Professional football is not only played in the United States, but in Canada as well. However, the games are far from similar. Yes, the goal is to score more points then the opponent. It is still played with an oblong ball. Teams must still get ten yards for a first down. Touchdowns are touchdowns and field goals, field goals. But what are the differences? This is CFL vs. NFL.
CFL rules vs. NFL rules:
110/25 vs. 100/10
The regulation CFL playing field is 110 yards long with 25 yard end zones. The NFL playing field is 100 yards long with 10 yard end zones.
12 vs. 11
The CFL plays with 12 men to a side versus 11 for the NFL. The Canadian League still uses seven down linemen on offense, but add a back to the backfield giving them five instead of the NFL's four. This allows CFL offenses to send six eligible receivers out on pass routes.
One yard back:
In the CFL, the defense must stay one yard back from the spot of the ball except for on the goal line. In the NFL the defense only has to stay behind the point of the football nearest to them.
Man in motion:
In the CFL the offense can send all backs except for the quarterback in motion before the snap. And they can move towards the line of scrimmage. In the NFL only one back can go in motion once players are set and he must go parallel or away from the line of scrimmage.
Fair catch:
In the CFL there is no fair catch for scrimmage and free kicks, but there is a five yard halo rule which the kicking team has to give the receiver. In the NFL any kick that is not grounded can be fair caught and there is no halo rule.
Series of downs:
In the CFL the offense only has three downs to get ten yards and keep possession of the ball. In the NFL they have four.
Change of possession after a loose ball:
In the CFL when there is a fumble the team which last touches the ball before it goes out of bounds gains possession. In the NFL, the team which was last in possession before the fumble gets it.
Time and time outs:
In the CFL teams get 20 seconds to call a play after a clock stoppage while in the NFL they get 25. CFL teams are only allowed one time out per half while NFL teams get three. The CFL does not have a two-minute warning at the end of each half while the NFL does.
Singles:
In the CFL a team can score a single point on a scrimmage kick the kicking team punts the ball into the opponent's end zone and the receivers can not bring it out. This is called a rouge. In the NFL if the ball is punted into the end zone and not brought out it is a touchback and the receiving team is awarded first and ten at their own 20 yard line.
CFL history vs. NFL history:
The CFL vs. the NFL:
The CFL consists of eight teams split into two divisions, East and West. The teams play an 18 game regular season. The top three teams in each division qualify for the post season. The second and third place teams play each other in the first round while the first place team gets a bye. The winner of the quarterfinal game plays the first place team in their division in the championship game with the winner advancing to the Grey Cup final. The winner of the Grey Cup is champion of the CFL.
The NFL consists of 32 teams with 16 each in the American and National Football Conferences. These conferences are split into four four team divisions of North, South, East and West. The teams play a 16 game regular season. Twelve teams qualify for the post season, six in each conference. These are the four division winners and the top two non-division winners. The two teams with the best record in each conference get a first round bye while the bottom four play in what is called a 'wild-card' game. The winners advance to the second round with the lowest seed playing the top seed. The second round winners advance to the semifinals or conference championship game. The winner of the conference championship advances to the Super Bowl. The winner of the Super Bowl is NFL champion.
CFL rosters consist of 42 active players while the NFL has 45. CFL teams are allowed four reserve players while the NFL allows for eight practice squad members. The CFL has a quota on how many imported Amercan players can be on a roster while the NFL allows teams to sign as many players as they would like from anywhere.
CFL history vs. NFL history:
The CFL has been in existence since the 1930's but did not officially become the Canadian Football League until 1958. The league consisted of nine franchises until the Montreal Alouettes folded in 1982. The team was renamed the Concordes, then Alouettes, but folded again in 1987.
In 1993 the league expanded into the United States as Sacramento became its ninth franchise. In 1994 the league added teams from Baltimore, Shreveport, La., and Las Vegas. The Baltimore franchise was called the Colts after the NFL team which had left in 1984. They advanced to the Grey Cup finals before losing on a last second field goal to the British Columbia Lions. After being threatened with a lawsuit by the NFL, Baltimore changed its name to Stallions the next season and won the Grey Cup. One year later, they became the new Montreal Alouettes. Sacramento, Shreveport and Las Vegas folded, the league went down to nine teams and the United States was out of the CFL. The Ottaw Rough Riders folded after the 1996 season and the league has been at eight teams since.
The NFL began in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association. It ws renamed the National Football League in 1921. The league has been in existence for 92 years. It has expanded from 10 teams in 1933 to it's current 32. It has fought challenges from the All-American Football Conference in the 1940's, the American Football League in the 1960's, the World Football League in the 1970's, the United States Football League in the 1980's and the CFL in the 1990's. Of the teams which make up today's NFL 13 came from the AAFC and AFL.
Stars of the CFL vs. stars of the NFL:
The CFL boasts many star players past and present. The one player that most American fans remember is Edmonton Eskimo quarterback Warren Moon. Moon came from the University of Wshington and led the Eskimos to five consecutive Grey Cup titles from 1978 to 1982. Then he signed with the Houston Oilers of the NFL and played in that league until his retirement in 2000. Moon is in the CFL and NFL halls of fame.
Other CFL stars include BC Lions quarterback Joe Kapp who later played for the Minnesota Vikings, Toronto Argounaut quarterback Damon Allen who is the brother of NFL hall of fame running back Marcus Allen and Heisman trophy winning quarterback Doug Flutie all of which won multiple Grey Cups. Then there is Montreal Alouette defensive lineman Junior Ah You, all-time rushing leader with16,425 yards Mike Pringle, all-time receiving yardage leader Milt Stegall of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and the man who has accounted for the most touchdowns in CFL history quarterback Anthony Calvillo of Montreal.
The CFL has had many legendary coaches including Bud Grant who won Grey Cup championships with Winnipeg then led the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL to four Super Bowls. Hugh Campbell coached the Edmonton Eskimos to five consecutive Grey Cup championships from 1978 to 1982 and Don Matthews won five ina career that saw him coach three different teams including the only American Grey Cup winners the Baltimore Stallions.
NFL offensive players who compare to these stars are Cleveland Browns hall of fame quarterback Otto Graham who won five consecutive professional football titles and played in the championship game in each of his ten seasons. Green Bay Packer quarterback Bart Starr the league's all-time leader with five NFL championships. San Francisco 49er quarterback Joe Montana and Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Bradshaw won four each. The NFL's all-time leading rusher is Emmit Smith of the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals with 18,355 yards and its all-time leading receiver is Jerry Rice. Rice has also scored more touchdowns than any player in league history with 208.
Legendary NFL coaches include Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers who won five NFL championships. Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns won seven pro football titles with four coming in the AAFC and three in the NFL. Chicago Bears coach George Halas won six NFL titles in 40 years of coaching. Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the only man to win four Super Bowls.
CFL champions vs. NFL champions:
The CFL team with the most Grey Cups is the Toronto Argonauts with 15. In second place with 13 is the Edmonton Eskimos. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have 10 and the Ottawa Rough Riders nine.
In the NFL, the Green Bay Packers have the most championships with 12. The Chicago Bears are next with nine. The Cleveland Browns have won eight with four coming in the AAFC and four in the NFL. The New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers have won six each.
We wind up this piece with some little known history.
CFL vs. NFL games:
From 1950 to 1961 CFL and NFL teams faced each other in preseason games. Most of the games were played using rules from one league in the first half and the other in the second. The NFL won all of these games, but this does not mean that they had better teams or players. The NFL's dominance probably stemmed from the fact that the CFL could not adapt to the NFL rules while their opponents had an easier time adapting to Canadian rules.
In 1961, the Hamilton Ttiger-Cats played the Buffalo Bills of the new American Football League and defeated them 38-21. The CFL and NFL have not faced each other since.
Join the Conversation