IOC board OK’s football federation, awaits vote

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — American football took the penultimate step needed before it can attempt to get onto the Olympic Games program on Wednesday when it got the approval of the International Olympic Committee’s powerful executive board.

Flag football, a non-contact format played by teams of five, is trying to get into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as one of the sports added by local organizers.

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) will now need to wait for the approval of the decision by the IOC session in October in Mumbai, India.

“Full recognition of the IFAF is to be approved by the IOC session. It has fulfilled all necessary criteria to receive full recognition,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.

Among the criteria for new sports to be recognized by the IOC is universality as well as the number of existing national federations across continents.

American football had received preliminary recognition in 2013.