Pannonia Eagles abandon tackle football for flag football

The Pannonia Eagles have stopped playing tackle football after struggling to field enough players and now compete only in flag football, ORF reports. The Baumgarten club made the switch this season and plays in FLA Division 2, effectively Austria’s third tier.

Flag football requires five players per team on the field, compared with 11 in tackle football. The Eagles decided last year to focus on the non-contact version.

The club also moved from Baumgarten to Krensdorf over the summer. At a home game day last weekend, all eight teams in the league visited Krensdorf, including the Stinatz Ozelots, the other men’s flag football team from Burgenland.

The two Burgenland clubs are playing in the same league for a second consecutive season, creating a regional derby. The Ozelots won their first meeting of the season in Schwechat and have since reached the top of the table with five wins from five games. They hope to reach the playoffs and secure promotion.

Promotion is not a current goal for the Eagles, who have won once so far this season. Club chairman Raimund Reinisch said the team was proud to have young players from its under-15 and under-17 squads playing with the adults and gaining experience.

Three female Eagles players recently won the European under-15 mixed-team title. Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Austria still has to qualify, but is among the leading nations in both the women’s and men’s competitions.