USA FOOTBALL BRINGS ELITE FLAG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT AND U.S. NATIONAL TEAM SCOUTING OPPORTUNITIES TO TAMPA, MAY 4-5

USA Football events offer premier playing and U.S. National Team scouting opportunities to top youth and adult flag football players 

TAMPA – As flag football’s popularity continues to explode domestically and worldwide, USA Football, the sport’s U.S. governing body and the only organization that creates and leads the U.S. Flag National Teams for international competitions like the 2028 Olympics, is bringing an exciting week of elite flag football to Tampa.  

USA Football’s Southeast Qualifier and U.S. National Team Talent ID Camp offer premier opportunities for flag football players from the youth to adult levels to elevate their performances and national profiles. USA Football’s Qualifiers and Talent ID Camps are two of the best pathways for athletes to be scouted by U.S. National Team personnel as the sport’s Olympic debut in 2028 grows closer. 

The action starts on Saturday, May 4 at the Southshore Sportsplex in Apollo Beach with the Southeast Qualifier tournament, which features co-ed, boys’, girls’, men’s and women’s divisions. Division-level winners will receive full bids to USA Football’s annual national flag football championship, The One. Participating in one of the four Qualifiers held by USA Football this spring is the only way for teams to secure full bids to The One, which will bring together the top flag football teams from across the country.  

U.S. National Team scouts and National Team Development Program personnel will be on-hand during the Southeast Qualifier to scout top athletes for invitations to 2025 U.S. National Team Trials or spots on USA Football’s 2024 Select Teams. USA Football fields U.S. Men’s and Women’s Flag National Teams for international events like the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and 2024 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championships, in Lahti, Finland. 

Additionally, USA Football fields 15U and 17U U.S. Boys’ and Girls’ Flag National Teams to participate in the annual Junior International Cup against top junior programs from around the world. Select Team athletes receive help from their specially trained coaching staff to hone their skills and raise their games as they train to compete in USA Football’s inaugural Select Bowl in Los Angeles. 

USA Football and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hold a Blitz event alongside the Southeast Qualifier on May 4. Athletes ages 5-13 will have opportunities to play and grow as they go through fun clinics and learn the game’s foundational skills. Blitz events are free and welcome all athletes regardless of their experience level in football. 

On Sunday, May 5, USA Football will host its Southeast Talent ID Camp with the Buccaneers at the team’s AdventHealth Training Center. Athletes ages 11-18 have the chance to compete in combine testing, one-on-one drills and five-on-five competition. The top performers will be scouted by U.S. National Team coaches and personnel and will be eligible to receive invitations to the 2025 U.S. National Team Trials or positions on USA Football’s 2024 Select Teams. 

Flag football is one of the world’s fastest growing sports and gained even more momentum following the announcement this past October that it will be included in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. 

According to the NFL, flag football is played by 20 million people worldwide across 100 countries. In the United States, women and girls are driving the game’s growth. High school girls’ flag football is now sanctioned as a varsity sport in ten states – including Florida – and many more states have pilot programs. These athletes now have chances to earn college scholarships in flag football at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level.  

More boys are gravitating to the game as well. USA Football research shows that from 2014-23, there was a 57.8% increase in participation in flag football among youth ages 6-12. More than one million young athletes in this age range played the sport in 2023. During the same time period, there was a 38.2% increase in flag participation among athletes ages 6-17.  

About USA Football: USA Football is the governing body of American football in the United States, the sole US member of the International Federation of American Football, and a recognized sports organization of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Its non-profit mission includes designing and delivering premier educational, development, and competitive programs for American football, including tackle and flag football. USA Football is the only organization that selects and organizes men’s and women’s US National Teams in federation-sanctioned international competition.