Addition of NFL stars could be an LA Games-changer
DENVER — Imagine Tyreek Hill catching passes again from Patrick Mahomes. Not in a Super Bowl, though, but with a gold medal on the line for Team USA.
Anything's about to become possible after flag football was elevated to Olympic status. The noncontact sport was added to the program for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Miami’s Hill and Kansas City’s Mahomes are among the NFL players who’ve shown an interest in possibly wearing the red, white and blue in the Olympics.
Flag football is a sport many in the United States grew up playing, either informally the backyard or at recess in elementary school, or in more organized environments like gym class or local leagues. In this version of American football, every offensive player is eligible to catch a pass. And on defense, ending up with a flag is a good thing — it’s how you stop your opponent. The NFL has jumped on board, too, adding flag football to the league’s Pro Bowl activities.
• What are the rules?
The standard style of the game is five-on-five with no linemen. It’s played on a field that’s 50 yards (46 meters) long — along with 10 yards for each end zone — and 25 yards wide. That’s about half the size of an NFL field. A stop is made by ripping off one of the flags attached to the ball carrier’s waist. The offensive team has four downs to reach middle of the field. If they make it, the team has four more downs to score.
An offensive touchdown is worth six points with the subsequent extra-point attempt varying in value. A successful kick from the 5-yard line is awarded one point, while a successful attempt from the 10-yard line is awarded two points. A defensive touchdown earns two points.
Each game consists of two 20-minute halves, and the clock stops within the final two minutes of each half. If a game is tied after regulation, there is an overtime period where each team receives an offensive possession. There are no running plays when a team is 5 yards or less from the end zone.
• Equipment requirements
Very simple: Flags, a belt to hold the flags, cleats, jerseys, mouth guard and, of course, the ball. There are 12 players on a roster. The governing body for the sport is the International Federation of Ameri*can Football (IFAF).
• Is it an Olympic sport?
The sport is one of five added for the LA Games, but it’s only an invitational sport for the moment.
Another invitational sport, breaking, will make its Olympic debut in Paris this summer, but won’t return for LA.
The flag football community is already working to have it included in the 2032 Brisbane Games “so we clearly give ourselves the best chance for longevity and ultimately becoming a true sport in the Olympic Movement,” Scott Hallenbeck, the CEO of USA Football, explained.
• Is it open to NFL players?
In theory, and for now, yes. But really, it’s going to boil down to what the league, owners and teams have to say. Some big-name players have already expressed a strong desire to play.
It’s a different style of game, though, and the national teams feature world-class players, too. The US men have won four straight world championships, while the women have captured two in a row. But Team Mexico, led by standout quarterback Diana Flores, won the gold medal at the World Games in 2022.
There could even be a mix of current NFL players, retired ones and those players in the talent-development pipeline for USA Football.
It’s still some time away, but beginning next season, there are official USA Football-sanctioned events to kick off the selection process.
“Our job is fundamentally to put together the best team that can go and win gold,” Hallenbeck said. “It’s that simple.”
• What will this mean for flag football going forward?
Eight states — Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and New York — have sanctioned girls’ flag football as a high-school varsity sport. In addition, there are around two dozen National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) schools that played women’s flag football in 2023 — and more plan to do so in upcoming seasons.
According to USA Football research, more than a million kids between the ages of 6 and 12 played the sport in 2022. There’s also been more than 1.5 million participants between 6 and 17 who have played in each of the past two seasons.