Professional Indoor Football League

The Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) was a professional indoor football league that played four seasons from 2012 to 2015. Like the Lone Star Football League, the PIFL was mainly composed of teams formerly part of Southern Indoor Football League (five former SIFL teams and one expansion team in total).[1] Despite the name, this PIFL had no connections to the original Professional Indoor Football League.

For the original Professional Indoor Football League, see Professional Indoor Football League (1998).
Professional Indoor Football League
SportIndoor football
Founded2011
Inaugural season2012
Ceased2015
CEORon Selesky
No. of teams5
CountryUnited States
Last
champion(s)		Columbus Lions (1st title)
Most titlesAlabama Hammers
Albany Panthers
Columbus Lions
Nashville Venom (1 title)
Related
competitions		American Indoor Football
Indoor Football League

History

The PIFL began in 2012 with six teams in the southeastern United States, five of which joined from the Southern Indoor Football League, and the expansion Knoxville NightHawks.[2] On March 10, 2012, the Richmond Raiders defeated the Columbus Lions, 64–58, in the first ever PIFL game.[3] On June 30, 2012, PIFL Cup I was played in Albany, Georgia between the Albany Panthers and the Raiders. It was played at the James H. Gray Civic Center in front of 6,194 people. Albany won the game, 60–56.[4]

Following a successful 2012, the PIFL added two new teams for the 2013 season. The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the Indoor Football League,[5] as well as the Charlotte Speed,[6] another former SIFL team who had previously committed to play in the IFL as well. On July 8, 2013, PIFL Cup II was played in Huntsville, Alabama between the Alabama Hammers and the Richmond Raiders. It was played at the Von Braun Center in front of 3,133 people. Alabama won the game, 70–44.[7]

In the fall of 2013, two teams from the Northeast were added to the PIFL roster for the 2014 season. The expansion Trenton Freedom[8] and the Nashville Venom[9] joined the league for the 2014 season, as well as the Harrisburg Stampede, a former American Indoor Football (AIF) team.[10]

Knoxville and Albany, according to the teams' respective websites, suspended play for the 2014 season. As they did not continue into the PIFL's final season of 2015, they had no opportunity to attempt to latch on to another league upon the PIFL's demise. Neither did the former Charlotte Speed franchise, which had not been allowed to participate in 2013 after announcing an intention to do so. This team is also now fully defunct.

For the 2015 season, the league added the Erie Explosion, the two-time defending champions of the Continental Indoor Football League, which had disbanded after the 2014 season.

On September 9, 2015, the league disbanded after several of its teams folded, with the exception of the Columbus Lions (the final PIFL champions) and the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, both of which would join the American Indoor Football league and would go on to become founding members of the National Arena League in 2017. The Erie Explosion held out until January 2016, initially joining the Indoor Football Alliance, before suspending operations.

Teams
Map of the team cities in the Professional Indoor Football League.

Thirteen different franchises were issued during the PIFL's existence, but only 12 ever took the field for actual play – the Charlotte Speed never fielded a team in the PIFL as the franchise was revoked prior to the 2013 season. During the regular season, each team was allowed a maximum of 27 players on their roster;[11] only 20 of these were eligible to be active (eligible to play) on game days.[12]

Teams that played

PIFL Champions
YearWinnerLoserScore
2012Albany PanthersRichmond Raiders60–56
2013Alabama HammersRichmond Raiders70–44
2014Nashville VenomLehigh Valley Steelhawks64–43
2015Columbus LionsRichmond Raiders64–38

Player and coach awards

The PIFL recognized a number of awards for their players and coaches.

2012

2013

2014

2015

References
  1. Benson, Reggie (21 September 2011). "Alabama Hammers join PIFL for upcoming season". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  2. Dan Krieger (September 12, 2011). "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". OurSports Central. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  3. John Packett (March 11, 2012). "Young leads Raiders to season-opening win". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  4. "Albany hangs on to top Richmond in championship game". Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 1, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  5. "Steelhawks moving for 2013 season". www.mcall.com. The Morning Call. August 8, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  6. "PIFL Adds Eighth Member in Charlotte Speed". OurSports Central. September 13, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  7. Mark McCarter (July 8, 2013). "Alabama Hammers roll impressively to PIFL championship by dismantling Richmond". www.al.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  8. "Trenton Freedom join PIFL". The Trentonian. September 20, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  9. "PIFL Sinks Fangs into Nashville". OurSports Central. November 8, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  10. Mark McCarter (September 25, 2013). "Defending champs Alabama Hammers to be joined by two new teams in PIFL for the 2014 season". www.al.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. "Lions Announce 27 Man Roster". OurSports Central. March 7, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  12. John Millikan (March 9, 2012). "Panthers finalize roster for March 17 season opener". Albany Herald. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
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