How is Canadian football different from American ?

Question

How is Canadian football different from American ?

Answer 1

There are minor differences.

- The CFL Field is 110 yards, the NFL field is 100

- In the CFL there are 2 downs before punt, and in NFL there are 3



Other than that they're pretty much equal

Answer 2

Aside from the obvious of 3 versus 4 downs. The Canadian field is 110 yards long and 65 yards wide vs 100 yards and 53 yards. The Canadian game has 12 players on a side the extra player being an additional backfielder.

The Offence in the Canadian game is allowed unlimited motion behind the line of scrimmage creating a fast flowing pass oriented game.

There is a free space of one yard between the offence and defence lines of scrimmage. Encroachment into this area is considered to be off sides. The rouge (single point on missed field goals or punts into the end zone) is one minor difference that creates a lot of discussion. But the excitement created in a blizzard during a tied game when teams are kicking it back and forth into and out of an end zone is Canadiana itself.

The ball itself is a different shape and size creating a slightly different effect on the passing game.

The larger field extra receiver and fewer number of downs makes the Canadian Game a little more wide open and exciting at least to me.

Answer 3

Canadian game basics-3 downs to get 10 yards, 12 players, 1 point for kicking or punting ball out of end zone, bigger field, bigger endzone, goalpost at goal line, no tight ends (they have slotbacks who do not line up on the line of scrimmage), backfield motion is North-South (vs. East-West in American).

CFL-8 teams, season is earlier in the year due to cold climate, Grey Cup (like Superbowl) is much older than the Super Bowl, players are usually faster, quicker, and smaller than their NFL counterparts, penalty flags are orange (instead of yellow).

I could go on. Check out canadian vs. american football on Wikipedia.

Answer 4

CFL also has the slotback position, which is not a running back, but a receiver.  The 12th man is typically a slotback on offence, and an extra DB on defence.

Answer 5

3 downs,  110 yard field,  wider field, 12 players, larger endzone, scoring play called a single for when any kickoff, punt or missed fieldgoal go out of play in the endzone,  tight end rarely used,  18 game season, there is a minimum number of canadian born or canadian trained players on a team at once, smaller roster, kicking posts are near the goalline as opposed to the end of the endzone, no fair catches, field goals are returnable, no yards penalty for going within 5 yards of a punted ball with ineligible defender,

if a player stands behind the punter when the ball is kicked, that player is eligible to catch the ball and take possesion,

strategically,  due to the single, at the end of a close game, kickers and punters will play on the defensive side and wait to catch the missed field goals and they are allowed to then kick them back the other way,

any player can punt the ball in the middle of a play

tends to be more of a passing league due to the 3 down rule, 4000 passing yards is pretty typical for a 18 game starter, and the record for 1 season is over 6600 passing yards,  (roughly 370 a game)