FLAG FOOTBALL ADDED TO 2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS
INDIANAPOLIS – On Monday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the addition of flag football to the Olympic program for the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles. The historic decision paves the way for flag football and USA Football’s U.S. National Teams to make their Olympic debut on home soil. The IOC’s decision came after the LA28 Organizing Committee recommended flag football and four other sports for inclusion in the Olympics last week.
USA Football, the sport’s governing body, a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and the U.S. representative to the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), is the only organization responsible for selecting and leading the U.S. National Teams.
“Today is a momentous day for American football,” said Scott Hallenbeck, CEO of USA Football. “We are incredibly thankful to the IOC and LA28 Organizing Committee for recognizing flag football as a sport worthy of inclusion in the Olympic Games, and we share our excitement and celebrate this historic occasion with the millions of flag football players across our country.
“The decision to add flag football to the 2028 Summer Olympic program in Los Angeles is an acknowledgment of the sport’s tremendous international growth and appeal as a fast, exciting and competitive sport.
“USA Football works tirelessly to support the sport’s exponential growth at all levels by encouraging the creation of more pathways to play, and inclusion in the Olympic Games will have a transformative impact on our sport – from the grassroots level to our elite U.S. National Teams.
“As the governing body of American Football in the United States, we are committed to continuing to work closely with IFAF, the USOPC and the NFL as we pursue our collective efforts to grow the game for current and future generations.”
The expanding global opportunities for flag football are reflective of the sport’s staggering growth. In the United States alone, an annual participation study from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) in 2022, showed 7.1 million people participated in flag football while more than half a dozen states have sanctioned girls’ flag football as a varsity sport. Internationally, flag football is played by 20 million people in more than 100 countries.
(USAFootball.com)
