The Future of Middle School Sports Starts Here — NFMSS: National Federation of Middle School Sports. School Membership, State Championships, Athlete Recognition, Rankings, Media Visibility.
National Federation of Middle School Sports

Your Athletes
Deserve a
National Stage.

NFMSS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a registered trademark with the USPTO — a national governing organization dedicated exclusively to grades 6–8 athletics. We give schools and districts one framework for health and safety, national standards, education-based athletics, competition, and recognition, powered exclusively by Rising Rank Sports for stats, rankings, and championship qualification.

Safety. Standards. Education. Technology. Competition. Recognition.

16,300+
Public Middle Schools in the US
15
Sports Offered Nationwide
6–8
Grades served — only federation of its kind
11
National Standards pillars governing every member program
The National Standard for Middle School Athletics

11 Pillars. One Mission. Better Middle School Sports.

Every NFMSS member program operates under the same published standards — not a set of suggestions, but a defined framework covering safety, eligibility, coaching, and conduct across every sport and every grade.

Student-Athlete Bill of Rights
Health & Safety
Coach Education
Officials Standards
Academics & Eligibility
Mental Health
Sportsmanship
Parents & Spectators
Data & Privacy
Athlete Development
+ 1 More Pillar
Explore the NFMSS National Standards
Why NFMSS

Everything A Middle School Athletic Program Needs.

National Standards

Consistent expectations across every middle school athletic program, instead of school-by-school inconsistency.

Student-Athlete Safety

Concussion, heat illness, cardiac safety, and emergency preparedness resources built into membership.

Education-Based Athletics

Athletics that support academics, character, and student development — not a separate track from the school's mission.

Competition

A structured pathway from regular season play to regional and state championship competition.

National Recognition

Rankings, Athlete of the Week, Middle School of the Week, and All-American recognition for schools and athletes.

Technology

Rising Rank Sports provides the statistics, rankings, profiles, and competition data behind every standard.

For School Districts

One National Framework For Your Entire Middle School Athletic Program.

You already have middle school sports. NFMSS helps you make them safer, more organized, more visible, and more valuable to the student-athlete — across every middle school in your district, under a single agreement. This is not a school-by-school membership process. It is one district partnership covering every program you already run.

Without NFMSS
With NFMSS
1
Different standards between schools
National standards across every school
2
Limited middle school recognition
Health and safety resources built in
3
Athletic data scattered across systems
Administrative resources and support
4
Limited national visibility
National recognition and rankings
5
Inconsistent resources for coaches and administrators
Rising Rank Sports technology and student-athlete visibility
Schedule a 15-Minute District Consultation One agreement. Every middle school in your district. No school-by-school membership process.
Middle school football players celebrating a touchdown
Education + Athletics

Middle School Sports Are Part Of Education.

NFMSS believes athletics should be an extension of the classroom, not a separate track from it. Every standard we publish is built around academic achievement, attendance, character, and student engagement, alongside the safety protocols that protect student-athletes.

That means school pride and leadership development matter just as much to us as wins and championships — and it means administrators can trust that an NFMSS program supports the school's academic mission instead of competing with it. Recognition, rankings, and championships are part of the experience, but they are the result of a program built on education first.

A Structured Path To Compete

Banners Your School Can Hang.

One unified system giving middle school athletes real championships and real recognition.

How It Works

From Registration to State Champions.

Step 01

Register Your School or District

Choose your sports and register online, or set up a district-wide partnership covering every middle school at once. Your teams are set up on Rising Rank Sports.

Step 02

Compete & Climb the Rankings

Play your season as usual. Every result, stat, and athlete profile is tracked on Rising Rank Sports — the sole official platform for NFMSS stats and seeding.

Step 03

Qualify for the Championship

Top teams earn seeding and qualify for state championship competition — with the media coverage and national recognition your athletes deserve.

Middle school basketball player driving to the basket Middle school baseball batter swinging at a pitch Girls basketball players battling for the ball
One Middle School Sports Ecosystem

NFMSS + Rising Rank Sports

NFMSS
Standards · Governance · Safety · Education · Championships
Powered By
Rising Rank Sports
Statistics · Rankings · Profiles · Data · Technology

Standards and infrastructure from NFMSS. Statistics and technology from Rising Rank Sports. One ecosystem for every member school and district.

2026 NFMSS National Football Preseason Top 25 rankings poster
Just Released

2026 NFMSS National Football
Preseason Top 25

See which 25 schools made the list — and how your school can be next.

Register Your School
15 Sports Nationwide

Every Season. Every Athlete.

Fall, winter, and spring — NFMSS sanctions championship competition across 15 sports so every student-athlete in your building has a path to a title.

Football Basketball Baseball Softball Soccer Volleyball Track & Field Cross Country Wrestling Tennis Golf Swimming Cheer Lacrosse Flag Football
Cover of the NFMSS Official Rulebook 2026-2027
Rules & Governance

One Rulebook. Every Sport.

The NFMSS Official Rulebook sets the national standard for grades 6–8 competition — eligibility, safety protocols, and complete playing rules for all 15 sanctioned sports, written specifically for middle school athletes.

  • Complete rules for all 15 sports, fall through spring
  • Middle-school safety standards: concussion, heat, pitch counts & more
  • Eligibility, coaching certification & championship advancement
Free PDF · 2026–27 Edition · 33 pages
Membership

Simple Pricing. No Surprises.

One flat rate per sport, per school year for individual schools — or one partnership agreement covering your entire district.

Per Sport

$600
per sport, per season
  • Add any sport, any season
  • Full Rising Rank Sports access
  • Official rankings & stats
  • State championship eligibility
Register a Sport
For Districts

District Partnership

Contact Us
pricing scales with number of schools
  • Every middle school in your district
  • One agreement, one point of contact
  • Full standards, safety & technology framework
  • Founding-partner pilot options available
See District Partnership Details
FAQ

Questions? Answered.

Who can join NFMSS?

Any US middle school — public, private, or charter — serving grades 6-8 can register its athletic programs with NFMSS.

Does NFMSS work with entire school districts?

Yes. The NFMSS District Partnership Program brings every middle school in a district under one agreement and one national standards framework, instead of a school-by-school membership process. Districts can start with a founding-partner pilot before committing long-term.

What does membership include?

Every registered sport includes full membership for the season: Rising Rank Sports access, official stats and rankings, seeding, and state championship eligibility. Membership is $600 per sport, or $1,800 for your school's full athletic program. District pricing scales with the number of participating schools.

What is Rising Rank Sports?

Rising Rank Sports is the sole official platform for NFMSS statistics, rankings, athlete profiles, seeding, and state championship qualification. Every NFMSS member school competes through it.

How do state championships work?

Teams compete during their regular season while results are tracked on Rising Rank Sports. Rankings determine seeding, and qualifying teams advance to state championship competition.

Is NFMSS a nonprofit?

Yes. NFMSS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a registered trademark with the USPTO — a national governing organization dedicated exclusively to grades 6–8 athletics.

Volleyball team huddled together before a match Girls basketball players boxing out for a rebound
Basketball player driving past a defender Girls basketball team chasing a loose ball

Build A Stronger Middle
School Athletic Program.

Register your school for the 2026-27 season, or bring your entire district under one national framework.

Entire 2026-27 season · All 15 sports available
2026 NFMSS National Football Preseason Top 25 rankings poster, full size