American football is broadcast close to what the rest of the world calls rugby, while regular football is branded soccer. Professional football runs under two major leagues: the football-size NFL (National Football League) affiliated with the United States and the CFL (Canadian Football League) hailing from Canada. At first glance, both leagues can be assumed to be playing the same game. However, they have some defining differences that distinguish them.
Ball Size
Ball size limitations vary between Canadian and American football. However, up until the 2018 broadcast, these requirements overlapped and allowed some degree of the same ball falling within both leagues’ demands.
Historically, Canadian football has always used a slightly bigger ball than that of the NFL. CFL ball manufacturers preferred the larger end of the scale, while the NFL favoured the smaller end. The CFL’s regulation limited the football-size from 53cm to 53.7cm for the short circumference and 70.5com to 28.25 inches for the long circumference. The CFL has since updated its ball specifications twice, in 1985 and 2018. The latest amendment allowed the Canadian league to adopt the USA version (53.3cm to 54cm for the short circumference and 71.1cm to 72.4cm for the long circumference). However, the CFL still plays with striped balls while the NFL versions have no stripes.
Team Size
The NFL has eleven players in each team, while the CFL plays with twelve. Both football versions have the same number of offensive players standing at the line of scrimmage. The twelfth player in Canadian teams is placed in a backfield offense position, which is usually a defensive back on defense in the American version.
The difference in the team placement on the field also differs between the offensive and defensive lines. For instance, the NFL football games have tight ends, but they have been faced out in the Canadian version since 1980. The CFL uses two slotbacks instead, while two defensive halfbacks are placed on the defensive end of the ball instead of a strong safety like in the NFL.
Pitch Size
Canadian football uses a larger playing area than the American version. The CFL fields measure 100.6m by 59.44m compared to the NFL’s 91.44m by 48.77m. Previously, Canadian football teams played with end zones measuring 25 yards, and Vancouver’s BC Place was the first team to reduce them to 20 yards long in 1983. The Toronto Argonauts team has since reduced the end zones on their home field to 18 yards long.
Counting the end zones, Canadian football fields are 34% bigger than the USA version. The larger area makes it impossible for the CFL to host games on its neighbour’s land. This led to a failed expansion into the US in the 1990s, since only a few fields could be expanded to accommodate the end zones. In some cases, Canadian teams were forced to play on American-sized fields. Ordinary American stadiums would lose up to 18 seating rows on each side to include end zones. In smaller fields, the room taken would be enough for 3,000 spectators. The CFL finally gave up its efforts when it realised the ability of stadiums to adapt to larger designs.
Time
American football gives each team three timeouts in each half, and a “two-minute warning” is added in NFL games. The NCAA (college football) does not have this warning, but the clock does stop until the ball is ready to play after a first down. The CFL allows each team two timeouts a game, and they cannot be used in the last three minutes. Canadian football also stops the clock every play in the last three minutes in both halves. The clock resets once the referee sets the ball and if the last play is closed with a tackled runner.
Another significant difference is the time the offensive team has to run a play. The US version gives each team 25 seconds, but the NCAA and NFL teams have 40 seconds after the previous play. Twenty-five seconds only apply after a timeout or penalty.
Salaries
CFL revenue is nowhere near that of the NFL by miles. According to Green Bay Packers, in 2020, the NFL raked in $309.2 million in national income. During the same time, the CFL was one of a few professional leagues that canceled their entire season due to the pandemic. The league, owned mainly by small local businesses, lost $60 to $80 million due to no revenue. This difference allows the NFL to pay football players a lot more than the CFL can dream of. Statistics indicate that the Calgary Stampeders pay players about $100,920 annually. NFL salaries far outweigh them and pay their most prized players as follows as of 2020.
- Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City QB) – $45 million;
- Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills QB) – $43 million;
- Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys QB) – $40 million;
- Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans QB) – $39 million;
- Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks QB) – $35 million;
- Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers QB) – $33.5 million.
Motion at the Snap
Canadian football allows offensive backfield players to be in motion at the snap except for the quarterback. Players can take off in any direction as long as they stay behind the line of scrimmage. Receivers from the defense get a longer running start if they time their runs to match the ball speed once it is snapped. It also allows for longer and quicker throws for a given distance than in American football.
Scrimmage
The line of scrimmage exists in both football versions, known as the center where the snap occurs to start a play. Canadian football dictates that the ball goes between the center’s legs. American football does it anyway without being required and puts the center in a position to block after the snap. The defense stays on the line of scrimmage. In American football, players remain in the neutral zone, keeping them 11 inches apart and appearing to be nose to nose. In the Canadian version, players stay one full yard behind.
Closing Thoughts
Other minor differences include red-zone management, special teams, backfield motion, and offensive drives management. Either version is enjoyable and is broadcast worldwide.
The content mill that wrote this completely missed the most important difference between the two leagues.