Girls playing flag football at Johns Creek High, Chattahoochee High, and Northview High will need new equipment before their first practice Monday, Sept. 7: protective headgear rated five stars by the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab.
The Georgia High School Association announced the mandate for all 307 member schools with girls flag football programs, affecting more than 11,000 athletes statewide. Any player who takes the field without approved gear draws a 10-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for her team.
Lamarr Glenn, athletic director for Fulton County Schools, called the rule overdue.
"The mandate that came down this year about the headgear was a smart move," Glenn told Atlanta News First on Thursday, July 30. "It's not so much of the head-to-head contact, but it is the contact with a head on a knee, or a foot. So I think it's a great thing."
Why it matters
A peer-reviewed study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed nearly a decade of emergency room data and found an estimated 22,666 injuries among female flag football players nationwide between 2014 and 2023. Head, face, and neck injuries accounted for 24.1% of all cases, with concussions ranking as the third-most common diagnosis. Athletes ages 11 to 20 sustained 71.1% of all injuries, placing high schoolers squarely in the highest-risk group.
What counts as compliant
Under the GHSA rule, headgear must provide full coverage of the forehead, temples, and back of the head. Three general styles meet the standard: full-head soft shells, headbands, and halos. All must earn Virginia Tech's top rating.
The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has rated 49 flag football products so far. Three five-star options span a range of price points:
- Cloud Athletic Halo, ranked No. 1 of 49, $64.99
- LIGHT SS1, ranked No. 2, $99
- Guardian LOOP, ranked No. 6, $54.99
One coach didn't wait
Clark Nixon, head coach of Milton High's girls flag football program, required halos a full season before the state mandate. His reason was simple: concussions.
"We had a couple of concussions the year before and we just didn't want that to happen again," Nixon told Atlanta News First. "I have a bunch of high-level athletes committed to play college lacrosse, soccer, basketball. To get them to play, we have to prioritize safety."
Caroline Marshall, a rising Milton senior committed to Clemson for lacrosse, suffered two concussions playing flag football before headgear was available. She hit the back of her head on the ground during her sophomore year with nothing to absorb the impact.
What families need to know
Fulton County Schools begins the 2026-27 school year Monday, Aug. 3. Flag football practice opens Monday, Sept. 7, with the first games Monday, Sept. 14, and the state championship finals Tuesday, Dec. 8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Every Georgia high school is eligible for grant funding through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and the Atlanta Falcons to support equipment purchases; families should check with their school's athletic department for details.
The sport has grown from a 40-girl pilot in Gwinnett County in 2017 to a statewide movement, according to Atlanta News First. It will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
