Ancestor league to NFL Europe. Played two spring seasons, 1991 and 1992, as a developmental league for the National Football League.

It was said that this league's death knell was sounded the day of the first World Bowl, when, after ABC had prayed for some good ratings to salvage the season, they got London and Barcelona playing in the final, rather than at least one U.S. team to capture even one small market in the Nielsen ratings.

League members included:

• London Monarchs (survived to NFL Europe, but disbanded 1999)
• Barcelona Dragons (still in NFL Europe)
• Frankfurt Galaxy (still in NFL Europe)
• Montreal Machine
• New York/New Jersey Knights
• Birmingham Fire
• Orlando Thunder
• San Antonio Riders
• Sacramento Surge
• Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks (went 0-10 in 1991, so they got no fan support, and moved to Columbus for 1992 and played as the Ohio Glory)