While football in the United States is associated with crisp autumn days and cool nights, in Canada professional football begins in the summer time. While NFL training camps won't open until mid-summer by then the Canadian Football League (CFL) will be well into their regular season schedule.
Most Americans dont realize that the CFL has a lengthy and storied history. The league itself has been around since'30, and the Canadian Football championship--known as the Grey Cup--has been contended since'09. More recently, American fans are aware that a number of NFL stars got their start in the CFL including Doug Flutie, Jim Kelly, and Jeff Garcia.
The CFL is very high level professional football, but there are some significant differences between it and the NFL game:
First of all, the football itself is bigger--the CFL ball is larger than its American counterpart. If you know anything about rugby, its roughly the same as a #3 rugby ball meaning it is somewhat longer and fatter than the NFL ball. The CFL field is also longer (110 yards) and wider (65 yards vs. the NFLs 53.5 yards), and the CFL end zones are 20 yards deep as opposed to 10 yards in the NFL. The CFL goal posts are on the goal line, while the NFLs are on the end line at the back of the endzone.
Teams have 12 players on the field at once as opposed to 11 in the NFL. On offense, the extra player is a receiver, on defense a defensive back. And unlike the American game, where teams have 4 downs to move the ball ten yards the CFL has only 3. Maybe the hardest thing to get used to when listening to CFL broadcasts is the frequently references to teams going two and out. There are a few other subtle differences as well"teams only have 1 time out per half, only 20 seconds between plays, and all backfield players can be in motion prior to the snap (as opposed to only one in the NFL).
A major difference in the scoring is the 'single' which awards CFL teams one point for a kick--usually a punt or missed field goal--that lands in the end zone. This will frequently produce partial game scores of 1-0 or 1-1 that are impossible in the US game.
The rule differences also extend into the front office, where teams are required to have a certain quota of their roster be Canadian born. In an effort to prevent the CFL from becoming an NFL farm system, and to protect the unique identity of Canadian football' of the 40 players on the roster must be natives.
Despite the rule differences that suggest a higher scoring, more wide open style of play than in the NFL it really doesn't work out that way. Most games end up with a final score in the 40's and have a similar pace to their NFL counterparts. There may be a few individual rule differences, but a strong rushing game and defense are tickets to success in the CFL as in the NFL.
Furthermore, the parity that you see in the NFL where on any given Sunday any team can beat any other team is magnified in the CFL. The primary reason is the rules mandating Canadian native players. I dont think itll offend any Canadians if I suggest that football is played at a higher level in American high schools and colleges. That means that at least 50% of each team is of essentially equal level of talents. Now that may be a bit of an oversimplification"certainly there are differing levels of talent among Canadian players"but the Canadian native rules do serve to further codify the inherent tendency toward parity that you see in most professional sports.
Among the 'non-Canadians' on the team, its also important to note that the CFL doesn't get the highest level US college players. Most with NFL ability are in the NFL, or on a NFL team's practice or developmental squad. There's definitely some American players that are uniquely suited to the CFL game, but the general level of talent is similar to that seen in the Arena Football League.
Despite some major differences, the NFL and CFL have more in common--they're both high level, intensely competitive professional football leagues. Once you understand the rule differences and the unique and fascinating history of the CFL, it is a very enjoyable brand of professional football to watch.
Before the Internet became ubiquitous, it wasn't easy for an American fan to keep up with the CFL. While they still don't receive coverage on ESPN, the Internet affords access to the sports media of every CFL city along with the national Canadian sports media at sites like Slam! Sports. The CFL's official site is also a great source of news, stats and information on Canadian football.
Most Americans dont realize that the CFL has a lengthy and storied history. The league itself has been around since'30, and the Canadian Football championship--known as the Grey Cup--has been contended since'09. More recently, American fans are aware that a number of NFL stars got their start in the CFL including Doug Flutie, Jim Kelly, and Jeff Garcia.
The CFL is very high level professional football, but there are some significant differences between it and the NFL game:
First of all, the football itself is bigger--the CFL ball is larger than its American counterpart. If you know anything about rugby, its roughly the same as a #3 rugby ball meaning it is somewhat longer and fatter than the NFL ball. The CFL field is also longer (110 yards) and wider (65 yards vs. the NFLs 53.5 yards), and the CFL end zones are 20 yards deep as opposed to 10 yards in the NFL. The CFL goal posts are on the goal line, while the NFLs are on the end line at the back of the endzone.
Teams have 12 players on the field at once as opposed to 11 in the NFL. On offense, the extra player is a receiver, on defense a defensive back. And unlike the American game, where teams have 4 downs to move the ball ten yards the CFL has only 3. Maybe the hardest thing to get used to when listening to CFL broadcasts is the frequently references to teams going two and out. There are a few other subtle differences as well"teams only have 1 time out per half, only 20 seconds between plays, and all backfield players can be in motion prior to the snap (as opposed to only one in the NFL).
A major difference in the scoring is the 'single' which awards CFL teams one point for a kick--usually a punt or missed field goal--that lands in the end zone. This will frequently produce partial game scores of 1-0 or 1-1 that are impossible in the US game.
The rule differences also extend into the front office, where teams are required to have a certain quota of their roster be Canadian born. In an effort to prevent the CFL from becoming an NFL farm system, and to protect the unique identity of Canadian football' of the 40 players on the roster must be natives.
Despite the rule differences that suggest a higher scoring, more wide open style of play than in the NFL it really doesn't work out that way. Most games end up with a final score in the 40's and have a similar pace to their NFL counterparts. There may be a few individual rule differences, but a strong rushing game and defense are tickets to success in the CFL as in the NFL.
Furthermore, the parity that you see in the NFL where on any given Sunday any team can beat any other team is magnified in the CFL. The primary reason is the rules mandating Canadian native players. I dont think itll offend any Canadians if I suggest that football is played at a higher level in American high schools and colleges. That means that at least 50% of each team is of essentially equal level of talents. Now that may be a bit of an oversimplification"certainly there are differing levels of talent among Canadian players"but the Canadian native rules do serve to further codify the inherent tendency toward parity that you see in most professional sports.
Among the 'non-Canadians' on the team, its also important to note that the CFL doesn't get the highest level US college players. Most with NFL ability are in the NFL, or on a NFL team's practice or developmental squad. There's definitely some American players that are uniquely suited to the CFL game, but the general level of talent is similar to that seen in the Arena Football League.
Despite some major differences, the NFL and CFL have more in common--they're both high level, intensely competitive professional football leagues. Once you understand the rule differences and the unique and fascinating history of the CFL, it is a very enjoyable brand of professional football to watch.
Before the Internet became ubiquitous, it wasn't easy for an American fan to keep up with the CFL. While they still don't receive coverage on ESPN, the Internet affords access to the sports media of every CFL city along with the national Canadian sports media at sites like Slam! Sports. The CFL's official site is also a great source of news, stats and information on Canadian football.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.
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