Arena Indoor Football
About Arena Indoor Football
This version of American (or Gridiron) Football has become extremely popular in Mexico.
Indoor Football, also known as Arena Football was developed in 1986 as an 8v8 form of Indoor American Football. After an initial few seasons where the game was developed with a 4 team league, a full seasons League with eventually over a dozen teams was developed in the 1990 which was considered by the Wall Street Journal to be a fifth major.
The Arena Football League over-expanded in the 2000s with a Minor League, and its importance (and number of teams) waned since it first experienced financial diffulties in 2009, and it ceased operations after the 2019 season due to the legacy debt incurred.
There is now, however, Indoor Football Leagues all over America, all of which would now be considered Minor League or Semi-Pro (AAA, AA, or even A)
Indoor Football is played on a 50-yard field with two 8-yard endzones, and teams have 5 downs (attempts) to reach the endzone or the ball is turned over. 3 of those downs must be passing plays, making Indoor Football highly explosive and high scoring.
The main difference between Arena Football & Indoor Football is the rebound nets either side of the goalposts in Arena Football, which is the only part of the original patent given to the Arena Football League in 1989, that a subsequent ruling in 1998 ruled was copyright, the rest being Football already in other leagues.
Note: For Women’s Indoor Football Leagues, including both Serious Leagues such as the Super 8 Football League in Baja California (Mexico) and Lingerie/Legends Football Leagues (where the Women wear sexy apparel) see Women’s American Football
Note 2: The American grading system for Pro Leagues is 1. Major League, 2. AAA League, 3. AA League, 4. A League, 5. Semi-Pro State Leagues.
Equivalent to 1. Premier League / Major League Soccer, 2. EFL/USL Championship, 3. EFL/USL League 1, 4. EFL/USL League 2, and 5. National League/NPSL in the English and American Soccer System.
Note 3: League in Bold sometimes considered Major Football Leagues.
AAA Arena Football Leagues
AFL;
Arena Football League (Major National Leagues):
Arena Football League Arena Bowls 1987-2019
Arena Football League 2016-2019
Arena Football League 2010-2015
Arena Football League 2001-2008
Arena Football League 1992-2000
Arena Football League 1986-1991
Arena Football League (Seasons): 2019
Picture Credit: [3] Arena Football League (2019) Arena Football League Reveals New Logo [Internet] Available from: https://snagfilms-a.akamaihd.net/0000015a-a977-d135-adda-fb7fb65f0000/images/c3/b8/20eb27b6418aa78b71d4679d2988/1545950679236_1545950297199_viewliftarticle_16x9images_16x9Images.png [Accessed 17 September 2019]
AA Arena Indoor Football Leagues (West)
IFL; PIFL: NAL
Leagues taking in the West, and parts of the South & Midwest that are west of the Mississippi.
AA Western Indoor Football Leagues (Overviews):
Indoor Football League 2013-Present
Indoor Football League 2009-2012
Professional Indoor Football League 1998-2001
Indoor Football League (Seasons):2019 2020 2021
Picture Credit: [4] Indoor Football League (2019) image_handler [Internet] Available from: https://goifl.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=0&image_path=/images/2020/12/3/ifl_map_2022_30.png [Accessed 26 February 2021]
AA Arena Indoor Football Leagues (East)
National Arena League
AA Arena / Indoor Football Leagues (East)
Leagues taking in the Northeast and parts of the Midwest & South that are East of the Mississippi.
AA Eastern Indoor Football Leagues (Overviews):
National Arena League 2017-Present
Professional Indoor Football League 2012-2015
American Indoor Football 2012-2016
American Indoor Football Association 2007-2010
National Arena League (Seasons): 2019 2020
Picture Credit:
AA Indoor Football Leagues (Mid-West)
CIF; CIFL: UIF; IFL
Leagues primarily located in the Midwest but also taking in parts of the Atlantic, West & Texas.
American Arena League 2018-Present
Champions Professional Indoor Football League 2013-2014
Continental Indoor Football League 2007-2012
United Indoor Football 2005-2008
American Arena League (Seasons):2021
Picture Credit: [9] Champions Indoor Football (2019) logo [Internet] Available from: http://gocif.net/images/logo.png %5BAccessed 26 November 2019]
AA Indoor Football Leagues (South)
LSFL; XLIF; SIF; SIFL; IFL
Southern Indoor Football Leagues (Overviews):
Leagues primarily located in the South but also taking in parts of the Northeast & Midwest.
X-League Indoor Football 2014-2015
Lone Star Football League 2012-2014
Southern Indoor Football League 2009-2011
Intense Football League 2004-2008
Elite Indoor Football (Seasons): 2021
National Gridiron League (Seasons):2020
Picture Credit: [3] Supreme Indoor Football Twitter (2017) Profile Picture [Internet] Available from: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/632384925950341121/fcRIgzt5_400x400.png [Accessed 19 February 2020]
A Arena Indoor Football Leagues
Texas; North West; California & South West; South East
California & South West
Super 8 Football League West Coast 2016-Present (*Also see NW Mexico-Southwest USA)
Pacific North West
American West Football Conference (Seasons):2019 2020
South East
United Arena League (Seasons): 2021
Texas & Prairie States
Mexican Arena Indoor Leagues
LEXFA
Liga Extrema se Football Arena (LEXFA)
LEXFA season Standings (All Arena Divisions): 2019
LEXFA Spring / Primavera (All Arena Division Standings): 2020
Liga Extrema de Football Arena Mexico
Lega Extrema de Fútbol Arena México (LEXFA) Division I Otoño 2013-2019
Liga Extrema de Football Arena Mexico (LEXFA) Autumn Division II 2013-2016
LEXFA Zona Golfo de Mexico (Seasons): Spring 2013
LEXFA Zone Occidente (Seasons): Spring 2013
Picture Credit: [1] LEXFA Wayback Machine (2020) Lexfa-ORO-2 [Internet] Available from: https://arenafootball.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Lexfa-ORO-2.png [Accessed 8 August 2020]
Baja-California
Baja California; California; Nevada; Texas
Baja California (Arena):
Super 8 Football League Baja 2012-Present
Baja Series (Seasons): 2019
West Coast (Arena):
Super 8 Football League West Coast 2016-Present
West Coast Series (Seasons): 2020
Baja-California-Nevada Tournaments (Arena / Outdoor):
Super 8 Football League Bowls & Tournaments 2010-Present
Super 8 Football League Tournaments (Seasons):
Winter Bowl 2014 , Copa Tijuana 2017 , Battle 4 San Diego 2019 , Eight Man Outdoor 2020 , Arena League 2020
Picture Credit: [5] Super 8 Football League (2018) Super 8 Football League Logo [Internet] Available from: http://super8footballleague.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/10378207_1545248759045177_2010222216677056541_n.jpg [Accessed 20 July 2019]
World Arena Football Leagues
CAFL;
Arena and Indoor Football Leagues located outside of the USA.
World Arena Leagues (Standings and Playoffs)
China Arena Football League 2016-2019
China Arena Football League (Results)
FIAF Italian Federation of American Football (Bowl Results)
Federazione Italiana American Football FIAF Winter League Snowbowl 1992-2002
Picture Credit: [10] China Arena Football League (2019) CAFL 2019 Competition Medal [Internet] Available from: http://caflfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CAFL-2019-Competition-Medal-768×768.png [Accessed 10 December 2019]
Fan Controlled Football (7v7)
FCF
Fan Controlled Football (Seasons): 2021
Picture Credit: [1] Fan Controlled Football League Facebook (2021) Profile Picture, 19 September 2020 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/FCFL/photos/a.1232640490095873/3913614228665139/ [Accessed 28 February 2021]
American 7s
The idea for American 7s came to Ryan DePaul late in 2002. His High School Football playing career was over and there was no possibility of playing College Football. He was playing pick-up, no pads or helmet football in parks and thought it needed codifying, so in 2005 he began to develop 7v7 No Pads, No Helmet, Tackle American Football.
In 2014 he was approached by lifelong friend and entrepreneur, Sener Korkusuz about launching the League to Major League level. Soon afterwards the American 7s Football League was born, starting its first season in March 2015. [Ref: 1]
American 7s
American 7s Football League
American 7s Football League (Overview):
American 7s Football League 2015-2019
American 7s Football League (Seasons): 2021 2020
Pixture Credit: [4] A7FL Facebook (2020) Photo, August 22, 2020 [Internet] Available from: https://i0.wp.com/www.a7fl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/A7FLBackInMotionFINAL.png?resize=294%2C300&ssl=1 [Accessed 12 September 2020]
References: [1] A7FL (2020) About [Internet] Available from: https://www.a7fl.com/about-a7fl/ [Accessed 23 May 2020]