The IOC will make a decision on flag football soon.
The National Football League is probably keeping an eye on the upcoming International Olympic Committee meeting as the global sports entity may add flag football to the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics as an event. The NFL wants to become a global presence but American football is just not well known around the world and the NFL is taking baby steps to establish a presence in Europe. American football is not going to be part of an Olympic program but flag football might be an answer to the NFL’s problem. It’s not the game the NFL sells but it could be an introduction to getting people to play football. Los Angeles would be a perfect place for flag football as America is the home to flag football.
The IOC was supposed to add other sports to the Los Angeles Olympics on September 9th but the IOC decided it needed more time to make the determination on flag football and cricket. The NFL has been lobbying for flag football to be a part of the Olympic event because league officials think it will increase interest in the game globally. “If flag football becomes an Olympic sport, more countries will invest in playing that sport,” said the former NFL International chief operating officer Damani Leech in April 2022. The International Federation of American Football has a partnership with the NFL through Vision28, to get flag football as part of the roster for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Flag football is played as a five-on-five non-contact sport. The NFL claims “flag football is a cornerstone of the NFL’s participation and development strategy and a growing focus for the organization. Internationally, it is one of the fastest-growing sports, already played by men and women through IFAF programs in more than 100 countries.” The NFL needs the Olympics to grow internationally.
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