Flag football and squash must arrive at LA28 as sports, not novelties

LA28’s August introduction to flag football and squash confirms that both will make their Olympic debuts in Los Angeles. The announcement understandably emphasises the occasion. Our interest is in what happens once the introductions are finished and a contest has to be understood on its own terms.

The risk is not that the sports will attract too little curiosity. It is that the curiosity stops at celebrity participation, a striking venue or the word “new”. Olympic coverage should help a first-time viewer see why a player made a choice and how an opponent can answer it.

Flag football needs its own tactical explanation

Familiar names from tackle football may draw attention, but a player’s reputation elsewhere is not a complete scouting report for flag competition. Our preferred analysis begins with spacing, timing and the defensive responsibility created by a route combination.

If two receivers arrive in the same area, they can make the defence’s job easier rather than offering the passer twice as many options. A well-timed crossing movement can instead force defenders to communicate before the ball is released. The important action may be the route that moves a defender away from the eventual receiver.

That is a richer introduction than treating each completion as evidence that an athlete is simply too fast to stop. Speed matters, but its value depends on where it is used and what the other players make possible.

Squash rewards the shot before the winner

For squash, our starting point would be court position. A player who can strike while balanced and recover efficiently asks a different question from one reaching late merely to keep the rally alive. The winning shot often arrives after earlier exchanges have made the opponent’s recovery progressively harder.

The counterpoint is that control must remain purposeful. Repeating a comfortable length without changing the opponent’s position can allow the rally to settle. An attacking opportunity becomes valuable when the preceding shots have earned it, not merely because the crowd is ready for a flourish.

These are viewing principles, not predictions about an unconfirmed Olympic field. Specific matchups will require current evidence about the players and the conditions when the tournament approaches.

An Olympic debut should deepen the audience

Our judgement is that a successful introduction leaves the viewer wanting to follow the next non-Olympic event. That requires names, rivalries and a basic understanding of how contests turn. A memorable setting can bring people to the screen; good explanation gives them a reason to remain.

Both sports deserve that standard. They should not have to spend the entire Games justifying their presence. Once play begins, the editorial focus should move from the novelty of inclusion to the quality of the decisions being made.

Cover photograph: Unsplash. Illustrative imagery, not a photograph of the event discussed.