“At our last game, there was this one tall girl,” recalled Fizza Masood, 13, “all she had to do was put her hands up and she caught the ball.” Teammates Isis Harvey, 12, Faith Harding, 12, and Aneesah Kadim, 11, nodded their heads in agreement.
   Fortunately, the girls, who practice three times a week, have also found in the sport and each other the flipside of rivalry — camaraderie. Although the rules are similar, flag football is a non-contact version of the classic game. Instead of tackling and blocking, players pull a flag from their opponent’s waist to end a play.
   The sport’s popularity has spiked in the United States within recent years, particularly amongst young girls, according to Samantha Rapoport, manager of the NFL Girls Flag Football Leadership Program. “Girls flock to sports that are more social,” Rapoport said. “When there are seven girls in a huddle, they’re strategizing. What you do affects other people. It’s not like running track — it’s always about being out for your teammates.”
   As it turns out, flag football is also more forgiving when it comes to body size. Unlike in swimming, volleyball or marathon running, girls needn’t be overly muscular, tall or slim or compete.
   “It doesn’t matter what size you are, there’s always a spot on the team,” she said.
   At M.S. 217, one of three Queens middle schools that created flag football teams this year and will be competing in next week’s “Thanksgiving Classic” all-city tournament in the Bronx, physical education teacher and Coach Michael Barzilay said over 100 girls originally signed up for the team. From that number, about 30 players were selected.
   “Far more girls than boys showed interest,” Barzilay said.
   The team has already competed in one tournament, in which they faced 14 junior high school teams from all five boroughs, including I.S. 190, P.S. 286 in Astoria and M.S. 172 in Floral Park, though the girls say their first effort wasn’t a major success.
   “Half the girls didn’t know what they were doing,” Kadim said. “But I’m not scared. We’ll do better.”
   The team is preparing for both the Thanksgiving game, which will take place on Nov. 24 from 4 until 6:30 p.m. at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx, as well as a major tournament on Dec. 5.
   Even some of the big-league teams are showing their support for the nascent sport. The New York Jets have donated $50,000 to assist in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Middle School Sport and Fitness League, which is responsible for growing flag football.
   “You don’t get the enjoyment from tackling people,” said Harding, who has always played full contact football with friends. “But it motivates you. It’s challenging. And we all get along.”