List of American and Canadian football leagues

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

Leagues in North America

Current leagues in North America

Professional outdoor leagues:

• National Football League, 1920–

Originally American Professional Football Conference, American Professional Football Association (1920–1921)

Merged with the American Football League (1960–69)

• Canadian Football League, 1958–

Formed from Interprovincial Rugby Football Union and Western Interprovincial Football Union.

• Fall Experimental Football League, 2014–

Professional arena/indoor leagues:

• Arena Football League, 1987–2008, 2010–
• American Indoor Football, 2005–2010, 2012–
• Indoor Football League, 2009–
• Champions Indoor Football, 2015–

Semi-professional leagues:

• Northern Football Conference, 1954–
• Empire Football League, 1969–
• Alberta Football League, 1984–
• Mid Continental Football League, 1992–
• New England Football League, 1994–
• Northeastern Football Alliance, 1997–
• Rocky Mountain Football League, 1997–
• Central Football League, 1999–
• Maritime Football League, 2002–
• Minor League Football Association, 2003–
• Big Northeast Football Federation 2007–
• Florida Football Alliance, 2007–
• Oklahoma Metro Football League, 2007–
• Regional American Football League 2007–
• Five Star Football League 2010–
• Gridiron Developmental Football League 2010–
• Atlantic Football Association, 2011–
• East Coast Football Alliance, 2011–

Collegiate and amateur leagues:

• Canadian Junior Football League, 1890–
• National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1906–
• Collegiate Sprint Football League, 1934–
• National Junior College Athletic Association, 1938–
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, 1940–
• National Capital Amateur Football Association, 1955–
• Canadian Interuniversity Sport, 1961–
• Quebec Junior Football League, 1970–
• Canadian Colleges Athletic Association, 1974–
• ONEFA: Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano, 1928–
• CONADEIP: Comisión Nacional Deportiva Estudiantil de Instituciones Privadas, 2010–
• Intercollegiate Club Football Federation, 2010–

Women's leagues:

See also: Women's American football § Leagues

• Independent Women's Football League, 2000–
• Maritime Women's Football League, 2004–
• Football Xtremo Femenil, 2006–
• Legends Football League, 2009–

Originally known as the Lingerie Football League from 2009 to 2013.

• Women's Football Alliance, 2009–
• Women's Spring Football League, 2010–
• Asociación de Football Femenil Equipado, 2010–
• Western Women's Canadian Football League, 2011–
• Women's Arena Football League, 2012–
• Liga Mexicana de Football Lingerie, 2012–
• Pretty Girls Football League, 2012–
• Liga Iberoamericana de Bikini Football, 2012–

Historical leagues in North America

Major outdoor leagues:

• Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit, 1892–1940⁶

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

• National Football League (1902) and the World Series of Pro Football, 1902–1903
• Ohio Independent Championship (Ohio League), 1903–1919⁶
• New York Pro Football League, c. 1913–1920⁶
• American Football League, 1926, 1936–1937, 1940–1941, and 1960–1969² (all unrelated, four separate leagues)
• All-America Football Conference, 1946–1949¹
• World Football League, 1974–1975
• United States Football League, 1983–1985
• XFL, 2001

Minor outdoor leagues

• Anthracite League (1924) / Eastern League of Professional Football (1926)
• American Football League, 1934
• Midwest Football League, 1935–1937, became American Professional Football Association in 1938, American Football League in 1939
• Dixie League, 1936–1947 – originally South Atlantic Football Association
• American Association 1936–1941/American Football League 1946–1950³
• American Football League, 1938–1939⁴
• Pacific Coast Professional Football League, 1940–1948
• American Football League, 1944⁵
• United Football League, 1961–1964
• Atlantic Coast Football League, 1962–1971, 1973
• Continental Football League, 1965–1969
• North American Football League, 1965–1966
• Seaboard Football League, 1971–1974
• American Football Association, 1978–1983
• International Football League, 1984
• Professional Spring Football League, 1992
• Regional Football League, 1999
• International Football Federation, 2000
• Spring Football League, 2000
• Southern States Football League, 2001–2009
• United Football League, 2009–2012
• Stars Football League, 2011–13

• ¹: Two teams now in 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; 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

Indoor leagues

• Champions Professional Indoor Football League, 2013–2014
• Lone Star Football League, 2012–2014
• Arenafootball2 (af2), 2000–2009 (assets acquired in the same transaction as that noted above for Arena Football League)
• American Professional Football League, 2003–2013
• Professional Indoor Football League, 2012–2015
• Professional Indoor Football League, 1998–2000 (Bought out by Af2 in 2001)
• Indoor Football League, 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
• National Indoor Football League, 2001–2007
• Intense Football League, 2004–2008 (merged into current incarnation of the Indoor Football League)
• American Indoor Football Association, 2005–2010 (partially merged into Southern Indoor Football League and now formed into the American Indoor Football 2012)
• United Indoor Football, 2005-2008 (merged into current incarnation of the Indoor Football League)
• Eastern Indoor Football League, 2007
• World Indoor Football League, 2007
• Southern Indoor Football League, 2008–2011 (teams divided into either the Lone Star Football League, the current Professional Indoor Football League, or the American Indoor Football)
• Ultimate Indoor Football League, 2011–14
• Continental Indoor Football League, 2006–14
• X-League Indoor Football, 2014–15

Collegiate and amateur leagues

• Texas Sixman Football League, 1999–2012

Women's leagues

• Women's Professional Football League, 1999–2007
• National Women's Football Association, 2000–2008
• Women's American Football League, 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 American Football minor and semi professional leagues outside of North America

Central and South America:

• Argentina - FAA Football Americano Argentina
• Bahamas - CAFL Commonwealth American Football League
• Brazil - Torneio Touchdown
• Brazil - CBFA Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Americano
• Chile - FEDFACH Federación Deportiva Nacional de Fútbol Americano de Chile
• Chile - LCFA Liga Chilena de Football Americano
• Uruguay - LUFA Liga Uruguaya de Football Americano
• Costa Rica - FCFA Federación Costarricense de Futbol Americano
• Costa Rica - FEFACR Federacion de Futbol Americano de Costa Rica - IFAF Member
• Colombia - FECOFA Federación Colombiana de Football Americano
• El Salvador - SAAIF Salvadorian Association of American Intramural Football - IFAF Member
• Guatemala - AGFA Asociación Guatemalteca de Football Americano - IFAF Member
• Honduras - FENAFAH Federación Nacional de Football Americano y Flag Football Honduras

Europe:

• Europe - BIG6 BIG6 European Football League
• Europe - EFL European Football League
• Europe - CL IFAF Europe Champions League
• Austria - AFL Austrian Football League
• Belgium - BFL Belgian Football League
• Croatia - CFL Croatian Football League
• Czech Republic - CLAF Česká Liga Amerického Fotbalu
• Denmark - DAFF Danish American Football Federation
• Finland - VL Vaahteraliiga
• France - LEFA Ligue Élite de Football Américain
• Germany - GFL German Football League
• Hungary - MAFL Magyarországi Amerikai Futballcsapatok Ligája
• Ireland - IAFL Irish American Football League
• Iceland - ISAF Icelandic Organization for American Football
• Italy - IFL Italian Football League
• Moldova - AFAM Associatia de Fotbal American
• Montenegro - MAFA Montenegrin American Football Association
• Netherlands - AFBN AFBN Division One
• Norway - NAFF Norwegian American Football League
• Norway - Southside Football League
• Poland - PLFA Polish American Football League
• Portugal - LPFA Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano (Portuguese American Football League)
• Romania - Romanian Championship of American Football
• Russia - UAFR Russian American Football Championship
• Slovakia - SLAF Slovenská futbalová liga
• Slovenia - SNFL Slovenian National Football League
• Serbia - NLS Nacionalna Liga Srbije
• Spain - LNFA Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano
• Sweden - Superserien
• Switzerland - NLA Nationalliga A - NSFL Non Professional Swiss Romande American Football League
• Turkey - TAFL American Football First League of Turkey
• Ukraine - NFAFU National Federation of American Football of UKraine
• United Kingdom - BAFANL BAFA National Leagues, 2010-
• United Kingdom - BUCS American Football National Championship (formerly BUAFL British Universities American Football League), 2007-
• Austria/Serbia/Slovenia - CEFL Central European Football League
• Latvia/Estonia/Belarus - BSL Baltic Sea League

Asia:

• Israel - IFL Israeli Football League
• India - EFLI Elite Football League of India
• Japan - X-League, 1996-
• Japan - Tokyo Football League, 1977?-1991 (Became the UFL in 1991)
• Japan - Urban Football League, 1991-
• Japan - Japan Private Football Federation, 1978-
• Kazakhstan - Central Asian American Football League
• South Korea - Korea American Football Association
• South Korea - SAFA Seoul American Football Association
• Philippines - PTFL Philippine Tackle Football League
• Philippines - AFDL American Football Developmental League
• Thailand - FAFA Flag and American Football Association
• China - BFFL Beijing Flag Football League
• China - AFLC American Football League of China
• China - CAFL China American Football League 2016-
• Hong Kong - HKFFA Hong Kong Flag Football Association
• Taiwan - TAFFA Taiwan American Flag Football Association
• Indonesia - IFFA Indonesian Flag Football Association
• Malaysia - MAFFA Malaysia Flag Football Association

Oceania:

• Australia - Gridiron Australia
• Australia - ACT Gridiron
• Australia - NSW Gridiron Football League
• Australia - Gridiron Queensland
• Australia - South Australian Gridiron Association
• Australia - Gridiron Victoria
• Australia - Gridiron West
• Australia - Australian Gridiron League
• Australia - Ladies Gridiron League
• New Zealand - New Zealand American Football Association
• New Zealand - Gridiron New Zealand
• New Zealand - American Football Wellington

Defunct American football minor leagues around the world

• - Australian American Football League 1984- May 1998
• // - Continental Football League, 1965-1969
• //// Intercontinental Football League - 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, 1995-2006, 2007
• ///// Football League of Europe, 1994-1995
• - National Gridiron League of Australia January 1991-1995

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