List of American and Canadian football leagues

This is a list of current and defunct leagues of American football and Canadian football.

Leagues in North America

Current professional leagues in North America

Professional outdoor leagues

Major:

National Football League, 1920–
Canadian Football League, 1958–

Minor:

Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional, 2016–2020; 2022–
United Football League, 2024–
International Football Alliance, 2025-

Professional arena/indoor leagues

Indoor Football League, 2009–
American Indoor Football, 2011-2016, 2024
National Arena League, 2017–
American Arena League, 2018-
United Indoor Football Association, 2023–
The Arena League, 2024-
Arena Football One (2025), 2025-
The International Arena League, 2026-

Current developmental leagues

Gridiron Developmental Football League, 2010–
Rivals Professional Football League, 2015–

Current semi-pro/amateur leagues

Chicagoland Football League, 1917–1934, 2005–
Northern Football Conference, 1954–
Eastern Football League, 1961–
Empire Football League, 1969–
Mason-Dixon Football League, 1978–
Alberta Football League, 1984–
The Minor Football League, 1993–
New England Football League, 1994–
National Public Safety Football League, 1997–
Rocky Mountain Football League, 1997–
MidStates Football League, 1999–
Maritime Football League, 2001–
The Pacific Coast Football League, 2006–
Florida Football Alliance, 2007–
East Coast Football Association, 2007–
Northern Elite Football League, 2008–
Atlantic Coast Football Alliance, 2009–
Texas United Football Association, 2010–
Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League, 2012–
Central Midwest Football League, 2014–
American 7s Football League, 2014–
Puerto Rico American Football League, 2014–
Atlantic Football Association, 2014–
Florida Champion Football League, 2017–
Cactus Football League, 2018–
North Louisiana Football Alliance, 2019–
Southern Elite Football League, 2021–
Mid-West United Football league, 2021–
Heartland Football Association, 2022–

Current flag football leagues

Pro

American Flag Football League, 2018–

Other

National Gay Flag Football League, 2002–
DC Gay Flag Football League, 2009–

Current collegiate or junior leagues

National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1906–
National Federation of State High School Associations, 1920–
California Community College Athletic Association, 1929–
Collegiate Sprint Football League, 1934–
National Junior College Athletic Association, 1938–
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, 1940–
U Sports, 1961–
Quebec Junior Football League, 1970–
Canadian Junior Football League, 1974–
Organización Nacional Estudiantil de Fútbol Americano, 1978–
Atlantic Football League, 2009–
Intercollegiate Club Football Federation, 2010–
National Club Football Association, 2010–
Hohokam Junior College Athletic Conference, 2019–
Great Plains Athletic Conference, 1969-

Current women's leagues

Outdoor leagues

Women's Football Alliance, 2009–
United States Women's Football League, 2010–
Western Women's Canadian Football League, 2011–
Utah Girls Tackle Football League, 2015–
Women's National Football Conference, 2019–
Central Canadian Women's Football League, 2022–

Women's Indoor/Arena leagues

National Football Confederacy, 2024–
X League, 2009–
Women's Arena Football League, 2012–

Planned leagues in North America

Continental Football League, propose to begin in 2026
Professional Independent Football League, 2026
Zenith Gridiron Football League, 2028
Major League Football, TBD
Major League Football, TBD

Historical leagues in North America

Major outdoor leagues

The following leagues partly or fully merged with NFL:

All-America Football Conference, 1946–1949
American Football League, 1960–1969

Other major outdoor leagues:

Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit, 1892–1905
National Football League, 1902
Ohio Independent Championship, 1903–1919
Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, 1907–1959
New York Pro Football League, c. 1913–1920
American Football League, 1926, 1936–1937, and 1940–1941
California Winter League, 1927–1928
Western Interprovincial Football Union, 1936–1960
United States Football League, 1945
Trans-America Football League, 1945
Universal Football League, 1974
World Football League, 1974–1975
United States Football League, 1983–1985

Minor outdoor leagues

Wilmington Football League
Anthracite League
Ohio Valley League, 1925–1929
Eastern League of Professional Football
Pacific Coast League, 1926
Eastern League of Professional Football, 1926–1927
Anthracite League, 1928–1929
Eastern Football League, 1932–1933
Greater New York League, 1934–1935
American Football League, 1934
American Legion League, 1934–1935
Northwest Football League, 1935–1938
Midwest Football League, 1935–1937, became American Professional Football Association in 1938, American Football League in 1939
Dixie League, 1936–1947 – originally South Atlantic Football Association
American Association 1936–1941/American Football League 1946–1950
New England Football League, 1936
Virginia-Carolina Football League, 1937
California Football League, 1938
Eastern Pennsylvania Football League, 1938
American Football League, 1938–1939
Pacific Coast Professional Football League, 1940–1948
Northeast Football League, 1940–1942
Northwest War Industries Football League, 1942
Eastern Football League, 1944
American Football League, 1944
Virginia Negro League, 1946
Central States Football League, 1948–1953
Pacific Football Conference, 1957–1958
American Football Conference, 1959–1961
United Football League, 1961–1964
Central States Football League, 1962–1975
Atlantic Coast Football League, 1962–1971, 1973
Midwest Football League, 1962–1978
Southern Football League, 1963–1965
North Pacific Football League, 1963–1966
New England Football League, 1964–1967
Continental Football League, 1965–1969
North American Football League, 1965–1966
Professional Football League of America, 1965–1967
Texas Football League 1966–1968
United American Football League, 1967
South Carolina Football League, 1967
Trans-American Football League, 1970–1971
Midwest Professional Football League, 1970–1972
Seaboard Football League, 1971–1974
Southwestern Football League, 1972–1973
California Football League, 1974–1982
American Football Association, 1978–1983
International Football League, 1984
World League of American Football 1991–1992/NFL Europe 1995–2007
Professional Spring Football League, 1992
Fan Ownership League, 1996
Regional Football League, 1999
International Football Federation, 2000
Spring Football League, 2000
XFL, 2001
World Football League, 2008–2010
United Football League, 2009–2012
Hawaii Professional Football League, 2011
Stars Football League, 2011–2013
North American Football League, 2014
Fall Experimental Football League, 2014–2015
The Spring League, 2017–2021
Trinity Professional Spring Football League, 2018
Your Call Football, 2018–2019
Freedom Football League, 2019
Alliance of American Football, 2019
Fútbol Americano de México, 2019–2022
XFL, 2020; 2023
United States Football League, 2022–2023

Indoor leagues

World Series of Football, 1902–03
Arena Football League, 1987–2008, 2010–2019
Professional Indoor Football League, 1998–2000
Indoor Football League, 1999–2000
Indoor Professional Football League, 1999–2001
Arenafootball2, 2000–2009
National Indoor Football League, 2001–2007
American Professional Football League, 2003–2013
Intense Football League, 2004–2008
United Indoor Football, 2005–2008
Continental Indoor Football League, 2006–2014
World Indoor Football League, 2007
Southern Indoor Football League, 2008–2011
Ultimate Indoor Football League, 2011–2014
Lone Star Football League, 2012–2014
Professional Indoor Football League, 2012–2015
Champions Professional Indoor Football League, 2013–2014
X-League Indoor Football, 2014–2015
Champions Indoor Football, 2015-2023
American West Football Conference, 2019–2023
National Gridiron League/United Football League, 2019-2023
Arena Football Association, 2021-2022
Fan Controlled Football, 2021-2022
American Indoor Football Alliance, 2022–2023
Arena Football League, 2024
Great Lakes Arena Football, 2023–2024

Collegiate and amateur leagues

Women's leagues

Women's Professional Football League, 1965–1973
National Women's Football League, 1974–1982
Women's Professional Football League, 1999–2007
National Women's Football Association, 2000–2008
Women's American Football League, formed 2001, became the AFWL in 2002
American Football Women's League, 2002
Women's Football Association, 2002–2003
Women's Football League, 2002–2007
Women's Football League Association, 2021

Leagues outside North America

Current professional leagues outside North America

Europe – European League of Football, began play in June 2021
Japan – X-League, began play in 1971.

Current minor professional, semi professional and amateur leagues outside North America

Central and South America:

– CBFA Brasil Futebol Americano
– FECOFA Federación Colombiana de Football Americano
– LUFA
– LIGFA Liga Guatemalteca de Football Americano

Europe:

– AFL Austrian Football League
– BFL Belgian Football League
– HFL Hrvatska Football Liga
– CLAF Česká Liga Amerického Fotbalu
– NL National Ligaen
– VL Vaahteraliiga
– LEFA Ligue Élite de Football Américain
– GFL German Football League
– HFL Hungarian Football League
– AFI American Football Ireland
– FIDAF Prima Divisione FIDAF
– AFBN AFBN Division One
– PFL Polish Football League
– LPFA Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano
– CNFA Campionatul Naţional de Fotbal American
– UAFR Russian American Football Championship
– SLAF Slovenská futbalová liga
– SNFL Slovenian Football League
– NLS Nacionalna Liga Srbije
– LNFA Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano
– Superserien
– NLA Nationalliga A
– NSFL Non Professional Swiss Romande American Football League
– TKFL Türkiye Korumalı Futbol Ligi
– ULAF Super League
– BAFANL BAFA National Leagues
///////// – CEFL Central European Football League
/// – EEAFC Eastern European American Football Cup
/ – EESL Eastern European Super League

Asia:

– IFL Israel Football League
– Korea American Football Association
– ATFFP Philippine–American Football League
– CNFL Chinese National Football League
– EFLI Elite Football League of India
- JLAF Jordanian American Football League

Oceania:

– Gridiron Australia
– Australian Gridiron League
– Ladies Gridiron League
– New Zealand American Football Association

Africa:

– EFAF Egyptian Federation of American Football

Defunct minor leagues around the world

- EFL European Football League 1986-2018
– Australian American Football League 1984–1998
– Torneio Touchdown 2009–2015
// – Continental Football League, 1965–1969
//// Intercontinental Football League – Intended to begin play in 1975, folded before first game
– BCAFL British Collegiate American Football League, 1985–2007
– BAFL British American Football League, 1987–2010
– ISAF Icelandic Society for American Football, 1988–1991
///// International League of American Football – Intended to begin play in 1990, folded before first game
///// World League of American Football/NFL Europe/NFL Europa, 1991–1992, 1995–2007
///// Football League of Europe, 1994–1995
– National Gridiron League of Australia 1991–1995
– BIG6 BIG6 European Football League
– CL IFAF Europe Champions League
– Philippine Tackle Football League

Collegiate and amateur leagues