History of USA Football in Timeline

USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) of American football in the United States. Formally certified by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee on April 17, 2025, it became the 38th Summer Olympics NGB and the first National Governing Body for American football. This marks a pivotal moment, establishing a formal structure and governance for the sport within the US Olympic framework.

2006: Scott Hallenbeck Joins IFAF Board

In 2006, USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck joined IFAF’s leadership as a member of their board.

2007: Men's Tackle National Team Wins IFAF Gold Medal

In 2007, the Men's Tackle National Team won a gold medal in the IFAF men’s tackle events.

2009: U20 Men's Tackle Team Earns Gold Medal

In 2009, USA Football's U20 men's tackle team earned a gold medal.

2010: Women's Tackle National Team Wins IFAF World Championship

In 2010, the Women’s Tackle National Team won gold at the IFAF world championships.

2011: Men's Tackle National Team Wins IFAF Gold Medal

In 2011, the Men's Tackle National Team won a gold medal in the IFAF men’s tackle events.

2012: Heads Up Football Initiative

In 2012, Football’s positive cultural change was advanced by Heads up Football.

2013: Women's Tackle National Team Wins IFAF World Championship

In 2013, the Women’s Tackle National Team won gold at the IFAF world championships.

2014: U20 Men's Tackle Team Earns Gold Medal

In 2014, USA Football has also fielded U20 men's tackle teams, earning gold medals.

2015: Men's Tackle National Team Wins IFAF Gold Medal

In 2015, the Men's Tackle National Team won a gold medal in the IFAF men’s tackle events.

May 2017: IFAF Group Strips Recognition of USA Football

In May 2017, after a split that created rival groupings of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), an IFAF grouping based in Paris stripped its recognition of USA Football, citing disputes over anti-doping enforcement, and recognized the United States Federation of American Football (USFAF) as the governing body of American football in the United States.

2017: Raymond Odierno Becomes Chairman of USA Football

In 2017, Raymond Odierno, formerly the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, succeeded Carl Peterson as chairman of USA Football.

2017: Women's Tackle National Team Wins IFAF World Championship

In 2017, the Women’s Tackle National Team won gold at the IFAF world championships.

March 2018: Court of Arbitration for Sport Rules in Favor of USA Football

In March 2018, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) determined that the IFAF entity in New York was the proper governing entity and voided all decisions of the IFAF entity in Paris, including their decision to strip USA Football of its recognition. USA Football is currently the internationally recognized governing body for American football in the United States.

2021: Scott Hallenbeck Serves as IFAF Vice President

From 2021-24, USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck served as Vice President of IFAF.

2021: Launch of Football Development Model

In 2021, Football’s positive cultural change that was advanced by Heads up Football beginning in 2012 is being further propelled by USA Football’s Football Development Model (FDM).

February 2022: Peter W. Chiarelli Named Chairman of USA Football

In February 2022, Peter W. Chiarelli, a retired U.S. Army general, was named chairman of USA Football.

2022: Women's Tackle National Team Wins IFAF World Championship

In 2022, the Women’s Tackle National Team won gold at the IFAF world championships, led by head coach Callie Brownson.

August 2024: U.S. National Teams Defend Top Ranking at IFAF Flag Football World Championships

In August 2024, the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams defended their top-ranked status at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland. The event featured 32 men's and 23 women's national teams from six continents.

2024: Eric Mayes Elected IFAF General Secretary

At the end of 2024, USA Football Managing Director, High Performance and National Teams, Eric Mayes was elected to serve as IFAF’s General Secretary.

2024: USA Football Announces NTDP Expansion

In 2024, USA Football announced the expansion of the NTDP for its 2025 cycle. This expansion aims to provide more opportunities for athletes to develop and compete in flag football, aligning with the sport's growth and the U.S. National Team's gold medal tradition.

March 2025: Release of 'Champions Rising: USA Football's National Team' Documentary

In March 2025, the documentary film “Champions Rising: USA Football’s National Team” was released. The film profiles the journey of the National Teams from training camp to winning gold medals in Finland and offers a behind-the-scenes look at flag football.

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April 2025: USA Football's Board of Directors

As of April 2025, the USA Football Board of Directors includes a list of people.

April 17, 2025: USA Football Receives USOPC Certification

On April 17, 2025, USA Football received formal certification from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, becoming the 38th Summer Olympics National Governing Body and the first NGB for American football.

August 2025: Women's Team to Compete in World Games

In August 2025, the women's team will compete in the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China. The World Games is an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games.

2025: Callie Brownson Joins USA Football

In 2025, Callie Brownson, head coach of the gold-medal winning Women's Tackle National Team, joined USA Football as Senior Director of High Performance and National Team Operations.

2025: NTDP Expansion Cycle

In 2025, the NTDP cycle expanded to provide more opportunities for athletes to develop alongside and compete against the nation's best flag football players.

2025: IFAF Americas Continental Flag Football Championship

In 2025, the men's and women's teams will compete in the IFAF Americas Continental Flag Football Championship, which features the top national teams from countries throughout North, Central and South America and serves as a qualifier for the next World Championships in 2026.

2026: Next World Championships Qualifier

In 2026 is the Next World Championships. The men's and women's teams competed in the IFAF Americas Continental Flag Football Championship, which features the top national teams from countries throughout North, Central and South America and serves as a qualifier for the next World Championships.