NFL Europe
Formerly | World League of American Football (1991) World League (1992, 1995–97) NFL Europa (2007) |
---|---|
Sport | American football |
Founded | July 19, 1989[1] |
First season | 1991 |
Ceased | July 29, 2007[2] |
Divisions | 3 (1991–1992) |
No. of teams | 10 (1991–1992) 6 (1995–2007) |
Countries | Canada (1991–92) Germany (1991–92, 1995–2007) Netherlands (1995–2007) Spain (1991–92, 1995–2003) United Kingdom (1991–92, 1995–2004) United States (1991–92) |
Last champion(s) | Hamburg Sea Devils (1) |
Most titles | Frankfurt Galaxy (4) |
Related competitions | National Football League |
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally founded in 1989 as the World League of American Football (or WLAF), the league was envisioned as a transatlantic league encompassing teams from both North America and Europe. Initially, the WLAF consisted of seven teams in North America and three in Europe. It began play in 1991 and lasted for two seasons before suspending operations; while the league had been "wildly popular" in Europe, it failed to achieve success in North America. After a two-year hiatus, it returned as a six-team European league, with teams based in England, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Spain. NFL Europa was dissolved in 2007 due to its continued unprofitability and the NFL's decision to shift its focus towards hosting regular-season games in Europe; at the time of its closure, the league consisted of five German teams and one team based in the Netherlands.
The league operated under rules nearly identical to the NFL, but featured some differences and experimental rules changes designed to appeal to fans of
The league's schedule went through several formats throughout its existence, but each season always culminated in the championship
History
Founding and origins
In 1974, the
By 1980, the popularity of American football was increasing in Europe without any push by the NFL. The NFL capitalized on this newfound interest by holding
On November 14, 1990, the WLAF announced it would begin play in 1991 with ten teams (six of them in the United States, three of them in Europe, and one in Canada) split into three divisions (North America West, North America East, and Europe). A 50-game schedule stretching from March 23, 1991, to May 27, 1991, was agreed upon, and a draft was held from February 14, 1991, to February 24, 1991.[6] Unlike the NFL draft, the World League draft was a position-by-position draft – potential draftees were divided into ten position groups, meaning each of the ten teams would have the number-one pick at a position group. All players were to receive a base salary of $20,000, but players could receive more money by meeting performance-based incentives with a maximum total salary of $100,000.[8] Each NFL team could allocate up to four players to the WLAF, although only two, the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs opted to do so.[9]
WLAF/World League (1991–92)
The World League of American Football, described by
Following its first season, the World League of American Football was at risk of folding. It suffered a loss of nearly $7 million, and none of its teams made a profit. In addition to the monetary loss for the league, television ratings on ABC and USA network were poor. According to
NFL Europe/Europa (1995–2007)
Although the league was "wildly popular" in Europe, with attendance averaging 45,000 for the London Monarchs, it was "ignored" in the United States. The World League suspended play for the 1993 and 1994 season before returning in
NFL Europe commemorated its 10th season in 2002, but still remained far from being profitable. The league announced a three-year with the soccer club FC Barcelona to jointly promote American football in Europe and soccer in the United States; the Barcelona Dragons franchise was renamed FC Barcelona Dragons.[19] The collaboration with FC Barcelona would prove to be unsuccessful, however, and the Barcelona Dragons would fold after the 2003 season due to declining attendance.[20] The team's attendance had fallen to under 7,000 per game, a 50% decline since the 1997 season, when the team had won the World Bowl.[21] The Dragons were replaced by the Cologne Centurions in 2004, and the following year the Scottish Claymores folded; although the team boasted the largest following of any Scottish sports team outside the Old Firm, averaging 10,799 per game, the league had determined an additional German team could bring in 30,000 per game.[22]
The Claymores were replaced the following year by the Hamburg Sea Devils, which left the Amsterdam Admirals as the only team in the league not to be based in Germany. This was part of a strategic pivot to Germany, which had been the most receptive country to the league and the sport in general.[23] Accordingly, the league changed its name to NFL Europa in 2006, ahead of the league's 15th season, to reflect the league's focus on Germany and the Netherlands.[24]
Closure and legacy
On July 29, 2007, less than a week after
Andrei S. Markovits and Lars Rensmann described the league as an "abysmal failure", noting its poor quality of play, frequent name changes, and franchise relocations as well as the accessibility of regular NFL games in Europe as reasons for its collapse.[29] Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com noted that the league had strayed from its original goal, with the allocation system of players gradually being abused to amass training camp exemptions rather than to develop players.[26] John Mara, the co-owner of the New York Giants, said that the league "had some useful purpose in developing players" and that it helped the NFL determine that there was an interest in American football in Europe.[28]
Looking back on NFL Europe in 2017, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com noted its strong record in developing
Since the closure of NFL Europa, the NFL has held regular-season games annually in London[33] and has also hosted regular-season games in Mexico City and Toronto.[34] The league is pursuing the goal of a franchise in London, as well as potential regular-season games in China.[35] In 2021, the NFL announced it was looking for partners to host a regular-season game in Germany.[36] In 2022, the league announced four regular-season games would be held in Germany, the first set for November 13, 2022 between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks to be played at Munich's Allianz Arena. NFL.com writer Judy Battista noted Germany was the "fastest-growing international community" for the league, and attributed this in part to the popularity of the former NFL Europe's German teams, but argued the large number of expats as well as the American military presence were greater factors.[37]
In 2007, fans and former members of the Frankfurt Galaxy – the most successful of NFL Europe's teams on the field and in crowd attendance – created the Frankfurt Universe.[38] The new team was promoted to the German Football League 2 in 2011, and won promotion to the German Football League (GFL) in 2015.[39] The European League of Football (ELF), a pan-European league that began play in 2021,[40] signed an agreement with the NFL allowing them to utilize the branding of the former teams of NFL Europe.[41] The ELF's Barcelona Dragons, Berlin Thunder, Cologne Centurions, Hamburg Sea Devils, Frankfurt Galaxy, and Rhein Fire all share the names and imagery of their NFL Europe predecessors.[42]
Season structure and development
Team | W | L | PCT |
---|---|---|---|
Hamburg Sea Devils | 7 | 3 | .700 |
Frankfurt Galaxy | 7 | 3 | .700 |
Cologne Centurions | 6 | 4 | .600 |
Rhein Fire | 4 | 6 | .400 |
Amsterdam Admirals | 4 | 6 | .400 |
Berlin Thunder | 2 | 8 | .200 |
From 1991 to 1992, the ten-team WLAF was split into three divisions: North America East, North America West, and Europe with a ten-game regular season schedule. All three division champions, in addition to the team with the best record who didn't win its division, made the playoffs. The winners of the two playoff games played for the league championship in the World Bowl.[45] The ten game schedule was retained upon the league's return in 1995, but was modified with the new six-team format. Each team played every other team twice in a double round-robin regular season. Following the regular season, two teams would be selected for the World Bowl; the team that led the league's standings after week five would host the game, and the team with the best overall record at the end of the season would be their opponent.[46] This format was criticized for making the second half of the league's season less competitive, and beginning with the 1998 season it was changed to have the two teams with the best overall records play in the World Bowl instead.[43]
The league played under standard NFL rules, with several exceptions.[47] In an effort to appeal to fans of rugby and soccer, the league instituted rules to speed up the pace of the game and awarded four points for field goals made from beyond 50 yards as opposed to the typical three points.[48] Rule changes instituted upon the league's revival in 1995 included the creation of the defensive two-point conversion, referred to by the league as the "deuce", as well as only requiring receivers to have one foot in bounds on a completed pass.[14] The regular-season overtime period consisted of a single 10-minute quarter where both teams were required to have control of the ball at least once, and the play clock was set to 35 seconds.[47] Starting with the 1997 season, the league required the receiver to have two feet in bounds for a completed pass.[46] Ties were possible in the league, with two (a 1992 game between the London Monarchs and Birmingham Fire and a 2006 game between the Berlin Thunder and Hamburg Sea Devils) occurring in league history.[49]
NFL teams were allowed to allocate players to NFL Europe. In exchange for doing this, they were awarded with exemptions for training camp, allowing them to bring more players than would otherwise be allowed.
Teams
World League of American Football/World League (1991–92)
Location[51] | Teams[51] | City[51] | Seasons[51] |
---|---|---|---|
Europe | Barcelona Dragons | Barcelona, Spain | 1991–92 |
Frankfurt Galaxy | Frankfurt, Germany | 1991–92 | |
London Monarchs | London, United Kingdom | 1991–92 | |
North America East | Montreal Machine | Montreal, Quebec | 1991–92 |
New York/New Jersey Knights | East Rutherford, New Jersey[52] | 1991–92 | |
Ohio Glory | Columbus, Ohio[53] | 1992 | |
Orlando Thunder | Orlando, Florida | 1991–92 | |
Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks
|
Raleigh, North Carolina[54] | 1991 | |
North America West | Birmingham Fire | Birmingham, Alabama | 1991–92 |
San Antonio Riders | San Antonio, Texas | 1991–92 | |
Sacramento Surge | Sacramento, California | 1991–92 |
World League/NFL Europe League/NFL Europa (1995–2007)
Teams[51] | City[55] | Seasons[51] |
---|---|---|
Amsterdam Admirals | Amsterdam, Netherlands
|
1995–2007 |
Barcelona / FC Barcelona Dragons | Barcelona, Spain | 1995–2003 |
Berlin Thunder | Berlin, Germany | 1999–2007 |
Cologne Centurions | Cologne, Germany | 2004–07 |
Frankfurt Galaxy | Frankfurt, Germany | 1995–2007 |
Hamburg Sea Devils | Hamburg, Germany | 2005–07 |
London / England Monarchs | London, United Kingdom | 1995–98 |
Rhein Fire | Düsseldorf, Germany[56] | 1995–2007 |
Scottish Claymores | Edinburgh, United Kingdom (1995–2000)[22] Glasgow, United Kingdom (2000–04)[22] |
1995–2004 |
Timeline
Trophy and awards
NFL Europe presented several awards and honors. The World Bowl trophy, awarded to the winners of the annual World Bowl game, was a 40-pound glass globe.
Award winners
Television coverage
1991–92
In the United States, television coverage was provided by the ABC and USA Network. The reported cost of the
International teams aired on different domestic networks. Montreal Machine games were aired in English on
1995–2007
The revived league's United Kingdom television coverage was mainly on
Although the league no longer had any U.S. teams, it was covered on American television until its closure. Fox became a co-owner of the league in exchange for broadcasting rights,
Records
Champions and runners-up
Season | Champion | Wins | Losses | Runner-up | Wins | Losses | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | London Monarchs | 9 | 1 | Barcelona Dragons | 8 | 2 | [89] |
1992 | Sacramento Surge | 8 | 2 | Orlando Thunder | 8 | 2 | [90] |
1995 | Frankfurt Galaxy | 6 | 4 | Amsterdam Admirals | 9 | 1 | [91] |
1996 | Scottish Claymores | 7 | 3 | Frankfurt Galaxy | 6 | 4 | [92] |
1997 | Barcelona Dragons | 5 | 5 | Rhein Fire | 7 | 3 | [93] |
1998 | Rhein Fire | 7 | 3 | Frankfurt Galaxy | 7 | 3 | [94] |
1999 | Frankfurt Galaxy (2) | 6 | 4 | Barcelona Dragons | 7 | 3 | [95] |
2000 | Rhein Fire (2) | 7 | 3 | Scottish Claymores | 6 | 4 | [96] |
2001 | Berlin Thunder | 6 | 4 | Barcelona Dragons | 8 | 2 | [97] |
2002 | Berlin Thunder (2) | 6 | 4 | Rhein Fire | 7 | 3 | [98] |
2003 | Frankfurt Galaxy (3) | 6 | 4 | Rhein Fire | 6 | 4 | [99] |
2004 | Berlin Thunder (3) | 9 | 1 | Frankfurt Galaxy | 7 | 3 | [100] |
2005 | Amsterdam Admirals | 6 | 4 | Berlin Thunder | 7 | 3 | [101] |
2006 | Frankfurt Galaxy (4) | 7 | 3 | Amsterdam Admirals | 7 | 3 | [102] |
2007 | Hamburg Sea Devils | 7 | 3 | Frankfurt Galaxy | 7 | 3 | [103] |
Win–loss records
Team | GP | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | Championships | Seasons | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amsterdam Admirals | 130 | 68 | 62 | 0 | .523 | 1 | 1995–2007 | [51] |
Barcelona / FC Barcelona Dragons | 110 | 59 | 51 | 0 | .536 | 1 | 1991–92; 1995–2003 | [51] |
Berlin Thunder
|
90 | 42 | 47 | 1 | .472 | 3 | 1999–2007 | [51] |
Birmingham Fire | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | .625 | 0 | 1991–92 | [51] |
Cologne Centurions | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | .500 | 0 | 2004–07 | [51] |
Frankfurt Galaxy | 150 | 82 | 68 | 0 | .547 | 4 | 1991–92; 1995–2007 | [51] |
London / England Monarchs | 60 | 26 | 33 | 1 | .442 | 1 | 1991–92; 1995–98 | [51] |
Hamburg Sea Devils | 30 | 15 | 14 | 1 | .517 | 1 | 2005–07 | [51] |
Montreal Machine | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | .300 | 0 | 1991–92 | [51] |
New York/New Jersey Knights | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | .550 | 0 | 1991–92 | [51] |
Ohio Glory | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | 0 | 1992 | [51] |
Orlando Thunder | 20 | 13 | 7 | 0 | .650 | 0 | 1991–92 | [51] |
Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1991 | [51] |
Rhein Fire | 130 | 68 | 62 | 0 | .523 | 2 | 1995–2007 | [51] |
Sacramento Surge | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | .550 | 1 | 1991–92 | [51] |
San Antonio Riders | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | .550 | 0 | 1991–92 | [51] |
Scottish Claymores | 100 | 43 | 57 | 0 | .430 | 1 | 1995–2004 | [51] |
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- ^ "2005 NFL Europe Season". The Football Database. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "2006 NFL Europe Season". The Football Database. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "2007 NFL Europe Season". The Football Database. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.