150-579: The Jacksonville Express were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville , Florida which competed in the World Football League (WFL) in 1975. They were preceded in 1974 by the WFL's Jacksonville Sharks , though the two teams had separate ownership and identities. The Express folded when the league ceased operations during the 1975 season. The Jacksonville Sharks were
300-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
450-438: A three-minute whereas American football has a two-minute warning . In both codes, the respective warning amounts to an extra time-out, with the clock being stopped either at the requisite time when running between plays or immediately upon conclusion of a play when the clock reaches or passes this point. Also, at all levels of Canadian football, the clock is stopped after every play during the last three minutes of each half. Once
600-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
750-529: A 6–5 record when the WFL folded in October 1975, 11 games into a planned 20-game schedule. Source: American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of
900-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
1050-829: A field designed for American football (for instance, the Memphis Mad Dogs and the Birmingham Barracudas of the CFL, playing in the Liberty Bowl and at Legion Field , respectively, played the Canadian game on modified American-sized fields because of the inability of the stadia to adapt to the larger field). The Alamodome , originally built as a multipurpose dome, proved to best accommodate both Canadian football (the CFL's San Antonio Texans ) and American football ( Alamo Bowl , Dallas Cowboys training camp,
1200-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
1350-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
1500-498: A lack of campus space, did not have a full-sized rugby pitch. Their pitch was only 100 yd (91 m) long by 50 yd (46 m) wide (slightly less than the 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 -yard width of the current regulation-sized field for American football). Because of the reduced field, the Harvard team opted for 11 players per side, four fewer than the regulation 15 of rugby union . To generate more offense, Harvard also increased
1650-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
SECTION 10
#17327878348501800-471: A line that cannot be easily penetrated by the defense are valued in American football, the extra distance from the defensive team means Canadian football finds value in more nimble players on the offensive line. In American football, if a punt returner sees that, in his judgment, he will be unable to advance the ball after catching it, he may signal for a fair catch by waving his hand in the air, and forgo
1950-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
2100-410: A member of the receiving team without his gaining possession (a "muff"), then the ball can be recovered by either team (but cannot be advanced by the kicking team). If the kicking team recovers the ball, they regain possession and are awarded a first down at the spot of the recovery. Following a fair catch in American football, the receiving team can elect a free kick (called a fair catch kick ) from
2250-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
2400-424: A missed field goal; however, because of the absence of singles and the goalpost position at the back of the end zone, the return is rarely exercised, except on a blocked kick, or as time expires in the half or in the game (with the most famous recent example being Chris Davis ' game-ending return of a missed field goal for the winning touchdown in the 2013 Alabama–Auburn game ). Most teams instead elect not to attempt
2550-510: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
2700-522: A mostly new front office staff. The team's biggest player acquisitions were quarterback George Mira , who had been co-MVP of the 1974 WFL championship game with Birmingham and had been a college All-American with the in-state Miami Hurricanes , and Tommy Reamon , who had led the WFL in rushing in 1974 with the Florida Blazers . The new ownership group sought to be much more frugal than the free-spending Sharks had been. One notable example of this
2850-421: A new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game
3000-477: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
3150-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
SECTION 20
#17327878348503300-411: A player who is onside at the time of said kick. The ball may not, however, be intentionally kicked out of bounds to gain possession, this is then treated as a scrimmage kick out of bounds and possession goes to the opposing team. Incidental contact with the foot does not count as kicking the ball out of bounds. In American play, when a ball is fumbled out of bounds, the last team to have clear possession of
3450-674: A professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida which competed in the 1974 WFL season. The Sharks folded during that season due to financial difficulties. The WFL returned to Jacksonville the following season with the Jacksonville Express . While head coach Charlie Tate and a few players returned from the Sharks, the Express had new owners (local businessman Earl Knabb along with several minor partners) and
3600-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
3750-455: A return and assume possession – at the previous line of scrimmage in the NCAA and at the spot of the kick in the NFL. Since the goalpost is out of bounds, any nonscoring kick that strikes the goalpost is dead, and the receiving team takes over possession from the spot of the kick or their own 20-yard line, whichever is further from the receiving team's goal. Likewise, any kickoff or punt that either
3900-511: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
4050-562: A running track, although today such dual use of facilities is only common for high school football and the lower levels of college football. The most recent example of an NFL team using a stadium also used for track and field was the Los Angeles Rams , who played at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after returning to the Los Angeles metropolitan area while SoFi Stadium was being built. The goalposts for kicking are placed at
4200-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
4350-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
4500-728: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Comparison of American and Canadian football American and Canadian football are gridiron codes of football that are very similar; both have their origins partly in rugby football , but some key differences exist between
4650-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
Jacksonville Express - Misplaced Pages Continue
4800-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
4950-408: A touchdown); in the amateur levels of the game, they are given the ball at their 20-yard line if the kick was not returned that far. Singles like this do not exist in American football; however, one point may be scored when a safety is scored during a conversion attempt , in contrast to the two points scored for safeties during other plays. American football also allows a defending team to advance
5100-415: Is 17 yards 2 feet 4 inches (16.3 m), sectioning the field into three almost equal columns. The hash marks are closer together at the American college level, where they are 20 yards (18.3 m) from the sideline, and in the NFL, where they are 23 yd 1 ft 9 in (21.6 m) from the sideline and the distance between them is the same as that between the goalposts. Because of
5250-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
5400-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
5550-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
5700-516: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
5850-435: Is kicked through the end zone, is kicked into the end zone and rolls out of bounds without being touched by a player, is touched in the end zone by a member of the kicking team without any member of the receiving team having touched it, or is downed in the end zone by a member of the receiving team, results in a touchback . The placement of the ball after a touchback varies by rule set and game situation. Under high school rules,
6000-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
6150-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
Jacksonville Express - Misplaced Pages Continue
6300-533: Is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has
6450-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
6600-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
6750-399: Is usually a defensive back on defence. Because of this, position designations of the various offensive and defensive lines vary. For example, most formations in Canadian football have no tight ends , these having been phased out in 1980. The typical offensive arrangement in Canadian football is three slotbacks instead of the American tight end and fullback while on the defensive end of
6900-776: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
7050-686: The New Orleans Saints after Hurricane Katrina , the NFLPA Game , the U.S. Army All-American Bowl , and the UTSA Roadrunners ), although Canadian football is no longer played there. Similarly, Hornet Stadium fairly easily adapted to both the Canadian and American games, as it was built with a running track in which the Canadian field fits with only some cuts to the corners. Hornet Stadium hosts California State University, Sacramento (more often known as Sacramento State), hosted
7200-595: The Sacramento Surge and Sacramento Mountain Lions in American football and the Sacramento Gold Miners in Canadian football. American teams use 11 players, while Canadian teams have 12 players on the field per side. Both games have the same number of offensive players required at the line of scrimmage, so the 12th player in the Canadian game plays a backfield position on offence, whereas this
7350-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
7500-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
7650-540: The highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ;
SECTION 50
#17327878348507800-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
7950-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
8100-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
8250-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
8400-432: The 1970s so that no significant differences remain today. Similarly, differences in scoring (the Canadian game valuing touchdowns less) opened up from the late 19th century, but were erased by the 1950s. An area in which American football has been more conservative is the retention of the fair catch ( see below ). The American game's modern rules were developed by Walter Camp in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whereas
8550-567: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
8700-445: The American end zones are 10 yards (9.1 m) deep. Canadian end zones were previously 25 yards (22.9 m), with Vancouver's BC Place the first to use the 20-yard-long end zone in 1983, and since 2016, the home of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts , BMO Field , uses an 18-yard-long (16.5 m) end zone. Including the end zones, the American field is about 34% smaller than the Canadian field (87,750 sq ft or 8,152 m for
8850-406: The CFL and NFL. Warren Moon , for example, was the all-time professional football leader in passing yards after an illustrious career in both leagues. He was surpassed in 2006 by Damon Allen , who in turn was surpassed by Anthony Calvillo in 2011, both of whose careers were exclusively in the CFL, then Calvillo was surpassed by Drew Brees and Tom Brady, both of whom played their entire careers in
9000-450: The CFL ball was slightly larger, both because of slightly bigger specifications, but also because CFL manufacturers tended to make balls at the larger end of the allowed tolerances as opposed to NFL manufacturers, which built balls to the smaller end. However, the CFL has updated its specifications twice—first in 1985, and most recently in 2018. The latter change saw the league adopt the NFL's specifications. Before it adopted NFL standards,
9150-489: The CFL's regulation football size was specified as short circumference from 20 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 8 inches (530 to 537 mm); long circumference from 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (705 to 718 mm). The regulation size for an NFL football is specified as short circumference from 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (533 to 540 mm); long circumference from 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (711 to 724 mm). Despite
SECTION 60
#17327878348509300-597: The Canadian field vs 57,600 sq ft or 5,350 m for the American field), but the Canadian field occasionally has its end zone truncated at the corners so that the field fits in the infield of a running track . Once a fairly common practice, the only example as of 2024 in the CFL is the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium , home of the Montreal Alouettes . In contrast, the smaller American regulation field easily fits within
9450-423: The Canadian ones for scrimmage kicks. In American rules, to recover a scrimmage kick (punt or missed field goal) and retain possession, the ball must be touched beyond the line of scrimmage by a member of the receiving team (defense). If the ball is touched by the receiving team and then recovered by the kicking team, the kicking team retains possession and is awarded a first down. If the receiving team has not touched
9600-415: The NCAA, NFL & Texas high school football stops play for a " two-minute warning ". Before 2024, NCAA football had no two-minute warning, so the clock stopped on a first down until the ball is ready for play if the play ended in the field of play. In Canadian football, each team has two timeouts per game, but in the CFL, a team cannot use both in the last three minutes of the game. Canadian football has
9750-406: The NFL also intermittently used striped balls until the 1970's, including for one Super Bowl ( Super Bowl VIII ). In American football, a team has four downs to advance the ball 10 yards, while in Canadian football the limit is three downs. On the surface, this creates a considerable handicap for a Canadian football offence. However, most other rule differences as described below strongly favor
9900-516: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
10050-570: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
10200-482: The NFL. Several important specific differences exist between the Canadian and American versions of the game of football: The official playing field in Canadian football is larger than the American, and similar to American fields before 1912. The Canadian field of play is 110 by 65 yards (100.6 by 59.4 m), compared to 100 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (91.4 by 48.8 m) in American football. Since 1986, Canadian end zones are 20 yards (18.3 m) deep while
10350-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
10500-401: The attempt to advance. If he makes this signal, the opposing team must allow him to attempt to catch the ball cleanly; if he is interfered with, the team covering the kick will be penalized 15 yards. In contrast, Canadian football has no such rule; instead, no player from the kicking team, except the kicker or any player who was behind him when he kicked the ball, may approach within five yards of
10650-572: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
10800-416: The ball before the kicking team touches it, it is "first touching" as described above in fair catches and punt returns . Additionally, members of the kicking team must allow the receiving team the opportunity to catch a scrimmage kick in flight. No distance is required; the NCAA revoked its rule of a 2-yard halo. Once the scrimmage kick has touched the ground, the kicking team is free to recover, subject to
10950-436: The ball by members of the kicking team. On any kick, the kicker and any member of the kicker's team behind the kicker at the time of the kick may recover and advance the ball. On a kickoff, since every member of the kicking team must be behind the ball when it is kicked, this effectively makes all 12 players "onside" and eligible to recover the kick, once it has gone 10 yards downfield. For a punt or missed field goal, usually only
11100-471: The ball is a core part of the Canadian game. When the American asked which game the Canadians played, David replied "rugby". After some negotiation, they decided to play a game with half and half Canadian/U.S. rules. Thus, many of the similarities and differences between the Canadian and American games indeed came out of this original series where each home team set the rules. For instance, Harvard, because of
11250-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
11400-405: The ball is then dead. Often, the ball hits the ground and is surrounded by players from the kicking team, who allow it to roll as far as possible downfield – without going into the end zone – before grasping or holding the ball against the ground. (If a punt bounces into the receiving team's end zone, it is dead, and a touchback is awarded.) However, if the ball touches
11550-476: The ball moved to the 25. If a player of the receiving team fields a kickoff or punt in the end zone, he has the option to down it in the end zone (resulting in a touchback) or to try to advance the ball. Following a successful field goal, in Canadian rules, the team scored upon has the option of receiving a kickoff, kicking off from its 35-yard line, or scrimmaging at its own 35-yard line (the CFL first instituted this rule in 1975, but eliminated this last option for
11700-400: The ball to the first-down marker, or loses the down, which often results in a turnover on downs. In Canadian play, if the ball is fumbled out of bounds, the play ends with possession going to the team to last contact the ball in bounds (after the ball has completely left the possession of the fumbling ball carrier). A loose ball may be kicked forward (dribbled) provided it is then recovered by
11850-429: The ball until it has been touched by an opponent. If they do, a "no yards" penalty is called against the kicking team. Furthermore, in American football, the receiving team may elect not to play the ball if the prospects for a return are not good and the returner is not certain he can successfully catch the ball on the fly; American players are generally taught not to attempt to touch a bouncing football. If any member of
12000-422: The ball, two defensive halfbacks are used instead of one strong safety in the American game. The sizes of individual American and Canadian footballs can vary within specified size limitations. Despite the CFL and NFL having different specifications until 2018, they overlapped to a sufficient degree that from at least 1985 forward, the same ball could fall within the requirements of both leagues. Historically
12150-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
12300-591: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
12450-497: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
12600-551: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
12750-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
12900-400: The defence. It also provides receivers the advantage of a running start, as they can time their runs so that they cross the line of scrimmage at speed when the ball is snapped, allowing them to get downfield faster than receivers in American football, allowing for comparatively longer throws in the same amount of time after the snap or quicker throws for a given distance. In American football,
13050-404: The defense in the American game. In both games, the ball is placed at a line of scrimmage , in which a player known as the "centre" or "center" performs a "snap" to start a football play. In Canadian football, the snap is required to go between the centre's legs; this is not required in American football, but it is almost always done this way anyway, so the center is in position to block following
13200-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
13350-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
13500-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
13650-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
13800-444: The fact that before 2018, the CFL rules allowed for a smaller legal ball and the NFL rules allowed for a larger legal ball, a common misconception existed among media, fans, and even players that the then-current CFL ball was bigger. Some professional quarterbacks stated that they noticed a difference in size. Another difference between NFL and CFL balls is that Canadian balls have two 1-inch (25 mm) complete white stripes around
13950-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
14100-555: The field is 15 yards (13.7 m) longer on each end. In many smaller venues, this would be the entire end zone section, losing seating for at least 3,000 spectators. During the CFL's failed expansion to U.S. cities in the early 1990s, Canadian football was either played on fields designed to accommodate both American football and baseball (such as the Baltimore Stallions playing at Memorial Stadium ), or in some cases, on
14250-405: The first touching rules. In both codes, a scrimmage kick that is blocked and recovered by the kicking team behind the line of scrimmage is in play. The kicking team may then choose to either attempt another kick or try to advance the ball, but no turnover has taken place on the play (unless a member of the receiving team has control of the ball), and therefore, the kicking team either has to advance
14400-409: The football 3 in (76 mm) from the largest diameter of the ball and NFL balls have no stripes at all. The CFL retained its striping scheme when it adopted NFL measurement specifications in 2018. College football and high school football both specify the use of stripes, but only on two of the football's four panels (the ones adjacent to the laces). The original reason for adopting striped balls
14550-487: The football is awarded possession, unless the ball goes out of the back or side of the end zone. A team may still lose possession after a fumble out of bounds if the fumble occurred on fourth down (third down in Canadian play) and the ball becomes dead short of the line to gain. Because of plays like the Holy Roller , the NFL changed its rule regarding advancing a fumbled ball on offense. If the offensive team fumbles in
14700-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
14850-655: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
15000-400: The goal line in Canadian football, but at the end line in the American game professionally since 1974 (the college game has had them at the end line since 1927 ). In Canadian rules, the distance between the sideline and hash marks is 24 yards (21.9 m); in 2022, the CFL narrowed the hash mark spacing to 9 yards (8.2 m). In American amateur rules, at the high school level, the distance
15150-407: The governing bodies involved, the field of the home team is considered a legal field, although it is a different size from one school's normal field. In all but a few cases, the rules of the home team are followed throughout the game. Many CFL players are Americans who grew up playing American football and cannot find a place in the NFL, or who prefer to play in the CFL; strict import quotas restrict
15300-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
15450-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
15600-555: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
15750-451: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
15900-401: The kicker at the time of the kick, can retrieve and advance the ball. This is further explained in the kicker advancing the ball section. In American football, after all players are set, only one offensive player is allowed to be in motion, and he cannot be moving toward the line of scrimmage while the ball is snapped. The motion player must start from behind the line of scrimmage; players on
16050-403: The kicker is onside, except in designed onside kick plays. All of the players offside at the time of the kick may neither touch the ball nor be within 5 yards of the member of the receiving team who fields the kick; violation of this rule is a penalty for "no yards". The penalty for no yards is 15 yards if the kick is in flight and 5 yards if it has been grounded. If such a kick is recovered beyond
16200-410: The kicking team touches the ball after the kick is made, without an intervening touch by the member of the receiving team, the receiving team may elect to scrimmage the ball from that spot of first touching, regardless of anything else (other than a penalty) that happens during the rest of the play. If the kicking team gains possession of the ball during the kick before it is touched by the receiving team,
16350-467: The larger field, many American football venues are generally unfit for the Canadian game. While several American stadia could accommodate the extra 17 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet ( 5 + 5 ⁄ 6 yd or 5.3 m) per side in width ( multipurpose stadia , baseball parks converted for football, and some soccer-specific stadiums are particularly good fits), most American stadia would lose between 15 and 18 rows of seating in each end zone because
16500-413: The last two minutes of either half, or on fourth down at any time, only the player who fumbled is allowed to advance the ball past the point of the fumble. If any other offensive player advances the ball toward the opponent's goal line, the ball is moved back to the spot of the fumble. If the fumble occurred on fourth down, the defensive team gains possession on downs unless the original fumble occurred after
16650-515: The length of the ball, creating the illusion of the teams being "nose-to-nose" against each other. Because of the greater distance in Canadian football, its teams are more likely to gamble at a greater distance on "third and one" or "third and inches." If a Canadian football team's offense is deemed to be within one yard of either goal line, the line of scrimmage is moved to the one-yard line. No such rule exists in American football. While large, relatively immobile offensive line players used to form
16800-441: The line cannot be in motion. In Canadian football, all offensive backfield players, except the quarterback, may be in motion at the snap; players in motion may move in any direction as long as they are behind the line of scrimmage at the snap. In addition, the two players on the ends of the line of scrimmage (generally wide receivers) may also be in motion along the line. Many teams encourage this unlimited motion, as it can confuse
16950-424: The line of scrimmage by the kicking team, it is automatically a first down. The American rules are similar for the recovery of kickoffs. Any member of the kicking team may recover the ball once it has touched an opponent or once it has gone 10 yards downfield and touched the ground. The ball is dead when recovered, though the kicking team is awarded possession at the spot of recovery. The American rules differ from
17100-444: The line to gain had been reached. In Canadian football, any kick that goes into the end zone is a live ball, except for a successful field goal or if the goalposts are hit while the ball is in flight. If the player receiving the kick fails to return it out of the end zone, or if the ball was kicked through the end zone, then the kicking team scores a single point (rouge), and the returning team scrimmages from its 35-yard line or, if
17250-461: The modern Canadian game was devised by John Thrift Meldrum Burnside, whose Burnside rules , invented around the same time, were developed independently from Camp's rules. In some regions along the Canada-U.S. border, especially western areas, some high schools from opposite sides of the border regularly play games against one another (typically one or two per team per season). By agreement between
17400-449: The number of downs from three, as set by McGill, to four. Furthermore, the Harvard players so enjoyed running with the ball, this rule was wholly adopted into all Harvard play following the two games with McGill. While the American team bested the Canadian (3–0 and a following tie game), both countries' flavours of football were forever changed and linked to one another. Both the Canadian and American games still have some things in common with
17550-455: The number of non-Canadian players. Furthermore, the classifications of import (non-Canadian) and non-import (Canadian) were highly restrictive and required a player to have been in Canada since childhood to qualify as a nonimport (i.e. a player cannot simply become a Canadian citizen and become a nonimport, nor can he arrive in Canada during high school or college; both scenarios would still have
17700-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
17850-462: The offensive team must run a play within 25 seconds of the referee whistling the play in – except in the NCAA (college) and the NFL where teams have 40 seconds from the end of the previous play, or 25 seconds following a penalty or timeout. In Canadian football (at all levels of play), teams have 20 seconds after the play is whistled in regardless of the preceding situation. American football rules allow each team to have three timeouts in each half, and
18000-415: The onside scrimmage kick (see Kicker advancing the ball below) or restricted backfield motion, while the American college football (from whose code all American codes derive) did. Canadian football was later in adopting the hand snap and the forward pass, although one would not suspect the latter from play today. Additionally, Canadian football was slower in removing restrictions on blocking, but caught up by
18150-477: The other team is out of timeouts, running 120 seconds (two minutes) off the clock without gaining a first down is possible (the two-minute warning, since it stops the clock, effectively makes it impossible to run off any additional time without gaining a first down). In Canadian football, just over 40 seconds can be run off, and thus its three minute warning is of comparatively much less importance. Canadian football retains much more liberal rules regarding recovery of
18300-429: The oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given
18450-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
18600-465: The player in question classified as an import and counted against the team's maximum); these restrictions were loosened beginning in 2014 so that anyone who had become a Canadian citizen at any time before signing with the league for the first time could qualify as a nonimport player. For individuals who played both American and Canadian football professionally, their career statistic totals are considered to be their combined totals from their careers in both
18750-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
18900-556: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
19050-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
19200-406: The receiving team is awarded possession on its own 20-yard line in all situations. In the NCAA and NFL, the ball is moved to the 20-yard line following a punt, and to the 25-yard line following a kickoff, or free kick after a safety. Under NCAA and NFL rules, a kickoff or free kick after a safety that ends in a fair catch by the receiving team inside its own 25-yard line is treated as a touchback, with
19350-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
19500-418: The referee has set the ball, the clock restarts if the last play ended with a runner tackled in the field of play. Timing rules change drastically after the minutes warning in both leagues: These timing differences, combined with the fewer downs available for the Canadian offence to earn a first down, lead to spectacularly different end games if the team leading the game has the ball. In American football, if
19650-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
19800-507: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
19950-434: The rouge is scored as a result of a missed field goal attempt, the receiving team may choose the last point of scrimmage. If a kicked ball in flight hits a post without scoring a field goal, there is no score, and the receiving team scrimmages from its 30-yard line. If the kick is returned out of the end zone, the receiving team next scrimmages from the place that was reached (or if they reach the opponents' goal line, they score
20100-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
20250-446: The size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football
20400-405: The snap. The defensive team must stay a set distance away from the line of scrimmage on their side of the line. In Canadian football, the distance between the line of scrimmage and the defensive team, formally called the "scrimmage zone", is one full yard. In American football, the set distance between the offensive and defensive teams, known in that code as the "neutral zone", is 11 inches –
20550-428: The sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of
20700-418: The spot the ball is received – and if the kick goes through the opposite goal posts, a field goal is scored. Fair catch kicks are rarely attempted in the NFL and are usually unsuccessful (the last successful fair catch kick was in 1976). The fair catch kick is not allowed in college football. In Canadian football, if the receiving team does not play the ball, the kicker, and any teammates behind
20850-473: The trip to see Boston and the surrounding areas, they held daily practices. During this time, the Americans were surprised to see the Canadians kick, chase, and then run with the ball. Picking up and running with the ball violated a basic rule of the American game of the day; when the U.S. captain (Henry Grant) pointed this out to the captain of the Canadian team (David Roger), the reply was simple: Running with
21000-649: The two codes. Rugby football was introduced to North America in Canada by the British Army garrison in Montreal , which played a series of games with McGill University . In 1874, the United States ' Harvard University hosted Canada 's McGill University to play the new game derived from rugby football in a home-and-home series . When the Canadians arrived several days early, to take advantage of
21150-599: The two varieties of rugby, especially rugby league , and because of the similarities, the National Football League (NFL) had a formal relationship with the Canadian Football League (CFL) between 1997 and 2008. Many, if perhaps not most, of the rules differences have arisen because of rules changes in American football in the early 20th century, which have not been copied by Canadian football. The major Canadian codes never abolished
21300-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
21450-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
21600-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
21750-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
21900-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
22050-431: Was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified
22200-556: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
22350-463: Was that while the Sharks' headquarters had been located in a large suite atop a skyscraper in downtown Jacksonville, the offices of the Express were located in a mall in the basement of a hotel. Accordingly, the franchise was able to meet its financial obligations throughout its short existence. However, the WFL had lost their television contract right before the 1975 season, putting the entire league in serious financial difficulty. The Express had compiled
22500-420: Was to make them easier to see at night in an era when stadium lighting standards were far less rigorous compared to today. Because the CFL and it antecedent competitions historically played twice a week on a regular basis, they played on weekdays far more frequently, these games typically being played in the evening. In contrast, the NFL played the vast majority of its games during the day in this era. Nevertheless,
#849150