American football at the Summer Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids American football at the Summer Olympics |
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| Governing body | IFAF |
| Events | 1 (men) |
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American football has appeared a few times at the Summer Olympic Games. It was shown as a "demonstration sport" in 1904 and 1932. A demonstration sport means it's played to show it off, but it's not an official medal event.
In 1904, college teams played games as part of their regular season. These games were held at Francis Field during the Olympics. The sport was officially a demonstration sport only once, in 1932.
Even though American football hasn't been in the Olympics since then, many American football players have also competed in the Olympics in other sports. The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the main group for the sport worldwide. They organize the IFAF World Championship, which is a big international tournament held every four years.
Why American Football Isn't an Olympic Sport
In 2013, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) "provisional recognition." This meant the IOC was considering American football for future Olympics. It was a step towards possibly voting on its inclusion.
However, in 2015, American football was not chosen to be added to the 2020 Olympic Games. This means it's still not an official Olympic sport.
Images for kids
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Saint Louis University's 1904 "Olympic World's Champions" team.
