As of 2011, there were over 1,000 registered USAFL players.[3][4] There are 48 member clubs, of which 47 have men's teams (all except North Star Blue Ox) and 25 have women's teams.[1]
Most of the football clubs in the United States have a traditional 18-a-side team for representative purposes and multiple 9-a-side teams running in a local league.
Each year the USAFL holds a National club championship, a tournament open to all clubs across the nation, the largest of its type in the world for the sport. In addition to the Nationals, the USAFL holds major regional tournaments including the Central, East and West regional tournaments.[5]
CRBR Park Stadium is the largest purpose built cricket/Australian football ground in the United States. It has a capacity of 20,000.
The first match between two local US clubs was played in 1996 between Cincinnati and Louisville.[6]
In the first year the Mid American Australian Football League was formed.
Many of the local players had found out about the game in the 1980s on television via the then-nascent ESPN cable network. Although the local game grew, ESPN no longer broadcast AFL matches, and in response the lobby group, Australian Football Association of North America was formed.
In 1997, the first club national championships were held in Cincinnati. Nashville hosted the first Australian Grand Final Festival in the same year. The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) was formed in 1997 to govern the code in the country.
The involvement of many well-known Australians has helped boost the relations between the USAFL and AFL. In the early days, Paul Roos was a key figure.
USAFL is responsible for the co-ordination of the National Teams, the USA Revolution men's team and the USA Freedom women's team.
The team plays in international tournaments and exhibition matches against other countries. National team players are selected from the best US-born players from the club teams across the country.
