It used to be that the only flesh showing on the field in American football was the pigskin. Then came cheerleaders, beer and hot-dogs to quicken spectators’ heart-rates.

Now fans - male ones at least - are looking forward to the ultimate in fantasy football with the creation of the all-female Lingerie League, featuring maximum glamour and minimum clothing.

In a move that has inflamed anti-sexism lobbyists but set pulses racing in the stands, the testosterone-pumped action for which American football is traditionally known will be replaced by more seductive scenes as women’s teams compete in just their underwear, protective helmets and pastel-shaded shoulder pads.

But organisers say that anyone expecting dainty moves and half-baked sporting action should think again; players will be getting down and dirty, they promise.

“These girls take it very seriously. They aren’t going to be just skipping round the field worrying about breaking their fingernails, they’re going to be worrying about breaking their necks,” said Lingerie League spokesman Kyle Bolin yesterday.

He added: “We’ve already had everything from broken collar bones to busted-out knees.” The Lingerie League began as a television programming gimmick launched by a Hollywood production company, Horizon Productions, in 2004 as a pay-per-view rival to the halftime show at the Superbowl, American football’s championship final.

It now boasts ten teams, most run as franchises, with names such as Chicago Bliss, Atlanta Steam, Dallas Desire, Phoenix Scorch and San Diego Seduction. The league will make its professional debut next spring, with players earning starting salaries in the region of $40,000 and match schedules mirroring those of the mainstream National Football League.

There are plans to expand the Lingerie League into Europe - including Britain - and into Canada and Asia next year.

Mr Bolin admitted that the sport is “visually driven” but denied that players make it onto the team based on looks and vital statistics alone. While the majority are models, more than 90 per cent of those recruited have college degrees and most have sporting backgrounds.

“That’s what differentiates this from all the fluff out there. Yes, they are beautiful, no question, but these girls are also extremely athletic,” he said.

But few of the 16,000 people who have flooded league organisers with telephone calls since just Monday, enquiring how they get hold of season tickets, are thought to be interested in either the team’s academic or athletic skills. Officials admit that they have had no shortage of volunteers to act as team coaches, physiotherapists and masseurs.

Try-outs held for prospective players in Seattle last week attracted scores of scantily-clad candidates - and a number of enthusiastic workers from a local building site who sat in the stands offering encouragement, some equipped with binoculars.

“They’ve been on a two-hour lunch break since 10am,” observed one young hopeful, Christine Merklinghaus.

Another was asked by a local television reporter to sum up what she thought the allure would be for spectators. “Probably half-naked women playing football, would be my guess,” she answered.