The board of the Swedish Federation of American Football, Flag Football and Field Hockey, SWE3, has now responded to the announcement two months ago that the European League of American Football has added a team from Scandinavia, the Nordic Storm, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The ELF declared at the time that Swedish nationals will be allowed to play for the Storm as homegrown Danish players. Apparently, this move was made without entering into discussions or getting the approval of either the Danish or Swedish federations.
According to the SWE3 statement, this lack of communication with Swedish officials by ELF could have a damning ripple effect for any Swedish nationals who participate in the ELF. The board states that ELF, which apparently does not work with the World Anti-Doping Association, WADA, or the Olympic organizations, could well be off limits for Swedish coaches and officials who wish to participate in the Swedish national teams.
The federation has thus stated the following aimed at anyone who opts to play, coach or participate in the ELF:
- Private leagues are not subject to the regulations of the international anti-doping body WADA.
- Private leagues that pay player salaries, such as the ELF, are considered as professional leagues by the NCAA. If you play in such a league, you will lose your college eligibility and thus will not be able to play college football. Regarding ELF, SWE3 together with DAFF have checked this with the NCAA.
- Insurance that you have through your Swedish player, referee or coach license does not apply to practices, games, tryouts or other contexts that are not sanctioned by SWE3.
- Since ELF is an unsanctioned league, i.e. a league that is not approved by national and international sports federations, SWE3’s board will evaluate whether coaches who choose to participate in ELF risk losing their opportunity to represent Sweden at national team level.
This position is based on two main reasons:
- Non-compliance with international regulations: As the ELF does not comply with important international rules on anti-doping and democratic governance, participation poses potential risks to both players and the sport.
- The values of the Swedish sports movement: SWE3 is part of the Swedish sports movement that is based on democratic values and is affiliated with national and international sports federations. Participation in ELF can be perceived as acting outside this community and contradicting SWE3’s core values.
How this response will affect the Swedish players and coaches already participating in the ELF remains to be seen. Will this have an impact on Team Sweden’s men’s and U19 teams? Will this deter Swedish players, coaches and officials from participating in ELF?