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EspañolAMERICAN INDOOR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
(Redirected from American Indoor Football League)
The 'American Indoor Football Association' (originally the Atlantic Indoor Football League, later American Indoor Football League) is an indoor football league which began play in 2005 with six teams based in the eastern United States. Before the start of the inaugural season, the Carolina Sharks franchise was dissolved and an all-road team called the Ghostriders assumed their schedule. The Raleigh Rebels also played an all-road game schedule as a favor to the league.
In the 2005-06 offseason, the AIFL made perhaps its biggest blunder to date: it made moves to expand its market to 9 new cities, acquire the Rome Renegades from the NIFL, and establish a home for the Ghostriders, nearly tripling the size of the league in one season. While there were notable successes, such as the Reading Express, the Ghostriders once again folded and yet another road team (the Ghostchasers) had to be formed. When a proposed team in Binghamton could not secure an arena, AIFL President Andrew Haines hastily moved the team to Syracuse, declared himself the owner, and tried to establish an entire team two weeks before the season. The result was a 1-10 season and the team being folded before the end of 2006. Because of the hole caused by Syracuse's departure, amateur teams from other leagues, such as the Cumberland Cardinals, had to be brought in to fill the gaps in the schedule.
For 2006, the league's two conferences was operating on separate schedules, each playing a double round-robin over 16 weeks. Each team had 14 games and 2 Byes.
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. (During GRWW's brief ownership, the league borrowed three teams from the NAFL to play against AIFL teams when an AIFL team could not fulfill their obligations. None of the NAFL teams won.)
On July 27, 2006, seven teams left the AIFL. Four teams (Augusta, Daytona Beach, Raleigh, and Rome) left to form the new World Indoor Football League with the Osceola Ghostriders of the NIFL. Miami Valley and Steubenville also left to join the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL).
On October 2, the league announced that a new league was formed called the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) that all of the teams joined.[1] The most notable change was the apparent ouster of Haines from the organization.
★ Like other indoor football leagues, the use of a rebound net is not allowed because of a patent by the Arena Football League. The AIFA will be able to use rebound nets starting with its 2008 season, as the patent will expire in September 2007.
★ Platooning and free substitution is allowed, meaning players do not have to play both offense and defense. ''The free substitution rule has since been adopted by the AFL.''
★ Franchises must have at least 9 players that originate from within a 120-mile radius of the team's home town.
★ The AIFA is one of the few leagues in America to recognize the single, but only when a kickoff is placed between the uprights.
★ 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 leather color of most leagues.
★ Canton Legends (charter member)
★ Erie Freeze (charter member)
★ Huntington Heroes
★ Johnstown Riverhawks (charter member)
★ Pittsburgh RiverRats
★ Reading Express
★ Carolina Speed - based in Concord, North Carolina
★ Florence Phantoms
★ Gulf Coast Raiders - traveling team, will have home in Florida for 2008 season
★ Lakeland Thunderbolts (formerly of National Indoor Football League)
★ Mississippi Mudcats - based in Tupelo, Mississippi
★ Montgomery Bears (formerly the 'Montgomery Maulers' of the National Indoor Football League)
★ Baltimore Mariners
★ Fayetteville Guard - former member of National Indoor Football League
★ Florida Stingrays - based in Fort Myers, Florida, will play at Lee County Civic Center
★ Wyoming Cavalry - former member of National Indoor Football League
★ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
★ Bay Shore Brawlers - (formerly of Eastern Indoor Football League)
★ Houma Bayou Bucks - (formerly of National Indoor Football League)
★ Winston-Salem Wildcats (did not play in National Indoor Football League)
★ AIFL Ghostchasers - traveling team, replaced Ghostriders midway through 2006 season
★ Binghamton Brigade/Brigadiers - team never played, replaced preseason by Syracuse
★ Carolina Ghostriders (charter member) - played in Asheville, North Carolina, ceased operations four games into 2006 season
★ Carolina Sharks - team never played, replaced before inaugural season by the Ghostriders
★ Chattahoochee Valley Vipers - got terminated from their arena lease [2]
★ Danville Demolition - got terminated from their arena lease [3]
★ Richmond Bandits (charter member) - were suspended from the 2006 playoffs for flagrant rule violations, after which they voluntarily left the league.
★ Syracuse Soldiers - suspended operations 10 games into 2006 season, Haines said they had not folded, but officially folded when Haines was ousted from league
★ Raleigh Rebels (charter member) - left to form WIFL, changed name to Carolina Bombers, but have since folded
★ Rome Renegades - left to form WIFL but have since folded
★ Augusta Spartans - left to form WIFL
★ Baltimore Blackbirds - Withdrew from league. Currently looking for new league.
★ Daytona Beach Thunder - left to form WIFL
★ Miami Valley Silverbacks - left to join Continental Indoor Football League
★ Cumberland Cardinals, Philadelphia Scorpions and Columbus Blackhawks - Teams from the NAFL who filled holes in the AIFL schedule in 2006
★ Springfield Stallions - originally planned to join league, but now in Continental Indoor Football League
★ Steubenville Stampede - left to join Continental Indoor Football League
★ Tallahassee Titans - left to join WIFL
==Championship games==
★ 2005: Richmond Bandits 56-30 Erie Freeze
★ 2006: Canton Legends 61-40 Rome Renegades
★ 2007: Lakeland Thunderbolts 54-49 Reading Express
★ List of leagues of American football
★ AIFA homepage
★ 2005 Season Stats
★ 2006 Season Stats
★ 2007 Season Stats
The 'American Indoor Football Association' (originally the Atlantic Indoor Football League, later American Indoor Football League) is an indoor football league which began play in 2005 with six teams based in the eastern United States. Before the start of the inaugural season, the Carolina Sharks franchise was dissolved and an all-road team called the Ghostriders assumed their schedule. The Raleigh Rebels also played an all-road game schedule as a favor to the league.
In the 2005-06 offseason, the AIFL made perhaps its biggest blunder to date: it made moves to expand its market to 9 new cities, acquire the Rome Renegades from the NIFL, and establish a home for the Ghostriders, nearly tripling the size of the league in one season. While there were notable successes, such as the Reading Express, the Ghostriders once again folded and yet another road team (the Ghostchasers) had to be formed. When a proposed team in Binghamton could not secure an arena, AIFL President Andrew Haines hastily moved the team to Syracuse, declared himself the owner, and tried to establish an entire team two weeks before the season. The result was a 1-10 season and the team being folded before the end of 2006. Because of the hole caused by Syracuse's departure, amateur teams from other leagues, such as the Cumberland Cardinals, had to be brought in to fill the gaps in the schedule.
For 2006, the league's two conferences was operating on separate schedules, each playing a double round-robin over 16 weeks. Each team had 14 games and 2 Byes.
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. (During GRWW's brief ownership, the league borrowed three teams from the NAFL to play against AIFL teams when an AIFL team could not fulfill their obligations. None of the NAFL teams won.)
On July 27, 2006, seven teams left the AIFL. Four teams (Augusta, Daytona Beach, Raleigh, and Rome) left to form the new World Indoor Football League with the Osceola Ghostriders of the NIFL. Miami Valley and Steubenville also left to join the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL).
On October 2, the league announced that a new league was formed called the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) that all of the teams joined.[1] The most notable change was the apparent ouster of Haines from the organization.
Basic rule differences
The AIFA's red, white, and blue football
★ Like other indoor football leagues, the use of a rebound net is not allowed because of a patent by the Arena Football League. The AIFA will be able to use rebound nets starting with its 2008 season, as the patent will expire in September 2007.
★ Platooning and free substitution is allowed, meaning players do not have to play both offense and defense. ''The free substitution rule has since been adopted by the AFL.''
★ Franchises must have at least 9 players that originate from within a 120-mile radius of the team's home town.
★ The AIFA is one of the few leagues in America to recognize the single, but only when a kickoff is placed between the uprights.
★ 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 leather color of most leagues.
2007 AIFA teams
North Division
★ Canton Legends (charter member)
★ Erie Freeze (charter member)
★ Huntington Heroes
★ Johnstown Riverhawks (charter member)
★ Pittsburgh RiverRats
★ Reading Express
South Division
★ Carolina Speed - based in Concord, North Carolina
★ Florence Phantoms
★ Gulf Coast Raiders - traveling team, will have home in Florida for 2008 season
★ Lakeland Thunderbolts (formerly of National Indoor Football League)
★ Mississippi Mudcats - based in Tupelo, Mississippi
★ Montgomery Bears (formerly the 'Montgomery Maulers' of the National Indoor Football League)
Set to begin play in 2008
★ Baltimore Mariners
★ Fayetteville Guard - former member of National Indoor Football League
★ Florida Stingrays - based in Fort Myers, Florida, will play at Lee County Civic Center
★ Wyoming Cavalry - former member of National Indoor Football League
Set to begin play in 2009
★ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Rejected for 2007 expansion, could join in 2008
★ Bay Shore Brawlers - (formerly of Eastern Indoor Football League)
★ Houma Bayou Bucks - (formerly of National Indoor Football League)
★ Winston-Salem Wildcats (did not play in National Indoor Football League)
Defunct franchises
★ AIFL Ghostchasers - traveling team, replaced Ghostriders midway through 2006 season
★ Binghamton Brigade/Brigadiers - team never played, replaced preseason by Syracuse
★ Carolina Ghostriders (charter member) - played in Asheville, North Carolina, ceased operations four games into 2006 season
★ Carolina Sharks - team never played, replaced before inaugural season by the Ghostriders
★ Chattahoochee Valley Vipers - got terminated from their arena lease [2]
★ Danville Demolition - got terminated from their arena lease [3]
★ Richmond Bandits (charter member) - were suspended from the 2006 playoffs for flagrant rule violations, after which they voluntarily left the league.
★ Syracuse Soldiers - suspended operations 10 games into 2006 season, Haines said they had not folded, but officially folded when Haines was ousted from league
★ Raleigh Rebels (charter member) - left to form WIFL, changed name to Carolina Bombers, but have since folded
★ Rome Renegades - left to form WIFL but have since folded
Teams no longer in the AIFL/AIFA
★ Augusta Spartans - left to form WIFL
★ Baltimore Blackbirds - Withdrew from league. Currently looking for new league.
★ Daytona Beach Thunder - left to form WIFL
★ Miami Valley Silverbacks - left to join Continental Indoor Football League
★ Cumberland Cardinals, Philadelphia Scorpions and Columbus Blackhawks - Teams from the NAFL who filled holes in the AIFL schedule in 2006
★ Springfield Stallions - originally planned to join league, but now in Continental Indoor Football League
★ Steubenville Stampede - left to join Continental Indoor Football League
★ Tallahassee Titans - left to join WIFL
==Championship games==
★ 2005: Richmond Bandits 56-30 Erie Freeze
★ 2006: Canton Legends 61-40 Rome Renegades
★ 2007: Lakeland Thunderbolts 54-49 Reading Express
See also
★ List of leagues of American football
External links
★ AIFA homepage
★ 2005 Season Stats
★ 2006 Season Stats
★ 2007 Season Stats
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