Student football
BAFA’s student football directorate co-ordinates the activity of the British Universities American Football League, the largest student American football competition in Europe. Over 60 universities compete in a full-contact, eleven-a-side format league season that runs from November to March each year. The top teams from each regional Conference qualify through to the post-season knock-out phase leading to the BUAFL National Championship and Challenge Trophy games.
Players in the BUAFL have to be students at their team’s university. The BUAFL is now one of the largest competitions in British university sport.
Aside from its flagship National Championships, the 2011-12 season sees the debut of both men’s and women’s flag football competition and a 6 vs. 6 Women’s National Championship.
Student football has been the fastest growing aspect of British contact football over the last few years and each year a large number of individuals who started playing football at university go on the swell the ranks of the community clubs.
As part of its strategic development the BAFA student directorate are undertaking feasibility studies into developing a college-based programme in both contact and flag football. This is with a view to teams playing in both a peer-related collegiate competition and the BAFA National Leagues.