The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association.
The NFL was first held in 1925-1926, 38 years after the first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, with Laois being the first winners. The League has traditionally played second fiddle to the All-Ireland, with most counties using it as a warm-up for the All-Ireland. This was not helped by the fact that the League was played in winter (November-March usually) while the championship had the more attractive summer dates and knockout structure.
In 2002 the league was changed to a February-April calendar, which has increased interest with attendances growing and live games broadcast on TG4.