GB Women's Flag Football team in action at the World Games

Header Image: British American Football Association

It’s probably fair to say that flag football is not particularly well-known in the UK. But the sport will be included in the Olympic Games for the first time at Los Angeles 2028 and Great Britain’s women’s team have set their sights on qualification.

Flag Football is a non-contact variant of American football (gridiron) where tackles are made by pulling off the 'flags' that players wear on their hips. Play is based on the same principles as the contact game with offensive teams having four attempts (downs) to reach a certain point on the field with the defensive team seeking to halt their progress. 

The British American Football Association (BAFA) is the national governing body for the sport of American football in Great Britain and is responsible for all regulatory, competition, performance and development aspects of the game. 

Ranked fifth in the world, and reigning European champions, the GB Women are currently competing in The World Games - a global multi-sport event showcasing sports not currently on the Olympic programme - in Chengdu, China.

The team is off to a flying start, beating Italy and Japan in their first two matches. The latter was a closely contested affair with GB running out 26-24 winners thanks to two converted extra points. Next up for the GB Women are defending World Games champions, Mexico. 

It's so much fun being here with the team. We've come in with a goal, we're going to disrupt the world order of women's flag football.

Jessica Allen, GB quarterback

We'll be following the team in the next few days as they enter the knock-out phase of the competition and will report back on their progress. 

For a quick guide to Flag Football, check out the video below.