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 2010 IFAF membership has increased to a total of 59 countries governed by four 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.
Swedish native Tommy Wiking was elected as President of IFAF in 2006 and was unanimously elected to serve a second term in 2008.
Participation in competitions and tournaments are a cornerstone of IFAF objectives and the inaugural IFAF Senior World Championship kicked off in Palermo, Italy, in 1999. Japan became the sport’s first true world champion by defeating Mexico 6-0 in overtime in the championship game. Japan retained its title four years later in 2003 in Frankfurt, Germany, when Mexico was again defeated 34-14 in the gold medal game. In 2007 the United States entered a nationally selected team for the first time and triumphed in Tokyo, Japan, denying the host nation a third successive title by a score of 23-20 in overtime. A record number of 21 countries had entered the qualification process in 2007, leading to six nations competing in Japan. The 2011 IFAF Senior World Championship will be played in Austria between eight qualified nations.
In 2009 the IFAF Junior World Championship was established when eight teams of players aged 19 and under converged on Canton, Ohio for an event played at Fawcett Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Host United States became the inaugural champion, defeating Canada in the Gold Medal Game, while Japan defeated Mexico to win the Bronze Medal. Four continents were represented in total with Germany, Sweden, France and New Zealand finishing fifth through eighth. The second IFAF JWC will be played in 2012 and contested every two years thereafter.
In 2010 the IFAF Women’s World Championship was established when the United States’ females triumphed over Canada to win the inaugural Gold Medal. Finland took bronze, defeating Germany, while host Sweden claimed fifth place over Austria in the six-team tournament held in Stockholm.
The fourth IFAF Senior Flag Football World Championship was held in Canada in 2008, following tournaments played in Austria (2002), France (2004) and Korea (2006). IFAF has also endorsed member participation in events such as the NFL Global Junior Championship (1997-2007) and the NFL Flag Football World Championship (2000-2007).
The IFAF mission remains 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 yet exist. IFAF is focused on establishing an African continental federation, increasing female participation in all areas of the sport both on and off the field, and ensuring its members are WADA compliant. IFAF is a full member of SportAccord and a key goal is earning recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
IFAF is supported and endorsed by the NFL Youth Football Fund and the NFL Players Association.
IFAF Board of Directors:
President: Tommy Wiking (Sweden)
First Senior Vice President: K.K. Park (Korea)
Second Senior Vice President: Jose Jorge Orobio de Rosas (Mexico)
Third Vice President: Roope Noronen (Finland)
Fourth Senior Vice President: Dr. Elesa Argent (Great Britain)
Treasurer: Scott Hallenbeck (USA)
Secretary: Richard Munro (Canada)
Deputy Secretary: Marie Solhaug (Norway)
Deputy Treasurer: Leoloca Orlando (Italy)
Executive Committee member Europe: Robert Huber (Germany)
Executive Committee member Asia: Hidetsugu Hirai (Japan)
Executive Committee member Pan-America: Fernando Rodriguez (Uruguay)
Executive Committee member Oceania: Michael Ryan (Australia)
Michael Preston
Director of Public Relations