The 2024 Paris Olympics will add several new events to the competition, but Americans will have to wait until 2028 to see the sport they're perhaps most familiar with.
The 2028 Los Angeles Games will be the first Olympics hosted by the United States since the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and the first Summer Games since the 1996 (Atlanta) Games, and will feature flag football for the first time in the Olympics.
This is the first time American football has appeared on the highest level of sport at the Olympics. While team sports such as basketball and soccer are widely popular internationally and have long been included in the Summer Olympics, football has faced many obstacles, including a high risk of injury and being relatively regional.
Paris 2024 Olympics:Read the full story from USA TODAY here
So, what has changed?
First, the NFL is working to grow the sport globally, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell making it a priority to give the league an international foothold, as evidenced by games being played in Sao Paulo, London and Munich in 2024.
Additionally, the NFL has focused on adding international youth programs, particularly for flag football, directly addressing the risk of injury (particularly the issue of recurring concussions). Finally, the Olympics being held in Los Angeles is the perfect environment to develop the sport: The NFL has offices in Inglewood, next to the Rams and Chargers' SoFi Stadium.
As for the competition and the question of what would happen if the U.S. were to dominate, it's simply a “they have to play” scenario. Maybe the U.S. will win the flag football championship, but if they don't, whichever team is expected to beat the U.S. will be the big story of the Olympics.
Must read:Will NFL players take part in the first Olympic Flag Football event in 2028?
Will flag football be featured in the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Despite much hype, flag football will not be featured at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was voted in October 2023 to feature at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
When will flag football be included in the Olympics?
Flag football is scheduled to be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“This is a pivotal moment for our sport and the global American football community,” International Federation of American Football (IFAF) president Pierre Trochet said in a statement to NFL.com. “We thank everyone who contributed to what has been a truly collaborative journey, which will now continue in partnership with LA28. We thank them for their vision and leadership.”
“We believe flag football will bring an exciting new dimension to the Olympics – for the first time in history, it will unite America's number one sport with the Olympics in its youngest, most accessible and inclusive format. Flag football is already spearheading incredible growth, especially among youth, women and girls and in new countries around the world, and its inclusion in the Olympics will surely accelerate this even further.”
Goodell added:
“The NFL is committed to working together to strengthen flag football's place in the Olympic movement for the long term, and we look forward to continuing this exciting journey with IFAF, the LA28 Organizing Committee, the International Olympic Committee and USA Football.”
Must read:'We'll do what it takes': USA Football CEO wants to dominate flag football at the Olympics
Anyone who has watched an NFL game knows the intensity and speed of the sport, as well as the implicit risk of injury.
Although flag football has its own risks, it is not as physically demanding as tackle football, which is why it has been suggested as a safer alternative to full-contact sports.
Additionally, flag football is a sport that is accessible to a wider audience. While outfitting teams with football pads can be cost-prohibitive, flag football offers a more affordable option, leading to participation from people all over the world.
“The decision to add flag football to the program for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles is a recognition of the sport's tremendous growth internationally and its popularity as a fast-paced, exciting and competitive sport,” said Scott Hallenbeck, IFAF vice president and CEO of USA Football.
Has soccer ever been played in the Olympics?
2028 marks 96 years since football's first and only appearance in the Olympic Games.
Troy Vincent of the New York Daily News pointed out that, coincidentally, soccer did appear at the 1932 Olympics, held in Los Angeles, but it was merely a demonstration sport and no medals were awarded.
2028 will be the first year that football will be an official sport, and the first time flag football will be introduced. In 1932, it was tackle, of course.
Who will be on the U.S. Olympic Flag Football team?
One of the big questions is whether the U.S.'s best athletes will compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Of course, NFL teams are so fearful of injuries to their top players that any game, even a non-contact one, is risky. Flag football is now being played in the Pro Bowl, but still, that's late in the season, not when training camp is in full swing.
Players such as Tyreek Hill have expressed interest in playing, and Joe Burrow has said he would like to recreate the 2019 LSU super team that consisted of himself, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.
Of course, the NFLPA would have a hand in making that possibility a reality.
“We understand the desires of our players and we know what they have advocated for in terms of the opportunity to represent their country. We will continue to work with the players, the (NFL) Players Association and the clubs to determine a process and then work with USA Football and IFAF,” NFL executive Peter O'Reilly told NFL.com.
Flag Football Olympics 2028 Rules
With so many different ways to play the game, what rules does flag football follow? One of the goals of the Olympics is to provide a game of a digestible length, so for broadcast reasons they wouldn't be able to support a full-length NFL game.
According to the Olympic website (emphasis added):
“The flag football game 20-minute halves x 2 The clocks run continuously, 2 Minute Warning.
“After the two-minute warning, the clock stops whenever play is stopped, such as when a ball carrier goes out of bounds, a forward pass hits the ground or there is a turnover or a point scored.
“If the score is tied after 40 minutes, extra time will begin with both teams having an equal chance to score, unless the defense intercepts the ball and scores.”
In this version of the game, there are no linemen and defenders can blitz from as far as seven yards away from the line of scrimmage.
Will there be women's flag football at the 2028 Olympics?
Football and its growth is typically discussed in the context of the men's NFL, but the 2028 Olympics will also feature a women's division.
Girls' flag football is a rapidly growing sport, with female participation in high school flag football increasing 86% over the four-year period from 2019 to 2022, according to the New York Daily News. Mexico's Diana Flores has become a star in the sport after leading Mexico to a gold medal at the World Games.
