How flag football is key to the NFL's plans to further global reach

The briefing

The NFL is backing flag football's Olympic debut, with Dusseldorf hosting the first Olympic qualifier and world championships for more than 300 players from 18 countries. The league sees the five-on-five, no-contact game as a way to turn viewers into players and lifelong fans, running NFL-branded classes in schools from Europe to Australia. Olympic status has unlocked government funding for teams worldwide and opened a new frontier for women's participation, though IFAF has not staged a tackle football world championship in nine years.