The National Women's Football Association (NWFA) was a full-contact

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 with ...

league for women headquartered in Nashville,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. The league was founded by Catherine Masters in 2000, as the two benchmark teams, the

Alabama Renegades The Huntsville Tigers is a women's American football team located in Huntsville, Alabama. The Tigers played their first season of full-contact football in the spring of 2012. This was the Tigers' first season as a new team. The team consists of fo ...

and the

Nashville Dream The Nashville Dream was a women's professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They were one of the founding teams of the National Women's Football Association. The team was active from 2000 to 2007 and last played at the Gle ...

played each other six times in exhibition games. The opening season was in 2001 featuring ten teams. The NWFA did not officially field any teams for the 2009 season. The NWFA was originally called the National Women's Football League, but changed its name after the 2002 season. The name change came after pressure from the

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 ...

. The NFL also required the league to change the logos of some teams whose logos resembled those of NFL teams. League founder Catherine Masters was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

League rules

NWFA teams played according to standard

rules with the following notable exceptions: * TDY-sized football * only one foot in-bounds is required for a reception * no blocking below the waist downfield

List of teams

* IWFL =

Independent Women's Football League The Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) was the first Women's American football league established by women players for women players. The league was founded in 2000, began play in 2001, and played its last season in 2018. Members of th ...

* WFA =

Women's Football Alliance The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is a professional full-contact Women's American football tackle minor league that began play in 2009. It is the largest 11-on-11 football league for women in the world, and the longest running active women's ...

* WSFL =

Women's Spring Football League The United States Women's Football League (USWFL) is a full-contact women's American football minor league that opened with exhibition play in 2010 and subsequently played its first regular season in 2011.https://www.uswfl.net/copy-of-schedule- ...

Championship games

* 2001

Philadelphia Liberty Belles The Philadelphia Liberty Belles are a team of the Women's Football Alliance which began play for its inaugural 2009 season. Home games are played on the campus of Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania. The Liberty Belles are named in ...

40, Pensacola Power 7 * 2002

Detroit Danger The Detroit Demolition was a women's American football team based in the Detroit, Michigan area. During their most recent season, home games were played at Franklin High School in Livonia. They joined the National Women's Football Associatio ...

48, Massachusetts Mutiny 30 * 2003

Detroit Demolition The Detroit Demolition was a women's American football team based in the Detroit, Michigan area. During their most recent season, home games were played at Franklin High School in Livonia. They joined the National Women's Football Associatio ...

28, Pensacola Power 21 * 2004

52,

Oklahoma City Lightning The Oklahoma City Lightning is a full-contact women's American football team in the Women's Spring Football League based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Home games are played at Taft Stadium. Formerly a member of the Independent Women's Football Leag ...

0 * 2005

74, Pensacola Power 0 * 2006 D.C. Divas 28,

7 * 2007

Pittsburgh Passion The Pittsburgh Passion is a women's American football team based in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The franchise was formed in March 2002 and is currently owned by Teresa Conn, Anthony Misitano, and the estate of Franco Harris. The team is a ...

32,

Columbus Comets The Columbus Comets are a women's professional American football team based in Columbus, Ohio. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Comets played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2003 until 2008 ( ...

0 * 2008 H-Town Texas Cyclones 39,

West Michigan Mayhem The West Michigan Mayhem is a women's professional American football team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Mayhem played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2002 until ...

References

External links

American Football Association
{{Women's gridiron football leagues Women's American football leagues 2000 establishments in the United States 2008 disestablishments in the United States Sports leagues established in 2000 Sports leagues disestablished in 2008

League rules

List of teams

Championship games

See also

References

External links