Richard Sandomir, The New York Times

NEW YORK - Marty Judge is fully convinced that China wants football — not the type played by the N.F.L. but the indoor version found in the Arena Football League, where the field is 50 yards long, there are eight players a side, and the ball can be rebounded off nets above the end zone.

“It’s exciting,” Judge said, “and it’s what the Chinese government wants.”

Judge, a co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the A.F.L., said Wednesday that he had an agreement with Chinese authorities to launch the China American Football League in conjunction with the Chinese Rugby Football Association.”

The league, he said by telephone, is expected to start in August 2015 with six to eight teams. He said confidently that he expected the league to have 30 teams in five years.