A7FL
FITE TV | |
| Sponsor(s) | Cricket Wireless |
|---|---|
| Official website | A7FL.com |
The American 7s Football League (A7FL) is a semi-professional league in the United States which plays a seven-man version of gridiron football called American 7s Football. Launched in 2015, its games are played without football helmets or other protective equipment.[2] The A7FL is the only organized level of competition in American 7s football.[citation needed]
League players are not paid during the season and most of them are primarily amateurs.[3][4] Instead cash prizes are awarded to division and national champs (divided among the roster of roughly 25 players).[5] For the 2022 season the prize pool was $50,000.[6]
History
Founded in 2014 with play commencing the following year, the A7FL plays a seven-game schedule running from March to May, with playoffs running from June to July.[7] It can trace it history to a New York metropolitan area league called Town Beef that started in 2008 and played 11-on-11 full-contact football with no helmets or pads.[4]
The league primarily attracts semi-professional football players seeking opportunities to stay in shape during spring.[8] In 2016, the league participated in a safety study led by the New Jersey Institute of Technology.[9]
In 2023, the league had its first former NFL starter sign with a team, that being cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who signed with the Tampa Nightcrawlers.[10]
Differences from other leagues
A7FL players play without pads or
Teams
Teams that will participate in the 2024 season.[13]
| Eastern Conference | |
|---|---|
| Division | Team |
| Northeast | East Orange Renegades |
| Rahway Shnow Tribe | |
| Paterson U | |
| Silk City Animals | |
| Trenton BIC | |
| Baltimore Watchmen | |
| DC Buzz | |
| Florida | Tampa Nightcrawlers |
| O-Town Orange | |
| Orlando Ghosts | |
| Western Conference | |
| Division | Team |
| Midwest | Cin City Chaos |
| Covington Heist | |
| Olentangy Volcanoes | |
| QC Crush | |
| Indianapolis Octane | |
| Columbus Explorers | |
| Nevada | Las Vegas Insomniacs |
| Las Vegas Sickwidit | |
| Vegas Force | |
| North Vegas Kryptonite | |
| Vegas Over the Top | |
| Vegas Hunters | |
| Vegas Pit Bosses | |
| Vegas Gold | |
Championship Results
| Season | Date | Champions | Runners-Up | Site | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | June 27, 2015 | Paterson U | 38 | Union City Chiefs | 6 | St. John Vianney High School |
| 2016 | June 24, 2016 | Trenton BIC | 32 | Union City Chiefs | 26 | St. John Vianney High School |
| 2017 | July 9, 2017 | Union City Chiefs | 28 | PA Immortalz | 26 | Palisades Credit Union Park
|
| 2018 | July 8, 2018 | Baltimore Gators | 28 | Baltimore Vikings | 14 | Baltimore, MD |
| 2019 | July 14, 2019 | PA Immortalz | 25 | Paterson U | 19 | Sylvester Land Memorial Field |
| 2020 | August 23, 2020 | Paterson U | 49 | Old Bridge Hawks | 7 | St. John Vianney High School |
| 2021 | July 18, 2021 | Paterson U | 47 | Trenton BIC | 41 | Asbury Park High School |
| 2022 | July 10, 2022 | Trenton BIC | 32 | Paterson U | 30 | Asbury Park High School |
| 2023 | July 23, 2023 | Las Vegas Insomniacs | 50 | Tampa Nightcrawlers | 46 | Anderson Auto Group Fieldhouse |
Media coverage
In 2019,
Organization
The CEO of the A7FL is Sener Korkusuz[15] and its president is Ryan DePaul.[7]
In 2019,
Athletes playing in the A7FL are required to sign a player injury waiver and be 18 years of age or older.[15]
Once expanded to 32 teams, the league will be structured around eight groups divided into two conferences – the east and west. The teams play each other twice – in the regional stages during the regular season – with the top two teams going forward to a divisional championship. The winners of the divisional championships will play each other to decide the winner of the championship.[12]
See also
References
- ^ Engstrom, Tim (July 30, 2016). "League offers football without pads, helmets". Albert Lea Tribune. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- ^ Gibbs, Lindsay (March 31, 2016). "Can This New Football League Be The Savior The Sport Needs?". Think Progress. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ "A7FL Frequently Asked Questions". A7FL. 14 April 2024.
- ^ a b "No Helmets, No Pads, Full-Contact Tackle Football: Meet the Men of the A7FL". SI.com. 4 April 2018.
- ^ "'Professional backyard football': A7FL takes pay to play on the gridiron to next level". NorthJersey.com.
- ^ "Why Has The American 7s Football League Succeeded While Other NFL Competitors Have Failed?". Benzinga.
- ^ a b c d Lariviere, David (March 13, 2015). "Safety-First Football League To Launch Season Next Saturday". Forbes. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ "Football helmets are creating more problems than they solve". The Sporting News. May 28, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ "Foot Ricain met the CEO of American 7's Football League". Foot Ricain. May 11, 2016. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "Tampa Nightcrawlers". A7FL. 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ "Football league throws away helmets and pads in the name of safety". WQAD-TV. March 25, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ a b "A7FL Rules" (PDF). a7fl.com. A7FL. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ "A7FL Standings". www.a7fl.com. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "A7FL 2017 Championship Announced". prnewswire.com (Press release). A7FL. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^ a b "A7FL Tackle Football League". TMZ. August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2016.