American football and Canadian football are also referred to as ‘Gridiron Football’.
Q: Where was Gridiron football invented?
A: Ask any Canuck sports fan, and the most-likely answer will be that football was invented by Canadians. Ask any American sports fan, and the most-likely answer will be that the football game was a USA creation.
The 1st known football game was played in 1869 by college students from Montreal’s McGill University and college students from Boston’s Harvard University. There are so many other claims on the internet of where the 1st game was played and who played in it. Regardless of who came up with the game, I know that both countries still play professional gridiron football.
In Canada, the present professional league is known as the Canadian Football League (CFL). The CFL has been around since 1958. The ‘Grey Cup’ is the name of a championship game and also the name of a trophy that is awarded to the winner of the championship game. The ‘Grey Cup’ has been awarded to the best football team in Canada since 1908.
In the U.S., the present professional football league is known as the National Football League (NFL). The NFL’s inaugural season was in 1966. The NFL’s championship game is referred to as ‘The Super Bowl’, with the 1st Super Bowl played in 1967.
Here are some interesting tidbits of both leagues:
Over-all Length of the Playing Field: The CFL field is 150 yards long, whereas the NFL field is 120 yards long.
Over-all Width of the Playing Field: The CFL field is 65 yards wide and the NFL field is 53.3 yards wide.
End Zones: The CFL has end zones that are 20 yards deep. The NFL’s end zones are 10 yards deep.
Mid-field Line: The CFL’s midfield is the 55 yards marker. The NFL’s midfield is the 50 yard marker.
Goal Post Location: The CFL’s goal post is along the 0 yard line. The NFL’s goal post is along the backside edge of the end zone.
Number of Players on Field: The CFL has 12 players on offense and 12 players on defense. The NFL has 11 on offense and 11 on defense.
Number of Downs: The CFL has 3 downs to make a first down. The NFL has 4 downs to make a first down.
Number of Teams: The CFL currently has 8 teams. The NFL currently has 32 teams.
Regular Season: The CFL is 19 weeks long, each team plays 18 games, season runs from late June to early November. The NFL is 17 weeks long, each team plays 16 games, season runs from September to end of December.
Regular Season Points Awarded: The CFL awards points based on regular season results. The NFL doesn’t award any points for regular season wins.
Championship Game: The Grey Cup is played at the end of November. The Super Bowl is played around the last week of January/1st week of February.
I am a fan of gridiron football. For me, I prefer the watching the NFL games over watching the CFL games. I definitely prefer watching any gridiron football (NFL/CFL) over watching the other type of football (aka soccer).
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