Arena football history began when James Foster, a former executive of the United States Football League and the National Football League, was attending the game of the Major Indoor Soccer League on February 11, 1981. The event took place in Madison Square Garden in New York City. This is when he drew the sketch of a compact football playground on the ice hockey rink. He wrote in his notebook that he was developing an exciting and absolutely new replica of the America's favorite team sport (that was the first arena football information). The National Football League veteran James Foster created and developed a unique "indoor" professional football game that slightly differed from its outdoor predecessor.

Over the next five years, he continued to successfully modify the games rules. Today the game is played in arenas where hockey teams play, due to the fact that the arena football field is the same width (85 feet) as a standard NHL hockey rink. The field is 50 yards long with 8 yard end zones. Depending on the stadium in which a game is being played, the end zones may be rectangular (like a basketball court) or semi-circular (like a hockey rink).

After the rise and fall of the U S Football League in 1985, James Foster further improved the game. On April 26, 1986, in Rockford, James conducted a "test game", which purpose was to get the public response. The public response resulted in the showcase game on February 26, 1987. The game was held in Chicago at the Rosemont Horizon. The arena football was met rapturously by eight thousands of fans and set the basis for the Arena Football League national debut in June 1987. Four teams were involved in the first 1987 season, namely Washington Commandos, Gladiators, Denver Dynamite, and Chicago Bruisers. The Denver Dynamite, with their leader quarterback Whit Taylor, won against the Pittsburgh Gladiators 45-16 and were conferred the name of Arena Bowl I champions in presence of 13,232 fans in Civic Arena, Pittsburgh and a live audience of ESPN.

The arena football information features James Foster and his business partners from Gridiron Enterprises, Inc. who decided to sell their licenses to major markets investors and in such a way enabled the private teams' ownership. On March 27, 1990, the U.S. Patent Office released patent No. 4,911,433 for the System of Arena Football Game, empowering it as the only sports league in history capable to play a rival-free game.

Interesting arena football information is that in the 1997 season the league commissioner post was occupied by C. David Baker. What followed was a 'helmet-popping', 'heart-stopping' and high-scoring' experience. The leaders were Rattlers, who led the circuit of 14 teams with approximately 16,000 fans at each match. They demanded their second Arena Bowl XI title against the Barnstormers in the 17,436 fans' presence. During those seven days, the American Football League Board of Directors gave a team expanse in 1999 to NY, Buffalo and the Hall of Fame of Arena Football. In 1997 four expansion teams joined, including the Portland Forest Dragons, New York CityHawks, New Jersey Red Dogs and Nashville Kats.

Nowadays arena football information reports that many arena football events feature more competing teams than in the previous years.