Women have long participated in the game of American football. From informal, secret games, to educators’ use of touch football for female students, to attempts at professional leagues, women’s experiences in the sport have continuously evolved throughout the gridiron game’s history.

In Gridiron Invasion, author Katie Taylor traces the hidden history of women and girls playing football, revealing that their progress has not been straightforward. At times, their breakthroughs are hard won and then lost mere years later. Contextualizing women’s participation within changes in society and the norms to which girls and women were expected to adhere, this book covers the lives of the pioneering players that contravened expectations. By scouring decades of newspaper reports and other primary sources, Taylor reveals that while there was occasional outrage at women’s football, far more often the public accepted the sport. Coverage differed based on the type of outlet. Local newspapers and reports from syndicated material were usually supportive of the participants, whereas articles in national magazines frequently contained stereotypes or expressed indignation.

Few books delve into the long history of women’s football before the first official leagues were developed in the 1960s, making Gridiron Invasion an invaluable account. In presenting this largely unrecorded narrative, Taylor shows that women have been playing the sport for almost as long as men, and she hopes the book will further normalize women’s participation today.