The World Games Flag Football Championships Presented by the NFL scheduled to air Thursday on NFL Network
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., USA – Flag football made its international, multi-sport debut at The World Games 2022, a promising step in the movement to add the sport to the Summer Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles.
Football fans will have a perfect chance to learn about flag football and the nuances of the 5-on-5 format this week, thanks to the NFL Network’s coverage the TWG gold-medal games.
The NFL Network will televise “The World Games Flag Football Championships Presented by the NFL” on Thursday at 7 p.m. Central. The men’s and women’s championship games will be featured.
The United States won gold at The World Games, while Mexico defeated the United States in the women’s gold-medal game.
During a news conference during The World Games in Birmingham, the NFL and International Federation of American Football (IFAF) also announced that IFAF President Pierre Trochet and NFL Vice President of Operations Troy Vincent will co-chair the Vision28 group dedicated to adding flag football for the Los Angeles Olympics.
Trochet and Vincent voiced hope that the inclusion of flag football at The World Games 2022 will serve as a springboard for the emerging sport to be added to the Summer Olympics in 2028.
“This joint leadership sends a clear message about the strength of our shared belief in everything flag football can bring to the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement,” Trochet said during the Birmingham news conference. “Flag is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports for a reason. It’s fast. It’s creative. It’s skillful. It’s fun. … We have seen a glimpse of all that potential here at the World Games.”
At the news conference in Birmingham, a reporter asked Vincent if NFL players would be allowed to play if flag football is added to the Olympics in Los Angeles.
“That’s why we’re here,” Vincent replied. “And I think the world wants to see the best of the best. We start to talk about skill level, and they should be able to compete. They will have that option and choice, but that’s why we partnered with IFAF. It is to grow the game and having the best compete against the other best.”
