The American Football Association (AFA) was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body.^[1] It was the second oldest sports league to form, behind the National League of baseball in 1876,^[2] as well as being the oldest soccer organization in the United States.

The Association was formed in 1884^[3] in an attempt to standardize rules and procedures. It was allied with The Football Association, becoming a member on February 22, 1909, at an FA meeting chaired by Charles Clegg,^[4] and drew on that organization's approach to the game. As part of its efforts, the AFA directly organized cup competitions as well as overseeing the operations of member leagues. In 1884, the AFA established the American Cup,^[3] which for several decades was the highest competitive soccer competition in the United States.

The weakness of the AFA lay in its refusal to expand outside the southern New England region.^[5] In addition, those involved in American Soccer had concerns about the AFA concentrating on professional players and their strong ties to the FA. AFA had never had an American president and in 1911 when they banned AFA-affiliated teams from playing Corinthian F.C., who was split from the FA, it was too much for many and they looked to join the newly formed American Amateur Football Association (AAFA).^[6]

When a movement began to create a national governing body in 1911, the AFA found itself confronting the newly established AAFA, a body which quickly became national.^[7] The AFA argued that it should be recognized by FIFA. However, several member organizations defected from the AFA to the AAFA in 1912. The AAFA quickly moved to reform itself as the United States Football Association, receiving FIFA recognition in 1913.^[8] The AFA continued to run the American Cup through 1924, but by that time it had been superseded by the National Challenge Cup and National Amateur Cup.