USA Football has officially been certified as the national governing body for American football by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the organization announced Thursday.
Flag football will be showcased for the first time at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. USA Football will be in charge of selecting, training and leading the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams on the international stage.
“Being formally certified as the National Governing Body is a historic achievement, tremendous honor and incredible responsibility, as flag football’s Olympic debut draws closer. We thank the USOPC for its approval and support throughout this process,” USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck said in a statement. “We’re also grateful to the NFL and all our partners for their continued support and belief in our mission. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our athletes, coaches and entire organization.
“Our commitment to this great game and its growing community has never been stronger. Team USA flag football competing in LA 2028 will inspire athletes worldwide to advance and grow the sport — in both flag and tackle football,” he said.
Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, particularly for female players.
According to USA Football, in the 10 years from 2014 through 2023, the number of girls ages 6 to 12 playing the sport increased 222%, to more than 129,300 participants. For ages 6 to 17, more than 230,800 girls played last year.
High school girls flag football is now sanctioned in 14 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. At the college level, the NCAA is exploring flag football as part of its “Emerging Sports for Women” program.
Team USA’s Isabella Geraci, who played college basketball at South Carolina Upstate, said she grew up playing tackle football in high school because flag football wasn’t offered as it is today. She cited NCAA scholarships as “extremely important” for the growth of the game.
“You have these kids out here who can now get college paid for by playing a sport that they love, just like any other college athlete,” she told NBC News. “It’s very well deserved.”
Geraci, along with men’s and women’s squads from Team USA, is working to be selected for the World Games in Chengdu, China, in August. Next month they will participate in a training camp in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the rosters will be trimmed from 18 to 12 players.
Both teams will look to claim another gold medal after having won first place last year at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships at the Pajulahti Olympic Training Center in Lahti, Finland.
But that’s just the immediate goal. Long-term they have their eyes set on the ultimate prize: an Olympic gold medal in 2028.
“It would be the highest honor,” Geraci said. “As an athlete growing up, that’s one thing that you always want to do — represent your country in the Olympics. So to be able to do that for flag football, the first time that it’s going to be in [the Games], it would be a surreal experience.”
