Flag football at the Olympic Games could soon be a thing.
The NFL has been around since 1920 but is still gaining popularity worldwide; especially nowadays, thanks to Taylor Swift. Things are likely to get even better for the league as the organizers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics submitted a proposal to have flag football included, per the Associated Press.
With the games to return to the U.S. for the first time in 32 years, the International Olympic Committee will vote on the proposal in meetings set for Mumbai, India this week.
Flag football is a variation of the game in which there are no offensive or defensive linemen and tackles are made by pulling a flag from a belt worn by the opposing player. If the proposal goes through, it would be played 5-on-5 on a 50-yard field.
Los Angeles also submitted proposals for baseball, softball, squash, lacrosse, and cricket, with city chairman Casey Wasserman stating that the sports are “relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centers, stadiums and parks across the U.S. and the globe.”
Should the virtually non-contact flag football make its way into the games, it would mark a huge win for the NFL, with the league constantly looking for ways to encourage participation in football amid a decrease, though it has been on the rise as a spectator sport.
