“I didn’t know what I was getting into.”
Wildcats FFC and San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn’t the only one to express some trepidation Friday about navigating the differences between flag football and tackle football. On Saturday, BMO Stadium will host the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, an opportunity for fans to preview flag football at the same venue that will host the sport at the LA28 Olympic Games.
The playing field will be star-studded: 2028 Summer Olympics flag football ambassador Jalen Hurts, Heisman Trophy winners Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady are all poised to lead their teams in a highly competitive battle. With a unique mix of NFL players, professional flag football players and other athletes set to play, NFL fans may be wondering: how will the Classic differ from the tackle football they’re used to seeing?
The most obvious distinction is that in flag football, defenders pull on fabric flags attached to offensive players’ waists to mark them down, while tackle football is a contact sport. What’s critical to understand is how this nuance will show up in players’ route running abilities on the field Saturday: Founders FFC and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton noted that players will be “getting skinny” to avoid getting their flags snatched by opposing defenders.
The field itself is also different from an NFL regulation field. For flag football, only 50 yards separate the two endzones, compared to 100 in tackle. The field is narrower than a tackle football field – 25 yards across compared to 53 ⅓ yards in NFL play – which will force players to be more creative getting downfield.
“When you get out on the field and see the dimensions, you realize it’s a totally different game,” Shanahan said.
Another major difference is the versatility expected from flag football players. In flag, it’s common to play multiple roles or to play on both sides of the ball, in part due to the reduced team size relative to tackle football. Saturday’s Classic will feature 5v5 battles, but flag football is often played 7v7 as well. An added twist is that flag can feature two quarterbacks at once in a split formation. The QB who takes the snap has the option to pass the ball or pitch to their co-QB, buying more time for players to get open downfield.
“People are very excited about seeing some of the best athletes in the world try something different,” Founders FFC captain/QB Brady said. “The skillsets are similar, the rules are quite different. But really it’ll be a great gauge for all of these players and the players that will be participating in LA 2028 to see where we’re at and what we need to do in the next few years.”
Saturday’s event will feature a round robin tournament between three 12-player teams, with the top two teams advancing to the championship game. Wildcats FFC and Founders FCC are headlined by NFL players and other elite athletes like former professional boxer Terence Crawford and popular YouTuber IShowSpeed. The third team is made up of players from USA Football’s reigning IFAF Flag Football World Champion U.S. Men’s National Team.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be here on this stage with Super Bowl champions, Heisman Trophy winners,” Team USA captain/QB Darrell “Housh” Doucette III said. “We’re ready to go showcase what flag football is.”
“They’ve got a lot of speed over there,” Hurts said of Team USA. “They’ve got the IQ of the game. We’re still trying to learn it.”
Check out the full roster breakdown here:
| POSITION | WILDCATS FFC | FOUNDERS FFC | U.S. NAT’L FLAG TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB / Captains | Jayden Daniels | Tom Brady | Darrell “Housh” Doucette III (QB/ATH) |
| QB / Captains | Joe Burrow | Jalen Hurts | Nico Casares (QB) |
| RB/WR | Saquon Barkley | Ashton Jeanty | Amir Brown (DB/WR) |
| RB/WR | Odell Beckham Jr. | DeVonta Smith | Tyler Davis (WR/DB) |
| RB/WR | Davante Adams | Alvin Kamara | Isaiah Calhoun (DB/WR) |
| RB/WR | DeAndre Hopkins | Stefon Diggs | Laval Davis (WR/Rusher) |
| TE/FB | Kyle Juszczyk | Rob Gronkowski | Tyler Davis (WR/DB) |
| DB | Harrison Smith | Antoine Winfield Jr. | Velton Brown, Jr. (WR/DB) |
| DB | Jalen Ramsey | Damar Hamlin | Ja’Deion High (WR/DB) |
| LB | Luke Kuechly | Patrick Peterson | Jamie Kennedy (DB/WR) |
| ATH/LB | IShowSpeed | Von Miller | Shawn Theard Jr. (Rusher/WR) |
| ATH | Logan Paul | Terence Crawford | Laderrick “Pablo” Smith (WR/QB) |
The 2028 Summer Games will mark the first time flag football has been played at the Olympic level, though several NFL players have also been Olympians in other sports throughout history. American football is the only major U.S. sport to never feature in the Games; flag football was proposed as an alternative to tackle because it’s “non-contact, low-cost, and quick to learn”, and is more accessible for people across different genders, disability statuses and income levels. Both men’s and women’s teams will compete in 2028.
Several current NFL stars – including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and free agent receiver Tyreek Hill – have expressed interest in playing at LA28 after the NFL Players Association gave its support. Players will have to work around their respective training camp schedules, and no roster spots are guaranteed. But the growing interest in the sport among NFL players is merely emblematic of its explosion in popularity among all age groups, both in the U.S. and globally.
Team USA has the advantage in terms of understanding the nuances of the game. But don’t expect Founders FFC and Wildcats FFC to just lie down.
“If you’re going to do it, then go out and give it your all,” Burrow said. “If you don’t want to do it, then you just shouldn’t be out there. We’re going to go out and try to win.”
Reporters asked Brady, the consummate competitor, what he was most looking forward to in Saturday’s Classic. His response?
“Throwing touchdown passes, man. That’s what we do.”
The action kicks off Saturday at 1:30 p.m. PT on FOX and Tubi, with actor and comedian duo Kevin Hart and Druski set to host.