IFAF World Championship

The IFAF World Championship of American Football (also known as the IFAF World Cup) is an international gridiron competition held every four years[1] and contested by teams representing member nations. The competition is run by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport. Seventy-one nations have a national American football team. The most recent tournament, in 2015, featured seven teams.

IFAF World Championship of American Football
Most recent season or competition:
2015 IFAF World Championship
SportAmerican football
Founded1999
No. of teams12 (tournament)
71 (eligible national teams)
Most recent
champion(s)		 United States (3rd title)
Most titles United States (3 titles)
Official websiteifafworldchampionship.org

The defending champions are the United States, who won the 2015 championship after winning both the 2007 and 2011 editions. The U.S. team did not participate in the World Cup until 2007 and have won every tournament since. Prior to U.S. participation, Japan won the 1999 and 2003 championships.

The championship was held in Italy in 1999, in Germany in 2003, in Kawasaki, Japan in 2007, and in Austria in 2011. The 2015 IFAF World Championship was originally going to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, however local organizers had to cancel the event due to lack of sponsorship.[2] The 2015 tournament was played in Canton, Ohio, United States.[3]

Tournament format

At the 2011 championship, the championship tournament consisted of eight teams divided into two groups of four (there were six teams in 1999 and 2007, four in 2003, and seven in 2015). The opening round featured a round-robin tournament within the groups, with each team playing each other once. However, as opposed to a tournament bracket after the games were completed, the teams with the best record from each group met in the gold medal game, with the second-place teams in each group playing for the bronze medal, the third-place teams playing in the 5th-place game, and the fourth-place teams playing in the 7th-place game, thus guaranteeing each team four games.

Automatic berths included the host nation and the defending champions. Both finalists from the European Federation of American Football tournament received berths. Two teams from the Pan American Federation of American Football received berths, as did one member each from the Asian Federation of American Football and from the Oceania Federation of American Football.

For the 2019 championship, the tournament will expand to 12 teams.[4] Teams will be divided into four groups, each consisting of three teams. Teams will play the other two teams in their group once each, for a total of two group-stage games. Teams will then advance to the second round, and from there to the placement and medal games.[5]

Because American football is far more dominant in the United States than anywhere else in the world, the United States did not field a team in the tournament for its first two editions. The United States has fielded a squad for the last three iterations, but with extremely restrictive criteria that make most American football players ineligible for the team. Despite the restrictions, the United States has won all three world championships in which they have competed. Similarly, Canada (where Canadian football, a related sport, has widespread popularity) did not participate until the 2011 competition, when the Canadian team finished second to the United States.

Results

Summaries
Year Host Final Third-place match Number of teams
Winner Score Runner-up 3rd place Score 4th place
1999
Italy
Japan[6]		 6–0 (OT)
Mexico
Sweden[6]		 38–13
Italy		 6
2003
Germany
Japan[7]		 34–14
Mexico
Germany[7]		 36–7
France		 4
2007
Japan
United States[8]		 23–20 (2 OT)
Japan
Germany[9]		 7–0
Sweden		 6
2011
Austria
United States[10]		 50–7
Canada
Japan[11]		 17–14
Mexico		 8
2015
United States
United States[12]		 59–12
Japan
Mexico[13]		 20–7
France		 7
2019 Postponed to 2023[14]
2023
Australia

Results
Cody Hawkins, quarterback of the United States 2011 World Championship team.
Team 1999
(6)		 2003
(4)		 2007
(6)		 2011
(8)		 2015
(7)
 Australia 5th – – 8th 5th
 Austria – – – 7th –
 Brazil – – – – 7th
 Canada – – – 2nd –
 Finland 6th – – – –
 France – 4th 6th 6th 4th
 Germany – 3rd 3rd 5th –
 Italy 4th – – – –
 Japan 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 2nd
 Mexico 2nd 2nd – 4th 3rd
 South Korea – – 5th – 6th
 Sweden 3rd – 4th – –
 United States – – 1st 1st 1st

Rankings
Pos. Team Champion Runner-up Third Fourth
1st  United States 3 (2007, 2011, 2015) - - -
2nd  Japan 2 (1999, 2003) 2 (2007, 2015) 1 (2011) -
3rd  Mexico – 2 (1999, 2003) 1 (2015) 1 (2011)
4th  Canada – 1 (2011) – –
5th  Germany – – 2 (2003, 2007) –
6th  Sweden – – 1 (1999) 1 (2007)
7th  France – – – 2 (2003, 2015)
8th  Italy – – – 1 (1999)

IFAF World Championship records

Tournament
447 – Lars Gustafsson, Sweden (1999)[15]

Game
232 – Lars Gustafsson, Sweden vs. Italy (3 July 1999)

Tournament
5 – DeShawn Thomas, U.S. (2011)

Game
3 – Mario Nerad, Australia vs. Austria (15 July 2011)

Tournament
881 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany (2011)

Game
281 – Kiernan Dorney, Australia vs. Germany (12 July 2011)

Tournament
6 – Michael Faulds, Canada (2011)
6 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany (2011)

Game
4 Jared Stegman, Australia vs South Korea (9 July 2015)

Tournament
7 – Jarkko Nieminen, Finland (1999)

Game
3 – Kiernan Dorney, Austria vs. Australia (15 July 2011)
3 – Carlos Altimirano, Mexico vs. Germany (10 July 2003)
3 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany vs. Mexico, (10 July 2003)
3 – David Ward, Austria vs. Japan (1 July 1999)

Tournament
433 – Niklas Roemer, Germany (2011)

Game
180 – Niklas Roemer, Germany vs France (16 July 2011)

Tournament
26 – Nate Kmic, U.S. (2011)

Game
8 – Niklas Roemer, Germany vs. Austria (12 July 2011)
8 – Nate Kmic, U.S. vs. Germany (12 July 2011)
8 – Boti Bramer, Germany vs. Mexico (10 July 2003)

Tournament
4 – Niklas Roemer, Germany (2011)
4 – Matteo Soresini, Italy (1999)

Game
2 – by several players, most recent: Trent Steelman, U.S. vs. France (15 July 2015)

Rushing
88 – N.Khandar, France vs Australia (12 July 2015)

Passing
89 – Ullrich to Roemer, Germany vs. France (16 July 2011)

Punt return
85 – Marcel Duft, Germany vs. Sweden (14 July 2007)

Kickoff return
102 – Anthony Dablé, France vs. Brazil (8 July 2015)

Interception return
95 – Marcus Weil, Germany vs. U.S. (12 July 2007)

Fumble return
10 Terrence Jackson, U.S. vs. Germany (7 July 2011)

Field goal
56 – José Carlos Maltos, Mexico vs. Austria (10 July 2011)

Blocked punt return touchdown
26 – Diezeas Calbert, U.S. vs. Australia (8 July 2011)

Blocked field goal return touchdown
75 – Johnny Dingle, U.S. vs. Germany (10 July 2011)

See also

References
  1. "IFAF Senior World Championship". International Federation of American Football. Retrieved October 21, 2011. The IFAF Senior World Championship is held every four years having first been contested in 1999.
  2. http://stockholm2015.org/world-championship-moves/%5B%5D
  3. "EIGHT TEAMS TO BATTLE FOR THE IFAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN CANTON, OHIO". International Federation of American Football. Retrieved February 16, 2015. The 2015 IFAF World Championship will be contested in Canton, Ohio between the 8th and 19th of July with all games staged at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
  4. "SWEDEN TO HOST 2015 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL SENIOR WORLD". International Federation of American Football. October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011. Sweden will host the 2015 International Federation of American Football Senior World Championship when the national teams of 12 countries from four continents converge on the capital city of Stockholm.
  5. "SWEDEN TO HOST 2015 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL SENIOR WORLD". International Federation of American Football. October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011. At the 2015 tournament the 12 teams will be split into four groups of three for a round robin stage leading to the second round and then placement and medal games that will take place during 10 playing days with rest days in between.
  6. "STATISTICS". Federazione Italiana American Football. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  7. "SCHEDULE". German Football Partners. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  8. "Japan(20)-USA(23)". Japan American Football Association. Retrieved October 21, 2011. Kicker/punter Craig Coffin nailed a 23-yard game-winning field goal in the second series of overtime to help the tournament debutant U.S. team grab the first championship with the 23-20 victory over the host Japan in the 3rd IFAF World Championships at Todoroki Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
  9. "Sweden(0)-Germany(7)". Japan American Football Association. Retrieved October 21, 2011. Marcel Duft returned a punt for 85 yards for the game’s only touchdown with 2:26 remaining in the third quarter and Germany defeated Sweden 7-0 to win the bronze medal of the third IFAF World Championship on Saturday at Kawasaki Stadium.
  10. "USA defends SWC title". American Football Bund Österreich. July 16, 2011. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014. USA won the gold medal at the IFAF World Championship against Canada with a score of 50:7 in front of 20.000 fans in Vienna, Austria.
  11. "Japan earns bronze medal". American Football Bund Österreich. July 15, 2011. Archived from the original on November 13, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011. A blocked field goal in the final seconds of the game for the 3rd place at the IFAF World Championship saved the bronze medal for Team Japan.
  12. "United States 59, Japan 12". USA Football. Retrieved July 18, 2015. By the time the gold medal game of the International Federation of American Football World Championship was over, the United States was looking at its third straight title.
  13. "Bronze Medal Game: Mexico 20, France 7". USA Football. Retrieved July 18, 2015. For Mexico, there was much more at stake than a 20-7 win over France in the bronze medal match in the International Federation of American Football World Championships.
  14. "IFAF postpones World Championships until 2023". American Football International. December 7, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  15. http://ifaf.org/media/download/819
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