United Indoor Football
Encyclopedia
United Indoor Football was a United States
indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League
, including one expansion (the Dayton Warbirds
, which never played a game in UIF) and two from arenafootball2 (af2) took their franchises and formed their own league. The league was based in Omaha, Nebraska
.
On July 22, 2008, it was announced that the UIF would be merging with the Intense Football League
2009 season. The merged league is known as the newest incarnation of the Indoor Football League
.
or ice hockey
teams. The field was the same width (85 feet) as a standard NHL
hockey rink. The field was 50 yard
s long with up to an 8-yard end zone
. (End zones could be a lesser depth with League approval.) Depending on the stadium in which a game was being played, the end zones may be rectangular (like a basketball court) or curved (like a hockey rink). There was a heavily padded wall on each sideline, with the padding placed on top of the hockey dasher boards. The field goal uprights were 9 feet wide, and the crossbar was 18 feet above the playing surface. Unlike Arena football
, the ball was not "live" when rebounded off the nets behind the end zone or their support apparatuses.
A player was counted as out of bounds on the sidelines if they came into contact or fell over the boundary wall.
to gain ten yards or score. Punting
was illegal because of the size of the playing field. A receiver
jumping to catch a pass needed to get only one foot down in bounds for the catch to be deemed a completed catch. Balls that bounced off the padded walls that surrounded the field were live. The defending team could return missed field goal
attempts that fell short of the end zone. If a free kick struck the ceiling or any object hanging from said ceiling while over the field of play, it was immediately dead and belonged to the receiving team 5 yards from mid-field.
field goal worth four points during normal play or two points as a post-touchdown conversion. Blocked extra points and turnovers on two-point conversion attempts could be returned by the defensive team for two points. A rouge
-kickoff downed in the end zone was worth 1 point to the kicking team; a rogue-kickoff being when the kick returner is caught in his own end zone. A free kick recovered in the end zone by the kicking team was considered a touchdown.
.
The United Football League had expressed an interest in the use of the United Bowl name after the UIF-IFL merger, but the Indoor Football League has retained the "United Bowl" trademark and uses it for the name of the United Conference championship. The UFL instead uses the name "The Championship" for its championship game.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
, including one expansion (the Dayton Warbirds
Dayton Warbirds
Dayton Warbirds were an indoor football team located in Dayton, Ohio.- History :Approved as a National Indoor Football League expansion team in October 2004, the Warbirds instead joined other teams in forming the United Indoor Football Association made up of teams that came from either the National...
, which never played a game in UIF) and two from arenafootball2 (af2) took their franchises and formed their own league. The league was based in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
.
On July 22, 2008, it was announced that the UIF would be merging with the Intense Football League
Intense Football League
The Intense Football League was a professional indoor football league that initially began operations in 2004. Its focus was in Texas, but was notable for being the first professional football league to place a franchise in Alaska.-History:...
2009 season. The merged league is known as the newest incarnation of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
.
Field
United Indoor Football was played exclusively indoors, in arenas usually designed for either basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
or ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
teams. The field was the same width (85 feet) as a standard NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
hockey rink. The field was 50 yard
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
s long with up to an 8-yard end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
. (End zones could be a lesser depth with League approval.) Depending on the stadium in which a game was being played, the end zones may be rectangular (like a basketball court) or curved (like a hockey rink). There was a heavily padded wall on each sideline, with the padding placed on top of the hockey dasher boards. The field goal uprights were 9 feet wide, and the crossbar was 18 feet above the playing surface. Unlike Arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
, the ball was not "live" when rebounded off the nets behind the end zone or their support apparatuses.
A player was counted as out of bounds on the sidelines if they came into contact or fell over the boundary wall.
Players
Each team fielded eight players at a time from a 21-man active roster.Ball movement
The ball was kicked off from the goal line. The team with the ball was given four downsDown (football)
A down is a period in which a play transpires in American and Canadian football.-Description:A down begins with a snap or free kick , and ends when the ball or the player in possession of it is declared down by an official, a team scores, or the ball or player in possession of it leaves the field...
to gain ten yards or score. Punting
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
was illegal because of the size of the playing field. A receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
jumping to catch a pass needed to get only one foot down in bounds for the catch to be deemed a completed catch. Balls that bounced off the padded walls that surrounded the field were live. The defending team could return missed field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
attempts that fell short of the end zone. If a free kick struck the ceiling or any object hanging from said ceiling while over the field of play, it was immediately dead and belonged to the receiving team 5 yards from mid-field.
Scoring
The scoring was the same as in the NFL with the addition of a drop kickDrop kick
A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a punt, wherein the player kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first....
field goal worth four points during normal play or two points as a post-touchdown conversion. Blocked extra points and turnovers on two-point conversion attempts could be returned by the defensive team for two points. A rouge
Single (football)
In Canadian football, a single is awarded when the ball is kicked into the end zone by any legal means, other than a successful field goal, and the receiving team does not return, or kick, the ball out of its end zone...
-kickoff downed in the end zone was worth 1 point to the kicking team; a rogue-kickoff being when the kick returner is caught in his own end zone. A free kick recovered in the end zone by the kicking team was considered a touchdown.
Timing
A game consisted of four 15-minute quarters with a halftime intermission 20 minutes in length. The clock typically only stopped for time-outs, penalties, injuries, and official clarifications. Further stoppages occurred for incomplete passes and out of bounds during the final 90 seconds of the second and fourth quarters. A mandatory official's time-out, called a promotional timeout, was assessed after the first and fourth quarters and is 90 seconds in duration. Another mandatory official's time-out, called a warning period, was assessed with 90 seconds to play at the end of each half. The game could also be stopped for further promotional time-outs but not exceed 90 seconds per league rules.Overtime rules
Each team received one possession from the 25 yard line to try to score. If one team outscored the other on the possession, the game was over. If still tied after an overtime possession, then each team received a new possession from the 25 yard line to try to score.All-Time UIF teams
- Billings OutlawsBillings OutlawsThe Billings Outlaws were a professional league indoor football team. They were a member of the Indoor Football League, of which they are the current champions. They played their home games at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark...
(2007–2008) - Black Hills Red Dogs (2005)
- Bloomington ExtremeBloomington ExtremeThe Bloomington Extreme are a professional indoor football team and a member of the Indoor Football League. The team's name is derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. The Extreme play their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington,...
(2006–2008) - Colorado IceColorado IceThe Colorado Ice is a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . Their home games are played at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado, which is also the home of the CHL's Colorado Eagles...
(2007–2008) - Dayton WarbirdsDayton WarbirdsDayton Warbirds were an indoor football team located in Dayton, Ohio.- History :Approved as a National Indoor Football League expansion team in October 2004, the Warbirds instead joined other teams in forming the United Indoor Football Association made up of teams that came from either the National...
(proposed for 2005, revoked from league before playing a down in the UIF) - Evansville BlueCatsEvansville BlueCatsThe Evansville BlueCats were a professional indoor football team. They were a member of the United Indoor Football Association . 2007 was the 5th and final season for the Evansville BlueCats, based in Evansville, Indiana.-Location:...
(2005–2007) - Fort Wayne FreedomFort Wayne FreedomThe Fort Wayne Freedom was a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, beginning play in the 2008 season. Like the original Freedom, the team retained a red, white, and blue color scheme, and played in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum....
(2005–2006) - Lexington HorsemenLexington HorsemenThe Kentucky Horsemen were an indoor football team based in Lexington, Kentucky. The team played its home games at Rupp Arena. The organization began as a 2003 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, where they were successful...
(2005–2007) - Ohio Valley GreyhoundsOhio Valley GreyhoundsThe Ohio Valley Greyhounds were a professional indoor football team. They began play in 1999 as the Steel Valley Smash, a charter member of the IFL. After the league folded, they moved to the NIFL, became a charter member, and renamed themselves as the Ohio Valley Greyhounds...
(2005–2007) - Omaha BeefOmaha BeefThe Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and is now the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey...
(2005–2008) - Peoria Rough RidersPeoria PiratesThe Peoria Pirates were a professional arena football team that last played in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They played their home games at Carver Arena, part of the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, and were coached by Mike Hohensee...
(2005–2006) - RiverCity Rage (2007–2008)
- Tennessee Valley-Rock River RaptorsRock River RaptorsThis page is for the Continental Indoor Football League team, for the National Premier Soccer League team also based in Rockford, see Rockford Raptors....
(2005–2007) - Sioux City BanditsSioux City BanditsThe Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team, currently a member of the American Professional Football League. They play their home games at the Tyson Events Center....
(2005–2008) - Sioux Falls StormSioux Falls StormThe Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena...
(2005–2008) - Tupelo FireAntsTupelo FireAntsThe Tupelo FireAnts were a professional indoor football team that played their home games at the BancorpSouth Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. They started off as a charter member of the National Indoor Football League . Despite two seemingly good records in 2001 and 2004, they failed to make the...
(2005) - Wichita WildWichita WildThe Wichita Wild is a professional indoor football team located in Wichita, Kansas. The wild plays in the Indoor Football League the second biggest football league in the United States only after the NFL. The IFL was formed in 2008 through a merger between the Intense Football League and the...
(2008)
Championships
UIF's championship was known as the United Bowl; all four United Bowls were won by the Sioux Falls StormSioux Falls Storm
The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena...
.
The United Football League had expressed an interest in the use of the United Bowl name after the UIF-IFL merger, but the Indoor Football League has retained the "United Bowl" trademark and uses it for the name of the United Conference championship. The UFL instead uses the name "The Championship" for its championship game.
| United Bowl | Location | Away Team Score | Home Team Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Gateway Arena Gateway Arena The Gateway Arena is a multi-purpose arena inside the Tyson Event Center, located in Sioux City, Iowa is sponsored by Tyson Foods and Gateway, Inc..... , Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state.... |
Sioux Falls Storm Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena... 40 |
Sioux City Bandits Sioux City Bandits The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team, currently a member of the American Professional Football League. They play their home games at the Tyson Events Center.... 38 |
| II | Sioux Falls Arena Sioux Falls Arena The Sioux Falls Arena is an 7,500 seat multi-purpose arena, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The facility was originally built in 1961. It seats 6,113, for basketball games and 4,760, for indoor football and hockey.... , Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south... |
Lexington Horsemen Lexington Horsemen The Kentucky Horsemen were an indoor football team based in Lexington, Kentucky. The team played its home games at Rupp Arena. The organization began as a 2003 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, where they were successful... 64 |
Sioux Falls Storm Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena... 72 |
| III | Sioux Falls Arena Sioux Falls Arena The Sioux Falls Arena is an 7,500 seat multi-purpose arena, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The facility was originally built in 1961. It seats 6,113, for basketball games and 4,760, for indoor football and hockey.... , Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south... |
Lexington Horsemen Lexington Horsemen The Kentucky Horsemen were an indoor football team based in Lexington, Kentucky. The team played its home games at Rupp Arena. The organization began as a 2003 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, where they were successful... 59 |
Sioux Falls Storm Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena... 62 |
| IV | Sioux Falls Arena Sioux Falls Arena The Sioux Falls Arena is an 7,500 seat multi-purpose arena, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The facility was originally built in 1961. It seats 6,113, for basketball games and 4,760, for indoor football and hockey.... , Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south... |
Bloomington Extreme Bloomington Extreme The Bloomington Extreme are a professional indoor football team and a member of the Indoor Football League. The team's name is derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. The Extreme play their home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington,... 35 |
Sioux Falls Storm Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena... 40 |