NFL players eyeing Olympic flag football offered acclimation camps in 'first step' to national team
USA Football will run acclimation camps in early 2027, one year before flag football makes its Olympic debut.
NFL players with aspirations to join the 2028 U.S. Olympic flag football team can prepare for their potential inclusion through flag football acclimation camps slated to commence in early 2027. Scott Hallenbeck, CEO and Executive Director of USA Football, emphasized that these camps serve as the initial step towards NFL players joining the national team pathway.
Hallenbeck explained that the camps offer participants an opportunity to grasp the strategies, rules, and nuances of flag football while competing for a spot among the top flag athletes globally. The selection process for the Olympic team will draw from a mix of elite flag football athletes, former and active NFL players, and elite transfer athletes from other sports.
USA Football will ultimately determine the 10-man roster for the sport's Olympic debut closer to the Games, which could or could not feature NFL players. The U.S. men's national team, currently without any NFL representatives, clinched a sixth consecutive world title earlier this month in Germany at the last pre-LA Games tournament.
Over 200 NFL players representing 25-plus countries have expressed interest in Olympic flag football, as reported by the NFL. Under NFL regulations, no more than one player per NFL team can participate in the Olympics, in addition to each NFL team's designated international player. Currently, the U.S., Italy, and Canada have spots reserved in the six-team Olympic men's field, while the U.S., Canada, and Mexico hold the first three women's spots.
The final three men's teams and women's teams will be decided through the Olympic Q-Series events in June 2028 in Montreal and Orlando. The NFL announced there will be flag football events at its Pro Bowl weekend and Super Bowl week in Los Angeles, showcasing the professional flag league it is developing in partnership with TMRW Sports.
NFL officials highlighted international games and flag football as evidence of the league's worldwide growth.
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