For the first time, men’s and women’s flag football will be included in the World Games competition this year. Opening ceremonies for the 2022 World Games took place on July 7 in Birmingham, Alabama, and this year’s iteration of the multi-national sporting event features 30 sports and 54 disciplines, with athletes from 110 nations competing for gold.
The World Games were initially scheduled for 2021 but were pushed back after the 2020 Olympics were delayed due to COVID-19. The World Games include sports and disciplines not included in the Olympics and are held every four years.
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the governing agency that has overseen the development of flag football competition. IFAF has held world championship competitions since 2002. The U.S. Men’s and Women’s teams took gold in the most recent IFAF world competition in 2021, with both teams defeating teams from Mexico.
The U.S. men’s team currently leads world competition medal counts with a combined six medals, five of which were gold. The women’s team holds a first-place tie with Mexico at five medals apiece, but trails in gold medal victories 3-to-2.
Both teams were automatically qualified for the 2022 World Games with their 2021 wins in Israel. Austria, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Panama qualified teams to compete at the World Games. Following the doping scandal that erupted in 2019, Russia was banned from national competitions, including the World Games. Athletes were to be allowed to compete under a neutral flag and affiliation but ultimately were banned from competition altogether following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
The NFL has become a large backer of flag football at all levels. According to reporting from the Associated Press, several NFL teams contribute to high school flag football programs. The league says that at least 450 schools currently participate in the fast-growing sport.
“When we talk about the future of the game of football, it is, no question, flag,” NFL executive Troy Vincent told The Associated Press. “When I’ve been asked over the last 24 months, in particular, what does the next 100 years look like when you look at football, not professional football, it’s flag. It’s the inclusion and the true motto of ‘football for all.’ There is a place in flag football for all.”
The NFL and the IFAF began a partnership in 2020 to bring flag football to the Olympic Games in 2028. The NFL Flag program is the nation’s largest, with over 1,600 teams established in all 50 states. The program teaches 4-to-17-year-old athletes the fundamentals and builds skills.
The NFL is also working with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to encourage college campuses to introduce women’s flag football programs. Six states have sanctioned high school flag football programs as a varsity sport.
The flag football event will begin on July 10 with competition play. Elimination will begin on July 12 with the commencement of the World Championship playoffs. The World Games will be played at the historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, which has been hosting football games since 1923.
“The World Games is a tremendous platform to showcase flag football as an exciting, competitive, dynamic game that can be played by everyone regardless of age or gender,” said Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations on NFL.com. “Flag is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, and The World Games will no doubt accelerate that growth as the Flag championships inspire that football is for all.”
