{{short description|International sport governing body}} {{redirect|IFAF|The International Federation of Association Football|FIFA}} {{distinguish|World League of American Football}} {{Infobox organization | name = International Federation of American Football | abbreviation = IFAF | image = International Federation of American Football.png | image_size = 230px | type = Sports federation | status = Governing body of American football | formation = {{Start date and age|1998}} | region_served = Worldwide | headquarters = Lausanne, Switzerland (until 2025 Paris, France)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://americanfootball.sport/contacts/|title=Contacts|publisher=International Federation of American Football|access-date=October 5, 2025|quote=16 Boulevard Saint Germain CS 70514 – 75237 Paris CEDEX 05 France}}</ref> | membership = 78 members (August 2025)<ref>{{cite web |title=Member Federations |url=https://americanfootball.sport/member-federations/ |website=International Federation of American Football |access-date=28 December 2024}}</ref> | main_organ = Congress | leader_title = President | leader_name = {{Flagicon|FRA}} Pierre Trochet | leader_title2 = Vice president | leader_name2 = {{flagicon|CAN}} Jim Mullin | leader_title3 = General secretary | leader_name3 = {{flagicon|US}} Eric Mayes | key_people = '''Managing director'''<br />{{flagicon|UK}} Andy Fuller | affiliations = ARISF | website = [https://americanfootball.sport/ americanfootball.sport] }}
The '''International Federation of American Football''' ('''IFAF''') is the international governing body of American football associations. The IFAF oversees the organization and promotion of all international competitions across both contact and non contact versions of the game,<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.americanfootball.sport/history/ |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=International Federation of American Football |language=en-GB}}</ref> including the IFAF World Championship, which is held every four years. The IFAF became a provisionary member of SportAccord in 2003, and became a full SportAccord member in 2005. In 2023, IFAF was officially recognized as an Olympic IF (International Federation) by the IOC. In 2023, IFAF marked a historic new streak, with flag football being selected as one of the five new sports for the LA 2028 Olympic Summer Games. The organization's head office relocated to Lausanne, Switzerland in 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pierre Trochet: "This isn't a goodbye to Paris, it's just a see you later." |url=https://www.francsjeux.com/en/2025/12/08/Pierre-Trochet%3A-Lifaf%27s-governance-must-reflect-the-reality-on-the-ground/108979/ |access-date=9 December 2025 |website=Francs Jeux |language=en}}</ref>
== IFAF Purpose and Mission == IFAF Purpose and mission includes the following:
* Promotion of the game and the provision of educational and innovative resources for the football community to help strengthen the growth of American Football for people of all ages, background and abilities. * Organization and promotion of all amateur international competitions across both contact and non contact versions of the game. * Recognition and support of national federations as they develop the game in their respective countries. * regulation of the game on and of the field of play through oversight of its rules. * Representation of the global game to international partners, be they sporting organizations, federation or commercial interest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.americanfootball.sport/history/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=International Federation of American Football |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Structure and organization== The IFAF recognizes in their respective areas the following branches<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usafootball.com/news/press-box/ifaf-congress-ratifies-new-structure|title=IFAF Congress ratifies new structure|access-date=30 December 2015|date=7 July 2012|website=usafootball.com|archive-date=8 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808120310/http://usafootball.com/news/press-box/ifaf-congress-ratifies-new-structure|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/american-football-to-get-new-look-in-europe-starting-in-2015-thanks-to-ifaf/|title=Structural changes on the horizon for American Football in Europe|last1=Kelly|first1=Roger|date=18 August 2014 |website=AmericanFootballInternational.com|access-date=30 December 2015}}</ref> and has 78 as of August 2025:<ref>http://www.americanfootball.sport/member-federations/24</ref>
* IFAF Africa: 11 * IFAF Americas: 18 * IFAF Asia: 13 * IFAF Europe: 30 (European Championship of American football) * IFAF Oceania: 6
== Members == thumb|Map of countries that participate in the IFAF as of August 2025. {{columns-list|colwidth=18em |'''Africa (11)''' * {{af|Cameroon}} * {{af|Congo}} * {{af|Egypt}} * {{af|Ghana}} * {{af|Ivory Coast}} * {{af|Kenya}} * {{af|Nigeria}} * {{af|South Africa}} * {{af|Tunisia}} * {{af|Uganda}} * {{af|Zimbabwe}}
'''Americas (18)''' * {{af|Argentina}} * {{af|Brazil}} * {{af|Canada}} * {{af|Chile}} * {{af|Colombia}} * {{af|Dominican Republic}} * {{af|El Salvador}} * {{af|Guatemala}} * {{af|Haiti}} * {{af|Honduras}} * {{af|Jamaica}} * {{af|Mexico}} * {{af|Nicaragua}} * {{af|Panama}} * {{af|Trinidad and Tobago}} * {{af|United States}} * {{flagicon|URU}} Uruguay * {{af|Venezuela}}
'''Asia (13)''' * {{af|Hong Kong}} * {{af|India}} * {{af|Indonesia}} * {{af|Japan}} * {{af|Jordan}} * {{af|Kazakhstan}} * {{af|Kuwait}} * {{af|Malaysia}} * {{af|Philippines}} * {{af|Singapore}} * {{af|South Korea}} * {{af|Thailand}} * {{af|Vietnam}}
'''Europe (30)''' * {{af|Austria}} * {{af|Belarus}} * {{af|Belgium}} * {{af|Croatia}} * {{af|Czechia}} * {{af|Denmark}} * {{af|Finland}} * {{af|France}} * {{af|Georgia (country)}} * {{af|Germany}} * {{af|Great Britain}} * {{af|Hungary}} * {{af|Ireland}} * {{af|Israel}} * {{af|Italy}} * {{af|Luxembourg}} * {{af|Malta}} * {{af|Netherlands}} * {{af|Norway}} * {{af|Poland}} * {{af|Portugal}} * {{af|Russia}} * {{af|Serbia}} * {{af|Slovakia}} * {{af|Slovenia}} * {{af|Spain}} * {{af|Sweden}} * {{af|Switzerland}} * {{af|Turkey}} * {{af|Ukraine}}
'''Oceania (6)''' * {{af|American Samoa}} * {{af|Australia}} * {{af|New Caledonia}} * {{af|New Zealand}} * {{af|Papua New Guinea}} * {{af|Tahiti}} }}
==Variants== Source:<ref>http://www.americanfootball.sport/</ref>
# Tackle football<ref>http://www.americanfootball.sport/a-guide-to-tackle-football/</ref> # Flag football:<ref>http://www.americanfootball.sport/a-guide-to-flag-football/</ref> 40 minutes with two halves of 20 minutes # Wheelchair football:<ref>http://www.americanfootball.sport/a-guide-to-wheelchair-football/</ref> Indoors or outdoors # Beach flag football:<ref>http://www.americanfootball.sport/a-guide-to-beach-flag-football/</ref> 4 players - 25-yard field - 30 minutes with two halves of 15 minutes
==Competitions== '''<big>American football competitions</big>'''
'''Men''' * IFAF World Championship of American Football * World University American Football Championship (FISU / IFAF) * World Games (IWGA / IFAF)
'''Junior''' * IFAF U-20 World Championship
'''Women''' * IFAF Women's World Championship
'''<big>Flag football competitions</big>'''
'''Men / Women''' * IFAF Flag Football World Championship * World Games Flag Football (IWGA / IFAF)
== Governance == === President === Pierre Trochet (France) was elected President of IFAF in December 2021.<ref name=president /> He was re-elected unopposed for his second and final term in December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Preston |first=Michael |date=2024-12-07 |title=Congress Review |url=https://www.americanfootball.sport/2024/12/07/congress-review/ |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=International Federation of American Football |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==== Former presidents ==== Source:<ref name="president">{{Cite web |title=President |url=https://www.americanfootball.sport/governance/president/ |access-date=2025-09-11 |website=International Federation of American Football |language=en-GB}}</ref> * Eiji Sasada (Japan): 1998–1999 * Frederic Paquet (France): 1999–2006 * Tommy Wiking (Sweden): 2006–2015 * Mac Kaneuji (Japan): 2015–2015 (interim) * Roope Noronen (Finland): 2015–2016 * Richard MacLean (Canada): 2016–2021
== Governance controversy and schism == Following the cancellation of the 2015 IFAF World Championship in Sweden for financial reasons, the event was moved to the United States. In February 2015, Tommy Wiking resigned as president of IFAF due to the event's cancellation before being reinstalled in the position. One group in New York had elected Roope Noronen as interim president in September 2014, followed by Richard MacLean in 2015. Another group, based in Paris, recognized Wiking as president.
In September 2016, the Paris IFAF suspended six nations—the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Finland, and Denmark—for not submitting player information for anti-doping. A group of European federations wished for a reunification of the sport during a December 2016 meeting in Rome.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1044573/european-federations-attempt-to-reunify-american-football-with-series-of-measures-following-crunch-rome-meeting|title=European federations attempt to reunify American football with series of measures following crunch Rome meeting|date=9 December 2016|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref> In May 2017, after a split that created rival groupings of the International Federation of American Football, the IFAF party in Paris stripped its recognition of USA Football,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ifaf.info/ifaf/usa-football-not-anymore-national-governing-body-american-football-usa/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606010530/http://www.ifaf.info/ifaf/usa-football-not-anymore-national-governing-body-american-football-usa/ | url-status=usurped | archive-date=June 6, 2017 | title=Football}}</ref> citing disputes over anti-doping enforcement. IFAF Paris instead recognized the United States Federation of American Football as the USA's governing body,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifaf.info/ifaf/ifaf-accepts-usfaf/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516232743/http://www.ifaf.info/ifaf/ifaf-accepts-usfaf/ |archive-date=2017-05-16 |title=IFAF Accepts USFAF as Provisional Member from USA - IFAF}}</ref> and the USFAF organized a team to participate in the 2017 World Games, in which it won a bronze medal. The grouping of the IFAF based in New York continued to recognize USA Football<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ifaf.org/articles/view/1654 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726070938/http://ifaf.org/articles/view/1654 |archive-date=2017-07-26 |title=IFAF - Articles - View - 1654}}</ref> and organized the 2017 Women's World Championships, which the USA won.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ifaf.org/articles/view/1659 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726070943/http://ifaf.org/articles/view/1659 |archive-date=2017-07-26 |title=IFAF - Articles - View - 1659}}</ref>
In March 2018, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) determined that the IFAF in New York was the proper governing entity and voided all decisions of the other IFAF entity, including their decision to strip USA Football of its recognition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/court-arbitration-rules-ifaf-paris-affirms-tommy-wiking-resigned-president/|title=Court of Arbitration rules against IFAF Paris, affirms Tommy Wiking resigned as President|date=28 September 2017}}</ref> USA Football is currently the internationally recognized governing body for American football in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ifaf.org/nations/nations-americas |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502075634/http://ifaf.org/nations/nations-americas |archive-date=2018-05-02 |title=Nations: Americas {{!}} NATIONS {{!}} International American Football}}</ref>
==See also== {{portal|American Football}} * NFL * List of American and Canadian football leagues * NFL Europe * IFAF Flag Football World Championship * IFAF Junior World Championship
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}}
{{International American football}} {{IFAF World Cup}} {{IFAF Junior World Cup}} {{International Sports Federations}} {{Authority control}}
Category:International Federation of American Football Category:Sports organizations established in 1998 Category:American football governing bodies Category:1998 establishments in France Category:Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations