National Women's Football Association

The National Women's Football Association (NWFA) was a full-contact American football league for women headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league was founded by Catherine Masters in 2000, as the two benchmark teams, the Alabama Renegades and the Nashville Dream played each other six times in exhibition games. The opening season was in 2001 featuring ten teams.[1] The NWFA did not officially field any teams for the 2009 season.

National Women's Football Association
SportAmerican football
Founded2000
Ceased2008
Country United States
Last
champion(s)
H-Town Texas Cyclones (now in WFA)

The NWFA was originally called the National Women's Football League, but changed its name after the 2002 season. The name change came after pressure from the National Football League.[2] The NFL also required the league to change the logos of some teams whose logos resembled those of NFL teams.

League founder Catherine Masters was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.[3]

League rules

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NWFA teams played according to standard National Football League rules with the following notable exceptions:

  • TDY-sized football
  • only one foot in-bounds is required for a reception
  • no blocking below the waist downfield

List of teams

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Team Post-2009 status Notes
Alabama Renegades joined IWFL became the Tennessee Valley Tigers
Antelope Valley Bombers defunct
Arizona Wildfire defunct
Asheville Assault defunct
Atlanta Leopards defunct
Austin Outlaws joined WFA
Baltimore Burn joined WSFL
Chattanooga Locomotion joined IWFL
Cincinnati Sizzle joined WFA
Cleveland Fusion joined WFA
Clinton County Chaos joined WSFL
Columbus Comets joined WFA
Connecticut Crushers joined IWFL
D.C. Divas joined WFA
Dayton Diamonds joined WFA
Detroit Danger, Detroit Demolition joined IWFL
East Texas SaberKats joined WFA had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
Emerald Coast Barracudas joined WFA
Erie Illusion joined IWFL
Evansville Express defunct
Fort Wayne Flash joined WFA
Gulf Coast Herricanes defunct
H-Town Texas Cyclones joined WFA
Indiana Thunder defunct
Indianapolis Chaos defunct
Iowa Thunder joined WSFL
Jacksonville Dixie Blues joined WFA had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
Jersey Justice joined IWFL had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
Junction City Jaguars defunct
Kansas City Krunch defunct
Kentucky Karma joined WFA
Keystone Assault joined WFA had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
Knoxville Summit defunct
Knoxville Tornadoes defunct
Lone Star Mustangs joined WFA had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
Los Angeles Amazons joined IWFL
Maine Freeze defunct
Marana She-Devils joined WFA had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
Memphis Belles joined WFA
Minnesota Vixen joined IWFL
Missouri Phoenix joined WSFL renamed as the Kansas Phoenix
Modesto Maniax joined IWFL
Muscle Shoals SmasHers defunct
Nashville Dream defunct
New Jersey Titans joined WFA
New Orleans Blaze joined WFA
New York Nemesis joined IWFL
Oklahoma City Lightning joined WFA
Pensacola Power joined WFA became the Gulf Coast Riptide
Philadelphia Phoenix joined IWFL now the Philadelphia Firebirds
Phoenix Prowlers joined WFA
Pittsburgh Force joined WFA had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
Pittsburgh Passion joined IWFL
Richmond Dream defunct
Roanoke Revenge defunct
Rochester Raptors defunct
South Bend GoldenHawks defunct
St. Louis Slam joined WFA
Tennessee Venom defunct
Tidewater Floods defunct
Tree Town Spitfire defunct
Ventura Black Widows joined WSFL had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
West Michigan Mayhem joined WFA
West Virginia Bruisers joined WSFL had planned to play in NWFA for 2009
West Virginia Wonders joined WSFL became the West Virginia Wildfire
Wisconsin Riverters defunct

Championship games

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Goodson, Mike (23 July 2004). "Women's football alive in Alabama". Gadsden Times. p. B3. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  2. ^ Stellino, Vito (1 December 2002). "Emmitt shows all his tank's not empty yet". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, FL. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014. More evidence that the NFL sometimes takes itself too seriously: Its lawyers forced the National's Women's Football League to change its name to the National Women's Football Association.
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Organ, Mike (22 July 2007). "Passion grounds Comets for title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
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