Florida flag football adds Open Division playoffs for elite teams

Florida flag football is about to play by a new set of postseason rules, and the biggest winners are the programs with the deepest rosters, the boldest schedules and the strongest regular-season résumés. The Florida High School Athletic Association has approved an Open Division for the top eight teams in each sport regardless of classification, creating a statewide elite bracket for flag football that could produce better matchups while tightening the race for everyone chasing a title.

The change was finalized by a unanimous vote from the FHSAA Board of Directors on June 9, 2026, after the concept was first endorsed in June 2024. It will debut in the 2026-27 school year and include 11 sports: football, girls volleyball, boys basketball, girls basketball, girls soccer, boys soccer, baseball, softball, girls lacrosse, boys lacrosse and flag football.

For football, the selection method will be based on MaxPreps rankings at the end of the regular season, and flag football is expected to follow the same top-eight, rankings-driven model in the new elite bracket. That matters because it rewards teams willing to test themselves across a tougher schedule, and it puts a premium on every late-season result. Programs that once could build around a favorable classification path now have another route, but only if they can prove they belong among the state’s best.

The move lands at a moment when Florida flag football already has a well-established postseason footprint. In 2026, regional rounds began April 28-29, and the state championships were played May 15-16 at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, the practice home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That stage has already helped the sport grow into one of the most visible high school postseason properties in the state, and the Open Division gives it a second headline-worthy path.

Craig Damon, the FHSAA executive director, described the change as an exciting step forward and said the idea had been in development for several years. The competitive effect could be immediate: elite programs gain a direct statewide showcase, while smaller-class champions may find the road to a traditional title squeezed by a system that now rewards the highest-level teams separately. If the format works as intended, Florida could end up with stronger playoff fields, sharper early-round games and a postseason map that reflects where the sport’s best teams actually stand.