Following a decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Flag Football will be making it’s Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.
Flag Football is a fast-paced, non-contact form of American Football played by teams of 5 on small fields. The game focuses on passing and catching skills and is a fast moving and exciting game for all ages.
The final confirmation of the inclusion follows the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) being recognised by the IOC and the subsequent formal proposal of Flag Football, by the Executive Board of the IOC, for inclusion on the sport programme of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India.
The sport of Flag Football is played in NZ and is administered by the New Zealand American Football Federation (NZAFF). There are 17 American Football Clubs across NZ playing both the non-contact version, Flag Football, and the tackle version of American Football. National Championships for Flag Football have been held in NZ since 2018 with the latest edition hosted in Auckland last March having 30 teams competing across Open Men, Open Women, Youth Men and Masters grades.
The national teams for men and women, the Mako and Flag Ferns respectively, are about to compete in the Asia Oceania Flag Football Continental Championships being held in Kuala Lumpur from the 27th October to the 29th October.
