The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has announced a long-term partnership with SYZMIK Sports, the award-winning sports technology company pioneering advances in soft shell headgear technology, head health and safety across non-contact formats of American football. SYZMIK will serve as IFAF’s official technical partner, marking a significant development in the federation’s mission to prioritise athletes’ well-being and performance worldwide. Under the agreement, SYZMIK Sports and IFAF will undertake proactive initiatives to address head health and safety in Flag Football - a non-contact, youth-oriented format that is soaring in global popularity ahead of a first appearance in the Olympic Games in LA28. The collaboration will see the two organisations:

• Invest in research and analysis to study concussion frequency, prevention, and mitigation, with a focus on equipment design, rule evolution, and athlete education.
• Share evidence-based guidance with IFAF’s member federations to support best practices in player safety across the globe.
• Develop homologated headgear standards for IFAF competitions, emphasising rigorous safety protocols while ensuring athlete choice.

The partnership reinforces IFAF’s role as a leader in research, development, and technical standards for the sport, ensuring that athletes at all levels benefit from cutting-edge insights and innovation. IFAF President, Pierre Trochet, said: “At IFAF, the safety and well-being of our athletes is our highest priority. This partnership with SYZMIK Sports is a further demonstration of how we continue to invest in innovation, research, and collaboration to strengthen protections for players across all formats and at every level of the game. Flag Football rightly enjoys a reputation as a safe, fun and youth-friendly discipline and, as it continues to experience extraordinary growth around the world, we will work with SYZMIK Sports to stay ahead of the game, ensuring all athletes benefit from the best global practices and technologies supporting player safety.” SYZMIK Sports CEO, Steve Arzoni, said: “We are proud to be partnering with IFAF in a collaboration focused on research and development that will set new benchmarks for player safety in one of the fastest growing sports in the world, Flag Football. SYZMIK Sports was created to protect athletes through innovation, and together with IFAF we can translate that vision into global standards that benefit players at every level.”