Which women's teams have qualified for Olympic flag football?

As of November 2026, three of six: the United States as host, and Canada and Mexico from the 2026 IFAF World Championships, where Canada beat the United States 27-20 in the final. The last three places will be decided at the Olympic Q-Series in Montreal and Orlando in June 2028.

How many players are on an Olympic flag football team?

Up to ten per team, under IFAF's LA28 qualification system and USA Football's selection notice. Five play at a time, compared with seven in high school girls' flag football under the NFHS rules.

Flag football at the 2028 Olympics: where high school fits

Q: Is flag football in the 2028 Olympics?

Yes. The IOC added flag football to the Los Angeles 2028 programme at its 141st Session in Mumbai in October 2023. There will be a six-team women's tournament and a six-team men's tournament, played five on five at Exposition Park Stadium (BMO Stadium).

Q: Can high school players make the Olympic flag football team?

Only if they are old enough. IFAF and USA Football require Olympic athletes to be 18 or older on 31 December 2028, so a player must be born in 2010 or earlier. No rule reserves or bars places for high school or college players. The usual route to the national team runs through USA Football's Talent ID Camps, Select Bowl and junior (15U and 17U) national teams to invitation-only trials.

Flag football makes its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, with a six-team women's tournament and a six-team men's tournament. The Olympic game is five on five; high school girls' flag football is seven on seven. The national team is picked by USA Football from invitation-only trials, and Olympians must be at least 18 by the end of 2028. This page sets out how the Olympic tournament works and how a high school player gets on the path to it, from the governing bodies' own documents.

Is flag football in the 2028 Olympics?

Yes. The International Olympic Committee added flag football, with four other sports, to the LA28 programme at its 141st Session in Mumbai on 16 October 2023. LA28 lists the venue as Exposition Park Stadium, also known as BMO Stadium, and describes the format as two 20-minute halves on a 70-yard field. The Games run from 14 to 30 July 2028; NBC's published schedule puts flag football from 15 to 22 July.

How many teams, and how many players?

Six teams per gender: one host place and five qualified places.
Up to ten athletes per team ("quota per NOC 10"), one team per country per gender.
Five a side on the field, under IFAF's international rules.

How do teams qualify?

Under IFAF's LA28 qualification system (version of 10 July 2026):

Host: the United States is guaranteed one women's and one men's place.
2026 World Championships (Düsseldorf, 13–16 August 2026): the two highest-placed eligible teams per gender qualify.
2027 continental championships (Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia/Oceania, spring and summer 2027): each sends two teams to the Olympic Q-Series.
Olympic Q-Series (Montreal, 1–4 June 2028, and Orlando, 8–11 June 2028): a ten-team event whose top three per gender qualify, from at least two continents.

Which women's teams have qualified?

Three of six, as of November 2026:

Team	How
United States	Host country
Canada	2026 world champion: beat the United States 27-20 in the final on 16 August 2026, after beating Mexico 20-6 in the semifinal
Mexico	2026 bronze; qualified as the second eligible team because the United States, the runner-up, already held the host place
Three places to be decided at the Olympic Q-Series, June 2028

The loss in Düsseldorf ended a run of three straight world titles for the U.S. women, including a 31-18 win over Mexico in the 2024 final in Lahti, Finland.

Can high school players make the Olympic team?

Only those old enough. Both IFAF and USA Football require Olympic athletes to be 18 or older on 31 December 2028, which means born in 2010 or earlier — roughly today's high school juniors and seniors. USA Football also requires U.S. nationality. No rule reserves or bars places for high school or college players; selection is on ability.

In practice the senior team is drawn from adult players: the 2026 roster included, in USA Football's words, "college flag football stars and standout talent transfers" from other sports. For a high school player, the realistic Olympic route is to enter USA Football's development pathway now.

How is Team USA picked?

USA Football is the national governing body and selects the team. USA Football's preliminary notice of 6 April 2026 lists the evaluation events: the 2026 World Championships, the 2027 IFAF Americas Continental Championships, 2027 qualification activities and 2028 trials and training camps. The final procedures need approval from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and may change.

For the national team in general, USA Football says:

Trials are held each spring, and athletes must be invited.
Players are found through the Select Bowl, scouted tournaments, Talent ID Camps and the Digital Combine.
About 48 adult athletes attend trials; the top 18 advance and the top 12 make the team. In 2026, 12 of the 24 initial roster places went to players from trials (19–22 March) and 12 to returning national team members, with camps at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.

The path from high school

Play high school flag football where your state offers it — see which states have sanctioned the sport.
Get identified by USA Football through a Talent ID Camp (many are run with local NFL clubs) or the Select Bowl. USA Football calls its National Team Development Program the primary pathway for players aged 11 to 23.
Junior national teams: USA Football picks 15U and 17U girls' national teams (18 initial athletes, 12 on the final roster) that play five-on-five Olympic-style flag football at the Junior International Cup.
College: many senior national team players play in college; see college women's flag football, scholarship limits and the high school to college pathway.
Adult trials, by invitation.

How is Olympic flag football different from high school?

	High school (NFHS)	Olympics (IFAF)
Players on the field	Seven	Five
Field	Four NFHS options, up to a full football field	50 by 25 yards plus two 10-yard end zones (70 yards in all)
Game length	Set by the NFHS rules and state adoptions	Two 20-minute halves
Roster	Set by each state	Up to ten

The NFHS rules committee chose to keep the seven-player game for high school in February 2026. Junior national team players already train in the five-a-side game, so a high school player aiming at the national team will need both. Our high school rules FAQ covers the seven-a-side game.

Will NFL players be on the Olympic team?

Only on the men's side. NFL owners voted in May 2025 to let players take part, limited to one player per club per country, and every player must try out. The women's team is unaffected.

Sources: IOC, 16 Oct 2023; LA28 flag football; IFAF LA28 qualification system, 10 Jul 2026 (hosted by the German Olympic committee); USA Football preliminary selection notice, 6 Apr 2026; Canadian Olympic Committee, Aug 2026; USA Football, 2026 World Championships; USA Football, 2024 World Championships; USA Football: how to join the national team; USA Football 2026 initial rosters; USA Football 2026 junior rosters; USA Football development program; NFHS, 18 Feb 2026; Raiders.com, 20 May 2025; NBC Olympics schedule (dates); NZ Olympic Committee, 13 Nov 2025 (Games dates). Checked 1 November 2026.