Ohio Hosting Eight-Nation Junior Football Tournament In '09

Canton, Ohio, in the summer of '09 will host the first Int'l Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship, a tournament featuring eight high school-aged national teams from different countries. Game dates will be determined June 6-8 during the IFAF Exec Committee Conference in Stockholm, Sweden (USA Football). In Cleveland, Tim Rogers reported plans call for the two-week tournament to be played at Fawcett Stadium, and to be held every four years. Each team will play at least three games. Organizers "received an exemption from the NCAA in that the tournament will not count toward the limit of two all-star games for just-graduated high school seniors." USA Football Exec Dir Scott Hallenback said that he "hopes to have a coach in place before the end of July and will announce the team in mid-February" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/13).