American Indoor Football Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| American Indoor Football Association | |
|---|---|
| Current season or competition: 2008 American Indoor Football Association season |
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| Sport | Indoor football |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Motto | Fast Paced Family Fun |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Country(ies) |  United States |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Lakeland Thunderbolts |
| Official website | www.aifaprofootball.com |
The American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) is a professional indoor football league that was formed in 2006. The league's creation coincided with the demise of the American Indoor Football League (AIFL), and all AIFL teams subsequently joined the AIFA. Founders and owners of the AIFA are John Morris and Michael Mink.
Sixteen teams participate in the AIFA, which is concentrated mostly in mid-sized markets in the eastern United States and the Rocky Mountains. The talent level is comparable to a league such as af2, with several former NFL practice squad players scattered across the league. Its primary competitor is the Continental Indoor Football League.
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[edit] History
The league has its roots in the Atlantic Indoor Football League, which began play in 2005 under the leadership of Andrew Haines (now running the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League). The league began with six teams, all of them based in the eastern United States. Two teams played all of their games on the road, and the regular season was cut short two weeks because of teams being unable to secure venues for playoff games. In the 2005-06 offseason, the league changed its name to the American Indoor Football League, while nine expansion teams entered the league and a tenth (the Rome Renegades) joined from the National Indoor Football League.
The 2006 season was marred by the folding of two teams, and the league used semi-pro teams to fill scheduling vacancies. The league was briefly acquired by Greens Worldwide, Inc., the owners of the amateur North American Football League, during the 2006 season, but they terminated the contract soon afterwards. Nine teams left the league after the season, including four who split off to create the short-lived World Indoor Football League). On October 2, 2006, a massive reorganization took place as Morris and Mink set up a new league, which absorbed all of the remaining AIFL franchises, and Haines was ousted. (Haines is experiencing similar stability problems with his current league.[1]) The league took on its current name at the same time.
The 2007 season was relatively successful for the league, as all 112 scheduled games were played and no teams folded mid-season, a major improvement over the past two seasons (when the AIFA was known as the AIFL). The AIFA Championship Bowl I was a neutral site game held in Florence, SC. In addition, the league held its 1st All-Star Game the same weekend, also in Florence. League owners stated that the neutral site was chosen so that both games could be televised to obtain nationwide exposure for the league.
The league has since expanded nationwide and individual teams have been able to acquire several players with NFL experience, a sign that the league has achieved a level on par with leagues such as af2. It had appeared that the league had earned a major television contract as well: On September 17, 2007, The American Indoor Football Association owners John Morris and Michael Mink announced that the league signed a three-year national television broadcast, mobile phone broadcast, and webcast licensing agreement with Simply 4Me Incorporated [1], who would produce a live broadcast and relay the games on the Internet and through the ION Television network in exchange for US$2,500,000 in rights fees for the AIFA. SimplyMe, however, reneged on their promises. ION dropped the league from their schedule and replaced it with Western movies, and SimplyMe failed to produce a live or even a tape-delayed broadcast through the first five weeks of the season. On April 15, 2008, SimplyMe reported in a letter to the league that they would be unable to meet the financial obligations, and the AIFA terminated the contract with the company shortly thereafter. Later in the season, the more established FSN Pittsburgh agreed to pick up the remaining games; Erie, Pennsylvania-based Image Sports Network also televises local games of the Erie RiverRats.
Eight teams participating in the league in 2007 will not return for the 2008 season, including the 2007 champion Lakeland Thunderbolts. The AIFA is the third league since 2004 (excluding the folded WIFL and NIFL before its folding) to lose its standing champion (the 2004 NIFL champion Lexington Horsemen left to join the newly created UIF and are now in af2, and the 2006 champion Billings Outlaws also left to join two years later.) Two of the three teams who have won the league championship are no longer in the league. However, nine teams have signed on to begin play in 2008, and the league has created a Western Conference. In 2007, the team farthest west was based in Mississippi; in 2008, the team farthest west will be based in Arizona.
[edit] Basic rule differences
- The AIFA does not use the rebound net found in the Arena Football League.
- One linebacker may move flat to flat but must stay in drop zone.
- Two offensive players may be in motion at one time. The AFL allows only one in motion.
- Platooning and free substitution is allowed, meaning players do not have to play both offense and defense.
- Franchises must have at least 9 players that originate from within a 120-mile radius of the team's home town.
- The AIFA recognizes the single (also known as an uno or rouge). If a kickoff goes through the uprights, or if the receiving team does not advance the ball out of the end zone on a kickoff, the kicking team is awarded one point and the ball is spotted at the opponent's five yard line. (Demonstration by AIFA kicker J.R. Cipra)
- The AIFA ball pattern is similar to that of the basketball in the American Basketball Association, with red, white, and blue panels as opposed to the brown colored football of most leagues.
[edit] 2008 AIFA teams
[edit] Eastern Conference
[edit] North Division
[edit] East Division
[edit] Western Conference
[edit] South Division
[edit] West Division
[edit] Set to begin play in 2009
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (2009 expansion team)
[edit] Rumored for 2009 Expansion
- Ogden, Utah (2009 Expansion Team)
- St. George, Utah (2009 Expansion Team)
[edit] Defunct franchises
- AIFL Ghostchasers - traveling team only; ceased operations at the end of the 2006 AIFL season.
- AIFL/Carolina Ghostriders - folded during 2006 AIFL season and replaced by AIFL Ghostchasers.
- Chattahoochee Valley Vipers - terminated from their arena lease following the 2006 AIFL season.
- Danville Demolition - terminated from their arena lease. [2]
- Erie Freeze - League refused to renew charter in October 2007; Pittsburgh RiverRats moved to Erie to replace the Freeze in January 2008.
- Gulf Coast Raiders - league-owned traveling team that will not return in 2008.
- Johnstown Riverhawks - declined participation in 2008; supposedly planning to play in 2009.
- Lakeland Thunderbolts - declined participation in 2008; league has signed a letter-of-intent with the Lakeland Center for an AIFA team in 2009.
- Montgomery Bears - team drew under 500 fans per game and folded under league ownership.
- Richmond Bandits - ceased operations following the 2006 season.
- Syracuse Soldiers (a.k.a. Binghamton Brigade) - folded during 2006 AIFL season and the schedule was finished by semi-pro teams.
[edit] Teams no longer in the AIFA
- Baltimore Blackbirds - expelled by the league.
- Raleigh Rebels - announced a move to the World Indoor Football League and changed name to Carolina Bombers following the 2006 season but ceased operations shortly thereafter.
- Columbus Fire, Cumberland Valley Cardinals, and Philadelphia Scorpions - outdoor amateur teams from the North American Football League brought in by the league during the Greens Worldwide period. They were used to replace the Syracuse Soldiers in the schedule; none of the teams won, and they all returned to the NAFL (the Fire is now in the Mid Continental Football League).
- Daytona Beach Thunder - left to join the World Indoor Football League following the 2006 AIFL season.
- Miami Valley Silverbacks - left to join the Continental Indoor Football League following the 2006 AIFL season.
- Rome Renegades - announced a move to the World Indoor Football League following the 2006 season but ceased operations shortly thereafter.
- Springfield Stallions - originally joined the league, but left to join the Continental Indoor Football League before playing a game.
- Steubenville Stampede - left to join the Continental Indoor Football League following the 2006 AIFL season.
- Tallahassee Titans - mutual decision between the league and team to not participate in 2008.
[edit] Championship games
- 2007: Lakeland Thunderbolts 54-49 Reading Express
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Fanelli, Patrick. Haines sells MAHL team. The Post-Journal. 28 February 2008.
[edit] External links
| American Indoor Football Association | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | North Division | East Division | |
| Baltimore Mariners | Carolina Speed | ||
| Canton Legends | Fayetteville Guard | ||
| Erie RiverRats | Florence Phantoms | ||
| Reading Express | Huntington Heroes | ||
| Western Conference | South Division | West Division | |
| Augusta Colts | Arizona Adrenaline | ||
| Columbus Lions | New Mexico Wildcats | ||
| Florida Stingrays | Utah Saints | ||
| Mississippi Mudcats | Wyoming Cavalry | ||
| AIFA Championship Bowl | Indoor football | Arena football | |||
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