The sport

Flag football at the LA28 Olympics

Updated November 3, 2026 · 2 min read

Flag football makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in July 2028: six women's teams and six men's teams, 10 players each, playing 5 on 5 under IFAF rules.

Dates: July 15–22, 2028
Venue: BMO Stadium, LA
Teams: 6 women · 6 men
Per team: 10 players

How it got in

On October 16, 2023, the IOC Session in Mumbai approved flag football for LA28, together with baseball/softball, cricket, lacrosse and squash. It will be the sport's Olympic debut.

The format

12 teams: 6 women's and 6 men's, 10 players each, 120 athletes in all.
Rules: IFAF 5 on 5, the international rules (compared with NFL FLAG).
When and where: July 15–22, 2028, at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park, Los Angeles. The men's medal games are reported for July 21 and the women's final for July 22.
Age: players must be 18 or older on December 31, 2028.

Who has qualified

	Women	Men
Host	United States	United States
2026 World Championships	Canada, Mexico	Italy, Canada
Olympic Q-Series, June 2028	3 places to come	3 places to come

How the last places are decided

The last three teams in each tournament come from the Olympic Q-Series in June 2028, in Montreal and Orlando. Teams get there through the 2027 continental championships. IFAF's February 2026 system says 10 teams per gender will play the Q-Series (2 from each continent); a later report says 12, so the final number may change.

Will NFL players play?

On May 20, 2025, NFL owners voted 32–0 to let players try out. The league's resolution allows at most one player from any single NFL club on an Olympic team (plus each club's designated international player) and covers injury insurance and salary-cap credit. As of November 2026 no final NFL–players' union agreement or Team USA selection with NFL players had been reported. USA Football picks Team USA; its 2026 world championship rosters had no NFL players, and that team beat two teams of NFL stars at the 2026 Fanatics Flag Football Classic.

The favourites

USA men: 7 of the 12 men's world titles, including 2026.
Canada women: 2026 world champions, beating the USA 27–20.
Mexico women: World Games gold in 2022 and 2025, world bronze in 2026.
Italy men: 2025 European champions and 2026 world runners-up.

All the results: latest games.

Questions

When is flag football at the 2028 Olympics?

July 15–22, 2028, at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park, Los Angeles. It is the sport's Olympic debut.

How many teams play flag football at LA28?

Twelve: six women's and six men's teams, 10 players each.

Which teams have qualified for Olympic flag football?

Women: the USA (host), Canada and Mexico. Men: the USA (host), Italy and Canada. Three more per gender qualify at the Olympic Q-Series in June 2028.

Will NFL players play flag football in the Olympics?

They may try out: NFL owners approved it 32–0 in May 2025, with at most one player per NFL club on each Olympic team. As of November 2026, no NFL player had been named to an Olympic roster.

What rules are used in Olympic flag football?

IFAF's 5-on-5 rules: a 50 × 25 yard field plus 10-yard end zones, 7 seconds to throw, no-run zones only before the goal lines, and 4 downs to cross the middle and 4 to score.