Nick Brigati selected as PIAA’s first statewide rules interpreter for Girls’ Flag Football
MECHANICSBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) is proud to announce the selection of Nick Brigati as the first statewide interpreter for Girls’ Flag Football, the Association’s newest sanctioned sport.
Brigati brings extensive experience and expertise to the role, with a deep background in flag football officiating, education, and rules interpretation. He previously served as Rules Book Editor for the NIRSA Flag and Touch Football Rules Book and Officials Manual and has worked as a clinician at numerous collegiate camps and clinics across the country. His experience developing online training resources will be instrumental as PIAA continues to educate and prepare officials and coaches statewide.
In addition to his work in flag football, Brigati is an NCAA football official, working both FBS and FCS contests, and continues to officiate NCAA basketball as an on-court official. A graduate of Ohio University and the University of Central Florida, Brigati now
resides in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“I have been officiating for the past 23 years in a variety of sports, from high school flag football and baseball to collegiate football and basketball,” said Brigati. “I greatly enjoy the ability to pass on my knowledge and expertise to future generations of
officials, and I am excited to help grow girls’ flag football across Pennsylvania.”
The PIAA Board of Directors approved Girls’ Flag Football in September 2024, with the Association officially assuming jurisdiction of the sport in July. To allow schools sufficient time to form teams, familiarize themselves with the rules, and train officials, the first PIAA Girls’ Flag Football Championship will be held in May 2027.
The sanctioning of girls’ flag football is the result of a collaborative effort between the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and PIAA. Over the past three flag football seasons, both NFL clubs worked together to grow the sport at the youth level through education, engagement initiatives, and the distribution of equipment and resources. In July 2023, PIAA designated girls’ flag football as an emerging sport, a critical step toward full sanctioning.
Currently, more than 150 Pennsylvania schools sponsor girls’ flag football, underscoring the sport’s rapid growth and strong statewide interest.
With Brigati’s appointment as statewide interpreter, PIAA continues its commitment to providing structure, education, and consistency as girls’ flag football prepares for its inaugural championship season in the 2026-27 school year.