While the meteoric rise of flag football is mostly due to girls and women playing the game, the sport is also becoming popular among boys and men, especially with its upcoming debut in the 2028 Olympic Games.
The NFL FLAG Championships are a key example of flag football’s increased popularity among young athletes worldwide, as teams representing 12 countries will compete across divisions from 8U to the high school level.
“First and foremost, I think it’s been a really cool space for girls,” Rockford boys coach Martin Hyatte said. “I have a daughter that’s 13 and plays flag as well, and it’s really been cool to see the girls have an opportunity that they didn’t have before and realize that, ‘man, this is something that we can really take seriously.’
“But now with the boys, too, because this is growing. I think the boys that have dabbled in it are starting to like it just as much, and it’s starting to have its own identity. I really love to see that because I’ve grown to love flag football myself as a tackle football guy from the age of eight until now. I still coach a tackle football team. But being involved with flag, I’ve really gotten to see that it is its own thing, and there’s a real love for it now.”