Why does the Canadian Football League (CFL) measure in yards instead of meters?

Question

The rest of Canada uses the metric system, just not the CFL.

Answer 1

To Grumpy.. a little history check here.. football was invented at a CANADIAN university.. McGill in Montreal, to be exact.. the first game was played between McGill and Harvard.. guess who won?

Second of all, Colin is correct. Football was invented before Canadians began using the metric system, so thus they just kept it that way.

Answer 2

SO WHEN THE AMERICANS COME OVER TO PLAY .

THEY WILL KNOW HOW TO MEASURE

Answer 3

I agree with chicyuna. Also Cfl is way better than Nfl. Cfl was made first and it does not have inferior athletes (which is what I have heard many people say). Just look at Ricky Williams. Some guy thought that he was going to get 400 yards a game. He has got some yards this season but the only way he'd get 400 yards is if he had a fast, strong and huge Fullback blocking for him. The Cfl may not have as many big hits but the defense is fast and they can get sacks and interceptions every game.

Answer 4

Wow, never thought of that. Good question.

Answer 5

Soccer, Footballs inferiour cousin aswell as Rugby (Footballs Blood Brother), and Cricket international Field's are in Yards, and they always have been.  Note they call it an 18 yard box and a six yard box

It seems silly when they have converted them to Metres, just look at my source links

Note the bizarre Metric measurments, but the very simple numbers of Imperial yards

Answer 6

Canadian Football was created long before Canada began using the metric system. It made no sense to convert, because they would have to change stats retroactively.

Answer 7

Football has always been measured in yards... why start changing?

It's like asking the Blue Jays to measure pitching speeds in km/h.

Answer 8

I suspect the reason the metric system isn't used by the CFL has a lot to do with tradition. The metric system wasn't used in Canada when the CFL started and a change over now would mean starting a fresh set of statistics.

Note to "Aaron D",  Rugby Union switched to the metric system several years ago and the 22-metre line doesn't sound silly at all..

Answer 9

Because the sport itself requires things to be measured in yards.  It would be confusing to measure the thing in meters.

Answer 10

CFL IS BETA THAN NFL!! :)

BUT I LIKE NFL TOO :)

Its b/c the game iz played in yards and ur mom made it tht way!!

Answer 11

The CFL is a poor copy of the NFL

Answer 12

Because that's the way they've always done it.