American Football Association of Finland

American Football Association of Finland (SAJL) is the national governing body of american football in Finland. It was founded in 1979 and it is founding member of both of European Federation of American Football, EFAF and International Federation of American Football, IFAF. Since 2000 American football has grown steadily. Though it can be considered to be one of the smaller sports in Finland in 2006 there was 27 clubs playing the sport with over 100 teams and over 1400 players.

President of American Football Association of Finland is Roope Noronen.

Leagues

In Finland American football is played in men's, women's and youth leagues. Men's highest level Vaahteraliiga Maple League champion is considered the national champion while teams also play in 1st and 2nd divisions. In 2007 there were plans to open 3rd division with 5vs5 football to allow more new teams to take part. Youth leagues run in 21 and under, 19 and under, 17 and under, 15 and under and 13 and under categories. Women have played flag football, but the league for tackle football for women had its inaugural season in 2008.

National teams

SAJL currently fields five national teams: men´s senior, U-19, U-16, U-15 and women´s team.

Men´s Senior National Team

Men´s national team has taken a part in European Championship tournaments since their beginning in 1983. Finnish National team is the most successful team in Europe being the only team to participate in all final tournaments and having won European Championship 5 times (1985, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2000) while finishing second in 1983, 1991 and 2001 and third in 1987 and 2005. National team has also taken part in 1999 World Championship tournament and 2003 and 2007 qualifications.

Team´s current main objective is the EFAF European Championships´ A-group tournament held in Germany in 2010. The event was originally awarded to Finland and was scheduled to be held in 2009 but it was later postponed due to women´s football European Championships (also hosted by Finland and Finnair Stadium, the slated venue for the EFAF competition too). Preparations for the EC began with an international game against the archrival Sweden.

Men´s U-19 National Team

The first junior national team was ensembled in 1988. First years saw ... In 1992, the first ever European Junior Championship was held in Toulousse, France. Finland entered the competition with a team now consisting players of, according to new international rules, 19 years old and under. Finlad was crowned as the first European Junior Champions beating Italy in the semifinal game and the host nation France in the final game. Finland has since participated every time in the biannual event - apart from the 2002 competition when they lost the qualification game to the Czech Republic. Finland was the most succesful team in the first years of the competition winning the first three titles followed by a bronze medal. The new millennium has seen the tightening of competition with new participants and the rise of power houses like Germany. Since losing the bronze game in 2000 EJC, Finland has not qualified for the medal games.

Finland has also participated in Nordic Junior Championship played biannually since 1997 winning four gold and two silver medals.

Finland was also in the race for spots in the first World Junior Championship to be held in Ohio, USA in summer 2009. Qualification was done in the 2008 EJC with three top teams granted a spot. Finland, finishing 7th, fell short as Germany, Sweden and France prevailed.

The junior national team has a history of being the showcase of best youth talent in finnish american football. Many of the Finland´s best players have starred the junior team during their careers, including Michael Quarshie, Seppo Evwaraye and Klaus Alinen.

Men´s U-16 National Team

Project for creating a national team for players under 16 began in 2007. With one and a half years on preparation the team was set to take part in Nordic Championship schehuled to be held in Tampere, Finland. The tournament was eventually cancelled because of financial difficulties of Norway and Denmark. Finland had to settle to a game against Sweden. However, this match was given the championships status and Finland went on to win the inaugural U-16 Nordic Championship beating Sweden 33-6.

Men´s U-15 National Team

Finland has been an eager participant in international tournaments in youth flag football. Their best result so far has been fourth place in the 2006 European Championships.

Women´s National Team

Women´s national team started in 2000. In the 2004 World Championship Finland´s two teams took silver in the 7vs7 competition and placed fourth in 5vs5´s. The big success came the next year in the European Championships when the team went undefeated to claim the title. In the 2006 World Championships they took bronze and in 2007 they narrowly failed to defend their title in EC, taking silver.

The newest addition to the associaton´s list of national teams is the women´s tackle football team. After years of flag football and semi-contact women´s tackle football was started in 2008. Women´s team also hosted Sweden in a historical international game between two women´s tackle football teams. Finland´s experience became plainly obvious with a crushing victory with a score of 66-0. With the establishment of women´s american football in many countries IFAF has announced its plans for Women’s World Championship of American Football sometime in the near future.

International games against Sweden

Throughout its time as an independent state Finland has had big rivalries in all fields of sport against its neighboring country Sweden and American Football makes no exception. Men´s senior team played an annual game against Sweden in 1992-1998. The tradition was revived in 2003 and preliminary plans for continuing the series go through 2010. The U-19 team also had its encounters with Sweden in the 90´s but in recent years the juniors have faced only in international tournaments. The two newest national teams, U-16´s and women´s, also had their first taste of the rivalry in 2008 but no plans for future games have yet been made.

Links

* [http://www.sajl.fi/ Suomen Amerikkalaisen Jalkapallon Liitto ry] , official website in Finnish
* [http://www.efaf.de/text.php?Inhalt=member&ID=7&MenüID=69 SAJL on the EFAF Website]
* [http://www.ifaf.info/text.php3?Inhalt=member&ID=7&MenüID=69 SAJL on the IFAF Website]