Now we’re flag football champions too

A sport with absolutely no physical contact. It is high time Italy began to discover flag football, given that the national team finished second at the World Championships in this category, thereby securing their place at Los Angeles 2028 well in advance. The sport is currently experiencing a period of great excitement, and it is in the United States that it will make its Olympic debut. One thing is certain: the Azzurri are rightfully among the powerhouses of this sport, which lies somewhere between American football and capture the flag – a somewhat rough comparison, but one that gives an idea to those who have never heard of it.

The rules of the game? Two teams of five players each take to the field – rather than 11 versus 11, and therefore in a smaller space – using the same oval ball and employing many of the same tactical manoeuvres as in football. The main and fundamental difference is that tackles are forbidden: to stop an opponent’s advance, you simply need to pull one of the flags – hence the name – which are specially attached at waist level. At that point, play is stopped and it’s up to the others to try and score a touchdown. The result is a more fluid and lighter sport, without the iconic NFL armour, which emphasises agility over sheer physical strength. And even more so, the ability to sprint in tight spaces. Among its most unexpected admirers is even Marcell Jacobs – and not by chance. He once happened to meet the Italian national flag football team at the CONI centre in Rome and was blown away. “They really do run like mad,” the Olympic champion later told Sportweek. “I got really excited; they invited me to give it a go. Now I have a dream: to compete in the Olympics playing flag football.” It’s a quip that Marcell seems to be taking with a grain of truth. It won’t be possible in Los Angeles, because the athletics events – where the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist will be competing – clash with the flag football fixtures. But further down the line, once his first career as a sprinter is over, who knows?

One thing is certain: a figurehead like Jacobs would guarantee unprecedented visibility for a movement still in the midst of its growth. As we were saying, Italy is a powerhouse because its recent results prove it: reigning European champions and World Cup runners-up. Last Sunday’s defeat in the final against the United States – naturally the masters of the game – only serves to enhance the prestige of a team that is no longer taken lightly by anyone. Canada itself – another heavyweight on the circuit – had succumbed to the Azzurri in a semi-final that went down in history, as finishing in the top three at the World Championships in Düsseldorf was enough to secure Olympic qualification. The women’s national team can also aim for the same goal, albeit starting from a lower position in the rankings. Further proof that the sport is gradually emerging from its niche: it falls under the auspices of Fidaf, the Italian American Football Federation, and has around three thousand registered members nationwide. In addition to some seventy youth teams, there are 30 teams in the men’s league – divided into first and second divisions – and 18 in the women’s league. An interesting fact? Quite often, especially at more amateur levels, mixed-gender teams also play matches against each other.

A trend encouraged from the United States, where the sport developed precisely to broaden the traditional fan base of American football by involving an ever-increasing number of women. And to think that its beginnings were quite different: it is said that this sport actually originated during the Second World War, as a form of recreation to entertain American soldiers at the front. But it was only from the 1980s onwards that it began to take on its current form and structure – one of the most frequent criticisms levelled at American football is the roughness of its tackles: a problem solved by the introduction of flags. Now it’s time to take the big step and compete at the very highest level: alongside flag football, baseball/softball, T20 cricket, lacrosse and squash will make their debut in Los Angeles. These present new opportunities for medals, which Italy has shown it is fully capable of competing for. For now, with a silver medal to whet the appetite.