But what is now deemed "one of the best organized leagues" by players such as Cleland, started out with much humbler, much more simple roots.

"It all started as just a bunch of guys heading to the park, finding an open space and throwing the ball around," he said.

Within the first two weeks of their "throw around" sessions, the number of players had doubled and by the time they ended their first unofficial "season" in November, they had more quadrupled their numbers, he said.

"After that we just said to ourselves 'we've got the numbers, let's do the league', " he said.

Now, a year later, the league boasts more than 80 players, 10 teams with eight players each, with the number of interested players growing so quickly Hsueh said he has had to limit the amount he has allowed to join.

The interest in the sport comes not only from Americans who grew up with the game, but also from curious Chinese looking to learn a new sport while making new friends.

For Shanxi-native Donovan Wan, this is his second season playing in the league. He said he has always been a huge fan of American football and the NFL.

"I've always watched the Superbowl on TV. It's an exciting sport with lots of competition and lots of body contact," said Wan.

While Wan has been able to watch the Superbowl, America's biggest tournament for football, he said it was nearly impossible to find anywhere to play and is grateful for someone having finally set up a league.

"I love this game," he said.