Everything You Need to Know About Olympic Flag Football

With NFL players now officially allowed to compete in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, discussion about building Team USA—and some other national squads—will be top of mind for fans, players, and media members alike.

But there are several key rules and provisions to know as the discourse builds over the next three years. The NFL and the International Federation of American Football worked together to get approval from the International Olympic Committee in 2023.

Who Can Play?

Only one player from each NFL team can compete for a specific national team, so multiple players from the same franchise can participate—as long as they’re representing different countries.

For example, stars like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce wouldn’t be able to team up for the U.S. However, Mahomes could lace it up for Team USA while his teammate George Karlaftis plays for Greece, if they qualify.

Additionally, each NFL team’s designated international player (who is allowed to occupy an extra spot on the practice squad) may compete for his country, regardless of other players from the team competing. Those players are typically not well-known stars.

What Are the X’s and O’s?

The game itself is a 5-on-5 format: one quarterback and four receivers/running backs, one of whom begins the play at center. Defenders are allowed to blitz, provided they start from at least 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

The game is played in two 20-minute halves on a field that’s 70 yards long (including end zones) and 25 yards wide. The offense has four plays to cross midfield for a first down, at which point it becomes 1st-and-goal. There is no kicking, so after a touchdown, teams have the option to go for one or two extra points, with a single play from 5 yards or 12 yards, respectively. 

Which Nations Will Make It?

The Olympic flag football competition will include teams from six nations, featuring 10 players per squad. 

A record 31 nations participated in the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championship. The top six finishers in the men’s competition were, in order, the U.S., Austria, Switzerland, Mexico, France, and Italy. 

The other nations in the championship round were Canada, Denmark, Israel, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Panama, Spain, Australia, and the Czech Republic. The qualification process for flag football at the Los Angeles Olympics has not yet been determined. 

What Will the Turnout Be?

It remains to be seen how many NFL players will end up on Olympic teams.

During the basketball competition at the 2024 Paris Games, a record 51 current NBA players were on Olympic rosters. There will be no restrictions on former NFL players competing in Olympic flag football. 

Canada typically has the largest number of non-U.S. players in the NFL. Current notable names include Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard and Bills receiver Josh Palmer. 

For Team USA and others, there could also be the potential of pairing veteran, championship-winning flag football players with NFL players.