LA Olympics to embrace flag football

A fast-paced, non-contact version of the most popular U.S. spectator sport — football — will debut at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, promising excitement and the star power of the National Football League (NFL).

Flag football for men and women will be one of five new sports played in LA in 2028.

Global interest in the non-tackling version of American football is growing. Some 20 million people play flag football in over 100 countries today.

Because of football’s popularity in America, “there’s a conception that it’s played primarily in the U.S., but [flag] is actually played pretty broadly throughout the world,” says Stephanie Kwok, the NFL’s head of flag football.

A premium on agility

American football, as it’s often called to distinguish it from soccer, originated in North America, with its first collegiate-level game played in 1869. Flag football would gain popularity among American soldiers during World War II. The sport blends aspects of rugby and soccer — with players moving a ball down a field to score.

Football has become a spectator tradition in the United States, one that brings together family and friends on fall weekends and to watch the Super Bowl at the season’s end in late winter. But tackle football’s physical nature limits participation.

That’s why “flag” is now played recreationally and at the collegiate level across the United States and around the world. In this version, defensive players stop the ball carrier by removing flags from a belt around their opponent’s waist. With no tackling or blocking, flag puts a premium on speed and quickness.

Darrell Doucette’s agility has helped him lead the U.S. men’s national team to victory in every international tournament since 2021. The quarterback now hopes to cap his career by playing for the U.S. team at the Olympics. “Growing up, I didn’t think [flag] would become an Olympic sport,” he says, noting many considered the game soft. Not him. “It’s a fun, exciting, explosive sport,” he says “I understand why it is in the Olympics.”

NFL stars promote flag

The sport’s future will get a major boost when NFL players participate at the LA28 Olympics. The NFL and its players encourage flag football’s growth through overseas events, like a recent training for women coaches in Cairo.

NFL stars, including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, serve as flag football ambassadors through a program run by the NFL and the International Federation of American Football programs.

“Having NFL players eligible for not just the U.S., but any country, if they were to make the teams, is another great opportunity to get attention on the game,” says Eric Mayes of USA Football, the sport’s governing body in the U.S.

Professional players will have to try out. With only six countries’ teams participating, and 10 players per team, competition for roster spots will be stiff. (Only one player per NFL franchise is allowed to participate. Professional teams can also designate one international player.)

A different style of play

Mayes says NFL players will have to adjust their playing style to flag football, which is played on a much smaller field and with fewer players. It requires greater versatility as the same players play both offense and defense, a rarity in the NFL.

While U.S. teams have dominated international tournaments, the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics is leading to stiffer competition as players in other countries devote more time to the sport.

Brianna Hernandez-Silva, of the U.S. women’s national team, says flag’s inclusion in the Olympics may draw elite athletes from other sports who want to win a gold medal. “I think it’s exciting to get the attention from the NFL and other professional athletes showing an interest in our sport and kind of promoting the game,” she says.

Deborah Charles is a freelance writer.