This is a list of current and defunct leagues of
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
and
Canadian football
Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...
.
Leagues in North America
Current professional leagues in North America
Professional outdoor leagues
''Major''
*
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL), 1920–
::Originally American Professional Football Conference, American Professional Football Association (1920–1921)
::
Merged
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
with the
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
(1960–69)
*
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...
(CFL), 1958– (Grey Cup Canadian Football Championships since 1909)
::Formed from
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (1909) and
Western Interprovincial Football Union (1936).
''Other''
*
XFL, 2020; 2023–
*
Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), 2016–
*
United States Football League
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
, 2022–
Professional arena/indoor leagues
*
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams am ...
, (14 teams) 2009–
::Formed from
United Indoor Football and
Intense Football League
*
Champions Indoor Football, (7 teams) 2015–
::Formed from
Champions Professional Indoor Football League and
Lone Star Football League
*
National Arena League, (8 teams) 2017–
*
American West Football Conference, (4 teams) 2019–
*
Fan Controlled Football
Fan Controlled Football (FCF) is a professional 7-on-7 Indoor football league created in 2017 as the first sports league controlled by fans. All games are played at the Pullman Yards in Atlanta, Georgia and broadcast on Twitch, NBCLX, DAZN, Fu ...
, (8 teams) 2021–
*
American Indoor Football Alliance, (4 teams) 2022–
*
Arena Football Association, (4 teams) 2022–
Current Developmental leagues
*
Gridiron Developmental Football League,
2010–
*
Rivals Professional Football League,
2015–
Current semi-professional leagues
*
Chicagoland Football League, 1917–1934, 2005–
*
Northern Football Conference, 1954–
*
Eastern Football League, 1961–
*
Empire Football League
The Empire Football League (EFL) is a semi-professional American football league with franchises based primarily in New York State. The league was established in 1969. Many franchises have come and gone including in locations such as Pennsylvania ...
, 1969–
*
Mason-Dixon Football League, 1978–
*
Alberta Football League
The Alberta Football League (AFL) is an amateur Canadian football league. The league's schedule runs from the start of June through to the end of September.
The Alberta Football League was established in 1984 so that men over the age of 21 coul ...
, 1984–
*
The Minor Football League, 1993–
*
New England Football League
The New England Football League (NEFL) is a semi-professional american football league based in Salisbury, Massachusetts and owned by Thomas Torrisi. It is the largest semi-professional league in New England. The NEFL was founded in 1994 and was ...
, 1994–
*
National Public Safety Football League, 1997–
*
Rocky Mountain Football League
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky franchise, ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weather ...
, 1997–
*
MidStates Football League, 1999–
*
Maritime Football League
The Maritime Football League (MFL) is a men's Canadian football minor league in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The season runs from April until the end of June. The league consists of former Canadian Football League, CFL, U Sports, and high scho ...
, 2001–
*
The Pacific Coast Football League, 2006–
*
Florida Football Alliance, 2007–
*
Northern Elite Football League, 2008–
*
Atlantic Coast Football Alliance, 2009–
*
Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League,
2012–
*
American 7s Football League, 2014–
*
Puerto Rico American Football League
The Puerto Rico American Football League (PRAFL) is a semi-pro American football league in Puerto Rico. The PRAFL is the highest level of competition in Puerto Rican American football league pyramid, a form of gridiron football closely related ...
, 2014–
*
North Louisiana Football Alliance
The North Louisiana Football Alliance (NLFA) is an nine-man football american football developmental league based in Bossier City, Louisiana. The league established itself as a single entity, owning all eight of its teams, and playing during s ...
, 2019–
Current Flag football leagues
*
National Gay Flag Football League, 2002-
*
DC Gay Flag Football League, 2009-
*
American Flag Football League
The American Flag Football League is a semi-professional flag football league started in 2017. The league was founded by Jeff Lewis in May 2017. Lewis spent nine months building the league, getting investors, setting the rules, and finding players ...
, 2018-
Current Collegiate and amateur leagues
*
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
, 1906–
*
National Federation of State High School Associations, 1920–
*
California Community College Athletic Association
The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) is a sports association of community colleges in the U.S. state of California. It oversees 108 athletic programs throughout the state. The organization was formed in 1929 as the Calif ...
, 1929–
*
Collegiate Sprint Football League, 1934–
*
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...
, 1938–
*
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
, 1940–
*
U Sports
U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is the ...
, 1961–
*
Quebec Junior Football League The Quebec Junior Football League (QJFL) is a junior Canadian football competition held in Quebec, Canada since 1970, as a successor to the Quebec Juvenile Football League. It began competition as a conference of the Canadian Junior Football Leagu ...
, 1970–
*
Canadian Junior Football League
The Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) is a national Major Junior Canadian football league consisting of 19 teams playing in five provinces across Canada. The teams compete annually for the Canadian Bowl. Many CJFL players move on to profe ...
, 1974–
*
Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano, 1978–
*
Atlantic Football League
The Atlantic Football League (AFL) is an amateur club-level Canadian football league that features four teams based in Atlantic Canada. The league is for players aged 18–24 that either attend universities without U Sports football programs or f ...
, 2009–
*
Intercollegiate Club Football Federation, 2010–
*
National Club Football Association
The National Club Football Association (NCFA) is an association of collegiate American football teams. It is a member of CollClubSports and manages the NCFA National Championship.
NCFA teams are typically operated by student sports clubs rather ...
, 2010–
*
Hohokam Junior College Athletic Conference, 2019–
Current women's leagues
Outdoor leagues
*
Women's Football Alliance, 2009–
*
United States Women's Football League, 2010–
*
Western Women's Canadian Football League
The Western Women's Canadian Football League (WWCFL) is a full-contact women's Canadian football league which began play in the spring of 2011. The league plays an annual season in the spring or summer, and with eight teams it is the largest wome ...
, 2011–
*
Utah Girls Tackle Football League
The Utah Girls Tackle Football League (GFL) is the first all-girls youth American football league in the world, founded as a nonprofit in March 2015. The league is currently in its season. The GFL consists of three age divisions: elementary (gra ...
, 2015–
*
Women's National Football Conference
The Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) is an amateur full-contact Women's American football league in the United States. With teams across the United States, the WNFC had its first game in 2019 with fourteen regular teams and one exhib ...
, 2019–
*
Central Canadian Women's Football League
The Central Canadian Women's Football League (CCWFL) is a full-contact Canadian football league supported by Football Quebec and Football Ontario.
Originally founded in 2014, the league played its first season in 2022. It thus became the third cr ...
, 2022–
Women's Indoor/Arena leagues
*
Legends Football League
The Extreme Football League (X League) is an American women's semi-professional tackle football league.
The league was originally founded in 2009 as the Lingerie Football League (LFL), and later rebranded as the Legends Football League in 2013.
...
, 2009–
::Operated as the Lingerie Football League from 2009 to 2012.
*
Women's Arena Football League
The Women's Arena Football League (WAFL) was an 8-on-8 full contact professional American football Sports league, league based out of Houston, Texas. Founded in 2011, games were played in the spring and summer months in arenas around the United ...
, 2012–
Planned leagues in North America
*
Women's Football League Association
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as " women's rights" to denote female humans regar ...
, 2021–
*
Major League Football
Major League Football (MLFB) is a proposed professional American football minor league consisting of teams that are all league-owned and Major League Football, Inc., is a publicly traded company.
MLFB will operate on a strict budget, well und ...
(MLF), propose to begin in 2023
*
Major League Football
Major League Football (MLFB) is a proposed professional American football minor league consisting of teams that are all league-owned and Major League Football, Inc., is a publicly traded company.
MLFB will operate on a strict budget, well und ...
(MLFB), propose to begin in 2023 (cancelled seasons in
2016 and
2022)
*
American Spring Football League (ASFL), propose to begin in 2023.
*
National Gridiron League (UFL), TBA (proposed to begin in 2023)
*
American Patriot League (APL), TBA (proposed to begin in 2023)
Historical leagues in North America
Major outdoor leagues
*
Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit, 1892–1905
6
*
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
, 1902
* Ohio Independent Championship (
Ohio League), 1903–1919
6
*
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, 1907–1959
7
*
New York Pro Football League, c. 1913–1920
6
* American Football League,
1926,
1936–1937, and
1940–1941 (all unrelated, three separate leagues)
*
California Winter League
California Winter League is a former baseball winter league. It was the first integrated league in the 20th century as players from Major League Baseball and Negro league baseball played each other in training games. The league was in existence f ...
, 1927–1928
*
Western Interprovincial Football Union, 1936–1960
7
*
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the ...
, 1946–1949
1
*
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
, 1960–1969
2
*
World Football League, 1974–1975
*
United States Football League
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
, 1983–1985
Minor outdoor leagues
*
Wilmington Football League
The Wilmington Football League, also known as the Wilmington Football Association (1930–1935, 1940–1941), was a semi-professional American football league that existed from 1929 to 1956. It was based in Wilmington, Delaware. From 1932 to 1935, ...
(1922–1925, 1929–1935, 1940–1941, 1946–1955)
*
Anthracite League
The Anthracite League, also referred to as the Anthracite Association, was a short-lived American football minor league comprising teams based in coal-mining towns in eastern Pennsylvania (hence the league name's reference to anthracite coal). Th ...
(1924)
*
Ohio Valley League
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1902 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship (OIC). As the name implied, its teams were mostly based in Ohio. It is the direct pr ...
, 1925–1929
*
Eastern League of Professional Football (1926)
*
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Ba ...
, 1926
*
Eastern League of Professional Football, 1926–1927
*
Anthracite League
The Anthracite League, also referred to as the Anthracite Association, was a short-lived American football minor league comprising teams based in coal-mining towns in eastern Pennsylvania (hence the league name's reference to anthracite coal). Th ...
, 1928–1929
*
Eastern Football League, 1932–1933
:::Became Interstate Football League in 1933
*
Greater New York League, 1934–1935
:::Originally the New Jersey Football Circuit (1934)
*
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
, 1934
*
American Legion League
The Pacific Coast Professional Football League (PCPFL), also known as the Pacific Coast Football League (PCFL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL) was a professional American football minor league based in California. It operated from 1940 through 19 ...
, 1934–1935
*
Northwest Football League, 1935–1938
*
Midwest Football League, 1935–1937, became
American Professional Football Association
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
in 1938, American Football League in 1939
*
Dixie League, 1936–1947 – originally South Atlantic Football Association
*
American Association American Association may refer to:
Baseball
* American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891
* American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997
* American Association of Profe ...
1936–1941/
American Football League 1946–1950
3
*
New England Football League
The New England Football League (NEFL) is a semi-professional american football league based in Salisbury, Massachusetts and owned by Thomas Torrisi. It is the largest semi-professional league in New England. The NEFL was founded in 1994 and was ...
, 1936
*
Virginia-Carolina Football League
The Virginia-Carolina Football League was a short lived professional American football minor league formed in 1937 by clubs from Virginia and one team from North Carolina. The VCFL was a regional minor league, that was formed behind the backbone o ...
, 1937
*
California Football League, 1938
*
Eastern Pennsylvania Football League, 1938
*
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
, 1938–1939
4
*
Pacific Coast Professional Football League, 1940–1948
*
Northeast Football League, 1940–1942
*
Northwest War Industries Football League, 1942
*
Eastern Football League, 1944
*
American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
, 1944
5
*
Virginia Negro League, 1946
*
Central States Football League
The Central States Football League (CSFL) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions were located in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Arizona and competed only in football. The conference was established i ...
, 1948–1953
*
Pacific Football Conference, 1957–1958
*
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
, 1959–1961
:Low-level fall league that was fully organized in September 1959 with five independent teams who played the other teams sporadically. The original teams were Duquesne Ironmen (Pennsylvania), Melvindale Redskins (Michigan),
Toledo Tornadoes, Dayton Triangles (Ohio) and Newark Rams (New Jersey). Players were from both pro and college teams. Teams also end up play in Sarnia, Zaneville (Ohio Colts), Port Huron and Detroit, while Toledo Tornadoes leave for the larger
United Football League (1961–1964).
*
United Football League, 1961–1964
*
Central States Football League
The Central States Football League (CSFL) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions were located in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Arizona and competed only in football. The conference was established i ...
, 1962–1975
*
Atlantic Coast Football League, 1962–1971, 1973
*
Midwest Football League, 1962–1978
*
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English ...
, 1963–1965
*
North Pacific Football League
The North Pacific Football League is the collaboration name for two separate but related minor American football leagues - the Pacific Football League and Northern California League - that operated in the Pacific Northwest region, between 1963 to ...
, 1963–1966
*
New England Football League
The New England Football League (NEFL) is a semi-professional american football league based in Salisbury, Massachusetts and owned by Thomas Torrisi. It is the largest semi-professional league in New England. The NEFL was founded in 1994 and was ...
, 1964–1967
:::Renamed North Atlantic Football League in 1967
*
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to becom ...
, 1965–1969
*
North American Football League
The North American Football League (NAFL) was a proposed american spring football minor league. In 2014, the league announced it was to begin play for the 2016 season; however, there have been no further announcements that the league has met an ...
, 1965–1966
*
Professional Football League of America, 1965–1967
*
Texas Football League 1966–1968
*
United American Football League
The United American Football League (UAFL) (also referred as ''United American Professional Football League (UAPFL)'') was a professional American football minor league that played in 1967. The league was an attempt by Hal Shapiro to revive profe ...
, 1967
*
South Carolina Football League
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
, 1967
*
Trans-American Football League, 1970–1971
*
Midwest Professional Football League
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
, 1970–1972
*
Seaboard Football League, 1971–1974
*
Southwestern Football League, 1972–1973
*
California Football League (1974–1982)California Football League, 1974–1982
*
American Football Association, 1978–1983
*
International Football League, 1984 (never played)
*
World League of American Football 1991–1992/
NFL Europe 1995–2007
*
Professional Spring Football League
The Professional Spring Football League (PSFL) was an outdoor american football minor league slated to begin in 1992. The league had a preview show on SportsChannel America in late 1991/early 1992, laying out the ten teams that would play. The l ...
, 1992
*
Fan Ownership League, 1996 (never played)
*
Regional Football League, 1999
*
International Football Federation, 2000 (never played)
*
Spring Football League, 2000
*
XFL, 2001
*
World Football League, 2008–2010
*
United Football League, 2009–2012
*
Hawaii Professional Football League, 2011 (never played)
*
Stars Football League, 2011–2013
*
North American Football League
The North American Football League (NAFL) was a proposed american spring football minor league. In 2014, the league announced it was to begin play for the 2016 season; however, there have been no further announcements that the league has met an ...
, 2014 (never played)
*
Fall Experimental Football League, 2014–2015
*
The Spring League
The Spring League was an American football developmental league and scouting event (pro showcase) that played from 2017 to 2021 and was founded by Brian Woods. Aimed at professional athletes but not paying a salary or expenses, the league's go ...
, 2017–2021
*
Trinity Professional Spring Football League, 2018 (never played)
*
Your Call Football, 2018–2019
*
Alliance of American Football
The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was a professional American football minor league. The AAF consisted of eight centrally owned and operated teams in the southern and western United States, seven of which were located in metropolitan area ...
, 2019
*
Fútbol Americano de México (FAM), 2019–2022
*
1: Three teams merged into the 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
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
; 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 association of teams
*
7: Merged to form the CFL in 1958
Indoor leagues
*
World Series of Football, 1902–03
*
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
, 1987–2008, 2010–2019
*
Professional Indoor Football League, 1998–2000 (Bought out by Af2 in 2001)
*
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams am ...
, 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
*
Arenafootball2 (af2), 2000–2009 (assets acquired in the same transaction as that noted above for Arena Football League)
*
National Indoor Football League, 2001–2007
*
American Professional Football League
The American Professional Football League (APFL) was an indoor football league that was founded in 2003. After the 2012 season, most of the teams left to start the Champions Professional Indoor Football League. The league consisted of profes ...
, 2003–2013
*
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)
*
American Indoor Football, 2005–2010, 2012–2016
*
Continental Indoor Football League, 2006–2014
*
World Indoor Football League, 2007
*
Southern Indoor Football League, 2008–2011 (teams divided into either the
Lone Star Football League, the
Professional Indoor Football League, or
American Indoor Football)
*
Ultimate Indoor Football League
The Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) was a regional professional indoor football league that began its inaugural season on February 18, 2011 as the Ultimate Indoor Football League before playing as the United Indoor Football League in 2012 ...
, 2011–2014
*
Lone Star Football League, 2012–2014
*
Professional Indoor Football League, 2012–2015
*
Champions Professional Indoor Football League, 2013–2014
*
X-League Indoor Football
X-League Indoor Football (X-League) was a professional indoor football minor league that began play in 2014. The league was co-chaired by Michael Mink and Kacee Smith. On September 19, 2015, the league announced a merger with the future "North ...
, 2014–2015
Collegiate and amateur leagues
*
Quebec Rugby Football Union, 1883–1944
*
Ontario Rugby Football Union, 1883–1960
*
American Football Union, 1886–1895
*
Texas Sixman Football League, 1999–2012
Women's leagues
*
Women's Professional Football League
The Women's Professional American Football League (WPFL) was a women's professional American football league in the United States. With teams across the United States, the WPFL had its first game in 1999 with just two original teams: the Lake M ...
, 1965–1973
*
National Women's Football League, 1967–1982
*
Women's Professional Football League
The Women's Professional American Football League (WPFL) was a women's professional American football league in the United States. With teams across the United States, the WPFL had its first game in 1999 with just two original teams: the Lake M ...
, 1999–2007
*
National Women's Football Association, 2000–2008
*
Women's American Football League
The Women's American Football League (WAFL) was a women's American football league that was formed in 2001. After disbanding, the teams merged with the Women's Affiliated Football Conference (WAFC), the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL), W ...
, formed 2001, became the AFWL in 2002
*
American Football Women's League (AFWL), 2002
*
Women's Football Association, 2002–2003
*
Women's Football League, 2002–2007
Leagues outside North America
Current professional leagues outside North America
*
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
–
European League of Football (ELF), began play in June 2021
*
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
–
X-League, began play in 1971
Current minor professional, semi professional and amateur leagues outside North America
Central and South America:
* – CBFA
Brasil Futebol Americano
* – FECOFA
Federación Colombiana de Football Americano
* – LUF
Liga Uruguaya de Football Americano
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
:
* – AFL
Austrian Football League
* – BFL
Belgian Football League
* – HFL
Hrvatska Football Liga
* – CLAF
Česká Liga Amerického Fotbalu
* – NL
National Ligaen
National Ligaen is the top American football league in Denmark founded in 1988. It is organized by the Danish American Football Federation. The league finale and the winning trophy is called Mermaid Bowl.
The Copenhagen Towers won the 2022 fin ...
* – VL
Vaahteraliiga
* – LEFA
Ligue Élite de Football Américain
The Championnat Élite Division 1 () is the top-level American football league of France. The league was founded in 1982.
History
American football was introduced to France in the early 20th century, but for decades it remained an infrequent ac ...
* – GFL
German Football League
* – HFL
Hungarian Football League
* – IAFL
Irish American Football League
American Football Ireland (AFI) is the National Governing Body for American football for Ireland and Northern Ireland. Founded in 1984 the AFI is entirely volunteer run and all American football played in Ireland is played at an amateur level.
...
* – FIDAF
Prima Divisione FIDAF
* – AFBN
AFBN Division One
* – PFL
Polish Football League
The Polish Football League ( pl, Polska Futbol Liga, shortly PFL) is an American football league in Poland. Founded in 2021 after merge of the Topliga and the LFA which have been split in 2017. The league is played under the newly formed Po ...
* – LPFA
Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano
Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano (LPFA) is the name of the top American football league which operates in Portugal.
History
Teams 2017–18
Former
External links (in Portuguese)
{{European Football Leagues
American football le ...
* – CNFA
Campionatul Naţional de Fotbal American
* – UAFR
Russian American Football Championship
* – SLAF
Slovenská futbalová liga
* – SNFL
Slovenian Football League
* – NLS
Nacionalna Liga Srbije
* – LNFA
Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano
* –
Superserien
Superserien is the highest level of American football in Sweden, founded 1985 and became official in 1991. The number of teams in the top league has varied through the years, ranging from 4 to 10.
Superserien teams (2022)
Superserien seasons ...
* – NLA
Nationalliga A
* – NSFL Non Professional Swiss Romande American Football League
* – TKFL
Türkiye Korumalı Futbol Ligi
* – ULAF Super League
* – BAFANL
BAFA National Leagues
The BAFANL (BAFA National Leagues) are the primary American football domestic League competition in Great Britain. The League is run by the British American Football Association to coordinate contact football within England, Scotland and Wales. ...
*///////// – CEFL
Central European Football League
The Central European Football League (CEFL) is a European organization of American football which hosts two international competitions, CEFL Championship and CEFL Cup. The final game of the CEFL Championship playoffs is dubbed CEFL Bowl.
Until t ...
*/// – EEAFC Eastern European American Football Cup
*/ – EESL
Eastern European Super League
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
:
* – IFL
Israel Football League
* –
Korea American Football Association
* – ATFFP
Philippine–American Football League
The Philippine–American Football League (PAFL) is an American Football league in the Philippines. Organized in 2016, it succeeded the now-defunct Philippine Tackle Football League.
First season
The inaugural season saw the participation of fiv ...
* – CNFL
Chinese National Football League
* – EFLI
Elite Football League of India
The Elite Football League of India (EFLI) is a professional American football league based in India. It was founded with eight franchises in 2011, and now has 23 franchises throughout South Asia, among whom 20 located in India, two in Sri Lanka ...
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
:
* –
Gridiron Australia
Gridiron Australia is the governing body of American football in Australia. It is an approved sporting association under federal government regulations and is a member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). The organisatio ...
* –
Australian Gridiron League
* –
Ladies Gridiron League
* –
New Zealand American Football Association
Defunct minor leagues around the world
* –
Australian American Football League 1984–1998
* –
Torneio Touchdown
Touchdown Tournament was an American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with ...
2009–2015
*// –
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to becom ...
, 1965–1969
*////
Intercontinental Football League
The Intercontinental Football League (IFL) was a proposed semi-professional American football league in Europe in the early 1970s. The league was spearheaded by Bob Kap, Tex Schramm, and Al Davis, but failed to materialize. The proposed league is ...
– Intended to begin play in 1975, folded before first game
* – BCAFL
British Collegiate American Football League, 1985–2007
* – BAFL
British American Football League, 1987–2010
* – ISAF
Icelandic Society for American Football, 1988–1991
*/////
International League of American Football – Intended to begin play in 1990, folded before first game
*/////
World League of American Football/NFL Europe/NFL Europa, 1991–1992, 1995–2007
*/////
Football League of Europe
The Football League of Europe (FLE) was a Europe American football league. It was founded in 1994, renamed 1995 in American Football League of Europe (AFLE) and dissolved after the 1995 season because of the ongoing financial problems. The trophy ...
, 1994–1995
* –
National Gridiron League of Australia 1991–1995
* – BIG6
BIG6 European Football League
The BIG6 European Football League (BIG6) was a European Cup style tournament for European American football teams. Originally organized by the EFAF (European Federation of American Football), the tournament had been run by the German Football ...
* – CL
IFAF Europe Champions League
The IFAF Europe Champions League was a UEFA Champions League, European Cup-inspired tournament for European Gridiron football, Gridiron teams affiliated to IFAF Europe. It has been held annually between 2014 and 2016.
History
In 2014, the IFAF ...
* –
Philippine Tackle Football League
The Philippine Tackle Football League (PTFL), formerly known as ArenaBall Philippines (ABP), was an American football league in the Philippines. The last champions were the Wolves which won their second title and the Bandits held the most titles, ...
Collegiate and amateur leagues
* –
List of Japanese collegiate American football programs
* –
British Universities American Football League
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
The Association of Professional Football Leagues was a compact formed in 1946 among the National Football League and three minor leagues of professional American football: the American Association (which subsequently changed its name to the Amer ...
– compact of NFL and three minor leagues, 1946–1948
*
List of professional sports leagues#Football: American and Canadian
*
American-style football quarterback leaderboard
Notes
References
External links
*, Developmental Football USA news site
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Leagues Of American And Canadian Football
American football leagues
American footbal