There’s a lot of celebrating going on with the announcement that flag football is coming to the Olympics. On Monday, the International Olympic Committee added the up-and-coming sport to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Under the guidance of the International Federations of American Football, the NFL and USA Football, the national governing body of American football in the United States, the sport has grown tremendously.
The approval comes after the IFAF and the NFL formed Vision28, “a unique joint venture and partnership model, placing flag football at the heart of shared sport development goals globally.”
An NFL news release describes flag football as “a short, fast, non-contact and gender-equal format, renowned as the most accessible and inclusive version of American football, spearheading exceptional worldwide participation growth in American football, especially among women and girls.”
“Congratulations to the International Federation of American Football on this landmark achievement for flag football and the global community that loves and plays our game.
“It’s a tremendous honor for any athlete to represent their country at the Olympics. We have no doubt that this decision will inspire millions of young people around the world to play this game in the years ahead.
“The NFL is committed to working together to strengthen flag football’s place in the Olympic movement long term, and we look forward to continuing this exciting journey with IFAF, the LA28 Organizing Committee, the International Olympic Committee and USA Football.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
Theย Atlanta Falconsย have played a large part in getting flag football going at the high school level. The team has awarded grants to 144 schools over the past five years to cover costs for equipment, officials, transportation and coaching salaries, among other things.
The Georgia High School Association plays its high school girls’ flag football state championships at the same time it plays its boys’ tackle football games. This year’s state championships will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Falcons.
“I think it’s great for the NFL, great for men’s flag football and women’s flag football. I think it’s great for the sport.”
According to a story on the NFL’s website:
An estimated 20 million in more than 100 countries currently play the discipline, which is growing in tandem with the exploding international popularity of the NFL, as America’s favorite spectator sport continues to build on a global fanbase of 340 million.
NFL.com
“This is a huge moment for our sport and our global American football community. We are grateful to everyone who has played a part in what has been a truly collective journey – and a journey that will now continue in partnership with LA28, whom we thank for their vision and leadership.
“We are convinced that flag football will offer an exciting new dimension to the Games — uniting them, for the first time in history, with America’s number one sport in its youngest, most accessible and inclusive format, which is already spearheading extraordinary growth, particularly among youth audiences, women and girls and in new countries worldwide. We have no doubt that inclusion in the Olympic Games will further accelerate this dynamic.”
Pierre Trochet, IFAF President
This year will see 65 national representative teams participate in IFAF continental flag football competition, building towards the biggest-ever IFAF World Flag Football Championships to be held in Lahti, Finland in August 2024.
