Los Angeles 2028 will feel different from recent Summer Games, especially for U.S. fans. The Olympic program is adding sports that blend American favorites with globally established competitions that have waited years, or even more than a century, for another Olympic moment. The headline is simple: flag football and squash will make their Olympic debuts, while baseball, softball, cricket and lacrosse return to the Games.
That wording can be confusing because LA28 and the IOC originally described the change as five additional sports, with baseball and softball grouped together in the proposal. In the actual Olympic competition plan, however, baseball and softball appear as separate medal tournaments. For anyone searching for the new Olympic sports at LA 2028, that distinction makes the program easier to understand.
Which sports are new or returning at LA 2028?
Flag football makes its Olympic debut
Flag football is one of the clearest U.S.-focused additions to the LA 2028 new sports lineup. Unlike tackle football, players stop an opponent by pulling a flag from the ball carrier’s belt rather than making a tackle. LA28 lists separate six-team men’s and women’s tournaments, with games played in two 20-minute halves on a 70-yard field.
For American fans, the biggest adjustment may be the pace. The format is built around quick possessions, passing, open-field movement and constant one-on-one matchups. It should look familiar to football fans while still feeling distinct from the NFL game they watch every week.
Squash finally reaches the Olympic stage
The squash Olympics debut is another genuine first. Squash has a long international competition history, but LA28 will be its first appearance as an Olympic medal sport. Men and women will compete in singles. Matches are best of five games, each game is played to 11 points, and a player must win by two.
The enclosed glass court also gives the sport a strong spectator identity. LA28 currently plans to stage squash at the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios, giving the event a distinctly Los Angeles setting rather than treating it as a generic indoor tournament.
Cricket returns in the T20 format
Cricket last appeared at the Olympics in Paris in 1900, so its LA28 return ends a 128-year absence. The Olympic version will use T20, the shorter format in which each side can face a maximum of 20 overs. LA28 lists six-team tournaments for both men and women.
That choice matters for Olympic scheduling. T20 keeps matches much shorter than traditional multi-day cricket while preserving the sport’s batting, bowling and fielding strategy. For U.S. viewers who are new to cricket, the easiest way to follow a match is to watch three things: wickets lost, runs scored and how many overs remain.
Lacrosse returns in the sixes format
Lacrosse was a medal sport in 1904 and 1908 and later appeared as a demonstration sport. At LA28 it returns using lacrosse sixes, a faster version designed around six players per team and four eight-minute quarters. Separate six-team men’s and women’s tournaments are planned.
Fans used to field lacrosse will notice fewer players and more open space. Possession changes quickly, transition attacks develop almost immediately, and scoring chances arrive at a higher rate. That compact format should make lacrosse one of the easier returning sports to sample in a single Olympic session.
Baseball and softball are back after Tokyo 2020
Baseball and softball return after appearing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and then being left off the Paris 2024 program. LA28 currently lists a six-team men’s baseball tournament at Dodger Stadium and a six-team women’s softball tournament in Oklahoma City.
Baseball will use the familiar nine-inning structure, while softball uses seven innings and a smaller field. Their return gives the Olympic sports 2028 program two events with especially deep roots in the host country. It also creates a rare Olympic setting in which many U.S. fans will already understand the rules before the first pitch.
Why were these sports added for Los Angeles?
These additions were proposed by the LA28 organizing committee and approved by the IOC in 2023. The group fits the host city in several ways: baseball, softball, flag football and lacrosse all have major U.S. participation bases, while cricket and squash bring enormous international followings. The selected formats are also relatively compact and can use existing or planned venues without requiring an entirely new type of Olympic infrastructure.
There is an important limit to remember. These sports were approved as additions for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Their presence in LA does not automatically guarantee that every one of them will remain on the program for Brisbane 2032 or later Olympics.
What U.S. fans should watch for
If you are choosing one unfamiliar sport to try, match it to something you already enjoy. NFL fans may find the flag football Olympics easiest to read immediately. Basketball or hockey fans who like fast transitions may enjoy lacrosse sixes. Tennis and racquet-sport fans can quickly understand squash scoring, while baseball fans may appreciate cricket once they stop trying to map every rule directly onto baseball.
A practical way to plan for LA28 is to compare competition days and venues before buying tickets. Some added sports are in Los Angeles itself, while softball is scheduled in Oklahoma City. That means a fan hoping to combine baseball, squash and flag football can build a Southern California itinerary, but adding softball requires a separate trip. Related site topics that fit naturally here include Olympic competition schedules, a guide to LA28 venues, and an explainer on how Olympic qualification works.
FAQ
What are the new sports at the LA 2028 Olympics?
Flag football and squash will make their Olympic debuts. Baseball, softball, cricket and lacrosse are returning to the Olympic program. The IOC originally described the package as five additional sports because baseball and softball were grouped together in the proposal.
Will flag football be played instead of American football?
No. Flag football is its own non-contact version of the sport. LA28 plans separate men’s and women’s six-team tournaments, using two 20-minute halves and flag pulls instead of tackles.
What format of cricket will be played at LA28?
Olympic cricket at LA28 will use the T20 format. Men’s and women’s tournaments are planned, with six teams in each competition.
Are the LA28 added sports guaranteed to stay in future Olympics?
No. Their approval applies to the Los Angeles 2028 program. Future Olympic hosts and the IOC will determine the sports program for later Games.
What makes the LA28 additions worth watching
The most interesting part of the new Olympic sports at LA 2028 is not simply that the program is larger. Los Angeles is pairing two Olympic firsts with several meaningful comebacks. Flag football gives the Games a modern American flavor, squash finally gets an Olympic platform, cricket reconnects with the Games after more than a century, lacrosse returns in a faster format, and baseball and softball come home to a country where both already have passionate audiences. For fans, LA28 should offer a rare mix of familiar events and genuinely new Olympic experiences.