Women's gridiron football (including American football and Canadian football) is a form of the sport played by women. Most leagues in the United States, such as the Women's Football Alliance, play by rules similar to men's tackle football. Although women's flag football is emerging as a collegiate sport, women playing gridiron football at the college level have historically joined men's teams, often (though not exclusively) as placekickers.

The following is a list of some of the most notable female American football players.

Players in predominantly male football leagues Kristie Elliott – First Canadian woman to play, and to score, in an NCAA football game, which she did on September 11, 2021, as a kicker for Simon Fraser University. Lily Godwin - A University of Puget Sound player who made a solo tackle on Oct. 21, 2023. Therefore she is the first woman in University of Puget Sound football history and "believed to be the first female in NCAA history" to record a solo tackle in any game, according to the NCAA itself. Julie Harshbarger – First woman to score a field goal in a professional indoor football game, as placekicker for the Chicago Cardinals in the CIFL on April 24, 2010. Harshbarger was named CIFL Special Teams Player of the Year for 2014, as kicker for the Chicago Blitz, and as the AIF Special Teams Player of the Year for 2015, after the Blitz changed leagues. Katie Hnida – Placekicker for the Fort Wayne FireHawks of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2010. She played in the first three games of the season, but developed a blood clot in her kicking leg. Hnida went on to become a kicker for the Colorado Cobras in the Colorado Football Conference, and for the KC Mustangs in the Interstate Football League. (See also "College players" below.) Ella Lord – First woman to play in the Atlantic Football League, playing for the UNB Reds on September 21, 2024. Patricia Palinkas – First woman to play professional football, debuting on August 15, 1970, as a holder for her placekicker husband on the Orlando Panthers of the minor-league Atlantic Coast Football League. She played two games in the preseason but left after Steve Palinkas was injured and cut from the team. Jasmine Plummer – First female quarterback for a Pop Warner football team. At the age of 11 years old, she became the first female quarterback and the first black female athlete to play in the Pop Warner Super Bowl youth football tournament, specifically the 56th Annual Pop Warner Super Bowl (Junior Pee Wee division); however, her team, the Harvey Colts, lost in the semifinals. Grace Reza - While playing for the Middlesex Chargers of Middlesex High in 2025, she became the first girl to score a touchdown for any Virginia public high school. Morgan Smith – First female player in the Empire Football League, as placekicker for the Glens Falls Greenjackets in 2022. Melissa Strother – First female player to score a point in the Arena Football League, which occurred on May 12, 2024, when she made an extra point while playing as kicker for the Washington Wolfpack. Strother had also been with Champions Indoor Football's Rapid City Marshals before joining the AFL along with the rest of that league in 2023. Maya Turner – First woman to play in a U Sports regular season football game, which she was on September 23, 2023, as a Manitoba Bisons kicker. She kicked the game winning field goal in overtime for the Bisons in their game against the Regina Rams. Abby Vestal – First woman to score points in a men's professional football game, kicking three out of four extra points on April 23, 2007, for the Kansas Koyotes of the indoor American Professional Football League, as a high school senior. She was replaced with a college kicker after her fourth game. Vestal went on to play women's tackle football for the Kansas City Storm. Jennifer Welter – First woman to play in a non-kicking or skill position in a men's professional football league, as running back for the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League in 2014. In 2015, Welter became the first female coach in a men's professional football league, after joining the coaching staff of the Revolution. That year, she also became the first female NFL coach as an intern with the Arizona Cardinals, coaching inside linebackers at training camp and during the preseason.

Players in predominantly female football leagues Players in traditional ("full pads") tackle football leagues.

1960s and 1970s Marcella Sanborn – Quarterback, Cleveland Daredevils (from 1967), called "the first true 'star' of women's football", playing for the first women's tackle football team. Named Bud Collins's Athlete of the Year for 1967 in The Boston Globe. Linda Jefferson – Halfback, Toledo Troopers (1972–1979), seven-time national champions (WPFL, NWFL). One of only four women inducted into the American Football Association Hall of Fame. Named the 1975 Athlete of the Year by womenSports, the first magazine dedicated exclusively to covering women in sports. Posted five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons rushing. Barbara Patton – Linebacker, Los Angeles Dandelions (1973–1975). In 1974, Patton was featured in a nationally syndicated newspaper article ("Mom, 32, Tries Football"), as linebacker, PBX operator, and single mother of two children, including her son Marvcus, age 7. Throughout his career as an NFL linebacker, Marvcus Patton went on to frequently mention the influence of his mother Barbara as a former linebacker herself.

21st century

Callie Brownson: Safety/running back, D.C. Divas (2010–2017). Two-time gold medalist for Team USA in the 2013 and 2017 IFAF Women's World Championships. Became the first female assistant football coach in the NCAA's Division I when she was hired by the Dartmouth Big Green football team. Currently an assistant coach of the Cleveland Browns. Allison Cahill: Quarterback, Boston Renegades (2003, 2005–present). First quarterback in history to amass 100 career victories playing exclusively in women's football leagues. Sami Grisafe: Quarterback, Chicago Force (2007–present). 2013 WFA National Champion and game MVP. Two-time gold medalist for Team USA in the 2010 and 2013 IFAF Women's World Championships. Musician and songwriter. Anita Marks: Quarterback, Miami Fury (2000–2002), Florida Stingrays (2003). Television and radio sports reporter/commentator. Yekaterina Pashkevich: Running back, New Hampshire Freedom (2002–2006) and Boston Rampage (2007). A charter member of Russia's first women's national hockey team. Olympian for Russian Federation women's hockey team (2002, 2006, 2014). Natalie Randolph: Wide receiver, DC Divas (2004–2008). Became third ever female head coach a boys' high school football team in 2010. Recipient of the Women of Distinction Award from the American Association of University Women in 2011. Phoebe Schecter: Defensive linebacker and captain of the Great Britain team. In 2015, Schecter led the GB team to the European Championship final against Finland. In 2017, she made headlines as a coaching intern with the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. Sarah Schkeeper: Offensive guard, New York Sharks, Richmond Black Widows (2009–present). Gold medalist for Team USA 2013 IFAF Women's World Championship. Founder of Richmond Black Widows football club. Katie Sowers: Eight-year player in the Women's Football Alliance and gold medalist for Team USA at the 2013 IFAF Women's World Championship. Later became the second female coach in NFL history, and the first to coach in a Super Bowl. Lei'D Tapa: Linebacker, Carolina Queens (2007–2009). Professional wrestler and model. Donna Wilkinson: Running back/tight end, D.C. Divas (2001–present), Los Angeles Amazons (2000). In 2003, became first woman in modern era to rush for over 1,000 yards in an eight-game regular season. Two-time gold medalist for Team USA (2010, 2013). Alissa Wykes: Running back, Philadelphia Liberty Belles. NWFA MVP in 2001. Came out as a lesbian in December/January 2002 edition of Sports Illustrated for Women, making her one of the first active American athletes to publicly come out as gay. Whitney Zelee: Running back, Boston Militia/Renegades (2011–present). In 2013, eclipsed the 2,000-yard benchmark and set a new record of 2,128 rushing yards over an eight-game season, earning her conference MVP honors. Holds WFA record for most touchdowns in one game (8 vs D.C. Divas on May 18, 2013). Two-time WFA National Champion and game MVP (2011, 2014).

College players Almost all of the women who have played on predominantly male college and professional football teams have done so by playing either the placekicker or holder positions. Both positions are rarely involved in the full contact present in American football.

Placekickers Liz Heaston – First woman to play and score in a college football game, kicking two extra points on October 18, 1997, as a placekicker with the Willamette Bearcats in the NAIA. A star soccer player, Heaston had been recruited as a replacement for the injured starting kicker, and had trained with the team for three weeks; she played in only one other football game for Willamette. Ashley Martin – Second female athlete to score in a college football game, and the first to score in an NCAA Division I game on August 30, 2001, as a placekicker for Jacksonville State University. She kicked three extra points in a game against Cumberland University; JSU was then in Division I-AA, which later became known as FCS. Katie Hnida – First woman to score in an NCAA Division I-A football game on August 30, 2003, as a placekicker for the University of New Mexico, kicking two points against Texas State University. (2-2 PATs, New Mexico vs. Texas State, August 30, 2003.) Also the first woman to appear in a bowl game, at the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA, during which her extra point attempt was blocked. (See also "Players in predominantly male football leagues" above.) Tonya Butler – First woman to score a field goal in an NCAA game on September 27, 2003, while playing for the University of West Alabama Tigers in Division II as a graduate student. By 2004, Butler had scored 87 career points, setting an NCAA record for a female kicker. Brittany Ryan – Scored 100 career points as placekicker for Lebanon Valley College of NCAA Division III in 2010, breaking Tonya Butler's record for most career points scored by a female player in the NCAA. Sarah Fuller – First woman to play in a Power Five football game on November 28, 2020, after taking the opening kickoff of the second half for the Vanderbilt Commodores football team who were playing Missouri. Fuller was a starting goalkeeper on the Vanderbilt women's soccer team, who had won the SEC Championship title the previous weekend; she tried out for the men's football team on the Monday before the game, because they were short of specialists due to COVID-19 testing, and needed a kicker. On December 12, 2020, Fuller became the first woman to score a point in a Power Five football game, after kicking an extra point in a Vanderbilt game against Tennessee. April Goss: Former college football placekicker at Kent State University. KaLena "Beanie" Barnes: A sprinter on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln track team, punted in the 2000 spring intra-squad scrimmage for the Huskers. Leilani Armenta: Placekicker for the Jackson State Tigers. First woman to score in an HBCU game, scoring three extra points in an October 29, 2023 game against Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Madison Barch: First woman to score non-kicking points in college football at any level (NCAA, NAIA, etc.), caught a two-point conversion in an NCAA Division III game at Trine University on November 11, 2023. A placekicker for the Kalamazoo College Hornets, Barch finished her career making 35-of-41 extra point attempts.

Other positions