2012 brings the birth of American Indoor Football, a continuation of many of the goals and successes of the American Indoor Football Association. In 2011 the AIFA East teams merged with the Southern Indoor Football League with the goal of a broader geographically footprint, and wider recognition. At the end of the 2011 season several SIFL teams left to join a new league based in the south and the timing was right to again provide league play for northern teams thus the AIF was formed.
 

The AIF is set up as a National League but will based on regional play within each division. In 2012 the AIF will feature two divisions one on the east coast covering the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and North Carolina and the other on west coast covering the states of California, Arizona and Nevada with a championship game played between the eastern and western conference champions hosted in 2012 by the eastern conference champion. 
 

The AIF will be run by league ownership and management in conjunction with owners and executives from member teams serving on the AIF Executive and Standards Committees. In addition to further the experience of indoor football the AIF will be split into two tiers the Professional League and the Developmental League. Both leagues will play on regulation indoor size fields, play by AIF rules and regulations and receive the benefits of professional coaching and scouting videos and league statistics.
 

The Professional League will be the top tier and consists of teams playing in local arenas where players are paid and receive benefits like housing, meals, per diem, etc. The season will run from March to June each year.
 
The Developmental League is the second tier where players that have been released from a professional league can improve their skills and try to move back up or for younger inexperienced players that want to learn the skills of indoor football. These teams will consist of amateur and former professional players and play in smaller arenas or community recreation centers during the months of August through October of each year. AIF Developmental is proposed to start summer/fall of 2012.