The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has today confirmed the 40 International Technical Officials (ITOs) who will oversee the forthcoming IFAF World Flag Football Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany – the first-ever Olympic Qualifier in the history of flag football.
A total of 22 nations are represented, with perfect gender parity among the ITOs selected. This sets a new benchmark for female ITOs at an IFAF event as IFAF works towards a commitment to ensure an equal number of male and female officials for flag football’s debut appearance at the Olympic Games in LA28.
“As the spotlight shines on the athletes playing flag football on the world stage, it also focuses on the men and women whose expertise and experience ensures the games are officiated to the highest level,” said IFAF Board Director Fabio Tortosa. “We received a large number of high‑quality nominations. The selection panel faced difficult choices and thanks all the federations and nominees for the care and professionalism shown in their submissions.”
The IFAF officials for Düsseldorf were selected from nominations made by IFAF member federations worldwide. Most have experience at IFAF world and continental tournaments and at The World Games.
The nations that will be represented are Argentina, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United States.
“Every international assignment is special, but being selected for a world championship in my home country makes this event especially meaningful,” said Mara Steiner from Germany, who has been a flag football official since 2014. “I am proud to be part of the team to help deliver a world-class tournament.”
Nathan Cope from Australia, who has been officiating for 15 years, said: “Being chosen to officiate at IFAF World Flag in Düsseldorf alongside some of the finest officials in the world is a tremendous honor. It represents the culmination of a lifelong obsession, years of hard work, growth, passion and dedication poured into this sport that I love, and I'm grateful for every step of the journey.”
The nations that will be represented by ITOs in Düsseldorf are Argentina, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United States.
International Technical Officials for IFAF World Flag 2026:
Allan Kotliar, Argentina; Gregor Slavik, Austria; Nathan Cope, Australia; Pamela Tuft, Australia; Ana Luiza Cazarin de Brito, Brazil; Giane Amorim Branco Pessoa, Brazil; Scott Woloshin, Canada; Catherine Piche, Canada; Tianyu Xing (Terry Xing), China; Neo Wei Di, China; Filip Malý, Czechia; Claes Scherwin Thalmann, Denmark; Daniel Barrera Madsen, Denmark; Magnus Lauesgaard, Denmark; Marko Immonen, Finland; Samantha Jousselin, France; Cédric Castaing, France; Nicole Debowski, Germany; Pascal Marc Filipiak, Germany; Mara Steiner, Germany; Jed Brookes-Lewis, Great Britain; Carla Carolina Nico Gavazza, Ireland; Omer Sela, Israel; Shalechet Eliyahu, Israel; Riccardo Zampedri, Italy; Francesca Moretti, Italy; Lucrezia Cian, Italy; Paulina Ivonne Orozco Quintana, Mexico; Paul Brownd, New Zealand; Donald McMillan, New Zealand; Magda Szymko, Poland; Marija Perić Todorović, Serbia; Bosiljka Jovanović Visconti, Serbia; Livia Lemp, Switzerland; Stephan Keck, Switzerland; Begüm Kübra Tokyay, Türkiye; Berna Sule Soztekin, Türkiye; Desiree Abrams, United States; Juan Carlos Diaz II, United States; Nicole Randolph, United States.
