by Robert Cramer

Created on: September 23, 2009   Last Updated: October 08, 2009

The Canadian Football League is Canada's answer to the NFL. Is it better? That is obviously debatable. It is however, very different. At current time, the CFL consists of eight teams. The BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Montreal Alouettes. Now I know what your first question is, what is a Roughrider? Well, no one is really sure. Not only that, it was so confusing that before Ottawa had left the league the first time, they were also the Roughriders. Listening to the Radio proved difficult. Ottawa did try their hand at football a few years later with the failed experiment known as the Ottawa Renegades, who also folded after a few seasons. They will soon again try for another team, no plans yet on when they will fold.

So, now down to the nitty gritty. Most American football fans know their football as having a 100 yard field; their end-zone is 10 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide. The goal posts sit at the end of the end-zone. They have four downs and like to run the ball a lot. If a field goal is missed and kicked through the end-zone, the play is dead. No points. Max amount of players legally allowed on the field at a time is 11. They also have a 2 minute warning and over time are settled via a coin flip and a first to score wins scenario. These are the first rules and regulations that come to mind.

The CFL took a good long look at this and said, you know what, I don't like that. The game is too slow, the field is too small and do not even get me started on that overtime format. So Bob CFL (Not an actual person) came up with this. The field length is 110 yards long and 65 yards across. The end-zone is 20 yards long and 65 yards wide. The end-zone is 20 yards long and 65 wide with the goal posts sitting on the front of the end-zone. Why would the CFL stick the posts at the front? Why that is very simple. It is because if the field goal kicker misses the field goal, which does happen now and then, if the ball has not left play, one of the speedy young gentlemen may attempt to return said kick. Ever heard of a "Rouge"? Well if you are bilingual, you would know it means red. That being said, in the CFL, this is also 1 point for a missed field goal. The kicker works so hard to kick that ball, it would not be very nice to not reward him just because he shanks a kick now would it? Now this is just making more jobs in Canada not to mention some very exciting

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>