List of American and Canadian football leagues
Appearance
This is a list of current and defunct leagues of American football and Canadian football.
Current leagues in North America
Professional outdoor leagues:
Canadian Football League, 1956–
National Football League, 1920–
- Originally American Professional Football Conference, American Professional Football Association (1920-1921)
United Football League, 2009–
Professional arena/indoor leagues:
Arena Football League, 1987-2008, 2010- (see note)
American Professional Football League, 2003-
Continental Indoor Football League, 2006-
Indoor Football League, 2009-
Lone Star Football League, 2012
Professional Indoor Football League, 2012
Ultimate Indoor Football League, 2011-
Note: The Arena Football League technically disbanded in 2009. The current incarnation was the result of several of the AFL's first and second division teams banding together and purchasing the intellectual property rights to the league and reviving it as a new entity.
Semi-professional leagues:
Empire Football League, 1969-
Mid Continental Football League, 1992-
New England Football League, 1994-
North American Football League, 1996-
Alberta Football League, 1984-
Maritime Football League, 2002-
Northern Football Conference, 1954-
Northeastern Football Alliance, 1997-
Rocky Mountain Football League, 1997-
Central Football League, 1999-
Southern States Football League, 2001-
Minor League Football Association, 2003-
Oklahoma Metro Football League, 2007-
Florida Football Alliance, 2007-
Big Northeast Football Federation 2007-
Gridiron Developmental Football League 2010-
Five Star Football League 2010-
Regional American Football League 2007-
Stars Football League, 2011–
Collegiate and amateur leagues:
Texas Sixman Football League, 1999-
Canadian Junior Football League, 1890-
National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1906-
Collegiate Sprint Football League, 1934-
National Junior College Athletic Association, 1938-
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, 1940-
National Capital Amateur Football Association, 1955-
Canadian Interuniversity Sport, 1961-
Quebec Junior Football League, 1970-
Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, 1974-
- ONEFA Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano - Collegiate
Women's leagues:
Independent Women's Football League, 2000-
Lingerie Football League, 2009-
Maritime Women's Football League, 2004-
Western Women's Canadian Football League, 2011-
Women's Football Alliance, 2009-
Women's Spring Football League, 2010-
Women's Arena Football League, 2012-
Historical leagues in North America
Major outdoor leagues:
National Football League (1902) and the World Series of Pro Football, 1902–1903
Ohio League, 1903-19196
New York Pro Football League, 1916-19206
All-America Football Conference, 1946-19491
American Football League, 1926, 1936-1937, 1940-1941, and 1960-19692 (all unrelated, four separate leagues)
World Football League, 1974–1975
United States Football League, 1983–1985
XFL, 2001
Minor outdoor leagues
American Football League, 1934
Midwest Football League, 1935–1937, became American Professional Football Association in 1938, American Football League in 1939
Dixie League, 1936-1947 - originally South Atlantic Football Association
American Association 1936-1941/American Football League 1946-19503
American Football League, 1938-19394
Pacific Coast Professional Football League, 1940–1948
American Football League, 19445
United Football League, 1961–1964
Atlantic Coast Football League, 1962–1971, 1973
Continental Football League, 1965–1969
North American Football League, 1965–1966
Seaboard Football League, 1971–1974
American Football Association, 1979–1982
International Football League, 1984[1]
Professional Spring Football League, 1992
Regional Football League, 1999
International Football Federation, 2000
Spring Football League, 2000
- 1: Two teams now in NFL
- 2: Agreed to merger with the NFL in 1966, with merger completed in 1970
- 3: American Association suspended operations for duration of U.S. involvement in World War II; in 1946 the AA was renamed American Football League
- 4: Known as the American Professional Football Association in 1938; renamed American Football League in 1939; dissolution after 1939 season caused by formation of 1940-1941 AFL major league
- 5: Merged with PCPFL in 1945
- 6: Informal league, direct predecessor to the NFL
Indoor leagues
American Indoor Football Association, 2005-2010 (partially merged into Southern Indoor Football League)
Arenafootball2 (af2), 2000–2009 (assets also acquired in the same transaction noted above)
Professional Indoor Football League, 1998-2000 (Bought out by Af2 in 2001)
Indoor Football League, 1999-2000 (Bought out by Af2 in 2001;not related to the Indoor Football League that began play in 2009)
Indoor Professional Football League, 1999–2001
National Indoor Football League, 2001–2007
Intense Football League, 2004-2008 (merged into current incarnation of the Indoor Football League)
United Indoor Football, 2005-2008 (merged into current incarnation of the Indoor Football League)
Eastern Indoor Football League, 2007
World Indoor Football League, 2007
Southern Indoor Football League, 2008-2011 (divided into Lone Star Football League and current Professional Indoor Football League)
Women's leagues
Women's Professional Football League, 1999-2007
Women's American Football League, formed 2001, became the AFWL in 2002
American Football Women's League (AFWL), 2002
Women's Football Association, 2002
National Women's Football Association, 2000-2008
Women's Football League, 2002-2007
Current American Football minor and semi professional leagues outside of North America
Argentina - FAA Football Americano Argentina
Bahamas - CAFL Commonwealth American Football League
Brazil - CBFA Campeonato Brasileiro AFAB
Brazil - Torneio Touchdown[2]
Chile - FEDFACH FEDERACIÓN DEPORTIVA NACIONAL DE FÚTBOL AMERICANO DE CHILE[3]
Chile - LCFA Liga Chilena de Football Americano[4]
Uruguay - UFL Uruguay Football League
Costa Rica - FCFA Federación Costarricense de Futbol Americano
Colombia - FECOFA Federación Colombiana de Football Americano[5]
Europe - EFL European Football League
Austria - AFL Austrian Football League
Belgium - BFL Belgian Football League
Croatia - CFL Croatian Football League
Czech Republic - CLAF Česká Liga Amerického Fotbalu
Denmark - DAFF Danish American Football Federation
Finland - VL Vaahteraliiga
France - LEFA Ligue Élite de Football Américain
Germany - GFL German Football League
Hungary - MAFL Magyarországi Amerikai Futballcsapatok Ligája
Ireland - IAFL Irish American Football League
Italy - IFL Italian Football League
Moldova - AFAM Associatia de Fotbal American
Netherlands - AFBN American Football Bond Nederland
Norway - NAFF Norway American Football Federation
Norway - Southside Football League
Poland - PLFA Polish American Football League
Portugal - LPFA Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano (Portuguese American Football League)
Romania - Romanian Championship of American Football
Russia - UAFR Union of American Football of Russia
Slovakia - SLAF Slovenská Liga Amerického Futbalu
Slovenia - SNFL Slovenian National Football League
Serbia - NLS Nacionalna Liga Srbije
Spain - LNFA Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano
Sweden - Superserien
Switzerland - NLA Nationalliga A - NSFL Non Professional Swiss Romand Americain Football League
Turkey - TAFL Turkish American Football League
Ukraine - FAFU Federation American Football of Ukraine
United Kingdom - BAFACL BAFA Community Leagues, 2010-
United Kingdom - BUAFL British Universities American Football League, 2007-
/
/
/
/
/
Central Europe/South-Eastern Europe - CEFL Central European Football League
Asia:
Israel - Israeli Football League
India - EFLI Elite Football League of India
Japan - X-League, 1996-
Japan - Tokyo Football League, 1977?-1991 (Became the UFL in 1991)
Japan - Urban Football League, 1991-
Japan - Japan Private Football Federation, 1978-
South Korea - Korea American Football Association
South Korea - SAFA Seoul American Football Association
Philippines - ABP Arena Ball Philippines
Thailand - FAFA Flag and American Football Association
China - BFFL Beijing Flag Football League
Hong Kong - HKFFA Hong Kong Flag Football Association
Taiwan - TAFFA Taiwan American Flag Football Association
Indonesia - IFFA Indonesian Flag Football Association
Malaysia - MAFFA Malaysia Flag Football Association
Australia - Gridiron Australia
Australia - ACT Gridiron
Australia - NSW Gridiron Football League
Australia - Gridiron Queensland
Australia - South Australian Gridiron Association
Australia - Gridiron Victoria
Australia - Gridiron West
New Zealand - New Zealand American Football Association
New Zealand - Gridiron New Zealand
New Zealand - American Football Wellington
Defunct American football minor leagues around the world
/
/
/
NFL Europa 1995-2007
/
/
/
/
World League of American Football, 1991–1992
/
/
/
/
/
Football League of Europe, 1994-1995
Icelandic Society for American Football, 1988–1991
- BAFL British American Football League, 1987-2010
- BCAFL British Collegiate American Football League, 1985–2007
/
/
/
/
/
International League of American Football - Intended to begin play in 1990, folded before first game[6]
/
/
/
/
Intercontinental Football League - Intended to begin play in 1975, folded before first game[7]
/
/
- Continental Football League, 1965-1969
See also
- International Federation of American Football (IFAF), international governing body for American football
- European Federation of American Football (EFAF)
- British American Football Association (BAFA)
- Association of Professional Football Leagues - compact of NFL and three minor leagues, 1946–1948
- List of professional sports leagues#Football: American and Canadian
- American-style football quarterback leader board
References
- ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121180/index.htm
- ^ Torneio Touchdown official website
- ^ FEDFACH (Chile) official site
- ^ LCFA (Chile) official site
- ^ Pagina Oficial FECOFA
- ^ International League Delays Debut; Football: ILAF cancels season that was to open next month in Europe, blaming lack of preparation time., The Los Angeles Times, March 1, 1990.
- ^ [1], Origins of the WLAF.