Flag football will debut at the Olympics in primetime on LA28
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will feature flag football as the main event, as officials have confirmed that the sport’s medal matches will take place during primetime for the first time.
Friday night, July 21, and Saturday afternoon, July 22, are the dates of the men’s and women’s gold games at BMO Stadium, which is close to downtown Los Angeles, according to a Monday announcement from the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and the National Football League (NFL).
The announcement coincides with the first formal talks between top IFAF and NFL delegations and the organizers of the Games in Los Angeles, which will take place precisely three years before the LA28 Opening Ceremony.
“Flag football is going to be a popular sport at the Games,” Pierre Trochet, the president of IFAF, told Reuters on Monday.
“We’re going to be at a great stadium right in the heart of the city and we’re going to have fantastic players on the field with NFL players available.”
Players in the non-contact American football variant known as “flag football” wear flags fastened to their waists. Defensive players must take a flag from the ball carrier to stop a play instead of tackling. There are fewer players on each side and the field is smaller for the sport.
NFL owners voted to enable NFL players to compete in the Olympics, which led to flag football being added to LA28.
Trochet claimed that the primetime scheduling was an unambiguous declaration of a common goal to guarantee that flag football serves as a “defining element” in LA28’s success.
In order to create memorable moments for the sport’s Olympic debut, organizers aim to emulate the thrill of “Friday Night Lights,” a beloved American tradition.
“We could not dream of a better setup to start our debut in the Olympic movement and Olympic journey,” he continued.
The IFAF delegation will spend three days touring Exposition Park and other locations, with senior NFL executives and managing director Andy Fuller among them.
Additionally, the group will attend the kickoff of a new NFL flag football brand campaign featuring Olympic gymnastics champion Jordan Chiles and flag football athletes from Australia and the United States, as well as meet with important members of the LA28 organizing team.
