CFL vs NFL – Key Differences Between Football Leagues

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Are you a true football fan? If you answer positively to this question, probably, you are pretty well versed in two prominent leagues operating in North America. These are, no doubt, CFL aka Canadian Football League and NFL aka National Football League. We understand that there are tons of fans of both leagues, yet, what are the differences between them and why are clashes between CFL vs NFL impossible? Let’s consider it in our article.

The Most Distinctive Differences: Rules, Dimensions, and Mergers

The main reason why CFL and NFL teams and footballers do not intersect is the pack of differences which are characteristic for each league. While the football rules mostly remain the same for each league, both the NFL and CFL have some specific requirements to be maintained.

The field differs from league to league. In Canada, the field is longer and wider with 110×65 yards vs 100×53 yards in the NFL. Moreover, even the end zones and midfield distances differ.
More players to act at once. CFL’s teams consist typically of 12 players operating simultaneously while in the NHL there is a limit of no more than 11 players acting in each team.
The number of downs also differs. There are three of them in the Canadian league while the US teams can claim up to four downs per ball possession,
The same refers to the number of timeouts. In the CFL, there are only two timeouts while US players can get three of them per match.

5, The minimal number of points also differs. While CFL games can end with a score of a minimum of 1 point, due to safety points, in the NFL, the minimum amount of points in the score is 2. If you wonder if has there ever been a 2-0 NFL game, we can say that it’s a rare result which has happened only 5 times since the emergence of the league in 1970.

Besides, there are differences in punt return catches, goalposts’ locations, etc. That’s why most fans are not expecting a CFL-NFL merger to be introduced.

Some In-Depth Facts About Both Leagues

One of the most significant things about North American football leagues is that they have a stormy yet interesting history. Let’s consider some facts about NFL and CFL:

Football is a household game in the US and Canada. Yet, the national leagues in these countries were found in different epochs. In Canada, rugby football became a staple sports competition in the 1860s with CFL’s predecessor, CRFU, founded in 1880. American NFL was founded in the 1920s, 60 years after Canadians.
As we mentioned the score differences, it’s curious to know that in the CFL, the highest score in the game’s history was 82 won by the Montreal team in 1956. In the NFL, the Washington Redskins managed to take 72 points in their match against the New York Giants in 1966.
The whole history of both leagues can track at least 10 games held between the teams playing in different leagues. Thus, the first of them was held more than 80 years ago, in 1941, when the Canadian Winnipeg Blue Bombers faced the Columbus Bulls and won with a score of 16:12.
The last game between NFL and CFL teams ended in 1961 when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats won the game with 38 points against the Buffalo Bills’ 21 points.
Playing football in both leagues is extra profitable. Yet, if we compare monetary rates, the NFL wins the race as its annual revenue last year was over $12 billion while CFL’s revenue was only $200+ million.
As for personal records, NFL player Adam Vinatieri won the status of the most resultative player ever. His personal record was 2,673 points gained. Dough Flutie possesses the same status in the CFL.

As you can see, both the greatest North American football leagues are worth your attention. Thus, it is not a deal to compare them and argue who’s the best. Just enjoy the gaming process and continue rooting for your fav NFL and CFL leagues. Probably, in the future, they agree to play one against another again to present us with the most spectacular show ever.