Flag Football May Soon Be an Olympic Sport

Players warmup before the regional game during the Flag Football World Championships Tour Regional qualifier in Wichita Falls on Saturday, March 19, 2022. FLAGFOOTBALL8

It’s been years in the making, but we may finally get some American football at the Olympic Games in the relatively near future. After the Olympic committee denied the sport access to the 2020 Games in Tokyo, it seems that momentum has been growing almost daily for inclusion in future games.

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The decision may rely on the World Games to determine whether or not the ball keeps rolling. The 2022 World Games include a flag football tournament that began on Sunday. It is the first time that any version of American football is being included in the Worl Games, and the event is taking place at Legion Field in Alabama.

The tournament will include eight men’s and eight women’s teams that will compete until Thursday to determine a gold medal winner. It is a much faster paced version of football, taking place on 50-yard fields rather than the traditional 100-yarders.

There are increasing talks that flag football could be included in the Olympics as early as 2028, and the interest pulled from the World Games could go a long way in deciding whether that will be the case. Obviously, the NFL is making a big push for their sport to be included in the summer games. Increased global interest in the sport will only bring in more fans and revenue for the league. As far as the future of American football, NFL executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent, is convinced that the future of the sport is in flag football. Here is what he had to say to The Associated Press:

“When we talk about the future of the game of football, it is, no question, flag. When I’ve been asked over the last 24 months, in particular, what does the next 100 years look like when you look at football — not professional football — it’s flag. It’s the inclusion and the true motto of ‘football for all.’ There is a place in flag football for all.” 

-NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent

Should flag football be added to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, it will be interesting to see if any former NFL players will participate. It seems unlikely that players on NFL rosters would be able to play, considering how closely the Olympics lie to NFL training camps. Which former Minnesota Vikings would you want to see take the field in the Olympic Games?

As for the World Games event going on this week, it will continue its qualifying matches at 3:00 PM EST on Monday.

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