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56-537: The Blitz were the only Canadian team in a women's American football league. The team won four championships in the IWFL, at various levels. Their highest achievement came in 2012, when they beat the Sacramento Sirens 28–27 to become World Champions of the IWFL. The Blitz were created in 2001 and joined the IWFL. The team's quarterback in 2001 and 2003 was Samantha Rapoport . In 2004, quarterback Saadia Ashraf bought

112-531: A player-coach for NFL championship teams such as the 1922 and 1923 Canton Bulldogs and the 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs. After a 9–1 start in league play, Frankford lost several key players, including Chamberlin, to injuries. After a 49–0 defeat to the Pottsville Maroons , Frankford's captain Bull Behman was suspended indefinitely from the team for indifferent play. He was accused of not giving his best during

168-605: A front office assistant, took a quality control coaching position with the Buffalo Bills , making her the first permanent female coach in National Football League history. In 2020, Callie Brownson became the first woman to coach an NFL position group in a regular-season game when she filled in for the Cleveland Browns tight ends coach Drew Petzing . In 2013, Lauren Silberman became the first woman to try out at

224-666: A league-leading 6–0–1 record. However, they had an upcoming two-game set with their toughest opponent yet, the Providence Steam Rollers . The Yellow Jackets managed to split the series. The team's November schedule included only single-game weekends and a Thanksgiving Day game. This played to the Yellow Jackets’ advantage. The team posted victories over the Chicago Cardinals , Duluth Eskimos , and Dayton Triangles . This string of victories left Frankford in great shape in

280-529: A leave of absence to officiate in the 1927 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates . The Jackets suffered as a result of these changes and held a 2–5–1 record after eight league games. This led to Ed Weir becoming the team's player-coach. Weir had fellow players Russ Daugherty , Charlie Rogers , and Swede Youngstrom serve as assistant coaches. Under Weir's leadership,

336-521: A men's social club in New York set up a scrimmage between two teams of five women each, wearing the colors of Yale and Princeton , outside the casino at Sulzer's Harlem River Park, as entertainment before a masked ball. The Sun reported that after only a few plays, the local police captain had to step in to halt the event, after the crowd of men watching the women tackling each other started pushing, and it looked like someone could get crushed. In 1897,

392-618: A person who holds another position on the team), while the best known female college football players were all placekickers , with all having primarily played women's soccer prior to converting . Patricia Palinkas is on record as being the first female professional football player, having played for the Orlando Panthers of the Atlantic Coast Football League in 1970. Palinkas was a placekick holder for her placekicker husband. On October 18, 1997, Liz Heaston became

448-601: A scoreless tie. However, a 14–1–2 final record left the Yellow Jackets alone atop the NFL standings. Since a Championship Game would not exist in the NFL until 1933, the team with the best regular-season record was named the NFL Champion. This gave the Yellow Jackets undisputed claim to the league crown. The Jackets' 14 wins during the 1926 championship season set an NFL record for regular-season victories that stood until 1984 when it

504-482: A team from Atlantic City . The original Frankford Athletic Association disbanded before the 1909 football season. Several of the original players from the 1899 football team kept the team together, and they became known as Loyola Athletic Club . In keeping with Yellow Jackets tradition, they carried the "Frankford" name again in 1912, to become the Frankford Athletic Association. In the early 1920s,

560-616: A win over the Chicago Bears, the Yellow Jackets played a second two-game series against the Providence Steam Rollers. Frankford won the first game 24–0, but the second was canceled because of heavy snow. Frankford then had to play their final game of the season against the Pottsville Maroons, who were still upset after their NFL championship title had been stripped from them after complaints from Frankford. The game resulted in

616-483: A woman; she later went on to become an Olympic weightlifter. Brittanee Jacobs is the first female football coach at the collegiate level. She helped coach safeties at Central Methodist University during the 2012 season. Welter became the first female coach at the professional level when she took a preseason position with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015; a year later, Kathryn Smith , who had spent several years as

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672-498: Is a form of gridiron football (American or Canadian) played by women. Most leagues play by similar rules to the men's game. Women primarily play on a semi-professional or amateur level in the United States. Very few high schools or colleges offer the sport solely for women and girls. However, on occasion, it is permissible for a female player to join the otherwise male team. Women and girls were playing tackle football not long after

728-876: The Atlantic City Roses , which Frankford won 45–0. Their NFL campaign started just six days later, in a disappointing 6–6 tie at home against the Akron Pros . The first weekend in October saw the club post two solid victories over the Hartford Blues . They then played a two-game series against the Buffalo Rangers . During the Saturday game, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Rangers 30–0 in Frankford. The Jackets then headed to Buffalo for

784-556: The Charleston , and the team they faced consisted of two old men. Furthermore, there is no evidence to suggest that this was more than a one-time event, or that other NFL franchises had similar ladies' "teams". A few women's football leagues emerged in the 1930s, including one in Ohio in 1934 and another in Los Angeles in 1939, but were short-lived. The women's game started to formalize in

840-742: The Frankford Athletic Association . The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926 . The team played its home games from 1923 in Frankford Stadium (also called Yellow Jacket Field) in Frankford , a section in the northeastern part of Philadelphia , noted for the Market–Frankford Line that terminates there. The Frankford Athletic Association was organized in May 1899 in the parlor of

896-592: The Missouri Tigers with a 30-yard squib kick on November 28, 2020. The term "Power Five" was not in use when Katie Hnida became the first woman to score in an NCAA Division I-A game in 2003; Hnida played at the Mountain West Conference , which did not have Automatic Qualifying status in the Bowl Championship Series . ) Jennifer Welter became the first female skill position player at

952-594: The NFL Regional Scouting Combine (2013). Silberman tried out for the NFL after playing club soccer in college and taking up kicking footballs as a hobby several months before the tryout. During her tryout, she met with medical staff to address a leg injury after making two kicks, and did not complete the remaining kicks. The world governing body for American football associations, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), held

1008-500: The NFL championship that year , featured "Lady Yellow Jackets" as halftime entertainment during their game against the Chicago Cardinals , in front of an audience of 8,000. Although the NFL connection has led many to pinpoint this event as the start of women's football, a detailed account in the Philadelphia Public Ledger makes it clear that it was nothing more than a comedy act. The eleven Lady Yellow Jackets danced

1064-543: The University of New Mexico Lobos on August 30, 2003. She later became the second professional player, when she signed with the Fort Wayne FireHawks . Julie Harshbarger , a placekicker for numerous Chicago-based Continental Indoor Football League teams, became the first female player to win a most valuable player award in an otherwise all-male league in 2014. By kicking five field goals that season, she earned

1120-461: The 1960s, after entrepreneur Sid Friedman founded the Women's Professional Football League in 1965. Leagues play American football unless otherwise noted. Of the women who have seen action in men's college and pro football, almost all have been in special teams positions that are protected from physical contact . The first professional player was a placekick holder (a position usually occupied by

1176-541: The Frankford Athletic Association's Yellow Jackets gained the reputation of being one of the best independent football teams in the nation. In 1922, Frankford absorbed the Philadelphia City Champion team, the Union Quakers of Philadelphia . That year Frankford captured the unofficial championship of Philadelphia . During the 1922 and 1923 seasons the Yellow Jackets compiled a 6–2–1 record against teams from

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1232-549: The Frankford Midgets, as well as a women's football team. The latter is the first evidence of women playing organized football (in 1926). During their time in the NFL, Frankford's Ignacio Molinet became the league's first Latino player. Today the Philadelphia Fire Department's Engine 14, stationed in Frankford, have adopted the Yellow Jackets moniker on their fire trucks. After two more games following

1288-580: The Franklin Athletic Association, arranged for coaches Bull Behman and Wally Diehl to attend a coaching clinic in Chicago run by Glenn "Pop" Warner and Dick Hanley , in the hopes that it would improve their coaching techniques and develop a way to better utilize their players. At the same time, however, the Association's management decided to retain only a few veteran players, replacing most of

1344-716: The IWFL due to financial and travel constraints, and joined the WFA. However, the Blitz resigned from the WFA after only one season (2017), because the league refused to allow any more games to be played in Canada. In 2021, the Blitz was a founder member of the CCWFL , which began play in the 2022 season. Women%27s American football Women's gridiron football , more commonly known as women's tackle football , women's American football , women's Canadian football , or simply women's football ,

1400-503: The NFL rights to the Philadelphia area that had formerly belonged to the Frankford Athletic Association. Due to the period of dormancy, the Eagles do not claim the Yellow Jackets' history as their own, while the NFL considers the Eagles as a 1933 expansion team for record-keeping purposes. Additionally, Bell and Wray assembled an almost entirely new team; Art Koeninger was the only player from

1456-567: The National Football League. This led to the Association being granted an NFL franchise in 1924 . The Yellow Jackets assembled in September 1924 under coach Punk Berryman to begin preparing for the upcoming season. The team included players Harry Dayhoff , Russ Stein , Bill Kellogg , Joe Spagna , Whitey Thomas , Al Bedner , and Bob Jamison . The team often played 15 to 20 games a season. Frequently, they would schedule two games on

1512-655: 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. On December 8, 1922, Maui High School in the Territory of Hawaii held the first of two girls' football games that month with a team of sophomores and seniors playing against a team of juniors and freshman. The Maui News described it as "a game which afforded much amusement to

1568-467: The Suburban Club. The cost of purchasing a share in the association was $ 10. However, there were also contributing memberships, ranging from $ 1 to $ 2.50, made available to the general public. The Association was a community-based non-profit organization of local residents and businesses. In keeping with its charter, which stated that "all profits shall be donated to charity", all of the team's excess income

1624-510: The Sunday game; however, the Rangers canceled due to "wet grounds". The Yellow Jackets prepared for another two-game set, this time against the New York Giants , resulting in a pair of 6–0 Frankford victories. The Canton Bulldogs were next on the schedule; Frankford won the first game 10–0, while the second game was canceled due to rain. During the final weekend of October, the Yellow Jackets had

1680-684: 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, at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and at Vassar College in New York. However, sports historian Katie Taylor questions the veracity of these accounts, and suggests that any games that did take place at Seven Sisters schools during these years were informal rather than competitive. On November 21, 1896,

1736-629: The Yellow Jackets defeated the Chicago Bears, 13–12, at Wrigley Field . This game marked the last time a Philadelphia-based NFL team would win an away game over the Bears until October 17, 1999, when the Eagles defeated the Bears 20–16 at Soldier Field . The 1928 Yellow Jackets win over the Packers marked the last time in 51 years a Philadelphia NFL team won a road victory over the Packers; the Eagles' 1979 win at Green Bay finally ended that streak. Frankford's 71 wins are

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1792-475: The assets of the failed Yellow Jackets organization, with Bell and Wray naming their team the Eagles after the symbol of Franklin Roosevelt 's New Deal . This has led to assumptions that the Yellow Jackets sat out the 1932 season before returning to the league as the Eagles. However, that is not the case. Bell and Wray did not buy the Yellow Jackets team (though they acquired the Yellow Jackets' assets), but rather

1848-418: The city of Philadelphia: Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Baker Bowl . Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Baker Bowl were located outside of the Frankford area, making attendance difficult for local fans. The team had hoped to draw broader support from Philadelphia at large. Herb Joesting took over as head coach in 1931. However, the team was in terrible shape. Some members of the press began referring to

1904-542: The construction of the current high school was proposed, the team moved to Brown's Field . The Association initially fielded a baseball team; however, soccer and football clubs were also formed. The Association's football team played several games in 1899, including victorious contests against the Pioneer Athletic Association , Jefferson Medical College , the Philadelphia Athletic Club , and

1960-541: The effects of the economic depression and poor performance on the field combined to reduce the team's fan base. The season finally ended with a 6–13–1 overall record and a 4–13–1 record in league play. Before the start of the 1931 season , Frankford Stadium was severely damaged by a fire, forcing the club to find another location for its home games. However, most facilities suitable for professional football were already booked. The Yellow Jackets had to overcome this scheduling problem by playing at two different locations around

2016-513: The first Women's World Cup in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2010. Six nations participated in the inaugural event: Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, and the United States. The United States won the gold by beating Canada, 66–0. The 2013 World Championship, in Finland, was held from 30 June 2013 to 7 July 2013. The United States won gold again, beating Sweden 84-0 and Germany 107–7 in order to make it to

2072-522: The first time Spain has staged the World Championships which have been held since 1998. Normally conducted every two years, Denmark was scheduled to host the 2020 edition only for it to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Frankford Yellow Jackets The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, although its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with

2128-503: The first woman to play and score in a college football game , kicking two extra points . Prior to this game, female athletes at Duke and Louisville had come close to playing in a game but did not. In 2001, Ashley Martin became the second female athlete to score in a college football game , this time in the NCAA . In 2003, Katie Hnida became the first woman to score in an NCAA Division I-A game. She accomplished this as placekicker for

2184-518: The game against a non-league opponent in Philadelphia. The league agreed and suspended the Maroons, allowing the Chicago Cardinals to win the 1925 title. However, the NFL reinstated the Maroons the following year after fears that the team would join Red Grange 's upstart American Football League , which posed a threat to the league. The Yellow Jackets began the 1926 season with an exhibition game against

2240-561: The gold medal match with Canada, whom they beat 64–0. In the 2017 IFAF Women's World Championship , held in Canada, the six teams invited were; Australia, Canada, Finland, Great Britain, Mexico and the United States. The United States continued their dominance, claiming gold, while Canada and Mexico won silver and bronze respectively. IFAF has confirmed Palma, located on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Spain as host for 2021 IFAF Flag Football World Championship from October 6 to 10 2021. It will be

2296-457: The male professional level by playing as a running back in the Texas Revolution in 2014. To date, no women have ever played a line position above the high school level. Holley Mangold , whose brother Nick played several years in the NFL and who herself played as a lineswoman in high school, declined to further pursue football in college, fearing she had no chance to play professionally as

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2352-541: The masculine element", but also noted that "The Hi girls proved that when it comes to grit, they're there with the goods." In 1925, a woman'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. On November 6, 1926, the Frankford Yellow Jackets of Philadelphia, who went on to win

2408-541: The most by any defunct NFL team. The Frankford Athletic Association not only fielded the Yellow Jackets football team, but also the Yellow Jackets' Band and the Frankford Legion Post 211 Drum & Bugle Corps. The Association also sponsored bus and train trips for fans to travel along to games in such places as Pottsville and New York City, where even the host teams' sportswriters took notice of their enthusiasm. The club occasionally sponsored half-time exhibitions by

2464-510: The past few weeks because of some dissension with other players. The move helped improve the team, which posted a 13–7 record in league play. The Yellow Jackets had a part in the 1925 NFL Championship controversy. A dispute arose over a game that the nearby Pottsville Maroons had played against the Notre Dame All-Stars in Philadelphia; the Yellow Jackets asserted that their nearby rivals had infringed on their territorial rights by playing

2520-579: The record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 38 during this season. The record stood until the 2022 NFL season when the Philadelphia Eagles broke the record with 39 during a four-rushing TD performance during the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers on January 29, 2023. In 1925 the Frankford Athletic Association enlisted the services of Guy Chamberlin , who served as

2576-667: The same weekend, typically one at home on Saturday and, because of Pennsylvania's blue laws , an away game on Sunday. In their first game as a member of the NFL, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Rochester Jeffersons 21–0. Frankford finished the season with an overall record of 17–3–1, with an 11–2–1 record in league play. They finished third in league standings only behind the Cleveland Bulldogs and Chicago Bears ; under modern standings tabulation procedures, Frankford would have finished in first place. The Yellow Jackets also set

2632-451: The sport was invented in the 1880s, often in educational settings. For over 70 years, however, female involvement in football was reported in the media as a novel "spectacle". According to The Women's Football Encyclopedia , during this period, "powder bowl" events were "unusual and nonrecurring, and they were universally treated by the press as more farce than competitive football." The first recorded instance of women playing football in

2688-547: The squad with rookies direct from college. This resulted in a string of ten consecutive losses(Eight of which were in October), the worst losing streak in Yellow Jackets' history. To end the streak, Frankford purchased eleven players from the Minneapolis Red Jackets , and George Gibson took over the team's coaching duties from Behman. The Legion Post also tried to rally to the Yellow Jackets, pledging its support. However,

2744-609: The standings as the team headed into its Thanksgiving Day game with the Green Bay Packers . For the next five seasons, the Frankford-Green Bay Thanksgiving Day game would become an annual tradition. Frankford went on to win the game 20–14, due mainly to a touchdown pass from Hust Stockton to Two-Bits Homan . The Yellow Jackets then posted a 7–6 victory over the Detroit Panthers two days later. After

2800-437: The team as the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets, in an attempt to increase fan support, which failed to materialize. By October, NFL President Joe Carr , after witnessing the poor attendance at Frankford's home loss to the Portsmouth Spartans , approved a plan for the Yellow Jackets to finish the season as a traveling team . Carr hoped that this move would allow the team to curb spending and rebound financially. On October 26, 1931,

2856-429: The team finished with a 6–9–3 record in 1927. The Jackets rebounded in 1928 with an 11–3–2 league record, behind only the Providence Steam Rollers. In 1929, Bull Behman became coach of the Yellow Jackets. The team finished with a 9–4–5 record for third place in league standings. The Yellow Jackets began to decline mainly because of financial hardships brought on by the Great Depression in 1930. Shep Royle , president of

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2912-446: The team from the original owners. The team won four championships in the IWFL between 2008 and 2013, including the Tier I title in 2012. In 2015, the management of the team was transferred from Saadia Ashraf to Football Féminin Blitz de Montréal , a non-profit created to run the team. The Blitz played in 2016 in the IWFL and in the Football Canada Women's National Championship, representing Quebec. In 2016, Montreal decided to leave

2968-432: The title of special teams player of the year, leading all kickers in the league in scoring; with a career spanning seven seasons, Harshbarger's career was the longest documented of any woman playing in a predominantly men's professional league. In 2020, Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power Five football game when she took the opening kickoff of the second half of the Vanderbilt Commodores ' game against

3024-464: The victory in Chicago, both shutout losses – indeed, the 1931 Yellow Jackets were shut out in every game besides the aforementioned victory – the Yellow Jackets suspended operations. Unable to find a buyer, the Frankford Athletic Association returned the franchise to the league. The NFL spent over a year searching for a new team to operate in Philadelphia. On July 9, 1933, the NFL granted an expansion franchise to Bert Bell and Lud Wray and awarded them

3080-443: Was broken by the 15–1–0 San Francisco 49ers . One day after capturing the title, however, Theodore "Thee" Holden and Guy Chamberlin stepped down as president and coach of the Frankford Athletic Association. James Adams took over as president of the Frankford Athletic Association in 1927. He hired Charley Moran as the team's new coach. However, Moran's son Tom briefly served as the team's interim coach that year after Charley took

3136-438: Was donated to local charitable institutions. The beneficiaries of this generosity included Frankford Hospital, the Frankford Day Nursery, the local Boy Scouts , and the local American Legion Post 211. The officers of the Association never received a salary or compensation for their work on behalf of the team. The playing field, known as Wistar Field, became the first official home of the Yellow Jackets. Several years later, when

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