Arena Football

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]

National Arena League Logo

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

Indoor Football League 2000

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]

Champions Indoor Football

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

Supreme Indoor Football 2017

Texas & Prairie States

Champions Indoor Football 2015-Present

Champions Indoor Football (Seasons): 2021 2020 2019 

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 2014Copa Tijuana 2017Battle 4 San Diego 2019Eight 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)

2019

FIAF Italian Federation of American Football (Bowl Results)

Federazione Italiana American Football FIAF Winter League Snowbowl 1992-2002

2019

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]