The sport of Flag Football has continued to grow in popularity in recent years. The introduction to the international stage - paired with the lack of contact in comparison to other major sports - has helped make flag football one of the most exciting team sports for adult men and women.
According to the AFFL, a professional flag football league in the United States, participation in the sport has grown by almost 25-percent in the last decade. The increase in competitive opportunities is helping increase the popularity of flag football.
The AFFL hosts tournaments with dozens of professional teams nationwide and allows athletes to earn money while playing. It's also growing on the youth level and among female athletes. School districts and NFL teams around the United States are supporting more Flag Football teams and tournaments for female athletes.
But of all of the exciting news surrounding the sport of flag football, one opportunity is the biggest of them all - the opportunity for flag football athletes to represent the United States on the National Team.
Yes, USA has a National Flag Football Team - and it is filled with athletes from all backgrounds.
USA Football assembles the National Team to play in international games against countries from across the globe.
How does USA Football pick players for the National Team?
Staff at USA Football - which operates under the USOPC - has created a new pathway for adult athletes who want to earn a spot on the National Team. The four steps included in that process are outlined below:
- Step 1: Talent Identification
Scouting for the U.S. National Team takes place at USA Football Sanctioned events and/or partner events. Adult athletes also have the opportunity to be scouted through GMTM. These are events that occur for different teams and sports that allow athletes to show up and show out from wherever they are located in the country to get scouted.
Learn more: Athletes Who Earned Their USA Football Tryout Invite on GMTM
- Step 2: Roster Selection
The top athletes scouted in a calendar year (in-person & and virtually) are invited to the U.S. National Team Trials. Trials are a 3-day event at the U.S. Performance Center (USPC) and athletes will be looking to make the following teams based on age: Boys 15U, Girls 15U, Boys 17U, Girls 17U, and Adult Men, and Adult Women.
- Step 3: Team Preparation
The athletes selected to each U.S. National Team roster are invited back to the USPC for a U.S. National Team Training Camp (a 3-day, in-person event). The athletes will become a team, working together in drills and learning the playbook.
- Step 4: Competition
Upon completion of the Training Camp, athletes will compete against international competition at the IFAF Championship scheduled for that calendar year.
If you think you have what it takes to represent your country on the flag football field, complete the USA Football National Team Interest Form. The athletes who will represent the United States at flag football tournaments across the world are found on GMTM. Start your journey today by creating a profile and joining the USA Football network.
About USA Football: USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs to advance and grow the sport. As the sport’s governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and organizer of the U.S. National Team for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school and other amateur players.
