Differences in the Canadian Football League vs. the National Football League Articles | Gambling

By: Richard Bleuze

There are several important specific differences between the Canadian Football League and the National Football League.  They are:

Playing area:
The playing field in the Canadian Football League is generally larger than the National Football League. The Canadian field of play is 110 yards (101 m) long and 65 yards wide, rather than 100 yards by 53 1/3 yards as in American football. The end zones in the Canadian Football League uses 20 yard end zones. Frequently, however, the Canadian field will have its end zone truncated at the corners so that the field fits in the infield of a track. The goalposts for kicking are placed at the goal line in Canadian football and the end line in the American game. The distance between the sideline and hash marks is 24 yards in the Canadian Football League and in the National Football League they are 70 feet, 9 inches from the sideline--same width between them as the goalposts.

Team size:
In the Canadian Football League, the teams have twelve players per side, while in the National Football League, the teams only use eleven players. Both games, however have the same number of players required at the line of scrimmage, hence the twelfth player in the Canadian game plays a backfield position.

The ball:
The Canadian Football League rules specify that the long circumference of the ball should be not less than 27 inches nor greater than 28 inches, while the short axis should be no less than 20 inches nor greater than 21  inches. The dimensions of the official National Football League's football are specified by its manufacturer as: short circumference: 20 to 21 inches, long circumference 27 to 28 inches.

Another difference between Canadian Football League and the National Football League balls is the type of stripe applied. Canadian balls have a complete white stripe around the football 1 inch from each end and NFL balls have no stripes.

Number of downs:
In both leagues, a team will have a limited number of downs to advance the ball ten yards. In the National Football League, there are four downs, while in the Canadian Football League, there are three.

Scrimmage:
In both games, the ball is placed at a line of scrimmage, in which a player known as the center performs a snap to start a football play. In the Canadian Football League the snap is required to go between the center's legs; there is no such requirement in the National Football League, but is usually done this way so that the center is in position to block following the snap. The defensive team must stay a set distance away from the line of scrimmage on their side of the line. If an offensive play results in the goal line being within this distance, the ball is moved back so that the defense is positioned at the goal line.

In the Canadian Football League, the distance between the line of scrimmage and the defensive team is a full yard. Because of this one-yard distance, teams will tend to gamble on third and one. Note: If a team has possession within one yard of either goal line, the line of scrimmage is moved to the one-yard line.[1]

In the National Football League, the set distance between the offensive and defensive teams is only eleven inches, the length of the ball.

Fair catches and punt returns:
In the National Football League, the punt returner may signal for a fair catch by waving his right hand in the air, and forgo the attempt to advance.  If the punt returner is interfered with, the team covering the kick will be penalized fifteen yards. In contrast, there is no fair catch rule in the Canadian Football League: instead no player from the kicking team except the kicker or any player who was behind him when he kicked the ball may approach within five yards of the ball until it has been touched by an opponent.  Thus, Canadian football is often considered tougher on the players.

Furthermore, in the National Football League the receiving team may elect not to play the ball if the prospects for a return are not good and the punt returner is not certain he can successfully catch the ball on the fly.  Such as a bouncing football. If the kicking team gains possession of the ball during the kick before it is touched by the receiving team, the ball is then dead. On the other hand, if the ball touches a member of the receiving team, even if he doesn't ever have possession, then the ball can be recovered by either team, and if the kicking team recovers the ball, they retain possession.

In the Canadian Football League on the other hand, if the receiving team does not play the ball, the kicker and any teammates behind the kicker at the time of the kick can attempt to retrieve and advance the ball.

Motion at the snap:
In the Canadian Football League all offensive backfield players, except the quarterback, may be in motion at the snap.

In the National Football League, only one player is allowed to be in motion, and he cannot be moving toward the line of scrimmage while the ball is snapped. Additionally, if he was on the line of scrimmage before he went in motion, he must be five yards behind the line at the time of the snap.

Time rules:
In the Canadian Football League, the offensive team must run a play within 20 seconds of the referee whistling the play in; in the NFL teams have 40 seconds from the end of the previous play.

In the National Football League, the rules allow each team to have three timeouts in each half, and the National Football League stops play for a two-minute warning. In the Canadian Football League, each team has only one time-out per half. In addition, in the Canadian Football League, the clock is stopped after every play during the last three minutes of each half.

In the National Football League, the clock continues to run after any tackle in bounds, but stops after an incomplete pass, or a tackle out of bounds (in the NFL, the clock stops on out of bounds plays inside five minutes remaining in the half). If the clock stops, it is restarted at the snap of the ball. In the National Football League, the clock does not start until the next snap.  In the Canadian Football League, the clock stops after every play, but the starting time differs depending on the result of the previous play: after a tackle in bounds, the clock restarts when the referee whistles the ball in; after an incomplete pass or a tackle out of bounds, the clock restarts when the ball is snapped.

In the National Football League, a period generally ends when time expires (though any play which is in progress when the clock reaches 0:00 is allowed to finish); in the Canadian Football League, the period must end with a final play. Because of this rule, a play is often started in the Canadian Football League with no time (0:00) showing on the game clock.

Kicker advancing the ball:
Canadian Football League retains much more liberal rules regarding recovery of the ball by members of the kicking team. On any kick, the kicker and any member of the kicker's team behind the kicker at the time of the kick may recover and advance the ball. On a kickoff, since every member of the kicking team must be behind the ball when it is kicked, this effectively makes all twelve players "onside" and eligible to recover the kick, once it has gone ten yards downfield. On a punt or missed field goal, usually only the kicker is onside, as no one is behind the kicker. All of the players offside at the time of the kick may neither touch the ball nor be within five yards of the member of the receiving team who fields the kick; violation of this rule is a penalty for no yards. The penalty for no yards is more severe if the kick is in flight than if it has been grounded.

The American rules are similar for the recovery of kickoffs. Any member of the kicking team may recover the ball once it has gone ten yards downfield or once it has touched an opponent. The ball is dead when recovered, though the kicking team is awarded possession at the spot of recovery.

The National Football League rules differ, however from the Canadian ones for scrimmage kicks. In the National Football League a scrimmage kick (punt or missed field goal) and to retain possession, the ball must be touched beyond the line of scrimmage by a member of the receiving team. If the ball is touched by the receiving team and then recovered by the kicking team, the kicking team will retain possession and be awarded a first down. If the receiving team has not touched the ball before the kicking team touches it, it is first touching as described above in fair catches and punt returns but not a penalty.

In addition, members of the kicking team must allow the receiving team the opportunity to catch a scrimmage kick in flight. Once the scrimmage kick has touched the ground, however the kicking team is free to recover, subject to the first touching rules.

In both leagues, a scrimmage kick which is blocked and recovered by the kicking team behind the line of scrimmage is in play. The kicking team may then choose to either attempt another kick or try to advance the ball.

Defensive line:
The defensive line can only hold up a receiver within one yard of the scrimmage lines in the Canadian Football League.  In the National Football League, it is five yards.

Fumbles out of bounds:
In the Canadian Football League, if the ball is fumbled out of bounds, the last team to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds gets possession. The ball may not, however, be intentionally kicked out of bounds to gain possession. Incidental contact with the foot does not count as kicking the ball out of bounds. In the National Football League, when a ball is fumbled out of bounds, the last team to have clear possession of the football is awarded possession.

Field goals, singles, and touchbacks:
In the Canadian Football League any kick that goes into the end zone is a live ball, except for a successful field goal or if the goalposts are hit while the ball is in flight. If the player receiving the kick fails to return it out of the end zone, or (except on a kickoff) if the ball was kicked through the end zone, then the kicking team scores a single point, and the returning team scrimmages from its 35-yard line. If a kickoff goes through the end zone without a player touching it or a kicked ball in flight hits a post without scoring a field goal, there is no score, and the receiving team scrimmages from its 25. If the kick is returned out of the end zone, the receiving team next scrimmages from the place that was reached. 

Singles do not exist in the National Football League:
In the National Football League a defending team is allowed to advance if there is a missed field goal; however, due to the absence of singles and the goalpost position at the back of the end zone, the return is rarely exercised, except on a blocked kick, or as time expires in the half or in the game.  Most teams instead elect not to attempt a return and assume possession at the spot of the kick in the National Football League. Since the goalpost is out of bounds, any non-scoring kick that strikes the goalpost is dead, and the receiving team takes over possession from the spot of the kick or their own 20-yard line, whichever is further from the receiving team's goal. Likewise, any kickoff or punt which either a) is kicked through the end zone, b) is kicked into the end zone and rolls out of bounds (without being touched by a player), c) is touched in the end zone by a member of the kicking team (with no member of the receiving team touching it), or d) is downed in the end zone by a member of the receiving team, results in a touchback--the receiving team is awarded possession on their own 20-yard line. Note that if a player of the receiving team fields a kickoff or punt in the end zone, he has the option to down it in the end zone (resulting in a touchback) or to try and advance the ball.

In the Canadian Football League, after a successful field goal the team scored upon has the option of receiving a kickoff, kicking off from its 35-yard line, or scrimmaging at its own 35-yard line. In the National Football League, there is a kickoff by the scoring team after every score, with the exception of safeties.

Open-field kick:
The Canadian Football League retains the open-field kick as a legal play, allowing a kick to be taken from anywhere on the field.

In the National Football League, free kicks and scrimmage kicks are allowed from behind the line of scrimmage; any kick beyond the line of scrimmage or after change of possession would result in a penalty.

Safeties:
In both the NFL and CFL, a safety awarded 2 points to the defending team. In the National Football League, the team giving up the safety must take a free kick from their own 20 yard line. In the Canadian Football League, the team being awarded the 2 points has the option of scrimmaging from their own 35 yard line, kicking the ball off from their own 35 yard line, or having the opposing team kick off the ball from their own 35 yard line.

Points after touchdown:
In both leagues, after a touchdown is scored, the scoring team may then attempt one play for additional points.  The additional points may be earned through a kick or a play from scrimmage. If done via kick, the scoring team gains one point, and if done from a scrimmage, the scoring team gains two.

However, the position of the ball for attempts is different in the two games. Point-after-touchdown attempts are taken from the 2-yard-line in the National Football League and at the 5-yard-line in the Canadian Football League.

During conversions, the ball is considered live in the Canadian Football League, Not so, in the National Football League

Tight ends and slotbacks:
Whereas in the National Football League a tight end is used on offense, Canadian Football League they will typical set two extra slotback wide receivers.

Other differences:
In the Canadian Football League, receivers need only have one foot in bounds for a catch to count as a reception. While the National Football League requires two feet in bounds, though a catch may be awarded if an official judges that a player would have come down in bounds had he not been pushed out by a defender.

Canadian Football team roster sizes are 46 players while the National Football League has 53 team members.

While the traditional American football season usually runs from September or late August until December with the National Football League playoffs occurring in January and February, the Canadian Football League's regular season begins in June so that the playoffs can be completed by mid-November.

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