic players. Historically, when most people think of football, they usually envision an all-male centered sport. However, in today’s game, women’s American football is making waves from the recreational to professional level. Across the nation, women aren’t just playing football, they’re redefining it—so we put together this article to tell you all about the past, present, and future of female American football. If you want to learn more about the exciting world of women in the sport then look no further, because women’s American football is here to stay.
The History of Women’s American Football
The game we know as American football was created in the late 19th century in the United States as a spin-off of rugby. Originally intended for young men to participate in, football evolved through the decades and became a full-contact sport played at every level from youth to professional. While the sport was created with men in mind, women quickly took interest in the game and sought to break barriers within the sport. The first instances of female American football are recorded not long after football’s initial creation and popularity, taking place primarily in women’s colleges on the east coast. As time moved on, women’s American football took bigger steps.
The mid-twentieth century saw the creation of several women’s semiprofessional leagues and teams. Originally founded as more of a spectacle, these teams and the women who played for them set the groundwork for present day for American football for women. It’s worth noting that throughout the 60s and 70s, female American football was met with adversity when it came to acceptance. Most people considered football to be a men’s game, so female leagues and teams would often suffer from a lack of funding, media attention, and ultimately, respect.
The Present State of Female American Football
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the concept of women’s American football began to breathe new life. A couple of things helped to usher in a more modern era of women’s football. Firstly, we saw the creation of several women’s American football semi-professional leagues. And secondly, the rise of flag football opened new doors for women interested in playing the sport.
These semi-pro leagues, while offering structure for women’s contact football and a platform to play it, admittedly still suffered from some of the hurdles their predecessors did. Namely, funding and acceptance continued to be hard to come by. Public perception remained pretty immovable at the start: American football, with all its contact and aggression, was seen as a man’s sport. But even though these leagues did not achieve widespread success, they did begin a gradual shift in the public’s view of women’s American football as a viable sport, leading many women across the nation to put their athleticism and dedication on the gridiron.
As the 2000s continued, the sport saw many more women breaking barriers in a different way: integrating themselves into traditionally men’s football teams. Many of the women on these teams played in non-contact roles, usually as kickers or holders. Nevertheless, these players were making waves across schools and colleges around the nation, setting a groundwork for women to take it to the next level.
Along with women integrating into male contact football teams, this period also saw the rise of flag football, especially in youth sports. One of football’s biggest criticisms, regardless of gender, has been its contact element—which in some cases has led to serious injury and even death. And while there’s still lots of debate about the merits of flag football vs. tackle football, the emergence of flag football offered a version of the sport that has less contact and less barriers to entry (fields, equipment, etc.). It was quickly adopted in youth sports and then made its way into the world of female American football. With this advancement, American football for women quickly reached new heights, with flag football becoming a high-intensity and fast-paced sport for girls and women across the nation. All-female teams and flag football leagues quickly popped up across the US, inspiring generations of girls and women to have a passion for football where they can play an active role. This was furthered by flag football’s recognition by many schools and universities, who began to create teams in intramural and club spaces. As flag football became more popular, women everywhere were starting to join teams and leagues, igniting a phenomenon and new era in women’s American football.
Women in Leadership Positions in American Football
Today, the sport has reached new heights with established semi-professional leagues of women’s flag football, more women in contact football, and continued support by the professional football league in the US. As the American pro football league continues to campaign for equal access to play and embrace flag football, several changes in the male-dominated side of the game are starting to take place.
For example, several women are now professional referees and have officiated some of the biggest games of the season including playoffs and the championship game. In addition to earning spots in the league as referees, there are now several women employed on professional men’s teams’ staff and front office, including positional coaches and team general managers. These are incredible positions of power on a football team that contribute massively to the success of that team each season, through the coaching of players on the field and through the management, marketing, and visibility of these programs to their fans around the world.
At one point in time, women being included in any capacity in football, especially in the men’s national professional league, would’ve been considered impossible. However, through the trailblazing done by women decades prior in the sport, women’s American football has reached new horizons and is showing no signs of stopping.
The Future of Female American Football
In terms of the future of American football for women, there are no ceilings. Every year, barriers continue to be broken by women with a passion for the game, from players on the field to coaches and referees. And the next generation of girls is poised to take their legacy even further. As girls everywhere find a passion for football and lace up their cleats to take the field (or keep them clean after a big game), work on their speed, or maintain their gloves, they’ll get to witness the rise of women’s football in real time. Some clear and present developments in the world of women’s American football include female flag football being played on a global scale as well as women starting to make rosters on men’s division 2 and 3 college football teams in the US. These major steps define the essence of women’s American football: an exciting, unstoppable, and legendary force of sport that’s here to stay.
Illustrations by Melcher Oosterman