The International Federation of American Football -IFAF- approved on Monday the relocation of its global headquarters to Lausanne, a decision adopted during the XXVII IFAF Congress that marks a structural shift in the international governance of American football. The meeting was held with the support of the Lausanne Olympic Capital Foundation and Lausanne Tourism, and brought together delegates from five continents representing the federation’s 75 national members.
Founded more than 25 years ago in Paris, the federation formalises its establishment at the main centre of global sports governance at a key moment in its development, in parallel with the global expansion of flag football and its future inclusion in the Olympic programme of Los Angeles 2028.
Directly into the heart of the Olympic Movement
The move places the IFAF in the city that has hosted the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee -IOC- since 1915 and currently accommodates nearly 60 international sports federations and organisations in the Canton of Vaud. The federation will be based at the Maison du Sport International, a facility specifically designed to foster cooperation between global sports bodies.
IFAF President Pierre Trochet stated that “this vote is a clear statement that IFAF and the entire global American football family believe their future belongs at the heart of the Olympic Movement”, and underlined that the relocation to Lausanne “marks an important milestone for our sport and strengthens the foundations we are building towards Los Angeles 2028 and beyond”.
Flag football as the driver of strategic change
The headquarters relocation comes in a context shaped by the rise of flag football, the discipline set to make its Olympic debut in 2028, which has experienced accelerated growth due to its accessibility and international appeal. This scenario has led the IFAF to orient part of its development strategy around this modality as a pillar for global expansion.
Within this framework, the Congress also approved changes to membership criteria, removing the requirement for full members to operate both tackle and flag football programmes simultaneously. The measure aims to facilitate access to membership for new countries and to accelerate the introduction of the Olympic discipline in emerging markets.
Expanding female representation
The package of reforms approved in Lausanne also included updates to the federation’s statutes in matters of governance and the introduction of new gender-equality initiatives, designed to expand female representation within the leadership structures of international American football. The State Councillor of the Canton of Vaud and Head of the Department of Finance, Territory and Sport, Christelle Luisier Brodard, stated that “the innovative inclusion of flag football in the Los Angeles 2028 programme marks a decisive turning point for this fast-growing sport” and added that the arrival of the IFAF in Lausanne “reinforces the role of the canton within the global sports ecosystem”.
From the municipal level, the City Councillor for Sports and Social Cohesion of Lausanne, Émilie Moeschler, expressed the city’s support for the project: “The City of Lausanne is proud to welcome the IFAF, and we value the work of the Olympic Capital Foundation, which has supported the federation in this process”. Moeschler also pointed to the local roots of the sport through clubs such as Lausanne Owls and LUCAF, which actively promote both American and flag football within the community, reinforcing the link between the international federation and the city’s sporting fabric.
