About Arena Indoor Football

This version of American (or Gridiron) Football has become extremely popular in Mexico.

Indoor Football, also known as Arena Football was developed in 1986 as an 8v8 form of Indoor American Football. After an initial few seasons where the game was developed with a 4 team league, a full seasons League with eventually over a dozen teams was developed in the 1990 which was considered by the Wall Street Journal to be a fifth major.

The Arena Football League over-expanded in the 2000s with a Minor League, and its importance (and number of teams) waned since it first experienced financial diffulties  in 2009, and it ceased operations after the 2019 season due to the legacy debt incurred.

There is now, however, Indoor Football Leagues all over America, all of which would now be considered Minor League or Semi-Pro (AAA, AA, or even A)

Indoor Football is played on a 50-yard field with two 8-yard endzones, and teams have 5 downs (attempts) to reach the endzone or the ball is turned over. 3 of those downs must be passing plays, making Indoor Football highly explosive and high scoring.

The main difference between Arena Football & Indoor Football is the rebound nets either side of the goalposts in Arena Football, which is the only part of the original patent given to the Arena Football League in 1989, that a subsequent ruling in 1998 ruled was copyright, the rest being Football already in other leagues.

7v7 Contact American Football Leagues

This landing page includes links to 7v7 versions of Contact American Football: Legends Football Leagues; American 7s Football League and Fan Controlled Football. Each one of these leagues has had a gimmick associated with it, much like the rebound nets in the original Arena Football League.

The Legends Football Leagues were an “antidote” to the “boring” NFL Super Bowl Halftime Shows as some fans saw it – with female players wearing lingerie initially, and then after complaints crop tops and bicycle shorts. It was aired on rival channels in direct competition with the NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The American 7s Football League is the brainchild of a New Jersey former High School Player, who after High School did not get a College Football Scholarship and continued to play pick-up games of non-pads tackle football in parks. He thought there was a need to codify the non-pads full contact game and it took off from there.

Fan Controlled Football is the latest in the line of 7v7 Football Leagues. This one is more like standard Arena Indoor Football, played in converted Ice Hockey Arenas, but with no kicking and 7v7 rather than 8v8. The big difference is that all fans who have a share in their team can vote online or in the game Arena itself on what plays to use on each and every down.

Note on Grading Systems for League Playing Levels across four Major Sports Leagues

Level	USA Basbeall	USA Football (Fall Leagues)	English Soccer	USA Soccer
1	Major League Baseball	National Football League	FA Premier League	Major League Soccer
2	AAA Leagues	NCAA Football Division I Football Bowl Subdivision	EFL Championship	USL Championship
3	AA Leagues	NCAA Football Division I Football Championship Subdivision	EFL League 1	USL League 1
4	A Leagues	NCAA Football Division II	EFL League 2	USL League 2
5	Rookie Leagues	NCAA Football Division III	National League	National Premier

Note 3: League in Bold sometimes considered Major Football Leagues.

Major Arena Football Leagues

USA Division 2 Eastern Arena Indoor Football Leagues

The AFL went bankrupt in 2009 following the overextentionof creating af2. While the AFL would return in 2010, the af2 was scrapped and more leagues took over the Division 2 mantle. The Indoor Football League (2009-present) is the most significant of these league and following the cessation of AFL operations in 2019 has taken over the Major Arena Football League position.

USA Division 2 Western Arena Indoor Football Leagues

D2 Arena Indoor Football Teams

Division 3 North East and Mid-West Arena Indoor Football Leagues

Division 3 South Arena Indoor Football Leagues

Division 3 West and North West Arena Indoor Football Leagues

Mexican Arena Indoor Football Leagues (Major League to Division 5)

Mexico / USA Arena Indoor Football Leagues

World Arena Indoor Leagues

Ladies Arena Indoor Football

Indoor or Arena Football Leagues are 8v8 Full Contact Kitted Leagues played in converted Ice Hockey Arenas.