Ikenna Ike- How female American football came to be.

The first recorded instance of women playing football in the United States was in 1892, when students at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women played with “modified tackling rules.” Starting in the 1890s, there were also numerous articles alluding to students at women’s colleges playing football, such as Wellesley College in Massachusetts and Vassar College in New York. However, these games were mostly informal and not competitive, and they were often reported in the media as a novel “spectacle”.

In the early 20th century, women’s football became more organized and popular, especially in the West Coast. In 1897, the San Francisco Grays played against the Oakland Browns, winning 20 to 8, in a women’s football game played at the Velodrome under rugby rules. In 1925, a women’s football game played at San Jose State Teachers’ College between two teams drawn from the school’s gymnasium classes was covered by the Associated Press and The New York Times. In 1926, the Hollywood Women’s Football Club was formed, featuring actresses such as Clara Bow and Joan Crawford. These games attracted large crowds and media attention, and they were often played for charity or entertainment purposes.

However, women’s football also faced many obstacles and prejudices, such as sexism, discrimination, and violence. Many people considered football to be too rough and masculine for women, and they questioned the morality and femininity of female players. Some women’s football games were banned or interrupted by the authorities, such as the 1896 game between Yale and Princeton colors in New York, which was halted by the police after the crowd of men watching the women tackling each other started pushing. Some female players also suffered injuries or harassment from male opponents or spectators, such as the 1930 game between the Hollywood Women’s Football Club and the Los Angeles Police Department, which ended in a brawl and several arrests.

Despite these challenges, women’s football continued to grow and diversify in the mid-20th century, with the emergence of different formats and styles of play, such as flag football, touch football, and powder puff football. Flag football and touch football are non-contact variants of football, where players wear flags or belts that can be pulled off instead of tackling. Powder puff football is a term used to describe football games played by women or girls, usually in high schools or colleges, as part of homecoming or other events. These forms of football allowed more women and girls to participate in the sport, without the risk of injury or the stigma of being unfeminine.

However, some women still preferred the full-contact version of football, and they sought to play at higher levels of competition and recognition. In 1970, Patricia Palinkas became the first woman to play professional football, as a holder for her husband Steve Palinkas, a placekicker for the Orlando Panthers of the Atlantic Coast Football League. In 1997, Liz Heaston became the first woman to play and score in a college football game, as a placekicker for Willamette University of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. In 2001, Ashley Martin became the first woman to play and score in a National Collegiate Athletic Association game, as a placekicker for Jacksonville State University.

In the 21st century, women’s football has reached new heights of achievement and visibility, with the establishment of several professional and semi-professional leagues, such as the Women’s Football Alliance, the Independent Women’s Football League, and the Legends Football League. These leagues feature talented and dedicated female players, coaches, and officials, who play by similar rules to the men’s game. Some of these leagues also have international affiliations, such as the International Women’s Football League, which organizes the Women’s World Championship, a quadrennial tournament that showcases the best national teams from around the world.

In addition, some women have also made history by breaking into the male-dominated realm of the National Football League, the highest level of professional football in the United States. In 2015, Jen Welter became the first female coach in the NFL, as an intern for the Arizona Cardinals. In 2016, Kathryn Smith became the first full-time female coach in the NFL, as a special teams quality control coach for the Buffalo Bills. In 2019, Sarah Thomas became the first female official to work in a Super Bowl, as a down judge for Super Bowl LV. In 2020, Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power 5 game, the elite level of collegiate football, as a placekicker for the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Female American football is a sport that showcases the strength, skill, and spirit of women who love the game and pursue their dreams. It is a sport that inspires and empowers the next generation of female players, coaches, and officials, who will continue to make their mark and better the game.