Did you know Charlotte has a professional women’s football team? Here’s what to expect at a game
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photo via Carolina Queens
I know that the Panthers are all the rage and that it can be hard to tear your eyes away from Cam Newton, but Charlotte actually has another professional football team — a women’s professional football team named the Carolina Queens. On Saturday, I went to watch them play against the Carolina Phoenix.
Wait… there’s actually a Women’s Professional Football League?
Yes, the Carolina Queens were established in 2008 and play in the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). The IWFL began in 2000 with four teams but has grown to encompass more than 1,600 women and 51 teams across North America.
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Who do they play?
The IWFL has four conferences, and the Carolina Queens play in the Atlantic Conference — where they are currently tied for fourth. Other teams in the conference include the New York Sharks, Montreal Blitz, Washington Prodigy, Baltimore Nighthawks, Philadelphia Firebirds, and the Carolina Phoenix.
Where do they play?
The Queens’ home field is at West Meck High School (7400 Tuckaseegee Road).
Do I need to buy a ticket?
Tickets are $10 and are bought at the field.
The Carolina Queen players don’t have salaries, and the team is funded solely on ticket and merchandise sales.
Do they tackle each other?
That would be a big yes. Once the whistle blows, the women get after it. I watched highly aggressive, highly athletic women playing full tackle football. With their helmets and pads, it wasn’t apparent that they were women at all — just football players.
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So is the game the same or are there different rules for women?
The IWFL has it’s own rule book that consists of the existing football rules deemed most applicable for the women’s game. You can check out the specifics here.
Were there many fans?
The fans might have been sparse, but they definitely weren’t quiet. In fact, the fans who were there were so amped up that the bleachers might as well have been filled. They were out supporting their coworkers, their mothers, their friends, and their sisters.
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When can you see them next?
[Updated March 7, 2017 for the current season]
The first 2017 home game will be April 22 against the Tampa Bay Reign. She the schedule here.