 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(May 2024) |
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Flag football |
| Location | Jerusalem |
| Dates | 6 December–8 December |
| Host(s) |  Israel |
| Teams | 21 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  United States (5th title) |
| Runner-up |  Mexico |
| 3rd place |  Panama |
The 2021 IFAF Men's Flag Football World Championships was the 10th World Championships in men's flag football. The tournament took place in Jerusalem, Israel, from 6 to 8 December 2021.
Denmark was scheduled to host the 2020 edition only for it to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) selected Israel to host the Flag Football World Championships for 2021. The Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem was originally scheduled to stage the men's and women's events, however, due to expected high winds the games were played at Teddy Stadium.
After the group ballot, 21 teams are divided into three groups of 5 and one group of 6. In the group stage each team plays each other once, while the second stage of the event includes play-offs and placement matches.
The two best teams of each group advance to the quarter-finals.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
 France United States  Spain  India  Chile |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 4 | 4 | 0 | 249 | 60 | +189 | Quarterfinals | — | 57–32 | 54–28 | 76–0 | 62–0 | |
| 2 | France | 4 | 3 | 1 | 177 | 96 | +81 | 32–57 | — | 53–33 | 20–0 | 72–6 | ||
| 3 | Spain | 4 | 2 | 2 | 158 | 113 | +45 | 9th-12th place | 28–54 | 33–53 | — | 43–0 | 54–6 | |
| 4 | Chile | 4 | 1 | 3 | 32 | 153 | −121 | 13th-16th place | 0–76 | 0–20 | 0–43 | — | 32–14 | |
| 5 | India | 4 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 220 | −194 | 17th-20th place | 0–62 | 6–72 | 6–54 | 14–32 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification | |  | TNE |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama | 4 | 4 | 0 | 201 | 32 | +169 | Quarterfinals | — | 32–14 | 56–6 | 50–6 | 63–6 | |
| 2 | Austria | 4 | 3 | 1 | 102 | 44 | +58 | 14–32 | — | 14–0 | 34–6 | 40–6 | ||
| 3 |  Team Neutral | 4 | 2 | 2 | 88 | 115 | −27 | 9th-12th place | 6–56 | 0–14 | — | 36–26 | 46–19 | |
| 4 | South Korea | 4 | 1 | 3 | 80 | 132 | −52 | 13th-16th place | 6–50 | 6–34 | 26–36 | — | 42–12 | |
| 5 | Belarus | 4 | 0 | 4 | 43 | 191 | −148 | 17th-20th place | 6–63 | 6–40 | 19–46 | 12–42 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 4 | 4 | 0 | 185 | 121 | +64 | Quarterfinals | — | 48–38 | 41–35 | 48–27 | 48–21 | |
| 2 | Denmark | 4 | 3 | 1 | 149 | 76 | +73 | 38–48 | — | 39–6 | 40–22 | 32–0 | ||
| 3 | Japan | 4 | 2 | 2 | 107 | 107 | 0 | 9th-12th place | 35–41 | 6–39 | — | 23–12 | 43–15 | |
| 4 | Switzerland | 4 | 1 | 3 | 98 | 124 | −26 | 13th-16th place | 27–48 | 22–40 | 12–23 | — | 37–13 | |
| 5 | Brazil | 4 | 0 | 4 | 49 | 160 | −111 | 17th-20th place | 21–48 | 0–32 | 15–43 | 13–37 | — |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification | |  | |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 5 | 5 | 0 | 234 | 134 | +100 | Quarterfinals | — | 44–34 | 48–41 | 40–25 | 48–20 | 54–14 | |
| 2 | Germany | 5 | 4 | 1 | 188 | 124 | +64 | 34–44 | — | 52–41 | 34–12 | 27–25 | 41–2 | ||
| 3 | Israel (H) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 247 | 125 | +122 | 9th-12th place | 41–48 | 41–52 | — | 48–13 | 61–12 | 56–0 | |
| 4 | Thailand | 5 | 2 | 3 | 146 | 153 | −7 | 13th-16th place | 25–40 | 12–34 | 13–48 | — | 40–19 | 56–12 | |
| 5 | Finland | 5 | 1 | 4 | 124 | 182 | −58 | 17th-20th place | 20–48 | 25–27 | 12–61 | 19–40 | — | 48–6 | |
| 6 | Slovakia | 5 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 255 | −221 | 21st place | 14–54 | 2–41 | 0–56 | 12–56 | 6–48 | — |
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 7 December | ||||||||||
| United States | 64 | |||||||||
| 8 December | ||||||||||
| Germany | 18 | |||||||||
| United States | 35 | |||||||||
| 7 December | ||||||||||
| Panama | 6 | |||||||||
| Panama | 39 | |||||||||
| 8 December | ||||||||||
| Denmark | 33 | |||||||||
| United States | 44 | |||||||||
| 7 December | ||||||||||
| Mexico | 41 | |||||||||
| France | 28 | |||||||||
| 8 December | ||||||||||
| Mexico | 48 | |||||||||
| Mexico | 36 | |||||||||
| 7 December | ||||||||||
| Italy | 35 | 3rd Place | ||||||||
| Austria | 24 | |||||||||
| 8 December | ||||||||||
| Italy | 27 | |||||||||
| Panama | 45 | |||||||||
| Italy | 40 | |||||||||
| 5th–8th Place Semi-finals | 5th Place | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Germany | 20 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Austria | 28 | |||||
| Austria | 31 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| France | 37 | |||||
| Denmark | 27 | |||||
| France | 37 | |||||
| 7th Place | ||||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Germany | 31 | |||||
| Denmark | 37 | |||||
| 9th-11th Place Semi-finals | 9th Place | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Spain | 26 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Japan | 25 | |||||
| Spain | 19 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Israel | 59 | |||||
| Team Neutral | 27 | |||||
| Israel | 43 | |||||
| 11th Place | ||||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Japan | 52 | |||||
| Team Neutral | 19 | |||||
| 13th-16th Place Semi-finals | 13th Place | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Chile | 6 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Switzerland | 47 | |||||
| Switzerland | 27 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Thailand | 39 | |||||
| South Korea | 21 | |||||
| Thailand | 33 | |||||
| 15th Place | ||||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Chile | 0 | |||||
| South Korea | 20 | |||||
| 17th-20th Place Semi-finals | 17th Place | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| India | 0 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Brazil | 62 | |||||
| Brazil | 33 | |||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| Finland | 27 | |||||
| Belarus | 12 | |||||
| Finland | 57 | |||||
| 19th Place | ||||||
| 7 December | ||||||
| India | 6 | |||||
| Belarus | 32 | |||||
The top seven teams, not including the United States, qualified for the 2022 World Games. [1]
 | United States |
 | Mexico |
 | Panama |
| 4 | Italy |
| 5 | France |
| 6 | Austria |
| 7 | Denmark |
| 8 | Germany |
| 9 | Israel |
| 10 | Spain |
| 11 | Japan |
| 12 | Team Neutral |
| 13 | Thailand |
| 14 | Switzerland |
| 15 | South Korea |
| 16 | Chile |
| 17 | Brazil |
| 18 | Finland |
| 19 | Belarus |
| 20 | India |
| 21 | Slovakia |
Flag football is a variant of gridiron football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a down. In flag football, contact is limited between players. The sport has a strong amateur following with several national and international competitions each year sponsored by various associations but is most popularly played in America where it was invented. The international governing body for the sport is the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) with the International Woman's Flag Football Association (IWFFA) governing the women's game.
The IFAF World Championship of American Football is an international gridiron competition held every four years and contested by teams representing member nations. The competition is run by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport. Seventy-one nations have a national American football team. The most recent tournament, in 2015, featured seven teams.
American Football in Israel (AFI) is the governing body of all American football activities in Israel, including the Israel Football League and various flag football leagues, and is a member of the International Federation of American Football.
Teddy Stadium is a sports stadium in Jerusalem. Two major Israeli football clubs currently use it as their home ground: Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Jerusalem. The Israel national football team also uses it for select home matches.
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the international governing body of American football associations. The IFAF oversees the organisation and promotion of all international competitions across both contact and non contact versions of the game, including the IFAF World Championship of American Football, which is held every four years. The IFAF became a provisionary member of SportAccord in 2003, and became a full SportAccord member in 2005. The organization's head office is located in the French commune of La Courneuve, in the Île-de-France region.
IFAF Europe is the governing body of American football in Europe. It is a member of the International Federation of American Football. IFAF Europe replaced the European Federation of American Football (EFAF) which had begun in 1976 as the American European Football Federation (AEFF).
American Football Association of Finland is the national governing body of American football in Finland. It was founded in 1979 and it is a founding member of the European Federation of American Football, EFAF and International Federation of American Football, IFAF. Since 2000, American football has grown steadily. In 2006 there were 27 clubs playing the sport with over 100 teams and over 1400 players. In 2012, the association's competitions fielded over 150 teams with more than 2200 licensed players.
American football was featured in the Summer Olympic Games demonstration programme in 1904 and 1932. College football was played at the 1904 Olympics, which was played at Francis Field, but was, in reality, college teams playing each other as part of their regular seasons. The sport was eventually played officially as a demonstration sport only once, in 1932. Though American football has not been played in the Olympics since then, various American football players have participated in the Olympics. The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) oversees the IFAF World Championship, which is an international tournament, which itself is held every four years.
The Canada Men's National Football Team represent Canada in Senior Men's international gridiron football competitions. It is governed and managed by Football Canada and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). Football Canada is the governing body for amateur Canadian football, however, IFAF-sponsored games are played using American football rules. They competed for their first and only IFAF World Championship in 2011.
The Great Britain national American football team, known as the GB Lions represents the UK in international gridiron. It is controlled by the British American Football Association.
The Canada National Football Junior Team a.k.a. the Football Canada World Junior Team represent Canada in international gridiron football competitions. The football program is part of the football development program and is controlled by Football Canada and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). It is the premiere team in male development for the organization. While Football Canada is the governing body for amateur Canadian football, IFAF-sponsored games are played using American football rules. Team Canada first competed on the world stage in the NFL Global Junior Championship in 2000 with a championship victory over Team Europe. They competed for their first IFAF Junior World Cup in 2009.
IFAF Flag Football World Championship is the international championship in flag football, organized by International Federation of American Football. The men's and women's competitions are usually held in the same venue. The tournament starts with pool play to fill in the seeding and follows an elimination-style of play after that. At the end of the tournament the top teams are rewarded with Bronze (3rd), Silver (2nd) or Gold (1st). The IFAF Flag Football World Championship is held every two years in different countries.
American football is a sport played at the amateur and international competition levels in Israel. The Israel Football League (IFL) is the highest level of competition in Israel, although there are multiple flag football leagues, a high school league and a youth league. All forms of American football in Israel are governed by American Football in Israel (IFL). As of February 2017, there are 1,350 active football players living in Israel.
The Denmark men's national flag football team represents Denmark in men's international flag football matches. The sport is governed by the Danish American Football Federation. The team won a record six consecutive European Championships. They also won silver four times in the World Championship. They have 14 medals in total. In 2023, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) ranked the Denmark men's team 11th worldwide.
The lacrosse competition at the 2022 World Games took place in July 2022, in Birmingham in United States, at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Originally scheduled to take place in July 2021, the Games were rescheduled for July 2022 as a result of the 2020 Summer Olympics postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The women's tournament was played as an official event and the men's tournament as an invitational event. This was the first time that men's and women's field lacrosse were played in a six-a-side format in a multi-sport competition. This was also an absolute debut of a men's tournament in a World Games programme, as in 2017 women played the traditional lacrosse discipline for the first time in the history of the World Games. The games in 2022 were played in the sixes format, with teams of six players per side, reduced field size, and shorter games as compared to the parent field lacrosse format, which was conducive to daily tournament play. The game was played in eight-minute quarters and emphasized speed and efficiency.
The flag football competition at the 2022 World Games took place in July 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama in the United States.
The 2021 IFAF Women's Flag Football World Championships was the 10th World Championships in women's flag football. The tournament took place in Jerusalem, Israel, from 6 to 8 December 2021.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will introduce the sport of flag football for the first time. Two events, one for men and one for women, will be held. Flag football, a non-contact variant of American football in which players remove flags attached to the ball carrier instead of tackling them, was previously contested at the 2022 World Games and will be featured at the 2025 World Games.
The 2024 IFAF Men's Flag Football World Championships was the 11th World Championships in men's flag football. The tournament took place in Lahti, Finland, August 27-30, 2024.
The United States men's national flag football team often referred to as Team USA represents the United States in men's international flag football competitions. The team is governed by USA Football. As of 2023, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) ranks the United States men's team 1st worldwide.