What Is The Difference Between NFL and AFL?

Wondering what the difference is between the NFL and the AFL? Check out this blog post to learn more about the two professional American football leagues.

Introduction

While both the NFL and the AFL are professional football leagues, there are several key differences between the two. Perhaps the most obvious difference is that the NFL has been around for much longer than the AFL – the NFL was founded in 1920, while the AFL wasn’t established until 1960. Another key difference is that the AFL was created as a direct competitor to the NFL, while newer leagues such as the XFL (which was founded in 2001 and folded in 2020) have tried to compete with both the NFL and the AFL.

A third significant difference is that, while both leagues have always had teams based in cities across America, the AFL initially only had teams based in cities on or near the East Coast. In contrast, NFL teams were spread out across America from its very beginning. This geographical difference between the two leagues led to some tension early on, as it meant that teams in different parts of America were more likely to be rivals in one league than they were in another.

One final key difference between these two leagues is that they use slightly different rules – for instance, while both leagues use a numerical scoring system, they award different numbers of points for different types of plays. These rule differences can lead to different styles of play emerging between teams in each league, which can make games between them interesting to watch even for fans who don’t necessarily have a preference for either league.

History

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular and most watched football league in the United States. The American Football League (AFL) is a professional football league that was founded in 1960. The AFL is not as popular as the NFL, but it is still widely followed.

National Football League (NFL)

The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) with ten teams from four states. The NFL played its first game on October 3, 1920, when the Dayton Triangles defeated the Columbus Panhandles 14-0 at Triangle Park in Dayton, Ohio. In 1922, the APFA was renamed the National Football League.

The NFL expanded to eighteen teams in 1933 with the addition of the Boston Braves (now the Washington Redskins), and to twenty-two teams in 1934 with the addition of the Pittsburgh Pirates (now the Pittsburgh Steelers). The league reached its current size of thirty-two teams in 2002 with the addition of the Houston Texans.

The NFL is divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is further divided into four divisions: East, West, North, and South. The AFC is made up of sixteen teams: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets; Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers; Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers; Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans. The NFC consists of sixteen teams: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears; Dallas Cowboys , Detroit Lions , Green Bay Packers , Minnesota Vikings ; New Orleans Saints , New York Giants , Philadelphia Eagles , Washington Redskins ; Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Los Angeles Rams , San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks .

American Football League (AFL)

The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL began to challenge the established NFL in recognition and popularity, forcing the older league to expand. In 1965, the NFL completed its historic merger with the AFL.

The AFL was the brainchild of a television executive named Lamar Hunt. He helped found the Kansas City Chiefs and owned several other AFL teams. The league began play in 1960 with eight teams: the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, New York Titans, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, Boston Patriots, Dallas Texans and Oakland Raiders. The Titans were originally known as the New York Jets.

The AFL was notable for signing some of college football’s biggest stars and pressuring the NFL to do the same. Unlike their counterparts in the NFL, AFL teams regularly signed African American players; quotas in place at many colleges prevented black athletes from playing on some of those schools’ squads.

Differences

The two most popular American Football leagues are the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). Though both leagues share many similarities, there are some key differences between the two. Let’s take a closer look at the NFL and AFL to see what sets them apart.

Structure

The NFL is made up of two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The AFC is made up of 16 teams, while the NFC has 14. Each conference is then divided into four divisions: East, West, North, and South. The four teams in each division play each other twice during the regular season to determine a division winner. The winners of each division then advance to the playoffs along with two “wild card” teams (the two best teams in each conference who did not win their division). The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament that culminates with the Super Bowl, which is the biggest game in American professional sports.

The AFL was also divided into two conferences: the Eastern Division and the Western Division. Unlike the NFL, however, the AFL was made up of just eight teams. The four teams in each division played each other twice during the regular season to determine a division winner. The winners of each division then advanced to the playoffs along with two “wild card” teams (the two best teams in each conference who did not win their division). The playoffs were a single-elimination tournament that culminated with the AFL Championship game.

Rules

American Football League (AFL)
-The forward pass could be thrown from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage
-A kicker could recover his own missed field goal and advance the ball
-Two-point conversion after a touchdown
-Beginning in 1965, three divisional playoff games, and then a championship game

National Football League (NFL)
-The forward pass had to be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage
-A kicker could not recover his own missed field goal
-No two-point conversion after a touchdown until 1994
-Championship game only, no divisional playoffs until 1967

Popularity

In the 1960s, the American Football League (AFL) challenged the older National Football League (NFL) for players and fans. The intense competition between the two leagues eventually led to a merger agreement in 1966. The first Super Bowl was played in 1967 between the champions of the AFL (Kansas City Chiefs) and NFL (Green Bay Packers).

From that point on, both leagues were on an equal footing. Today, the NFL is by far the most popular football league in North America. It is also one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. In contrast, the AFL has faded into relative obscurity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the main difference between NFL and AFL is that NFL is the older and more established league while AFL is the upstart league. NFL has more teams and more fans while AFL has a slightly different ruleset which leads to a slightly different style of play. There are pros and cons to both leagues but ultimately it comes down to personal preference as to which one you prefer.