Flag football is coming to the Olympic Games in 2028, but the athletes will not use the same football from the NFL. They are about to enter the era of REVO.
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According to USA Today Sports, Wilson began designing a ball built specifically for flag football approximately four years ago. The designers, including an aerospace engineer, didn't want to completely change the football used in other leagues; they just wanted to make some tweaks to highlight the unique nature of the sport.
After all, flag football focuses more on high-speed passing attacks as five defenders aim to stop five offensive playmakers.
The end result is a ball that has a slightly smaller profile than a traditional football built for college or the pros. It weighs the same as these balls, but the bulk of the weight is situated in the center.
The ball will feel slightly smaller to the male players, but it will feel roughly the same for female players. The REVO will also feature large white stripes to provide more grip points for quarterbacks and receivers alike.
Photo credit: Wilson
To pursue the goal of creating a more balanced ball for the two divisions, Wilson created prototypes of the REVO football and took them to the World Flag Football Championships in Finland. Players from all 32 teams tested out the prototypes and then provided feedback.
The process continued over the years as Wilson continued tweaking the product. Finally, the company brought in six male quarterbacks from the top nations in the world to test what became the production REVO.
"Going through that workout with them, we saw the quarterbacks increase spin rate, increase spiral efficiency," Christopher Rickert, the senior director of global product at Wilson, told USA Today Sports.
"So, not only did they feel good throwing it, the data actually showed the purpose of the project. You can throw the ball tighter. This final product was truly built for the flag player and for their game, which is what they wanted. They didn't want to be little siblings of tackle."
Now that Wilson has landed on the final product, the company has agreed to a partnership with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). This is key, as it means that the REVO will become the official ball of flag football and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.
