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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.
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2018) |
Leagues in North America
Summarize
Perspective
Current professional leagues in North America
Professional outdoor leagues
Major:
National Football League (NFL), 1920–
- Originally American Professional Football Association (1920–1921)
- Merged with the All-America Football Conference (1946-1949) and with the American Football League (1960–69)
Canadian Football League (CFL), 1958–
- Formed from Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (1909) and Western Interprovincial Football Union (1936).
- Grey Cup Canadian Football Championships since 1909
Minor:
Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), 2016–2020; 2022–- United Football League (UFL), 2024–
- Formed from merger of XFL (2020) and United States Football League (2022)
- International Football Alliance (IFA)2025-
Professional arena/indoor leagues
- / Arena Football One (2025) (AF1), 2025-
- American Arena League (AAL), 2018-
- Indoor Football League (IFL), 2009–
- Formed from Intense Football League (2004) and United Indoor Football (2005)
- National Arena League (NAL), 2017–
- Great Lakes Arena Football (GLAF), 2023–
- Originally Great Lakes Arena Alliance (2023)
- United Indoor Football Association (UIFA), 2023–
- Originally United Indoor Football League (2023)
- The Arena League (The AL or TAL), 2024-
- Entertainment Football Association (ENTFLA), 2025-
Current Developmental leagues
Current semi-pro/amateur leagues
- Chicagoland Football League, 1917–1934, 2005–
- Northern Football Conference, 1954–
- Eastern Football League, 1961–
- Empire Football League, 1969–
- Mason-Dixon Football League, 1978–
- Alberta Football League, 1984–
- The Minor Football League, 1993–
- New England Football League, 1994–
- National Public Safety Football League, 1997–
- Rocky Mountain Football League, 1997–
- MidStates Football League, 1999–
- Maritime Football League, 2001–
- The Pacific Coast Football League, 2006–
- Florida Football Alliance, 2007–
- East Coast Football Association, 2007–
- Northern Elite Football League, 2008–
- Atlantic Coast Football Alliance,[6] 2009–
- Texas United Football Association, 2010–
- Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League,[2][7] 2012–
- Central Midwest Football League,[8] 2014–
- American 7s Football League,[9] 2014–
Puerto Rico American Football League, 2014–- Atlantic Football Association, 2014–
- Florida Champion Football League, 2017–
- Cactus Football League, 2018–
- North Louisiana Football Alliance, 2019–
- Southern Elite Football League, 2021–
- Mid-West United Football league, 2021–
- Heartland Football Association, 2022–
Current Flag football leagues
Pro
Other
- National Gay Flag Football League, 2002–
- DC Gay Flag Football League, 2009–
Current Collegiate or Junior leagues
- National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1906–
- National Federation of State High School Associations, 1920–
- California Community College Athletic Association, 1929–
- Collegiate Sprint Football League, 1934–
- National Junior College Athletic Association, 1938–
- National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, 1940–
- U Sports, 1961–
- Quebec Junior Football League, 1970–
- Canadian Junior Football League, 1974–
- Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano, 1978–
- Atlantic Football League, 2009–
- Intercollegiate Club Football Federation, 2010–
- National Club Football Association, 2010–
- Hohokam Junior College Athletic Conference, 2019–
- Great Plains Athletic Conference, 1969-
Current women's leagues
Outdoor leagues
Women's Indoor/Arena leagues
- Operated as the Lingerie Football League from 2009 to 2012 and then as the Legends Football League from 2013 to 2019.
Planned leagues in North America
- International Football Alliance (IFA), 2025[11][12]
- American Spring Football League (ASFL), proposed to begin in 2025[13]
- Major League Football (MLF), proposed to begin in September 2025[14][15][16][17][18][19]
- Major League Football (MLFB), TBD (cancelled seasons in 2016 and 2022)
- American Patriot League (APL), TBD
- Professional Independent Football League (PIFL), 2026
Historical leagues in North America
Major outdoor leagues
The following leagues partly or fully merged with NFL:
- All-America Football Conference, 1946–1949[20]
- American Football League, 1960–1969[21]
Other notable major outdoor leagues:
- Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit, 1892–1905[22]
- National Football League, 1902
- Ohio Independent Championship (Ohio League), 1903–1919[23]
- Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, 1907–1959[24]
- New York Pro Football League, c. 1913–1920[25]
- American Football League, 1926, 1936–1937, and 1940–1941 (all unrelated, three separate leagues)
- California Winter League,[26] 1927–1928
- Western Interprovincial Football Union, 1936–1960[27]
- United States Football League, 1945 (Never played)
- Trans-America Football League , 1945 (Never played)
- World Football League, 1974–1975
- United States Football League, 1983–1985
Minor outdoor leagues
- Wilmington Football League (1922–1925, 1929–1935, 1940–1941, 1946–1955)
- Anthracite League (1924)
- Ohio Valley League, 1925–1929
- Eastern League of Professional Football (1926)
- Pacific Coast League, 1926
- Eastern League of Professional Football, 1926–1927
- Anthracite League, 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, 1934
- American Legion League, 1934–1935
- Northwest Football League, 1935–1938
- 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 1946–1950[28]
- New England Football League, 1936
- Virginia-Carolina Football League, 1937
- California Football League, 1938
- Eastern Pennsylvania Football League, 1938
- American Football League, 1938–1939[29]
- 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, 1944[30]
- Virginia Negro League, 1946
- Central States Football League, 1948–1953
- Pacific Football Conference, 1957–1958
- American 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.[31] Teams also end up play in Sarnia, Zaneville (Ohio Colts), Port Huron and Detroit,[32] while Toledo Tornadoes leave for the larger United Football League (1961–1964).[33]
- United Football League, 1961–1964
- Central States Football League, 1962–1975
- Atlantic Coast Football League, 1962–1971, 1973
- Midwest Football League, 1962–1978
- Southern Football League, 1963–1965
- North Pacific Football League, 1963–1966
- New England Football League, 1964–1967
- Renamed North Atlantic Football League in 1967
- Continental Football League, 1965–1969
- North American Football League, 1965–1966
- Professional Football League of America, 1965–1967
- Texas Football League 1966–1968
- United American Football League, 1967
- South Carolina Football League, 1967
- Trans-American Football League, 1970–1971
- Midwest Professional Football League, 1970–1972
- Seaboard Football League, 1971–1974
- Southwestern Football League, 1972–1973
- California Football League, 1974–1982
- American Football Association, 1978–1983
- International Football League, 1984 (never played)[34]
World League of American Football 1991–1992[a]/NFL Europe 1995–2007- Professional Spring Football League, 1992
- Fan Ownership League,[35] 1996 (never played)
- Regional Football League, 1999[36][33]
- International Football Federation, 2000 (never played)
- Spring Football League, 2000[37]
- 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, 2014 (never played)
- Fall Experimental Football League, 2014–2015
- The Spring League, 2017–2021
- Trinity Professional Spring Football League,[38] 2018 (never played)
- Your Call Football, 2018–2019
- Freedom Football League (FFL), 2019 (never played)
- Alliance of American Football (AAF), 2019
- Fútbol Americano de México (FAM), 2019–2022[39]
- XFL, 2020; 2023[40]
- United States Football League (USFL), 2022–2023[41]
Indoor leagues
- World Series of Football, 1902–03
- Arena Football League, 1987–2008, 2010–2019
- 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
- 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, 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 (AIF), 2005–2010, 2012–2016, 2024-
- 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, 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, 2014–2015
- Champions Indoor Football, 2015-2023
- American West Football Conference, 2019–2023
- National Gridiron League/United Football League, 2019-2023 (never played)
- Arena Football Association, 2021-2022
- Fan Controlled Football, 2021-2022
- American Indoor Football Alliance, 2022–2023
- Arena Football League (AFL), 2024–
- Arena Football One (AF1), 2025–
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, 1965–1973
- National Women's Football League, 1974–1982
- 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
- Women's Football League Association,[42][43] 2021 (never played)
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Leagues outside North America
Summarize
Perspective
Current professional leagues outside North America
- Europe – European League of Football (ELF), began play in June 2021
Japan – X-League, began play in 1971.
Current minor professional, semi professional and amateur leagues outside North America
Brazil – CBFA Brasil Futebol Americano
Colombia – FECOFA Federación Colombiana de Football Americano
Uruguay – LUFA Liga Uruguaya de Football Americano
Guatemala – LIGFA Liga Guatemalteca de Football Americano
Austria – AFL Austrian Football League
Belgium – BFL Belgian Football League
Croatia – HFL Hrvatska Football Liga
Czech Republic – CLAF Česká Liga Amerického Fotbalu
Denmark – NL National Ligaen
Finland – VL Vaahteraliiga
France – LEFA Ligue Élite de Football Américain
Germany – GFL German Football League
Hungary – HFL Hungarian Football League
Ireland – IAFL Irish American Football League
Italy – FIDAF Prima Divisione FIDAF
Netherlands – AFBN AFBN Division One
Poland – PFL Polish Football League
Portugal – LPFA Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano
Romania – CNFA Campionatul Naţional de Fotbal American
Russia – UAFR Russian American Football Championship
Slovakia – SLAF Slovenská futbalová liga
Slovenia – SNFL Slovenian Football League
Serbia – NLS Nacionalna Liga Srbije
Spain – LNFA Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano
Sweden – Superserien
Switzerland – NLA Nationalliga A- Switzerland – NSFL Non Professional Swiss Romande American Football League
Turkey – TKFL Türkiye Korumalı Futbol Ligi
Ukraine – ULAF Super League
United Kingdom – BAFANL BAFA National Leagues- ///////// – CEFL Central European Football League
- /
//
– EEAFC Eastern European American Football Cup - / – EESL Eastern European Super League
Asia:
Israel – IFL Israel Football League
South Korea – Korea American Football Association
Philippines – ATFFP Philippine–American Football League
China – CNFL Chinese National Football League
India – EFLI Elite Football League of India
Jordan - JLAF Jordanian American Football League
Defunct minor leagues around the world
- - EFL European Football League 1986-2018
– Australian American Football League 1984–1998- – Torneio Touchdown 2009–2015
- // – Continental Football League, 1965–1969
- //// Intercontinental Football League – Intended to begin play in 1975, folded before first game[44]
- – 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[45]
- ///// World League of American Football/NFL Europe/NFL Europa, 1991–1992, 1995–2007
- ///// Football League of Europe, 1994–1995
- – National Gridiron League of Australia 1991–1995
- Europe – BIG6 BIG6 European Football League
- Europe – CL IFAF Europe Champions League
- – Philippine Tackle Football League
Collegiate and amateur leagues
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See also
- International Federation of American Football (IFAF), international governing body for American football
- European Federation of American Football (EFAF)
- Women's football in the United States
- British American Football Association (BAFA)
- Association of Professional Football Leagues – compact of NFL and three minor leagues, 1946–1948
- Football leagues in North America
- List of female American football teams
Notes
References
External links
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