Scoreboard – Final Standings & Playoffs 1986-1991
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AFL 1986-87
AFL Arena Football League Test Season 1986-87
| Date | Event | Results | Venue | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-04-27 18:04:27April 27, 1986 | Rockford Metros vs Chicago Politicians | 30 - 18 | N/A | Test Game |
| 1987-02-27 18:08:26February 27, 1987 | Chicago Bruisers vs Miami Vice | 30 - 33 | N/A | Showcase Game |
AFL 1987
1987 AFL Arena Football League
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | 268 | 199 |
| 2 | Denver Dynamite | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | 261 | 252 |
| 3 | Chicago Bruisers | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 217 | 310 |
| 4 | Washington Commandos | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 288 | 273 |
Reference: [1]
AFL Arena Football League Playoffs 1987
| Date | Event | Results | Venue | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-08-01 14:46:02August 1, 1987 | Pittsburgh Gladiators vs Denver Dynamite | 16 - 45 | N/A | Arena Bowl I |
Reference: [1]
AFL 1988
1988 AFL Arena Football League
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Bruisers | 10 | 1 | 1 | .792 | 526 | 374 |
| 2 | Detroit Drive | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 472 | 310 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 507 | 491 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Cobras | 5 | 6 | 1 | .458 | 463 | 449 |
| 5 | New England Steamrollers | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 330 | 506 |
| 6 | New York Knights | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 337 | 505 |
Reference: [1]
AFL Arena Football League Playoffs 1988
| Date | Event | Results | Venue | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-07-14 14:53:23July 14, 1988 | Detroit Drive vs Pittsburgh Gladiators | 34 - 25 | N/A | Semi-Finals |
| 1988-07-14 14:56:49July 14, 1988 | Chicago Bruisers vs Los Angeles Cobras | 29 - 16 | N/A | Semi-Finals |
| 1988-07-30 15:00:29July 30, 1988 | Detroit Drive vs Chicago Bruisers | 24 - 13 | N/A | Arena Bowl II |
*Semi-Final dates are approximation only – exact dates unknown to eirball at time of publication. Reference: [1]
AFL 1989
1989 AFL Arena Football League
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Drive | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 154 | 84 |
| 2 | Denver Dynamite | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 94 | 97 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 159 | 147 |
| 4 | Chicago Bruisers | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 167 | 155 |
| 5 | Maryland Commandos | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 79 | 170 |
Reference: [1]
AFL Arena Football League Playoffs 1989
| Date | Event | Results | Venue | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-08-04 15:22:54August 4, 1989 | Detroit Drive vs Chicago Bruisers | 43 - 10 | N/A | Semi-Finals |
| 1989-08-04 15:24:30August 4, 1989 | Pittsburgh Gladiators vs Denver Dynamite | 39 - 37 | N/A | Semi-Finals |
| 1989-08-18 15:26:26August 18, 1989 | Detroit Drive vs Pittsburgh Gladiators | 39 - 26 | N/A | Arena Bowl III |
*Semi-Final dates are approximation only – exact dates unknown to eirball at time of publication. Reference: [1]
AFL 1990
1990 AFL Arena Football League
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Drive | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | 326 | 215 |
| 2 | Dallas Texans | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | 299 | 308 |
| 3 | Denver Dynamite | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 | 283 | 267 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Gladiators | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | 289 | 287 |
| 5 | Albany Firebirds | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | 188 | 268 |
| 6 | Washington Commandos | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | 244 | 284 |
AFL Arena Football League Playoffs 1990
| Date | Event | Results | Venue | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-07-28 15:32:47July 28, 1990 | Detroit Drive vs Pittsburgh Gladiators | 61 - 30 | N/A | First Round Playoffs |
| 1990-07-28 15:34:24July 28, 1990 | Dallas Texans vs Denver Dynamite | 26 - 25 | N/A | First Round Playoffs |
| 1990-08-11 15:35:53August 11, 1990 | Detroit Drive vs Dallas Texans | 51 - 27 | N/A | Arena Bowl IV |
*Semi-Final dates are approximation only – exact dates unknown to eirball at time of publication. Reference: [1]
AFL 1991
1991 AFL Arena Football League
| Pos | Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Drive | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 437 | 262 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Storm | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 421 | 309 |
| 3 | Denver Dynamite | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 389 | 365 |
| 4 | Albany Firebirds | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 427 | 342 |
| 5 | Dallas Texans | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 286 | 334 |
| 6 | New Orleans Night | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 314 | 401 |
| 7 | Orlando Predators | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 321 | 363 |
| 8 | Columbus Thunderbolts | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 | 241 | 460 |
AFL Arena Football League Playoffs 1991
| Date | Event | Results | Venue | Match Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-06-01 22:25:32June 1, 1991 | Detroit Drive vs Albany Firebirds | 37 - 35 | N/A | Semi-Finals |
| 1991-06-01 22:27:21June 1, 1991 | Tampa Bay Storm vs Denver Dynamite | 40 - 13 | N/A | Semi-Finals |
| 1991-06-30 22:28:45June 30, 1991 | Tampa Bay Storm vs Detroit Drive | 48 - 42 | N/A | Arena Bowl V |
*Semi-Final dates are approximation only – exact dates unknown to eirball at time of publication. Reference: [1]
Report 1986-1991
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On February 11, 1981, James Foster witnessed an Indoor Soccer game at Madison Square Garden, and drew out the outline of an Indoor American Football field on a manilla envelope, using the same basic premise of a football field on a converted Ice Hockey rink. [2]
The first AFL test game was held on 27 April 1986 in Rockford, Illinois between the Rockford Metros and Chicago Politicians, and following positive public response the first “showcase game” in Chicago in front of 8,200 fans on February 27, 1987. [2; 4-5]
The AFL debut season began on 19 June 1987, with four teams: Chicago Bruisers, Denver Dynamite, Pittsburgh Gladiators and Washington Commandos. Denver Dynamite won Arena Bowl I, defeating Pittsburgh Gladiators 45-16 [2]
The second AFL season featured an additional three teams: Los Angeles Cobras, New England Steamrollers & New York Knights, who played only that season. Washington Commandos sat out the season. Detroit Drive won Arena Bowl II, 24-13 over Chicago Bruisers. [2]
The third AFL season, in 1989, was a shortened four-game season, with five teams, including the returned Commandos, now playing in Maryland. Detroit again won the Arena Bowl, beating Pittsburgh 39-26. Following the season, the league played two successful exhibition games in Paris (France) & London (England). The US Patent office granted the league a Patent, making it the first patented, rival-free sports league in history. [2]
the fourth AFL season, saw an expansion of two teams: Albany Firebirds & Dallas Texans, with Chicago dropping out. Detroit Drive won the Arena Bowl for the third year in succession, defeating Dallas 51-27. [2]
A further expansion in 1991, saw teams added in Orlando (Predators), New Orleans (Night) and Columbus (Thunderbolts), with Pittsburgh relocating to Tampa Bay, becoming the Storm and the Commandos ceasing operation.The league’s expansion into the Southeast would prove enduringly successful, with the Tampa Bay & Orlando franchises remaing in existence right through to the league’s waning years in the late-2010s. Detroit was defeated in the Arena Bowl 48-42 by the Tampa Bay Storm, ending the Drive’s attempts at a four-in-a-row. [2]
In 1992 the league expanded to 12 teams and three divisions, ending the AFL’s formative years, and beginning the AFL’s rise to become what the Wall Street Journal called the fifth Major [2].
References
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Bibliography.
– Photo by Joe Calomeni: https://www.pexels.com/photo/football-team-running-thru-football-field-718951/
[1] Arena Football League (2016) “2016 Record and Fact Book” pp. 52-56; 57-65; 193-195
[2] Arena Football League (2016) “2016 Record and Fact Book” pp. 52-56; 57-65; 193-195
Social Media
– Photo by Joe Calomeni: https://www.pexels.com/photo/football-team-running-thru-football-field-718951/
[3] Arena Fan Facebook Page (2021) Post, April 27, 1987 [Internet] Available from: https://www.facebook.com/arenafan/posts/10160818695018222 [Accessed 4 June 2021]
Websites
– Photo by Joe Calomeni: https://www.pexels.com/photo/football-team-running-thru-football-field-718951/
[4] Arena Fan (2021) History 1986 Schedule [Internet] Available from: http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=yearly&histleague=1&fpage=schedule&year=1986 [Accessed 4 June 2021]
[5] Arena Fan (2021) History 1987 Schedule [Internet] Available from: http://www.arenafan.com/history/?page=yearly&histleague=1&fpage=schedule&year=1987 [Accessed 4 June 2021]
About Eirball
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Acknowledged
– Photo by Joe Calomeni: https://www.pexels.com/photo/football-team-running-thru-football-field-718951/
About this document
– Photo by Joe Calomeni: https://www.pexels.com/photo/football-team-running-thru-football-field-718951/
Researched, compiled and written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball – Irish North American & World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 27 December 2025. First Published: 4 June 2021
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019-21
You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved. The Logos and Photos used in this article remain the property of the organisations and individuals which own the copyright and are used here for educational and information purposes only.