The Olympics will add a new addition to their competitive game lineup: Flag Football. The International Olympic Committee has recently announced the induction of flag football into the 2028 Olympics.
Flag Football is a no-contact version of the classic American game of football. Instead of tackling the player, you must capture one of three flags hanging on each side of their waist. It features a 12-player roster with five men for each team, allowing the field to hold ten players simultaneously. The game aims to advance up the gridiron via a series of offensive plays into the defense’s endzone to score a touchdown while the defense attempts to prevent this from happening. The three central positions are quarterback, whose job is to throw or run the ball down the field; wide receiver, whose job is to catch and take the ball downfield; and running back, who is supposed to rush the ball downfield, avoiding or running through the defensive line.
This game originated during WWII as a recreational game to keep the soldiers from boredom. It is said that Fort Meade in Maryland was the first to host a flag football game, but we have yet to determine for sure.
Several high-status NFL players like Patrick Mahomes want to join the US Olympic Team for Men’s Flag Football. At a conference in Frankfurt, Germany, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback said, “NFL football, American football, has taken to further parts, all the way across the world, with flag football coming to the Olympics. I think it’s cool because football is a great game that has given me so much, and I want to ensure everyone gets the same experience I got growing up.”
The induction of Flag Football into the Olympics has caused many young superstar athletes to aim higher and dream of one day becoming a renowned Olympiad. For example, if they choose to do so, a Southern Arizona football team, the Tigers, placed top 20 in the country, and they are preparing their players for the Olympics. “Having those opportunities for the Olympics is amazing. We’re just super excited about their decision,” said Shaun Lara, the head coach of Marana’s flag football team. The star-starting wide receiver for the Tigers, Malaysia Roebuck, is shooting for a shot at the 2028 flag football Olympic team, and she is only a sophomore. This proves that opportunities will flood you as long as you are willing to work to become great.
The inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has inspired not only Americans, where the sport is dominant but in other countries, where the sport is unknown as it continues to make global appearances. Who knows, someday football, not just flag football, can be compared to the most popular games in the world, such as soccer. Flag football in the Olympics is just the beginning of the increase in popularity of the American game, a game that brings joy, tension, and something to hope for in all American households. Someday, that hope will not be confined to only Americans but to those worldwide.
