Flag football match (Photo: sport.cz)
Flag football match (Photo: sport.cz)
Two Czech youth national teams will not participate in the European Flag Football Championship due to the admission of Russian national teams into the tournament, the Czech Association of American Football announced via*Sport.cz*on Aug. 27.
Flag football is slated to make its official debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The European tournament is scheduled to take place in Italy in September, featuring the Under-17 boys’ category — in which Czechia secured bronze medals last year — as well as the Under-15 mixed-gender category.
In response to an official Czech inquiry regarding why Russian teams were granted entry, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) stated that it was adhering to recommendations issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The leadership of the Czech association rejected that rationale.
"Under the current circumstances, it is impossible for our teams to meet Russia on the field," stated Radim Kroulík, President of the Czech Association of American Football.
"This stance is shared by the vast majority of our domestic clubs, which recommended that we not travel to the tournament under such a format."
Kroulík consulted with the president of the Ukrainian American Football Federation, who demanded that Russian athletes compete strictly under neutral symbols — without state identification, national flags, or anthems — and without the participation of any individuals who publicly endorsed or promoted military aggression against Ukraine. IFAF rejected that proposal.
"I am ashamed that our sport finds itself in this position, and by how quickly my counterparts from other nations have turned their backs on Ukraine. If solidarity with an invaded nation amounts to nothing more than changing a Facebook profile picture immediately after the outbreak of conflict, that is simply not enough," Kroulík stated.
"I prefer that politics have no place in sports. But that is a romantic notion detached from reality. Sports are not immune to geopolitical realities. At the same time, athletics teach us to fight even in seemingly hopeless situations, and I firmly believe that preserving moral integrity is far more valuable than any athletic achievement," he added.
What Is flag football?
Flag football shares the fundamental rules of traditional American football. However, instead of tackling opposing players to the ground, the defending team must remove a flag or ribbon attached to the ball carrier's waist belt. Rules vary slightly across domestic leagues. Teams typically field between 4 and 9 players per side across single-gender or co-ed formats, with adaptable field dimensions. The sport can be played in both contact and non-contact rule variants.