About UPAFA
Mission & history
The mark
The crest is the Association’s official mark for Uttar Pradesh. The full name around the navy ring names the state this body governs — American football, from a district club to state selection.
The ball at the centre is the game. Saffron, white, and green behind it, and the Ashoka Chakra on the tricolour below the UPAFA wordmark, are the national flag: the sport carried in India’s colours. Laurel flanks the lower band, which is marked ESTD 2025.
Our mission
UPAFA is the state governing body for American football and flag football in Uttar Pradesh — responsible for player and official registration, certification, public certificate verification, and the state's district and zonal structure, from grassroots clubs to state-level representation.
The association’s jurisdiction is the state: American football and flag football, from a local club to state selection. Players, referees, and coaches register here. Certificates are signed, valid for two years, and can be checked by anyone. District associations and zones are the pathway between a club and the state body.
State leadership
Amit Singh
President · UPAFA State Executive
Objects
- Promote, develop, and regulate American football and flag football throughout Uttar Pradesh, from grassroots play to elite competition.
- Organize and sanction competitions, leagues, coaching clinics, and referee certification.
- Hold a district and zonal structure so the game reaches across the state.
- Support a pathway for athletes and officials toward national play, including flag football at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
- Uphold fair play, athlete safety, and safeguarding in every activity run under the association.
What we do
Four things UPAFA is responsible for, day to day.
Grassroots development
A district and zonal structure — from local clubs up to state selection — so players and officials have a real pathway to advance.
Athlete safety
An Anti-Doping & Safeguarding Policy (drafted, pending adoption) covering fair play and athlete welfare at every level of play.
Certified officials
Referee and coach certification, Level 1 through Level 3, with HMAC-signed certificates valid for two years and publicly verifiable.
Pathway to LA28
Flag football is on the programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. UPAFA develops state athletes and officials toward national selection under the American Football Federation of India (AFFI).
Affiliation
UPAFA is affiliated with the American Football Federation of India (AFFI) and complies with applicable AFFI rules. AFFI is the federation recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) for India.
Structure
UPAFA State Executive governs 3 zones — Central Zone, East Zone, West Zone — and 75 district associations across Uttar Pradesh.
Clubs affiliate through the district association in whose territory they play. The state body holds the zones and the districts together.
For partners
UPAFA is the state body affiliated with AFFI, the federation recognized by IFAF for India. The public footprint is 3 zones and 75 district associations — player and official registration, referee and coach certificates, and the state and district calendar.
A partner sits next to that record: the people who register, the certificates anyone can verify, and the events the association sanctions. Sponsorship use of the name or crest needs written approval from the Executive Committee.
History
UPAFA's state teams have already represented Uttar Pradesh at the national level:
2025
Uttar Pradesh Women's team won the American Flag Football National Championship 2025 (Hyderabad), defeating Karnataka 20-0 in the final.
2025
Uttar Pradesh Men's team finished 4th at the same 2025 championship — losing the semifinal to Karnataka 31-12, and the bronze-medal match to Kerala 28-6.
Next
More history — including the association's founding year and earlier milestones — coming soon.