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List of American and Canadian football leagues

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This is a list of current and defunct leagues of American football and Canadian football.

Leagues in North America[]

Current professional leagues in North America[]

Professional outdoor leagues:

Originally American Professional Football Conference, American Professional Football Association (1920–1921)
Merged with the American Football League (1960–69)
Formed from Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (1909) and Western Interprovincial Football Union (1936).

Professional arena/indoor leagues:

Formed from United Indoor Football and Intense Football League
Formed from Champions Professional Indoor Football League and Lone Star Football League
Formed from Arena Pro Football and Can-Am Indoor Football League

Current semi-professional leagues[]

Developmental leagues[]

Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League[]

Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League is a amateur developmental American football league primarily in the Southeast based in Dothan, Alabama of 35 teams. Players are not paid to allow them to keep their college eligibility.[3] The league is a nonprofit corporation. There season starts in March.[4]

Bernard Hunt and his wife has purchased a franchise in another developmental league, but were disillusioned with the lack of carry through by the league. So in 2012, Hunt founded the Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League.[3]

In 2018, the P-Town Wreckaz Semi-Pro Football Team moved to the league from the X-Treme South Football League. Also, two other teams were added to the league.[4]

Gridiron Developmental Football League[]

Gridiron Developmental Football League is a developmental American football league using the franchise model. The league has almost 32 teams.[3]

The Gridiron Developmental Football League was developed while the founder, Charles Thompson, was recovering from a traumatic work injury. In 2010, he thus founded the league in Memphis, Tennessee. [3] After playing 2017, its first season, in the Middle Tennessee Football League and the Mid-South Football Alliance, the Middle Tennessee Bulldawgs moved to the Gridiron Developmental Football League for the 2018 season.[5]

Rivals Professional Football League[]

The Rivals Professional Football League' is a developmental semi-pro American football league owned by Quentin Hines and consisting of eight teams. Quentin Hines is the grandson of Willie Horton and played briefly football on the New England Patriots team.[6]

The Rivals Professional Football League' was founded by Quentin Hines in 2012.[3] A Toledo team was considered for the initial set of teams, but could not come to term to lease the Glass Bowl with University of Toledo. The league expect attempt to get a team there for season two in 2015.[7] As of February 2014, Hines had announced his league with five teams, Akron Blaze, Chicago Kings, Detroit Cougars, Indianapolis Racers and Southern Michigan Mustangs. At the time, Hines indicated that he was sole owner and would continue as such first the league's first stage before selling franchises.[8]

The league planned to be operating in April 2014 with four teams, two in Detroit and one each in Ohio and Illinois.[6] The league held tryouts in April 2014, held a draft of those that made the cut on April 26 at Mount Clemens High and begun play in May.[9] The Akron Blaze selected Marquelo Suel, a 24-year-old Akron University receiver, as the first pick of the draft.[10] Only two teams played in the first season, Macomb County Bearcats and Detroit Cougars. The Cougars had Anthony Baskins straight from the Indianapolis Colts and Daunte Akra, a 2011 Detroit Lions player, also played for the league in the first season.[11] The first year championship game was broadcast on WADL-TV 38 with ESPN Radio (105.1 FM) broadcasting other games.[12] The Detroit Cougars were first season champions under Coach Wendell Jefferson.[13] 14 league players end up getting the attention of the NFL or CFL with three trying out with a NFL team, one signed with a NFL team and 10 getting CFL workouts.[14]

In April 2015, the league indicated more Michigan teams, Pontiac Generals and Oakland County Racers, with two stadium as game sites, Mt. Clemens High School and Wisner Memorial Stadium in Pontiac.[11] The Generals and Racers would share Wisner as their home field for at least the 2015 season with the Racer looking for another location.[15] Jefferson was named the General's head coach.[14]

Later the league added four teams in Miami. Pontiac Generals player Keith Franklin was signed to the CFL Saskatchewan Rough Riders.[3]

Players are paid based on performance with base salaries of $500 to $1,500 for veterans. The league is targeted for those that have exceed their college eligibility or had no opportunity to play at the college level.[3]

The league owns all teams[6] with a 50 slot roster plus practice squad.[12] The league has four teams in Detroit who play a fall season and four teams in Miami who play a spring season.[3]

Collegiate and amateur leagues[]

Women's leagues:

See also: Women's American football#Leagues
Originally known as the Lingerie Football League from 2009 to 2013.

Planned leagues in North America[]

  • United States National Gridiron League (United States), proposed to begin in 2020 (Indoor)
  • United States XFL, proposed to begin in 2020
  • United States Freedom Football League, proposed to begin in 2020
  • United States Pacific Pro Football, proposed to begin in 2020
  • United States America South Football Alliance, proposed to begin in 2020 (Semi-Pro)

Spring League of American Football[]

Spring League of American Football is a proposed spring league of American football expected to consist of eight teams to start play by 2019 or 2020. Executives involved in forming the league included former Madison Square Garden media executive Rex Lardner[17] and Chief Financial Officer Robert Pollichino.[18]

Spring League of American Football (SLAF) was announced by September 2016 with an expected 10 teams.[18] By January 2018, the league was looking for an investment of $100 million thus pushing its first season with eight teams back to 2019 or 2020.[17]

The league had originally split the country into 10 zones for the franchise based in the zone which would draw player from the colleges and high schools in the zone to have ready rivalries. Players must have their college eligibility expired to try out. Team owners would be able to place their team any where in the zone. The season would run from April to July for 10 games plus playoffs. Rules would mirror the NFL's except for overtime rule for which they will use college's.[18]

Historical leagues in North America[]

Major outdoor leagues:

Known as the Western Pennsylvania Senior Independent Football Conference from 1920s onward.

Minor outdoor leagues

Indoor leagues

Collegiate and amateur leagues

Women's leagues

Leagues outside North America[]

Current American football minor and semi professional leagues outside North America[]

Central and South America:

  1. REDIRECT Template:URY - LUFA Liga Uruguaya de Football Americano
  • Template:CRC - FCFA Federación Costarricense de Futbol Americano
  • Template:CRC - FEFACR Federacion de Futbol Americano de Costa Rica
  • Template:COL - FECOFA Federación Colombiana de Football Americano[27]
  • File:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador - FFAE Federación de Football Americano - Ecuador
  • Template:ESA - SAAIF Salvadorian Association of American Intramural Football
  • Template:GUA - AGFA Asociación Guatemalteca de Football Americano
  • Template:HAI - HAFF Haitian American Football Federation
  • Template:HON - FENAFAH Federación Nacional de Football Americano y Flag Football Honduras
  • File:Flag of Peru.svg Peru - LIFA Liga Inka de Fútbol Americano

Europe:

  1. REDIRECT Template:SVN - SNFL Slovenian Football League

Asia:

  • File:Flag of Israel.svg Israel - IFL Israel Football League
  • Indianapolis Colts - EFLI Elite Football League of India
  • Flag of Japan.svg Japan - X-League, 1996-
  • Flag of Japan.svg Japan - Tokyo Football League, 1977?-1991 (Became the UFL in 1991)
  • Flag of Japan.svg Japan - Urban Football League, 1991-
  • Flag of Japan.svg Japan - Japan Private Football Federation, 1978-
  • Template:KAZ - Central Asian American Football League
  • File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea - Korea American Football Association
  • File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea - SAFA Seoul American Football Association
  • Template:PHL - PTFL Philippine Tackle Football League
  • Template:PHL - AFDL American Football Developmental League
  • File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand - FAFA Flag and American Football Association
  • Template:CHN - BFFL Beijing Flag Football League
  • Template:CHN - AFLC American Football League of China
  • Template:CHN - CityBowl Alliance
  • Template:CHN - CAFL China Arena Football League 2016-
  • Template:HKG - HKFFA Hong Kong Flag Football Association
  • File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan - TAFFA Taiwan American Flag Football Association
  • Template:IDN - IFFA Indonesian Flag Football Association
  • Template:MYS - MAFFA Malaysia Flag Football Association

Oceania:

Defunct American football minor leagues around the world[]

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 leaderboard

References[]

  1. ↑ http://www.acfafootball.net/
  2. ↑ http://www.a7fl.com/about-a7fl/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Earlywine, Aaron (February 9, 2017). "A closer look at football developmental leagues" (in en). SI.com (Time, Inc.). https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/02/09/developmental-football-leagues-pacific-pro. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jones, Elane; Eagle, Daily Mountain. "P-Town Wreckaz switch leagues, tapped to host Kick-off Classic" (in en). Daily Mountain Eagle. http://mountaineagle.com/stories/p-town-wreckaz-switch-leagues-tapped-to-host-kick-off-classic,14644. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  5. ↑ Wallace, Scott (January 23, 2018). "Bulldawgs Join Gridiron Developmental Football League". The Tennessee Tribune. http://tntribune.com/sports/metro-sports/bulldawgs-join-gridiron-developmental-football-league/. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Shea, Bill (March 23, 2014). "Spring football ... in Detroit? 2 groups think so". Crain's Detroit Business (Crain Communications, Inc.). http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140323/NEWS/303239958/spring-football-in-detroit-2-groups-think-so. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Autullo, Ryan (April 3, 2014). "New league not coming to Toledo". The Blade. http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/372539. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ George M., Thomas (February 27, 2014). "Former Zip looks to bring pro football to University of Akron". Akron Beacon Journal. http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/former-zip-looks-to-bring-pro-football-to-university-of-akron-1.469587. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ Davis, Jason Carmel (April 17, 2014). "Rivals football league provides athletes with chance to fulfill dream". Journal (C & G Publishing). http://www.candgnews.com/sports/rivals-football-league-provides-athletes-chance-fulfill-dream. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Pohly, George (April 26, 2014). "New pro football league ‘rekindles the dream' for drafted players". Macomb Daily. http://www.macombdaily.com/sports/20140426/new-pro-football-league-rekindles-the-dream-for-drafted-players. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Purcell, Jared (April 1, 2015). "Detroit area's Rivals Professional Football League expands for upcoming 2nd season". MLive Detoit (Mlive Media Group). http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2015/04/detroit_areas_rivals_professio.html. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Niziolek, Michael (April 24, 2014). "New professional football league eyes former SVSU football players Andrew Beaver and DeAngelo Parris". Bay City Times (MLive Media Group). http://www.mlive.com/cardinals/index.ssf/2014/04/new_professional_football_leag.html. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  13. ↑ Farrell, Perry A. (April 2, 2015). "Rivals League CEO excited for new season, chance at NFL". Detroit Free Press (Gannett). http://www.freep.com/story/sports/2015/04/02/rivals-professional-football-league/70816504/. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Blitchok, Dustin (April 1, 2015). "Football teams playing at Pontiac’s Wisner Memorial Stadium hold tryouts". The Oakland Press. http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20150401/football-teams-playing-at-pontiacs-wisner-memorial-stadium-hold-tryouts. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  15. ↑ Blitchok, Dustin (January 14, 2015). "Football, soccer teams return to Pontiac: ‘It's something for the city to rally behind'". Macomb Daily. The Oakland Press. http://www.macombdaily.com/general-news/20150114/football-soccer-teams-return-to-pontiac-its-something-for-the-city-to-rally-behind. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  16. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/WFLoficial/about/
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "A comeback for XFL, but can it win?" (in en). Sports Business journal (American City Business Journals, Inc.). January 29, 2018. https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2018/01/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/XFL.aspx. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Schwartz, Peter (September 26, 2016). "Schwartz: Spring League Of American Football Set To Debut In 2018" (in en). CBS New York (CBS). http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/09/26/spring-league-american-football/. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Ironmen Join Grid Conference". The Pittsburgh Press: p. 50. September 9, 1959. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5301648/duquesne_ironmen_schedulearticle/. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Sarnia Stays of Top with 8 Straight Wins" (in en). Hamilton Daily News Journal. AP (Hamilton, Ohio): p. 18. October 30, 1961. https://newspaperarchive.com/hamilton-daily-news-journal-oct-30-1961-p-18/. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  21. ↑ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121180/index.htm
  22. ↑ "So you want to start a pro football league? (side bar)" (in en). Sports Business journal (American City Business Journals, Inc). January 29, 2018. https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2018/01/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/XFL.aspx. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  23. ↑ Shea, Bill (March 23, 2014). "Passes at pro football league alternatives". Crain's Detroit Business (Crain Communications, Inc.). http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20140323/NEWS/303239958/spring-football-in-detroit-2-groups-think-so. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  24. ↑ CBFA official website Archived 2014-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ FEDFACH (Chile) official site
  26. ↑ LCFA (Chile) official site
  27. ↑ Pagina Oficial FECOFA
  28. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-12-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20101218212452/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/14-02-455.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-24., Origins of the WLAF.
  29. ↑ 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.

External links[]

v · d · eProfessional gridiron football leagues in North America
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