CANADA DAY MARKS THE START OF CFL FOOTBALL SEASON

While Americans celebrate their big national holiday a few days later on July 4^th, the first of the month is ‘Canada Day’.  The holiday marks the unification of Canada as a nation via the British North American act in 1867 and is celebrated much in the same way as their neighbors to the south.  For the country’s sports fans, it marks the beginning of football season—Canadian Football League (CFL) season.  Two games on the docket for Wednesday get the unique form of professional football underway for the 2009 season, to the delight of CFL fans and sports bettors alike.

Most Americans don’t realize that the CFL has a lengthy and storied history.  The league itself has been around since 1930, and the Canadian Football championship—known as the Grey Cup—has been contended since 1909.  More recently, American fans are aware that a number of NFL stars got their start in the CFL including Doug Flutie, Jim Kelly, and Jeff Garcia. 

While the CFL plays football at the highest professional level of competition outside of the NFL, there are a few differences in the game:

First of all, the football itself is bigger--the CFL ball is larger than its American counterpart.  If you know anything about rugby, its roughly the same as a #3 rugby ball meaning it is somewhat longer and fatter than the NFL ball.  The CFL field is also longer (110 yards) and wider (65 yards vs. the NFL’s 53.5 yards), and the CFL end zones are 20 yards deep as opposed to 10 yards in the NFL.  The CFL goal posts are on the goal line, while the NFL’s are on the end line at the back of the endzone. 

Teams have 12 players on the field at once as opposed to 11 in the NFL.  On offense, the extra player is a receiver, on defense a defensive back.  And unlike the American game, where teams have 4 downs to move the ball ten yards the CFL has only 3.  Maybe the hardest thing to get used to when listening to CFL broadcasts is the frequently references to teams going “two and out”.   There are a few other subtle differences as well—teams only have 1 time out per half, only 20 seconds between plays, and all backfield players can be in motion prior to the snap (as opposed to only one in the NFL).

There are also differences in the scoring of the game. Many sports fans do a double take the first time they see a CFL score tied at 1-1.  A major rule difference between the CFL and NFL is the fact that teams can score a single point, called a “single”.  Basically, a team is awarded a single point for a missed field goal or a punt that lands in the end zone. 

The bottom line is that despite the rule differences and the CFL game is still football and can be enjoyed the same way.  Once you understand the unique attributes of the Canadian game you’ll start to enjoy it almost as much as the NFL.  It’s also a great wagering opportunity for both the serious sports investor and recreational player alike.  Look for more introductory articles about the CFL in the coming week and coverage of Canadian football all season long.