Girls Can't Play Football

Girls Can't Play Football!

“Here we are,” said Sarah. “We’re ready to play. Are you ready to lose?” She stood wearing full football pads and gear in front of about ten other girls. They were each dressed just as she and looked out at the large group of boys who had paused their football practice after noticing the girls on the field.

“I wasn’t serious when I challenged you,” said Marcus. He was the captain of the team and the school’s star quarterback. There was some snickering amongst the other players behind him.

“You told me yesterday at lunch that girls can’t play football,” said Sarah. She put her hands on her hips. “I even recall you laughing as you said those words in front of all of us. Isn’t that right, girls?” Sarah looked back at her all- female team for a moment.

Girls Can't Play Football!

“That’s right!” they yelled.

“I was just kidding,” said Marcus as he took off his helmet. “There’s no way we are playing a bunch of girls. You could get hurt or...”

Sarah cut off his words almost at once. “You weren’t kidding. I was there when you said we couldn’t play football. So, we’re here today to prove you wrong. Or, are you scared we might actually win?”

The rest of the football team behind Marcus laughed loudly as the team’s coach hobbled over to see what was happening. “Why aren’t you goons practicing?” demanded the coach. “And, why are a bunch of girls dressed up in our uniforms?”

“That’s a good question, coach. I think you should ask them,” replied Marcus.

“Well?” asked the coach as he looked at the girls with a slightly irritated expression. Sarah quickly explained the situation to the coach which, in turn, made him relax a bit and smile. He slapped his star quarterback on the head with his clipboard. “Is this true?” he asked. “Did you tell them that girls can’t play football?”

Marcus looked shocked. He couldn’t believe his coach was taking the side of some girls. “Well, coach...you see...”

The coach held up is hand to stop Marcus from babbling further . “I don’t want to hear your excuses,” he said. “You opened your big mouth. Now, let’s see if you can back it up on the field. We’ll play the starting lineup against these girls. The first side to score a touchdown wins.” He looked at Sarah. “Fair enough?”

Sarah beamed. “Yes, sir,” she said as they tossed a coin and Sarah’s team elected to receive the ball.

“It’s not my fault if any of you get hurt,” said Marcus. “We won’t go easy on you.”

“I would just worry about yourself, if I were you,” she said as she trotted down the field to get into position.

When the coach blew his whistle, the boys kicked the football downfield to where the girls were waiting. One of them caught it in the air and started running toward the end zone at the other end of the field. The boys were fast, but every time they tackled one of the girls, she handed the ball off to one of her teammates who continued to transport it down the field.

In less than a minute, the girls had scored on the first play and the game was over .

“The girls win!” shouted the coach in his megaphone. One of the girls celebrated in the end zone by spiking the ball hard to the ground.

Sarah walked up to Marcus and said, “That’ll teach you to say that girls can’t do something.”

Multiple Choice

Which statement about the story is false?

• The football team laughed at the girls.

• Marcus had told Sarah the day before that girls could not play football.

• The coach told the girls to leave the field.

• The girls were dressed up in uniform.

Multiple Choice

What is one reason Marcus didn’t want to play football against the girls?

• He knew the girls were better than his team and didn’t want to lose.

• He was afraid some of the girls could get hurt.

• He knew his coach would be angry.

• He wanted to focus on practicing for the upcoming game and not waste time playing the girls in football.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words could replace snickering, as used in paragraph 2?

• Crying

• Laughing

• Betting

• Dancing

Multiple Choice

What would be the best summary of this passage?

• A coach was unfair when he sided with the girls instead of the boys.

• A group of girls show up at football practice, challenge the boys to a game, and win.

• A star quarterback is afraid to play football against girls.

• A group of girls become hurt as they try to play football.

Multiple Choice

Of the following choices, which is the first event to happen in the story?

• Sarah reminds Marcus of what he said at lunch the day before.

• The coach asks his players why they have stopped practicing.

• One of the girls spikes a football.

• The girls win the coin toss.

Multiple Choice

What could be another good title for this story?

• Marcus Plays Football.

• Playing Catch

• The Angry Coach

• Proving Boys Wrong

Multiple Choice

Which of these statements about the story is an opinion?

• The girls are really good at playing football.

• The girls won the game they played against the boys.

• The coach used the starting

  lineup against the girls.

• A girl spiked the football.

Multiple Choice

What happened every time one of the boys tackled one of the girls?

• The girl screamed out in pain from injury.

• The girl fumbled the ball.

• The girl handed off the ball

  to a teammate.

• The boys laughed.

Multiple Choice

The word hobbled, in the 7th paragraph, is most like the word—

• limped

• galloped

• ran

• dashed

Multiple Choice

How did the coach respond to learning of what Marcus said to the girls yesterday?

• He hugged Marcus.

• He hit Marcus on the head.

• He kicked Marcus off the

  football team.

• He yelled at Marcus and

  told him to hit the showers.