The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association on Wednesday declared that high school girls’ flag football is an officially sanctioned sport in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

In order to be recognized as an officially sanctioned sport in Pennsylvania, girls’ flag football had to have at least 100 participating teams across the state. That figure was achieved in April.

The Eagles and Steelers launched girls’ flag football leagues in 2022.

“This is not just an important day for the Eagles and Steelers, but for the sport of football and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “When we launched our girls’ flag football league in 2022, we set an ambitious five-year goal to get the sport sanctioned in our state. Now, here we are three seasons later and two years ahead of schedule. The sport’s organic growth is a credit to the participants, administrators, coaches, officials, and parents who helped raise the profile of girls’ flag football. We thank the PIAA for their leadership in recognizing a sport that has the power to unlock new pathways and opportunities for girls of all ages in every community.”

Said Steelers president Art Rooney II: “We are excited to see such a groundbreaking moment for the future of girls’ flag football. It has been great working with the Eagles to accomplish a successful ruling that will now give young girls the chance to compete at a state level. We look forward to seeing how girls’ flag football continues to grow in Pennsylvania and worldwide.”