Flag football is set to debut at the LA 2028 Summer Games as one of the five additional sports at the Olympics.

Flag football will take place at BMO Stadium, home of MLS’s LAFC. The venue will host both the men’s and women’s tournaments. While the format is not yet set, the tournament will feature six teams on both the men’s and women’s sides.

As opposed to traditional football, flag football is a non-contact sport. To end a play, the objective is to remove a vinyl flag attached to the waist of the player with the ball. Each player wears two flags on their waist, one on each side.

Each team will have five players on the field from a roster of 12, allowing teams to designate players for offense and defense. There are no special teams or linemen in flag football, so each drive begins at the offense’s own 5-yard line with a “center” (not a traditional center) snapping the ball to the quarterback. Depending on the play, the quarterback can hand the ball off to a running back or throw it to a receiver.

Plays end when a player goes out of bounds, a flag is removed or a pass falls incomplete. Each team has four downs to reach midfield and another four downs to reach the end zone, as the field is 70 yards long with two 10-yard end zones. Offenses are not allowed to run the ball when a team is five yards or fewer from scoring a touchdown. Teams earn six points for a touchdown and have the option of attempting an extra point from the 5-yard line or a two-point conversion from the 10-yard line. Offenses are allowed to run the ball in those situations. Turnovers occur when the defense records an interception or recovers a fumble.

Flag football consists of two 20-minute halves with a running clock until the two-minute warning. After the two-minute warning, the clock stops on incomplete passes, plays that go out of bounds, turnovers or touchdowns. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, overtime will be played. Each team receives one possession, and the team with the better result wins. A defensive turnover ends the game immediately.

On the men’s side, Team USA is expected to be a heavy gold medal favorite, as numerous NFL stars have expressed strong interest in competing at the Games. NFL players will be allowed to compete following a decision by the league office in May 2025. Stars such as Justin Jefferson, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Joe Burrow have publicly expressed their desire to play. Other medal contenders are expected to include Austria, Mexico, Italy, France and Switzerland.

On the women’s side, the outlook is more competitive for the U.S. Mexico is currently ranked No. 1 in the International Federation of American Football rankings. Great Britain, Japan and Canada are also expected to be contenders for medals at the Games.