I accidentally came across the 2025 National Football League (NFL) Flag Championships last Sunday (July 20) on television and decided, for the first time, to pay some serious attention to the sport. And while the games featured high school students, girls and boys, who won their regional competitions, the level of grit, intensity, and skill displayed was enough to signal that it wasn’t child’s play.

Flag football is a non-contact variation of American football in which players remove ‘flags’ attached to the ball carrier instead of making tackles. The two flags, which are strips made of nylon, polyester, vinyl, leather or a similar sturdy material, are worn on the belts of the players, and the object of the opponent is to remove either of these flags to stop the game, akin to a tackle in the normal execution of the sport. And with the hard tackles, blocking and heavy physical contact removed, along with the need for very minimal special equipment, the sport can cater to a wider audience and encourage greater participation.

According to the NFL flag rules, there are four offensive positions: quarterback, centre, wide receiver and running back. However, with no blocking permitted, there’s no need for an offensive line, plus, with no field goal included in the game, there is no need for a kicker. Additionally, as per the rules, on defense, a player can be a rusher, defensive back or safety but, as previously stated, no tackling is allowed, and minimal contact is permissible when attempting to remove a flag.

Outside of physical play, there are many other differences which separate this version of the game from the normal rough and tumble, but it still retains all the tactical and technical elements. Of note is the size of the field (25 yards wide), the rule that rushing is not allowed within five yards of the end zone, and the fact that the player who receives the snap — usually the quarterback — cannot run across the line of scrimmage. However, with only a maximum of two rushers allowed per play, the most agile quarterbacks will have enough room to wiggle and avoid being ‘sacked’.

In October 2023, flag football was approved for inclusion in the 2028 Olympics, alongside squash, cricket, baseball-softball and lacrosse. Of those, cricket, baseball-softball and lacrosse have previously been medal sports at the Games and are making their return, but flag football will need to make an impression to determine if it will have a repeat appearance in Brisbane (2032). That said, based on the growth and development of flag football worldwide in the last few years, it is doubtful that it will underperform and end up being a one-timer like the meme-magnet debut of breakdancing at the Paris Olympics last year. To be fair, the decision to drop breakdancing from the LA 2028 games was made long before Australia’s Rachael “Raygun” Gunn or any other Olympic breakdancers performed on the Paris stage, as the Los Angeles Olympic organisers chose not to include the sport because it did not fit their vision for the Games.

The 2028 Olympics is slated to have two flag football competitions, one for men and one for women, but the qualifying process has reportedly not yet been finalised. However, the organisers have confirmed that the games will feature six men’s and six women’s teams, each composed of 10 players, and the events will be played in a five-vs-five format. Flag football was previously contested at the 2022 World Games and will be featured at the 2025 World Games, which runs from August 7 to 17.

The sport is played in more than 100 countries, not only at the youth level but at the highest levels in colleges and adult leagues, and the American Flag Football League (AFFL) is reportedly set to launch the first-ever professional flag football competition in 2026. In May 2025, NFL team owners from all 32 markets unanimously voted in favour of allowing NFL players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Olympic Games, which opened the door for the best in the game to have an opportunity to parade their skill on the Olympic stage. However, only one player from each NFL team can try out per national team, and rosters are capped at 10 players each.

It is not yet clear how permission will specifically be granted for the NFL players and how their absence will affect training camp or preseason activities, but the Games are set to conclude on July 30, 2028, though it’s still unknown what dates flag football will actually be played. Most NFL training camps would be underway by the end of the Games and the questions of contractual obligations and insurance coverage for the NFL players are matters to be addressed, but there are a few years between now and then, which should allow enough time for those issues to be finalised.

Flag football is on the rise and its popularity is bolstered by the pace of the game. A smaller playing space featuring 15-to-25-minute halves (depending on the league), and the clock only stops for injuries, half-time and timeouts (each team has one, 60-second timeout per half). The offence starts on its own five-yard line and has four plays to cross midfield for a first down. If the offence fails to advance after three tries, they have two options: They can punt or they can go for it. But if they still fail to cross midfield, the opposing team takes over possession from the spot of the ball. If the offence crosses midfield, they have three plays to score a touchdown, or the opposing team takes over possession from the spot of the ball. A touchdown is six points, a safety is two, and teams can opt to try either a one-point conversion from the five-yard line or a two-point conversion from the 10-yard line after scoring a touchdown.

This is a faster version of regular football, with the usual speed, coordination, strength and agility included, but without the dangers associated with bodies colliding at speed. If you haven’t yet done so, grab a taste of flag football at the World Games in August and get a feel for this growing trend.

JustBet continues to offer attractive betting options on all popular sports and events (including virtual games) as soon as they become available. Please visit one of the over 130 locations (or visit www.supremegames.com/#/prelive) for details and place your bets on the prediction of your choice for maximum winnings…… Get in the GAME!