NFL Flag Championships headlined by 3,000 youth athletes competing in booming sport

| American Football | 07/17/2025

Story by Logan Newman, USA TODAY High School Sports

Following a successful inaugural year in which more than 2,500 athletes competed in the NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota, the tournament is returning for a second year, with an increase in participants.

From Thursday through Sunday, about 300 teams that won regional tournaments across 12 divisions of play, with representation from all 32 NFL teams and a group of eight international teams, will participate in the competition at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio.

“The momentum around flag football has been tremendous, and we are excited to keep that going with the second-annual Flag Championships presented by Toyota,” Stephanie Kwok, NFL Vice President, Head of Flag Football, said in a statement. “With flag football as an official sport in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, partnering with USA TODAY on the Super 25 rankings throughout the year has provided wonderful insight for the sport at the high school level across the country.”

How to watch the NFL Flag Football Championships

ESPN will showcase 15 games from the girls high school, 14U boys, and the international districts. On Sunday, the championship games for the 14U boys and high school girls will be available across a variety of platforms, including ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, Disney+, and more. There will be live coverage across 125 countries.

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Pool play will begin on Thursday. Friday will feature a round of 16 and continued pool play. The tournament picks up steam over the weekend, with Saturday featuring both quarterfinals and playoffs, as well as semifinals and finals for the international teams. On Sunday, there will be semifinals for four age groups and the championship round for all age groups, according to the press release.

Flag football: ‘The ultimate summer showcase for one of the world’s fastest growing sports’

Athletes will be decked out in clothing and apparel from prominent companies, such as Nike uniforms, New Era hats, and Wilson and Franklin flags and footballs.

“The NFL Flag Championships are quickly becoming the ultimate summer showcase for one of the world’s fastest growing sports,” said Julie Sobieski, ESPN senior vice president of league programming and acquisitions, in a statement. “Our presentation and expansive global distribution will spotlight the exceptional talent of the young boys and girls competing, while also celebrating the inclusive, fast-paced, and accessible nature of flag football. This year’s tournament will not only build upon the tremendous success of the inaugural event, but will also add to the sport’s immense momentum in recent years.”

There has been substantial, tangible growth in flag football in recent years. In June, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) released its first rulebook for the sport, providing consistent guidelines for the 16 states that have sanctioned flag football. Nearly 500,000 girls aged 6-17 participated in 2023, according to an NFHS report in January 2025, representing a 63% increase from 2019.

In 2028, the sport will debut at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Who knows? Some of the athletes playing this weekend may be on the field at the highest level in three years.