This merger will become an educational platform to help member federations worldwide build capacity and support accelerated participation growth as flag football prepares to debut in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. There are five years left for this to happen, but the steps being taken by various organizations are determined to relaunch this format.

The place that will emerge from the union of IFAF and etrainu will also serve as a one-stop destination for training and development resources, blending online and face-to-face educational activities for IFAF members. Those in charge on both sides are aware of the growth that American football is experiencing worldwide, precisely driven by the advancement and the decision to include the flag football format in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

All current and future members of IFAF, which currently boasts 74 national federations supporting millions of players across five continents, will have access to the platform. The goal is to seek the greatest possible involvement, ensuring complete unity in approaches. The project will support ongoing efforts to build robust, scalable, and sustainable coaching and development structures in American football worldwide.

Pierre Trochet, president of IFAF, supports all attempts to unify criteria: "We are proud to partner with etrainu, a global leader in sport education solutions, to launch this important initiative at such a crucial time for our sport. By providing our Member Federations with this platform, we are equipping them with the resources and tools they need to harness the current momentum and nurture American football’s development in their respective regions."

Paul Hoon, CEO of etrainu, sees the partnership as a growth opportunity: "Partnering with the International Federation of American Football presents an exciting opportunity to provide a consolidated learning platform. In particular, the development of education pathways across the globe will help deliver value to the international American Football community."

Users of the IFAF Academy will have access to a range of courses, including referee training, coach training, and introductory courses for flag football. And the platform’s flexibility means that IFAF can develop an infinite range of additional courses in-house, with the assistance of subject matter experts.

Via integration with the Sport:80 system, IFAF and its members will also be able to streamline registration processes. This will facilitate the construction and maintenance of a comprehensive database of IFAF users, giving the opportunity to aggregate data and enhance the user experience.

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the international governing body for this sport and is responsible for all regulatory, competition, performance, and development aspects of the game on a global level. Fully recognised by the International Olympic Committee and a signatory to the WADA Code, IFAF has 74 member nations across 5 continents.

On the other hand, etrainu is a leader in community education solutions. Through a sophisticated learning management system and engaging online courses, etrainu is changing the way we learn. etrainu continues to help build communities, with over 2 million learners benefiting from hundreds of industry-tailored courses. etrainu has partnered with some of the largest sports organisations in the world, including US Youth Soccer (USYS), American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), PGA Tour, Hockey Australia, Gymnastics Australia, and Surf Life Saving Australia.