Arena Football League

Arena Football League

The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional indoor American football league in the United States. It was founded in 1987 and played its last season in 2019. The league was known for its fast-paced, high-scoring games played on a smaller, indoor field.

History

The Arena Football League was founded by Jim Foster, who conceived the idea of indoor football while watching an indoor soccer match at Madison Square Garden in 1981. The league officially began play in 1987 with four teams: the Chicago Bruisers, Denver Dynamite, Pittsburgh Gladiators, and Washington Commandos.

The AFL grew in popularity throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, reaching its peak in the mid-2000s with a national television contract and a growing fan base. However, financial difficulties led to the suspension of the 2009 season. The league returned in 2010 but struggled with stability and eventually ceased operations in 2019.

Rules and Gameplay

Arena football is played indoors on a field that is 50 yards long and 28 yards wide, significantly smaller than a traditional American football field. The game is played with eight players on each side, and the rules are designed to encourage high-scoring games.

Some unique features of arena football include:

• The use of rebound nets on the sides of the field, which keep the ball in play and create opportunities for exciting plays.
• A 25-second play clock, which speeds up the pace of the game.
• The "Ironman" rule, which originally required players to play both offense and defense, though this rule was later modified.

Teams

Over its history, the AFL featured many teams, with some of the most notable being:

• Arizona Rattlers
• Orlando Predators
• Tampa Bay Storm
• San Jose SaberCats

Championships

The championship game of the AFL was known as the ArenaBowl. The first ArenaBowl was held in 1987, and the final one took place in 2019. The Tampa Bay Storm and Arizona Rattlers were among the most successful teams in ArenaBowl history.

Legacy

The Arena Football League left a lasting impact on the sport of American football, introducing innovations that influenced other leagues. It provided a platform for players, coaches, and executives to develop their careers, with some moving on to the National Football League (NFL) and other professional leagues.

See Also

• Indoor Football League
• National Arena League
• American football

References

• "Arena Football League History." ArenaFan. Retrieved from [1]
• "Arena Football League Timeline." ArenaFan. Retrieved from [2]

External Links

• ArenaFan