American Football – also known as Gridiron Football because the field was originally marked out in a grid-like pattern – originated in USA and Canada. The 11v11 American version of the game is the one most recognisable to Irish viewers – there is also 12v12 Canadian Football and 8v8 Arena Indoor Football (most popular in Mexico). The NFL is the League most fans would know, however, there are also Rival Leagues (also known as AAA Leagues i.e. Europa League to the NFL’s Champions League), NCAA College Football (Division I Bowl Subdivision, Division I Championship Subdivision, Division II and Division III), Minor Leagues (lower level leagues), Semi-Pro State Leagues, High School Football, US Armed Forces Football.

The National Football League is the highest level of American Football in the USA, and started in 1920 (and celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2020). Irish-born players have been involved right from the start

The most successful teams in the Ohio League and Upstate New York Pro Football Circuit joined forces in 1920, in attempt at creating a true National Football League, in order to provide a common set of rules and to cut down on the spiralling wage demands, which saw players jump from team to team in search of the best pay packet. This League, the American Professional Football Association, renamed itself the National Football League in 1922, and has since become the most popular sports league in America, although from 1920-1932 it was still a Minor (AAA) League in status.

Only the American Football League of 1960-1969 has been successful long-term, leading to both the start of the Super Bowl between the AFL Winners and the NFL Winners in 1967 and the eventual merger of the two leagues (They are now the American & National Football Conferences in the NFL – the Super Bowl is still played between the winners of the two Conferences)

The first Major rival to the NFL to use the American Football League name was the AFL of 1926, and from then until 1950 Leagues using this name came and went, usually lasting only one or two seasons. Theses Leagues, however, are notable for the genesis of teams such as the Cleveland (Now Los Angeles) Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts, which later joined the NFL. The AFL of 1960 also reused the names of some of these teams (Buffalo Bills & Cincinnati Bengals), teams which are now also in the NFL.

After the 1950s when the National Football League started playing International games in Canada and against Canadian opposition, and the Canadian Football League and Leagues in the New York Metropolitan Area provided a AAA Alternative to the NFL, new AAA Leagues started up again in the 1960s. The Continental Football League (1965-1969), World Football League (1974-1975) and United States Football League (1983-1985) are the most famous and biggest of these leagues.

Most of these Leagues, in particular the WFL & USFL tried, and failed to become another American Football League of 1960-1969 which was so successful it forced a merger with the NFL, with the winners of the two Leagues (now conferences since the merger in 1970) playing each other in the Super Bowl. (see National Football League )

The United Football League (1961-1964) was the first of these, and then from 1965-1969 the Continental Football League was the first to put teams in both Canada and Mexico.

The Southwestern Football League of 1972-1973 was the precursor to the World Football League (1974-1975) which aimed to bring the sport to the World, although Hawaii was as far as it got. The American Football association of 1977-1983 was another attempt at a AAA League although it was put out of business by the United States Football League (1983-1985) which was the first Major Spring League.  It featured High Profile Owners, such as the later US President Donald Trump, but was itself put out of business by the NFL’s collusion with the Major TV Networks to keep it off the air, as was proved in a later anti-trust trial.

The most successful teams in the Ohio League and Upstate New York Pro Football Circuit joined forces in 1920, in attempt at creating a true National Football League, in order to provide a common set of rules and to cut down on the spiralling wage demands, which saw players jump from team to team in search of the best pay packet. This League, the American Professional Football Association, renamed itself the National Football League in 1922, and has since become the most popular sports league in America, although from 1920-1932 it was still a Minor (AAA) League in status.

Regional Professional Leagues played at a level below the National Football League from the early 20th Century to the start of the Spring Football Leagues in the mid-1980s (such as the United States Football League and Arena Football League).

They were Regional in character – in other words being entirely based in either the Northeast/East Coast; Midwest; South or West.

In the 1980s the first Irish American Football teams were formed following the UK’s Channel 4 TV station airing a Weekly NFL Highlight Show, and matches were organised between Irish Teams and Eastern Football League (Massachusetts area) Semi-Pro Teams. Matches were also irregularly scheduled between Irish teams and US Servicemen and High schools. In 2004 the first matches between Ireland and NCAA Division III teams were organised, and in 2007 these became a regular fixture in Ireland, between Irish Club Teams and NCAA Division III teams. 

The first Professional American Football League in America that openly paid its players was the Ohio League (1902-1919). Four of its leading teams, including the Canton Bulldogs asked teams in Pennsylvania and New York State to form a National League in 1920 – thus the NFL was born.

Semi-Pro Leagues exist all over USA, organised roughly on state lines. Below you will find a link to Irish Connections throughout the USA