It's official: flag football will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028, from 15 to 22 July, with six men's and six women's teams. That announcement works like an accelerator for the sport — new members, sections opening, schools taking it up. If your club is riding the wave, you'll need to kit everyone out. Here's how to equip a flag football team in 2026-2027, without picking the wrong gear.
Flag football as an Olympic sport: why it changes everything
A non-contact version of American football, flag is played without tackling: to stop the ball carrier, you pull one of the flags attached to their belt. The result is a fast, accessible, mixed and spectacular game with minimal padding. Its arrival on the Olympic programme draws a fresh, often young audience discovering a sport where teamwork and speed matter more than size.
For a club, that means new sections to set up and equip quickly. And since flag doesn't require the full American-football armour, most of the spend goes on the kit: jersey and shorts. Worth getting right.
What to wear for flag football
A flag kit needs to be light, breathable and, above all, free of anything sticking out that could get in the way of flag-pulling. So you start from a fitted jersey and shorts with no bulky pockets.
- The short-sleeve American football jersey: a cut built for the game with clearly legible numbers, ideal for flag as well as full-contact American football.
- Light, close-fitting shorts, with nothing that snags the flag belt.
- A light jersey and a dark jersey if your club plays tournaments: the two teams must be clearly distinguishable on the field.
To explore cuts and compare models, the custom American football jersey page and the full catalogue give the overview before you choose.
Sublimation, made for the American-football look
American football and flag have a strong visual culture: giant numbers, names across the back, side stripes, gradients, bold team logos. Full dye-sublimation prints all of it into the fibre, across the whole jersey, with no limit on colours or zones. Unlike heat-applied lettering, which layers material onto the fabric, sublimation can't be felt to the touch, doesn't flake and doesn't crack in the wash — an asset for jerseys that go match after match. Logos and sponsors are unlimited at no extra cost, which helps a young section balance its budget. A pre-production proof is approved before anything is made: you see exactly how it will look before the run starts.
Starting from a blank page? Our design tool helps you set your colours and numbers before the proof.
From a single piece: ideal for a section starting out
A new flag section sometimes has only a handful of players. Being able to produce from a single piece, with no minimum, lets you kit out a small team, add a jersey for a mid-season recruit or test a design without tying up budget. Pricing is tiered: the bigger the order, the lower the unit price. A top + bottom set in the same sport earns a 5% discount. To frame the spend, our page for clubs and associations and the club budget guide set out sensible benchmarks.
Getting your order ready, stress-free
To be equipped in time, plan ahead:
- Sizes: from children (ages 4-14) to adult 3XL, to cover a mixed, multi-generation team. Our size guide and the method for measuring a whole team prevent mistakes.
- Lead times: allow 3 to 4 weeks of production after the proof is approved for short-sleeve jerseys and shorts, then delivery within 6 working days across Europe.
- European manufacturing: our kit is made in Bulgaria, within the European Union, using full dye-sublimation.
Key takeaways
- Flag football joins the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028 (15-22 July): the sport is drawing new members and new sections to equip.
- The essential kit comes down to a light jersey and shorts — plan a light and a dark jersey for tournaments.
- Full sublimation handles numbers, names and logos across the whole jersey, with no colour surcharge, and won't flake.
- Production from a single piece, tiered pricing, 5% kit discount, European manufacturing (Bulgaria, EU), proof before production.
- Allow 3 to 4 weeks of production after the proof, then 6 working days for delivery in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Does flag football need a lot of equipment?
No. That's one of its strengths: with no tackling, it needs neither helmet nor heavy pads. The essentials are a light jersey and shorts, plus the flag belt. So the spend concentrates on a well-designed kit.
Can you order a small run for a section just starting out?
Yes. Production starts from a single piece, with no minimum. You kit out a small team, top up mid-season or test a design, with a price that drops as the quantity rises.
Does sublimation suit big numbers and names across the back?
Perfectly. The colours are dyed into the fibre across the whole surface: numbers, names and logos are part of the jersey, with no applied material that peels off. Ideal for the American-football look.