[1] Founded in 1884, the American Football Association (AFA) was the first non-league organizing body in the United States.

[2]: 27  Allied with the Football Association,[3] the AFA sought to standardize rules for teams competing in northern New Jersey and southern New York.

Drawing on both its position as the oldest soccer organization and the status of the American Cup, the AFA argued that it should be the nationally recognized body.

In October 1911, a competing body, the American Amateur Football Association (AAFA) was created.

[8] That year, both the AFA and AAFA applied for membership in FIFA, the international organizing body for soccer.

FIFA quickly granted a provisional membership[9] and USFA began exerting its influence on the sport.