YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL

Trofeo CONI 2026 Flag Football Finals in Puglia

Thirteen FIDAF regional teams are scheduled to compete in Castellaneta Marina on 5 and 6 October.

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The national flag football finals at Trofeo CONI 2026 are scheduled for Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October in Castellaneta Marina, in Italy’s Puglia region. The tournament will take place at the Centro Sportivo D’Onghia.

According to the Italian American Football Federation (FIDAF), 13 regional teams will compete. The first day is set to use a four-round Swiss system, followed by semifinals and placement games on the second day.

Thirteen regional teams

The participating representatives are from Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily and Tuscany. FIDAF says this is one more regional team than in the 2025 edition.

The teams listed by FIDAF are Achei Crotone, Briganti Napoli, Panthers Parma, Flag Academy Trieste, Legio XIII Roma, Team Liguria, Seamen Milano, Dolphins Ancona, Reapers Torino, Vespe San Giorgio Ionico, Crusaders Cagliari, Elephants Catania and Marble Hearts Carrara, respectively.

Swiss system for the opening day

With 13 teams in the field, the opening day is planned around four qualification rounds using the Swiss system. Teams will be paired as the competition progresses, with results contributing to a single standings table rather than pre-arranged groups.

Games are scheduled to run simultaneously on three fields at the Centro Sportivo D’Onghia. FIDAF’s published first-round schedule begins at 9:00 on 5 October: Sicily versus Liguria, Lombardy versus Sardinia, and Lazio versus Emilia-Romagna. The 10:00 games are Puglia versus Tuscany, Calabria versus Marche, and Campania versus Friuli Venezia Giulia; Piedmont has the first-round bye.

Finals scheduled for 6 October

The standings after the four qualification rounds will determine the matchups for the decisive day. Semifinals and placement games are scheduled to begin at 9:00 on Tuesday 6 October, followed by the finals to decide the podium places.

The wider Trofeo CONI event is scheduled to open in Puglia on 4 October. FIDAF describes its flag football competition as part of the national youth sports event.

A youth tournament after the European championships

FIDAF places the tournament shortly after the IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships, which the federation says concluded the previous Saturday in Spiaggia Romea and Comacchio. The federation also notes that Italy’s U17 team earned bronze at that European event.

The Trofeo CONI finals and the European championships involve different age and competition levels, but both feature youth flag football. The sport is due to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, according to FIDAF.

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The Trofeo CONI 2026 flag football finals are scheduled for 5–6 October at the Centro Sportivo D’Onghia in Castellaneta Marina.

Byline

Camila Herrera

Detail investigator

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