Welcome to week six of looking ahead to the return of Maryland high school fall sports! As we prepare for the start of the fall season, especially with practices kicking off in just a couple days, CSZ works hard to get you the high school sports info you are looking for, faster and easier. This weekly newsletter brings the latest scores, updates, and highlights straight to your inbox. If you love it, share it so others can subscribe too. If it is not for you, feel free to unsubscribe and visit us anytime at CountySports.Zone. Most of the content below is image based, so depending on how you are viewing, you may need to download the images to see everything.

Over summer break, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA), adopted flag football as a sanctioned sport for Maryland public high schools.

The sport of flag football was, unbeknownst to many, believed to be founded in Maryland. The sport began, according to Under Armour, during World War II and was used as a diversion from the conflict as a safer alternative to tackle football. The first documented game occurred in 1940 at Fort Meade, an army base in Anne Arundel County

Twenty-five years later, the National Touch Football League (NTFL) was founded in St. Louis, and in 1971, the NTFL had its first championship game. While the championship winning team is unknown, the now renamed United States Flag Touch League (USFTL), consisted of six teams.

1974 saw the first official sanctioned flag football tournament for women. That tournament was run by the United States Flag Football Association (USFFA) and consisted of four regional teams from Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. Twenty years later, the NFL got in on the action.

It was the New England Patriots who hosted the first flag football camp of any team in the league. The camp, held at Foxboro Stadium, taught children how to play flag football. By the early 2000s, athletes from across the country were participating in the sport, ranging from local park programs to Boys and Girls Clubs according to NFL Flag.

As of today, NFL Flag reports that the organization has over 830,000 participants, making it the fastest growing youth sport in the world. Currently, over 1,800 leagues exist across all 50 states.

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That takes us to flag football in Maryland high schools.

The MPSSAA launched the flag football pilot program in 2023 exclusively in Frederick County. FCPS’ ten high schools competed throughout the season, leading to a championship game between the Middletown Knights and the Oakdale Bears. As of 2026, the sport that initially consisted of 10 teams had grown to 130 schools across 10 counties.

Since the state announced that flag football would become a sanctioned sport, making Maryland the 19th state to do so, both the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders have each committed over $1 million to help grow the sport across Maryland.

Upon the MPSSAA announcement in late April, the association set out rules for how the game would be played in its member schools.

Games will be played on a truncated field, one that consists of an 80-yard playing field and two 10-yard end zones. The state did not authorize the use of goal posts. Following a touchdown, teams will have the option to attempt a one-point play from the three-yard line or a two-point conversion from the ten.

Additionally, field goal attempts will not be permitted for the foreseeable future, and the point differential procedures call for a running clock if either team has a 28+ point lead at any time in the second half. As in other sports where a clock is involved, if the team’s lead falls below the 28-point threshold, normal timing rules will come back into effect.

County Sports Zone reached out to several coaches around Baltimore County to learn what their experience has been starting a new team in a new sport from the ground up.

Carver Wildcats coach Noah Rittenberry said that his focus has been, unsurprisingly, teaching the fundamentals of the game. “Our Wildcats have shown keen interest in not only playing the game but learning to understand it as well,” he explained. “Our foundation is built on the values of core fundamentals like catching, footwork, positioning, and technique.”

Franklin’s Joseph Vales acknowledged that his program is dealing with roster struggles, explaining that the Indians’ currently only have 13 athletes signed up to participate. Despite this, Vales hopes to grow the team when students return to the building on Tuesday, August 25. In terms of roster, Pikesville coach Wayne Epps said his team has talent coming into the program from incoming freshman to returning seniors.

The flag football regular season is set to get underway on Friday, September 4, along with each other sanctioned MPSSAA sport. Week one will feature eight games between Baltimore County opponents including Carver against Pikesville, Milford Mill against Owings Mills, Catonsville against Western Tech, Towson against Dulaney, Chesapeake against Perry Hall, Woodlawn against Lansdowne, Sparrows Point against Dundalk, and Patapsco against Kenwood.

Stay tuned to County Sports Zone for power rankings for Baltimore County high school sports NEXT WEEK! The regular season is set to begin on September 4!

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