Flag football moves one step closer to becoming an Olympic sport

Flag football took another step towards potentially becoming an Olympic sport when its governing association received approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board on Wednesday.

The IOC Executive Board proposed that the International Federal of American Football (IFAF) — the association which oversees international flag football — be approved by the full IOC.

IFAF will now have to wait until mid-October when the IOC holds its full session in Mumbai, India, where members will vote on the proposal.

In a statement later Wednesday, IFAF said it “welcomes” the IOC board’s proposal.

“We are optimistic regarding the vote of the IOC Session in October and remain committed to constantly evaluating how we can improve for the benefit of our athletes and our sport as it continues its rapid growth around the world,” IFAF President Pierre Trochet said in a statement.

For years, the NFL has been pushing for flag football, which is played as a five-on-five non-contact sport, to be included as an Olympic event in order to grow interest in the game worldwide.

“If flag football becomes an Olympic sport, more countries will invest in playing that sport,” then NFL International chief operating officer Damani Leech told CNBC in April of 2022.

Last summer, the NFL and IFAF formed a partnership, called Vision28, in an effort to push for flag football to be a sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.