What is the difference between Arena Football League and Indoor Football League?

By Jason Bolton February 09, 2024 03:22

The Arena Football League (AFL) was the most prevalent and widely recognized of these. In 1987, it was a professional indoor American football league. Played on a smaller field than outdoor football, the AFL was known for being higher-scoring and more fast-paced. The original intent was for the league to embrace its rules, specifically with higher-scoring games that attracted a segment of fans who dug high-octane offenses.

Game Format

At small stadiums, the AFL teams played on a 50-yard field—half as long as what is used in outdoor football games.
This has changed in the AFL, where players and fans meet on smaller fields, resulting in higher-scoring games with greater interaction.
Rebound nets were common on the AFL sidelines, thus a ball thrown into the net became "live".

Teams

The AFL, with franchises in cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., was spread out geographically across the country.
The former achieved a peak of 19 teams competing for the championship.

Popularity and Decline

With a dedicated fanbase and TV coverage, AFL attendance was high during the late 1980s and throughout the nineties.
Yet it suffered financial problems and ownership switchovers, which ultimately planned its closure.

Indoor Football League (IFL)

The IFL was founded as a league where teams could compete at a professional level and be recognized by football fans.

Game Format

Like the AFL, IFL games are played on a smaller field than traditional outdoor football, measuring 50 yards.
The IFL also includes boards on each side of the field with rebound nets which keeps play in motion and fans more engaged.

Teams

Teams in the IFL come out of cities all over America, from as far south to Arizona and Iowa up north Nebraska.
The IFL now boasts 12 teams currently competing in the league.

Popularity and Growth

Since its nascent beginning, the IFL has picked up steam as fans have shown an appreciation for a scoring-crazy game that moves at light speed.
The league also prioritized community involvement and broadening the fans of football.

Key Differences

Field Size

Both leagues play on a 50-yard-long field, but the AFL originally used an OS-wide and high x-length field and later went to width.

Scoring

AFL games were high-scoring, and scores frequently exceeded 50 points for each team.
The IFL has a lot of high-scoring affairs, but they are focused on offensive play and gaudy scoring totals.

Rebound Nets

Williamson said both leagues had rebound nets along the sidelines to keep play in bounds and introduced an element of randomness into gameplay.

Popularity and Legacy

While not the first league to play a portion of its games indoors, it did have a major impact on the development of indoor football as well leagues that would follow.
However, the IFL has been working on a sustainable model for indoor football and growing its fan base successfully to become one of the main leagues in arena/indoor football.

It is obvious that the difference between the Arena Football League and Indoor Football League comes from its history, both leagues are similar in play style. These teams with strong ties to both the AFL, which has a robust history and one of his former staffers helped initiate indoor football development in that league, are joined by the IFL, running on sustainability and growth. Both have contributed to the evolution of indoor football becoming an anticipated sport from people all over the United States and even the world.