United States men's national American football team

United States men's national American football team
The United States national American football team often referred to as Team USA represents the United States in international men's Flag football and American football (Tackle Football) competitions. It is currently controlled by USA Football and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). The team is currently ranked no.1 in the world in both flag and tackle Football by the IFAF.
Team USA has won the IFAF World Championships three times (most recently in 2015) and has won the IFAF Flag Football World Championship five times (most recently in 2021); which are the most championships won by a country for both tournaments. In 2017, Team USA won a bronze medal at the World Games. In 2022, Team USA won a gold medal in Flag football at the World Games.
During 2015, a split between IFAF Paris and IFAF New York occurred, in which IFAF Paris expelled USA Football in 2017. USA Football was temporary replaced by the United States Federation of American Football in Paris, while New York retained USA Football as their active member. The United Stated Federation of American Football would manage the 2017 national team at the World Games.
In March 2018, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) determined that the IFAF New York was the proper governing entity and voided all decisions of the other IFAF entity, including their decision to strip USA Football of its recognition. USA Football is currently the internationally recognized sole governing body for American football in the United States.
Player eligibility
The national team was selected to encompass a cross-section of amateur football in the United States, and as such USA Football used strict criteria to select team members. This does not permit the top football players in the United States to compete. The criteria are applied to make international tournaments more competitive. The restrictions include:
NFL players are ineligible
Player must have graduated from college, making active college players ineligible
All levels of NCAA and NAIA athletics are required to be represented, not just FBS
An exception to this criteria however, applies to the Summer Olympic Games, as NFL executive Peter O'Reilly stated on October 17, 2023 that the National Football League will work with the players' union on allowing current and former NFL players to participate for Team USA in Flag football at the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics.
IFAF World Championship
2007
The United States competed for the first time in the 2007 IFAF World Cup. The team's first ever game was a 77–0 win over South Korea in the first round of the tournament. Team USA defense set an IFAF all-time tournament record in holding South Korea to minus-31 yards in total offense, as well as the record for fewest rushing yards allowed with minus-47. In the second round the USA defeated Germany 33–7. They played Japan on July 15 for the championship. Japan was making their third appearance in the finals, winning the previous two World Championships. Japan took a 17–10 lead with seven minutes and seven seconds left in regulation. University of Arizona quarterback Adam Austin guided Team USA with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the second 5-yard touchdown run by RB Kyle Kasperbauer, to tie the game at 17. IFAF follows the overtime system used by the NCAA, and both teams scored field goals with their first possession. In the second overtime, Japan got the ball first but missed a 34-yard field goal attempt. Team USA then reached Japan's 6-yard line. On 4th and one, Craig Coffin kicked the game winning 22-yard field goal, with the final score at 23–20. University of Nebraska-Omaha running back Kyle Kasperbauer was named MVP of the game after scoring two touchdowns and running for 54 yards on 15 carries. Austin finished 12 of 25 for 109 yards, with no TD's, and one interception. Former Williams player Jon Drenckhahn was the top receiver, catching 5 passes for 40 yards.
The team included players representing all levels of college football, with 13 from NCAA Division I FBS, 12 from NCAA Division I FCS, 10 from NCAA Division II, 9 from NCAA Division III and 1 former NAIA player.
2011
The head coach of Team USA was Mel Tjeerdsma of Northwest Missouri State University, with Larry Kehres the offensive coordinator and Lou Tepper the defensive coordinator. Players on the team were announced on the official Team USA Facebook on April 28, 2011. On July 8, Team USA played its 1st game, defeating Australia 61–0. After beating Mexico 17-7 on July 11, the team qualified for its 2nd consecutive World Cup gold medal game. On July 16, USA defeated Canada 50–7 to claim its 2nd consecutive World Championship.
The United States routed Canada 50–7 in the gold medal game of the 2011 IFAF Senior World Championship. The 20,000 fans in attendance at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, Austria, set a record for an IFAF Championship game. The game was never close, with Team USA leading 37–7 at halftime. Team USA dominated the rushing game, outgaining Canada 247–48, with four players scoring touchdowns on the ground. While Henry Harris led the way for the Americans on the ground, with 114 yards on 15 carries and a TD, Mount Union RB Nate Kmic was the only American to score two touchdowns on the day and was named tournament MVP. University of Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins was 13 of 21 for 161 yards and 2 TD passes. Ricardo Lenhart (Otterbein) led the receivers, with 3 catches for 63 yards. The U.S. defense recorded four sacks, and Jordan Lake caught two interceptions.
2015
The U.S. Men's National Team was led by former Boise State and Colorado head football coach Dan Hawkins. Hawkins was 53–11 at Boise State from 2001–05, winning four consecutive Western Athletic Conference titles. His teams compiled a 31-game WAC winning streak, the longest in conference history. The U.S. Men's National Team includes athletes from 24 states.
The United States defeated Japan in the gold medal game by a score of 59-12. This marked Team USA's third straight IFAF Championship, which would beat out Japan for the most IFAF Championships.
IFAF Flag Football World Championship
2008
Although the IFAF Flag Football Championship was founded in 2002, Team USA first competed in the 2008 edition of the tournament. The United States lost to France 45-0 in the bronze medal game, finishing fourth overall in the tournament.
2010
In the 2010 tournament, Team USA went undefeated in group play securing their way to the playoff round. The United States defeated Germany 33-0 in the quarterfinals and Canada 48-25 in the semifinals to reach the gold medal game. In the championship game, Team USA faced Denmark who they beat previously in group play. Quarterback Jorge Cascudo led the team to a 35-19 victory to capture the gold medal.
2012
In the 2012 tournament, Austria defeated the United States in the gold medal game by a close score of 47-40. Team USA finished the tournament with a silver medal.
2014
In the 2014 tournament, the United States reclaimed the gold medal defeating Mexico by a score of 40-14.
2016
In the 2016 tournament, The United States defeated Denmark 33–32, to win their second consecutive and third overall title. This was a rematch of the 2010 gold medal match, as Team USA narrowly escaped with another gold medal win over Denmark.
2018
The United States won its third consecutive, and fourth overall title at the 2018 tournament. Team USA went undefeated in pool play, before beating Israel in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the team defeated Denmark handily, jumping out to a 34-0 lead at one point against a team that they beat by only one point in pool play two days earlier. The team went on to defeat Austria in the championship by score of 19-13. In a rematch of the gold medal game in 2012 where Austria defeated the United States, quarterback Eric Holliday led Team USA to victory. The team's third consecutive championship was a first for any country in IFAF Flag World Championship history on either the men’s or women’s side.
2021
The worldwide pandemic forced the tournament to move from 2020 to 2021. Team USA won its fourth consecutive, and fifth overall gold medal, defeating Mexico 44-41 in the final game. The United States went a perfect 7-0 throughout the tournament. Quarterback Eric Holliday led Team USA to a comeback victory in the championship game as Mexico was winning the game by a score of 41-30 with 10 minutes left to play in the game.
2024
Team USA is set to defend their championship in the 2024 tournament.
World Games
2017
During the 2015 split between IFAF Paris and IFAF New York, in which IFAF Paris expelled USA Football in 2017. USA Football was replaced by the United States Federation of American Football in Paris, while New York retained USA Football as their active member. Since IFAF New York was not recognized by the International Olympic Committee at the time, the United States Federation of American Football was permitted to organize the United States national American football team for the 2017 World Games.
Players, mainly professional Americans playing in Europe, were chosen for the team on May 31, 2017. Players were promised full funding from the United States Federation of American Football, however, the funding was withdrawn just days before the competition and players had to provide their own transportation to Wroclaw. As a result, most of the team withdrew from the competition and were instead replaced by volunteers who were already in Europe at the time. Most of the team arrived the day before their opening match vs the Germany national American football team. The Americans lost to Germany 13–14, in which was the first loss ever for a United States national American football team in international competition.
The United States were able to rebound two days later and defeat the Poland national American football team 14-7 en route to a bronze medal at the 2017 World Games.
2022
On July 20, 2020, the International World Games Association (IWGA), National Football League (NFL), and International Federation of American Football (IFAF) announced that flag football would join the existing lineup of 32 unique, multi-disciplinary sports for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. The 2022 World Games, which marked the 40th anniversary of the event, took place from July 7–17, 2022, and was hosted at Birmingham's historic Legion Field
Team USA qualified as hosts of the tournament. With a roster including former NFL player Dezmin Lewis, the team went a perfect 3-0 in pool play, with a score differential of +71. Team USA would go on to play Germany in the Quarterfinals, and Austria in the Semifinals, defeating both teams. Team USA would go on to defeat Italy in the final game by a score of 46-36 to capture the gold medal.
Flag Football at the Summer Olympics
On October 16, 2023 the NFL and IFAF announced the approval of flag football as an official sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This will mark the first time that American football in any form will be featured in the Olympics since it was a demonstration sport in 1904 and 1932. Team USA will automatically qualify for the tournament as the host country.
On October 17, 2023 NFL executive Peter O'Reilly said the league will work with the players' union on allowing current and former players to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics.
IFAF World Championship All-time Records
IFAF World Championship record
Uniforms
Game records
Most First Downs: 27 vs. Japan 7-12-15
Most Points Scored: 82 vs. France 7-16-15
Most Passing Yards: 267 Cody Hawkins vs. Mexico 7-12-11
Most Rushing Yards: 117 Aaron Wimberly vs. France 7-15-15
Most Receiving Yards: 106 Nate Kmic vs. Australia 7-8-11
Most Team Sacks: 8 vs. Mexico 7-9-15
Most Team Tackles for Loss: 18.5 vs. Mexico 7-9-15
Longest Play (Rushing): 60 Sadale Foster vs. Japan 7-12-15
Longest Play (Passing): 64 McLaughlin to Malm vs. Australia 7-8-11
Longest Play (Punt Return): 74 Awrey vs. South Korea 7-10-07
Longest Play (Kickoff Return): 84 Awrey 84 vs. South Korea 7-10-07
Longest Play (Field Goal): 46 Berkshire vs. Mexico 7-12-11
Longest Play (Interception Return): 77 Banks vs. Germany 7-10-11
Longest Play (Fumble Return): 10 Jackson vs. Germany 7-10-11
Longest Play (Blocked Punt Return Touchdown): 26 Calbert vs. Australia 7-8-11
Longest Play (Blocked Field Goal Return Touchdown): 75 Dingle vs. Germany 7-10-11
References
External links
American football in the United States
American
Men's national American football teams
1984 establishments in the United States
American football teams established in 1984