Great Britain are widening their search for flag football players by targeting athletes from other sports as the non-contact discipline prepares for its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The British American Football Association has said it wants to identify men and women with transferable athletic qualities who could strengthen GB’s pursuit of qualification.
Flag football is one of five optional sports scheduled for LA28, creating an Olympic route that did not previously exist for the players involved. BAFA chief executive Chad Ehlertsen told BBC Sport that Britain already had an elite women’s side but wanted to expand its talent pool rather than restrict its search to established flag football players.
The approach is aimed at athletes who can bring skills developed elsewhere. Ehlertsen said the organisation was looking for qualities including hand-eye coordination, agility, speed and decision-making under pressure, with coaches then able to teach the game itself. That makes the programme relevant to competitors in sports with overlapping physical and technical demands, rather than only to existing American football participants.
Why GB are broadening the pool
The women’s team enter the search from a strong competitive position, having won the European Championships in 2023 and again in 2025. They were ranked third heading into this summer’s World Championships, according to the BBC, but their Olympic route was not secured there.
The United States qualified automatically for LA28 as hosts, while two other places were available at the World Championships. Great Britain missed out by a single point when Mexico won their bronze-medal match 20-19. The one-point defeat illustrates how narrow the margins can be, while BAFA has separately said it wants to widen its talent pool before future qualification opportunities.
Several current GB players have already arrived through other sports. The BBC reported that Brittany Botterill had backgrounds in football and softball, while Phoebe Schecter competed in equestrianism, Marta Mathews in football, Jochebed Frimpong in athletics, Jess Allen in badminton and Angelica Tait in athletics and snowboarding. Emily Kemp had also become an ultimate frisbee world champion before helping GB win the European flag title.
Grace Conway’s route illustrates the appeal of the Olympic change. She had played netball before being introduced to flag football at school aged 14, and told the BBC that the new Olympic status had turned an outcome players had not expected into a realistic ambition.
Women’s trials provide an immediate route
For athletes considering the switch, the BBC reported that the GB women’s programme is holding trials at Loughborough College on the coming Saturday and Sunday. Athletes are due to be assessed across a range of performance pillars, and about 70 people had already registered when the report was published.
The trials form part of the next GB training cycle, which is building towards the 2027 European Championships. The final LA28 places are then due to be available in June 2028. The evidence does not suggest that attendance guarantees selection or Olympic qualification, but BAFA’s stated approach means prior experience in flag football is not the only route under consideration for athletes with the required foundation.
Conway told the BBC that greater competition could raise standards, while also stressing that there was no expectation for newcomers to already understand the sport. Her comments align with BAFA’s stated intention to find athletes who can transfer their existing qualities before being coached in flag football.
Olympic ambition and a separate professional opening
The GB recruitment drive comes alongside a different potential opportunity in the sport. The NFL announced in March that it would create a professional flag football league for women and men in partnership with TMRW Sports, the company co-founded by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. The BBC reported that the competition’s first season could begin next summer.
A first talent qualifier took place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, with GB players among 57 international hopefuls demonstrating their skills. Some selected players could appear in a Pro Flag Showcase during Super Bowl week in February. The process is distinct from GB’s Olympic pathway and offers selected players a possible route to the proposed league’s Super Bowl-week showcase.
The BBC also reported wider growth in the sport, with flag football played by 20 million people in more than 100 countries. It said the growth of the women’s game contributed to the sport’s selection for LA28, while the NFL is backing an effort for flag football to be included at Brisbane 2032.
For British athletes considering a switch, the immediate message is not that an Olympic place is guaranteed. Rather, GB are actively looking beyond their established player base for athletes who can adapt quickly, while the national women’s side seek to turn recent European success into a place at the Games.