Abstract
With the debut of flag football as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the International Federation of American Football has been busy determing which women’s national teams will represent the sport. IFAF held four Continental Championships during 2025, with the top teams taking the field in Dusseldorf to determine the final rankings. In addition to championships in the Americas, Europe, and Asia/Oceania, African teams joined the selection process for the first time. Three African teams dueled fo inclusion in Germany at the IFAF World Women’s Flag Football Championships, and Nigeria placed first over Morocco and Egypt. In the Americas, Mexico finished in first over Canada, with the United States, Panama, and Brazil also qualifying. The Euro championships saw Great Britain winning first over Austria. Also getting their ticket for Dusseldorf were Spain, France, Slovenia, and Italy. The final championship will be held in Ningbo, China in October. Three more places to complete the sixteen team field will be determined there.After the World Championships, IFAF will host yet another round of Continental Championships before settling the field for Los Angeles, but once the smoke clears in Germany, we will have a very good idea of who will take the field in the Olympic Games. The spread of the less-violent form of American football has been rapid, and my study include interviews with several athletes who have reached for their piece of the American (Football) Dream.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sporting Cultures and Identities
KEYWORDS
Flag football, New Olympic sports, Women's sport, International competition
