Women’s final crowns rapid growth of flag football in Germany

Reading time: 4 min

Summary

• DFFL hosts women-only final in Berlin for the first time.
• Flag football is experiencing strong growth in Germany.
• German U15 mixed team becomes European Youth Champion.
• NFL Flag Girls U14 Championship takes place in London.

The German Flag Football League (DFFL) made history last weekend in Berlin. For the first time ever, a women’s final was held alongside the mixed final. This milestone underlines the impressive development that flag football is currently undergoing in Germany.

Premiere for women’s final in the DFFL.

At the Jungfernheide sports complex in Berlin, eight teams competed in the mixed final and four teams in the women’s final. The Augsburg Lions secured victory in the newly created DFFLF and thus qualified for an invitation to the NFL Munich Game 2024.

Alexander Steinforth, General Manager of NFL Germany, emphasized the importance of this event: “The first women’s final of the German championship is an important milestone.” He also pointed to the inclusion of flag football as an Olympic sport for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles as a key catalyst for growth.

The numbers speak for themselves: Flag football in Germany has an average annual growth of 60% among adults. The development is similarly positive for children and young people. Michael Schwarzer, Managing Director of the American Football Association of Germany (AFVD), confirmed: “Our member clubs confirm that we have seen a large increase in children and young people in flag football. Some even had a temporary enrollment freeze.”

International successes and perspectives.

The increasing quality of German football is also evident at the international level. On September 8, 2024, the German U15 mixed team secured the title of European Youth Champion in Belgrade.

Mona Stevens, quarterback of the German national team, is optimistic about the future: “With a view to the Summer Olympics in LA in 2028, a lot will develop in Germany in the area of ​​flag football in the next four years.”

NFL Flag Girls U14 Championship in London.

The development of the sport is not limited to Germany. On October 7, 2024, five international U14 girls’ teams, including a German team, will compete for the title at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. This event, supported by NFL teams, underlines the growing international interest.

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This sport has a promising future ahead of it. With the support of the NFL and the commitment of the AFVD, flag football seems to be well on its way to establishing itself as a permanent fixture in the German sports landscape.

You can find further details about the NFL Flag Program in Germany here: https://nflflag.de/

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