| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| No. of teams | 70 |
| Country(ies) | England, Scotland, Wales |
| Official website | http://www.bafanl.co.uk |
The BAFA National Leagues (BAFANL, formerly the BAFA Community Leagues) are the primary American football competition in England, Scotland and Wales. They were formed by the British American Football Association in 2010 to coordinate contact football and flag football across all age ranges. A total of 70 teams compete within the leagues.
Contents |
Like most sports in Europe, but unlike most American football leagues, the BAFA senior league uses the system of promotion and relegation, with the league divided into three divisions, "Premiership," "Division 1" and "Division 2".[1]
The BAFA's Premier Division for the 2011 season comprises six teams, including the Tamworth team who won the previous year's Division One play-off final.[2] Each team plays each other once at home and once away, with the top four teams qualifying for the post-season play-offs.
Division 1 comprises 18 teams split into three regional conferences. These include Sussex Thunder, who were relegated from the Premier Division, while three teams were promoted from Division Two; Edinburgh Wolves enter the North conference, Manchester Titans enter the Central conference, and London Olympians enter the South conference after winning the divisional play-off. Each team plays each other once at home and once away, with the top two teams in each conference qualifying for the play-offs together with the two best third-placed teams.
| Division 1 North | Division 1 Central | Division 1 South |
|---|---|---|
|
Division 2 comprises 27 teams split into four regional conferences. This includes the Bournemouth Bobcats, Bristol Apache and Carlisle Border Reivers who were accepted into the league as its newest members, plus the Dundee Hurricanes, Kent Exiles and South Wales Warriors who dropped down from Division 1. Each team plays each other once at home and once away. The top two teams in each conference qualify for the play-offs.
| Division 2 North | Division 2 Central | Division 2 East | Division 2 West |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
The junior contact league (competed by players between the ages of 16 and 19) comprises 26 teams divided into four regional divisions.[1]
| North | Central | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
The youth contact league (competed by players between the ages of 14 and 17) comprises 16 teams divided into three regional divisions.[1]
| North | Scotland | South |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|