About the European League of Football

THE basics

THE history

The European League of Football was announced November 4, 2020 and completed its inaugural season in 2021. Each season since, both new and existing programs have been added to the league with the goal of increasing competition, expanding the sport, and showcasing the professional talent across Europe.

the players

Unlike NFL Europe, whose team rosters consisted of mostly American players, there are restrictions to the number of international players allowed on rosters in the ELF. This allows there to be a bigger focus given to homegrown players and developing European talent in American Football.

Each team in the European League of Football is allowed four Imports from the United States on the gameday roster and two on the field at the same time. Six additional import players can be signed on the game day roster.

THE RULES

The ELF rules follow a similar framework as the NFL rules, except for overtime and kickoff.
The ELF overtime rules follow that of collegiate football in the United States. The kickoff is similar to the new (2024) NFL kickoff rule with a few minor differences.

Playoffs will take place after regular season and include six teams chosen by the following standards:
The champion of each division will qualify as well as the three best remaining teams, calculated by number of wins and head-to-head matchups. The champions will be ranked 1-3, and the remaining teams 4-6, determined by the number of wins for each team.
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During the first round, Seeds 1 and 2 will have a first-round bye and automatically move to the semifinals. Seeds 3 vs 6 will play and seeds 4 vs 5 will play. The highest remaining seed will have homefield advantage and will play against the lowest remaining seed.