page_title: American Indoor Football
section_title: Basic rule differences
hierarchical_section_title: American Indoor Football / Basic rule differences
caption_attribution_description: English: I caught this ball at the Canton-Erie game on February 9, 2007. Picture taken February 12, 2007 in my living room.
context_page_description: American Indoor Football was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.
  The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United States in 2005. After a rapid, and largely failed, expansion effort in 2006, most of the league's remaining teams jumped to the new AIFA. The AIFA expanded throughout existing territory and, in 2008, expanded into the Western United States. The league legally divided into two entities to allow for a partial merger with the Southern Indoor Football League, which resulted in all of its Eastern teams merging into the SIFL and the AIFA only maintaining its western teams. The league's western component, which remained separate of the merger, had indicated it would play as the AIFA West for the 2011 season but ceased operations January 2011. The league announced it would be relaunching as American Indoor Football in time for spring 2012. After the 2016 season, the AIF ceased operations with the former AIF owner stating his support for the recently created Arena Developmental League.
context_section_description: AIF did not use rebound nets found in the Arena Football League.
  One linebacker could move flat to flat but was required to stay in drop zone.
  Platooning and free substitution were allowed, meaning players did not have to play both offense and defense.
  Franchises were required to have at least nine players that originated from within a 120-mile radius of the team's home town.
  The AIF ball pattern was similar to that of the basketball in the American Basketball Association, with red, white, and blue panels as opposed to the brown colored football of most leagues. This pattern originated in the AIFL and is also used in the UIFL.
  Two rule changes appeared to be inspired by Canadian football rules:
  Two offensive players could be in motion at one time. The AFL allows only one in motion.
  The AIF recognized the single (also known as an uno or rouge).  If a kickoff goes through the uprights, or if the receiving team does not advance the ball out of the end zone on a kickoff, the kicking team is awarded one point and the ball is spotted at the opponent's five yard line.
caption: The AIFA's red, white, and blue football
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