The International Federation of American Football was formed in 1998 by founding nations Australia, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Sweden and Spain. By 2008 IFAF membership had increased to a total of 52 countries governed by five continental federations.
American Football has been played internationally since the late 1800s in countries such as Canada and the United States and can trace its roots in Japan back to the 1930s. The game gained popularity in Europe in the 1970s and gathered pace in the 1980s when sports enthusiasts were gripped by a surge in interest in both watching football on television and participating on the gridiron.
The key goals of IFAF include becoming recognized members of the international sporting community by earning recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF). In 2003, IFAF was granted GAISF provisional member status and in 2005 became a full member.
In 2007, IFAF launched a new membership development program with the mission to strengthen the quality of American Football in emerging federations and spread interest in the sport in those countries where a domestic structure does not exist yet.
IFAF is supported and endorsed by the NFL Youth Football Fund and the NFL Players Association.
The IFAF blog is a work in progress. Stay tuned for updates.