The 2024/25 IFAF U19 European Championships will feature the continent’s top teams competing in two groups this year, followed by a round robin tournament in 2025 to decide the gold medal winners.

Reigning champions Austria will join the competition in 2025 with a number-one ranking and will be joined by the winners of Group A and Group B, which will be decided by games played in 2024. Austria will represent Europe at the IFAF U20 World Junior Championships in Canada in June, while their continental rivals face each other from March through November.

IFAF Continental Director for Europe Gregor Murth explained: “2024 is an exceptional year, with a U20 World Championship scheduled to take place. Austria has qualified for this event and as such, IFAF has taken the decision to make changes to the European competition structure to accommodate their participation in and the additional costs that come with traveling to North America.” In 2024, six teams will be split into two groups and will each host a home game against common group opponents. Group A features bronze medalists in 2022/23 Finland along with Italy and France, who finished sixth and seventh respectively. Silver medalists Sweden, beaten 42-24 in September by Austria, take on fourth-placed Denmark, and Germany who finished fifth.

The action kicks off in Group B on the weekend of March 30/31 when Sweden and Denmark renew a rivalry that saw the Swedes triumph 31-17 last year having at one point trailed by ten points. Denmark then travels to Germany on May 11 and the group concludes with Germany welcoming Sweden on the weekend of September 21/22.

Italy hosts France when Group A gets underway on May 11/12 then travels to Vantaa where Finland awaits on September 21. France welcomes Finland on the November 9/10 weekend.

Schedule (dates, venues, and kickoff times TBD) Group A Finland Italy France May 11/12                  Italy vs France September 21             Finland vs Italy November 9/10          France vs Finland Group B Sweden Denmark Germany March 30/31               Sweden vs Denmark May 11                        Denmark vs Germany September 21/22        Germany vs Sweden

Austria will enter the Championships and play a round-robin tournament against the teams that win Group A and Group B. Austria will be ranked #1. The #2 team will be the highest ranked nation from 2023 that qualifies as Group winners. The #3 team will be the lower ranked nation from the current cycle that advances. The overall winners will be crowned IFAF U19 European Champions.

Seed # 1 Austria A or B winner  TBD A or B winner  TBD

The schedule will be as follows: 3 v 1    TBD vs Austria 2 v 3    TBD vs TBD 1 v 2    Austria vs TBD

The four teams that occupy the second and third places in groups A and B will meet to determine the final fourth through seventh placings.

Game 1: The team ranked #2 in Group A will host the team ranked #3 in Group B Game 2: The team ranked #2 in Group B will host the team ranked #3 in Group A Game 3: Winners of Game 1 vs winners of Game 2 Game 4: Runner-up of Game 1 vs runner-up of Game 2