This part of our web guide features arena football, a form of gridiron football designed to be played indoors.
The game is designed to be played on the same surface area as a standard North American ice hockey rink, so the playing field is smaller than that used in American or Canadian football.
Invented in 1981 by Jim Foster, a former executive of the National Football League and the United States Football League, the rules of the game were patented in 1990, making it a proprietary game until the patent expired in 2007.
Arena football was designed to be played indoors in an area 85 feet wide and 200 feet long, about thirty percent the size of an American gridiron football field. This smaller field size allows for a faster-paced and higher-scoring game.
Arena football typically features between six and eight players per team on the field at any given time, depending on the league, enhancing the speed and intensity of the game.
The game is characterized by its use of rebound nets attached to each goalpost, which keep any missed field goal or overthrown ball in play and allow the the ball to remain live. This feature was the only part of the patent upheld until it expired in 2007, enabling competitors to use rebound nets.
Arena football is governed by the Arena Football League (AFL), which played 32 seasons in two separate runs from 1987 to 2008 and 2010 to 2019. The AFL was the only league playing official arena football rules until the patent expired, after which other leagues, such as the Indoor Football League (IFL) and American Indoor Football (AIL), opted not to use the rebound nets. However, the newest league, Arena Football One, began play in 2025 and will use the rebound nets.
The AFL's brief foray into Australia saw teams play in outdoor stadiums but under indoor football rules. The league's popularity has been significant in the United States, with teams often owned by NFL owners and major names in the entertainment world. Several other indoor football leagues, including the National Arena League (NAL) and Champions Indoor Football (CIF), have also been established.
Arena football games consist of four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes, with a 30-minute halftime break. If the game ends in a tie, teams are allowed three timeouts in each half and two timeouts per overtime period. The clock stops for out-of-bounds plays, incomplete passes, and sacks in the final minute of regulation or overtime. Punting is not allowed due to the smaller field size, but a field goal that falls wide or stops flat can be retrieved.
The sport has seen several notable players transition to the NFL, including Kurt Warner, who played college football at the University of Northern Iowa, and then the Iowa Barnstormers, taking the Barnstormers to ArenaBowl X in 1996 and ArenaBowl XI in 1997. Other successful NFL players from arena football include Anthony Armstrong, Oronde Gadsden, Adrian McPherson, Rashied Davis, Jay Freely, Rob Bironas, and Paul Justin.
In short, arena football is a fast-paced, high-scoring variant of gridiron football played indoors. Its popularity is centered in the United States, with several leagues and teams contributing to its ongoing development and success.
Topics related to arena football, including arena football organizations, leagues, and major competitions and events, are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
The AF1 Fan Zone is a community for arena football enthusiasts and a hub for fans to discuss games, share updates, and celebrate the sport. There are content categories for the AFL, AFL teams, and other topics related to the sport, including archives that go back to 2015, much of which pertains to the former Arena Football League (AFL), but also covers the current Arena Football One (AF1) league, including interviews with team members, interactive experiences, and entertainment options.
https://af1fanzone.com/
The American Arena League was a professional indoor football minor league that began play in 2018, initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football and the Can-Am Indoor Football League. Since 2023, the league has operated as American Arena League 2, which was originally conceived as the AAL's minor league but has since effectively taken its parent league's place. AAL2 is structured in the same vision and style as the AAL. Its history, front office, partners, and rules are highlighted.
https://www.americanarenaleague.com/
Offering programs for youth athletes, with its home facilities at STF Expo Center in Sioux Center in Sioux City, Iowa, Arena 7v7 Football hosts tournaments, camps, and tryouts for various age groups. Hosting an Elite 7v7 Football Club, the cost breakdown, team rosters, and official Iowa 7v7 rules are posted, along with camp and tournament registrations, an introduction to its staff, directions to its home facility, game photographs, and an online contact form.
https://www.arena7v7football.com/
Arena Fan was created as a comprehensive online resource for fans of the original Arena Football League (AFL), offering news, scores, standings, statistics, and other data and information about the league's teams and players. The website includes team and player statistics, schedules, competitions, league awards, coaches, players, franchise charts, attendance charts, and other information and data. An online discussion board continues to be active. Registration is required for participation.
https://www.arenafan.com/
Founded in 2023, the AFL is a professional arena football league that took its identity and history, some of the rulebook, and some team names from the previous iteration of the Arena Football League founded by Jim Foster in 1986, but which closed in 2019. Following its only season (2024), all 8 of its teams announced their departure from the AFL to establish Arena Football One, a new league. However, the website announces 2025 season announcements. Thus, this may or may not be a defunct league.
https://theafl.com/
AF1 is a professional arena football league based in Nashville, Tennessee that began play in 2025; founded by the eight teams that survived the 2024 Arena Football League season: Albany Firebirds, Nashville Kats, Corpus Christi Tritons, Salina Liberty, Southwest Kansas Storm, Billings Outlaws, Oregon Lightning, and Washington Wolfpack. Its teams, rosters, schedules, statistics, transactions, partners, and league news are provided, and a fan shopping area is included.
https://www.theaf1.com/
TAL is a US-based indoor American football league that began in 2024 with four teams playing six-on-six football but expanded to six teams and began playing regular 7-on-7 indoor football in its second season. Its teams include the Duluth Harbor Monsters, Eau Claire Axemen, Hot Springs Wise Guys, Iowa Woo, Kansas City Goats, and Ozarks Lunkers. Its teams, schedules, scores, standings, and statistics are published on the website, and its leadership is introduced.
https://thearenaleague.football/
The NAL is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. The league consisted of five teams at the end of the 2024 season and currently consists of nine teams: Beaumont Renegades, Carolina Cobras, Columbus Lions, Shreveport Rouxgaroux, Wheeling Miners, Colorado Spartans, Idaho Horsemen, Omaha Beef, and Sioux City Bandits. The league, its teams, partners, statistics, schedules, and transactions are featured. Other resources include photos, videos, and team portals.
https://www.nationalarenaleague.com/
Professional Arena Independent Association
The PAIA focuses on indoor football, aiming to provide a platform for professional athletes to advance their careers. It emphasizes fairness, equality, and regionalized play. Its teams include the Dalton Mountain Snipers, South Carolina Ravens, and Peach State Cats. The league's profile is provided, including its structure, teams, partners, and expansion opportunities. Game schedules are posted on the website, and contacts and information on becoming a partner are provided.
https://gopaia.com/
