BAFA announce restructuring of its National Programmes

The British American Football Association (BAFA) has announced its plans to restructure the Great Britain Contact National Programme following a review in line with its Together to Inspire strategy.

The new Great Britain Contact American Football Programme will consist of four teams:

· Great Britain Adult Performance

· Great Britain Women’s Performance

· Great Britain Adult Development - replacing Great Britain U19

· Great Britain Academy - replacing Great Britain U17

The most notable change to the national programme comes in the structure of its pathway. Responding to one of five core challenges identified in the strategy of Creating a Connected GB Performance Programme, the new structure aligns the player pathway from the youngest age group through to the adult programme.

“Aligning our Great Britain national programme across contact and flag is a crucial step towards producing winning performances on the field, and inspiring players, coaches and supporters to share our ambition and passion for American football,” said BAFA CEO Chad Ehlertsen. “Collaboration between our national programme, domestic competitions, and our player and coach pathway allows us to maximise knowledge transfer across contact and flag football, which is vital looking ahead to LA28 and beyond,” added Interim Head of Performance Jason Scott.

“This integrated system provides players a clear path in their development and ensures that the country’s most talented athletes can proudly wear their national colours in either form of the sport.”

The Great Britain Academy Team has replaced Great Britain U17, allowing the programme to be more dynamic and compete in U16, U17 and U18 competitions. The Academy Team will work closely with BAFA’s 11-a-side Regional Series to provide young athletes with higher value competitive and developmental opportunities. The Academy’s coaching staff will be responsible for developing their athletes’ fundamental skills and processes through weekend camps, with scheme and terminology closely aligned to that of the Adult programme.

When athletes turn 18 years of age, they will become eligible to be selected for the Adult Performance Programme, consisting of the Development and Performance Teams. As a fully integrated national performance programme, Great Britain Adult Development and Performance will hold joint practice at the same venue, on the same day, with on-field and classroom sessions enabling the country’s best athletes and coaches to develop shoulder-to-shoulder.

The Great Britain Adult Development Team, replacing Great Britain U19, will provide athletes with the opportunity to develop their skills within the national programme while progressing towards the Adult Performance team. In 2026, the Great Britain Adult Development Team will compete in Tier 2 of IFAF international competition, and while not restricted by athletes’ age, the team will focus on developing Great Britain’s most promising talent under the age of 24. The Development Team will also draw on the growing talent pool within BUCS; a cohort that has been limited in national programme alignment since the folding of the GB Students team.

The Great Britain Adult Performance Team will continue to compete in Tier 1 of IFAF competition, with athletes and coaches representing the very best of contact British American football and continuing their development from the Academy and above.

As current World and European silver medallists, Great Britain Women’s Performance Team will continue to represent the nation at the highest level. In May 2026, GB Women will host Germany in the final game of the 2025-26 European Championship group stage, before the medal games take place in August.

Appointment of the staff leading the national programme moving forward will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Recruitment of head coaches for the four contact national programme teams is currently in its final stages, with further announcements around trials and 2026 fixtures to follow in December.

For further details or to read the FAQ's BAFA has provided, visit the BAFA website.