What Is the National Football League?
Contents
Get the answer to “What is the National Football League?” and learn about the NFL’s history, teams, players, and more.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season.
The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is t
History
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970.
Early history
Many of the earliest professional football teams were based in cities with close ties to the railroads, including the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs and Cleveland Indians. These teams quickly became some of the most popular attractions in their respective cities and helped to establish pro football as a viable entertainment option.
In 1920, the American Professional Football Association was founded. This new league consisted of 14 teams, all of which were based in cities with close ties to the railroads. The league’s first season was a success, and it soon began to expand. By 1922, there were 22 teams in the league, and by 1925 there were 26.
One of the most important developments in the early history of the NFL was the signing of African American players. In 1920, there were no black players in the league. However, that changed in 1921 when George Taliaferro became one of the first black players to sign a professional football contract. Taliaferro would go on to have a successful career in the NFL, playing for several different teams over the course of his career.
The NFL continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1920s and 1930s. By 1940, there were 22 teams in the league and attendance had reached an all-time high of nearly 2 million people per year. However, this growth came to a halt during World War II as many of the league’s players enlisted in the military. The NFL did not return to its pre-war level of popularity until after the war ended.
The modern era
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.
The modern era of professional football began in 1920 with the founding of the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which renamed itself as the National Football League two years later. The league reached its respectability following World War II when it took advantage of increased interest in televised games by signing exclusive television contracts with two major networks—ABC and CBS—which remained its broadcast partners until considering moving some exclusive games to Fox in 1994. The league reached its apex when it acquired rights to Thursday night games for 8 conducted by former Black Entertainment Television (BET) president Stephen Hill.
Structure
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. The NFL is the highest level of professional football in the United States, and is considered to be the top professional American football league in the world.
League offices
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world. NFL headquarters are located in New York City.
The league has its own properties in which the teams are located and compete against each other. The head office for the NFL is in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and consists of league offices, a garage for NFL Network’s production trucks, and a merchandise store.
League structure
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. NFL competition draws tens of thousands of fans to each game, and millions more watch on television and follow online.
The NFL championship game, known as the Super Bowl, is watched by millions of people around the world every year and is considered one of the most important annual sporting events.
Competition
The National Football League is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season.
Regular season
The regular season began on September 5, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 42–27 in the NFL Kickoff Game. The 256-game regular season featured 16 intra-division and six inter-division games for each team. Each team played the other three teams in their own division twice and all four teams in two other divisions within their conference once.
Each intra-division game was held on a rotational basis from year to year, with each team hosting two games and playing two on the road every four years. In contrast, every inter-conference game was held at targeted sites based on a four-year cycle, meaning that each inter-conference opponent was visited by every team once every four years.
Playoffs
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world, the wealthiest professional sport league by revenue, and the sport league with the most valuable teams. The regular season is a seventeen-week schedule during which each team plays sixteen games and has one bye. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference (four division winners and three wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of NFC and AFC.
The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself to National Football League for 1922.
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the biggest and most important American football game of the year. It is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game is played between the winning teams from the NFL’s two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The winner of the Super Bowl receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after former Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.
Media coverage
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL is the highest level of professional football in the United States, and is considered to be the top professional American football league in the world.
Television
The National Football League has the highest television ratings of any sport in the United States. NBC, CBS, and FOX all televise NFL games on Sunday afternoons. NBC also televises Thursday night games and Sunday night games. ESPN televises Monday night games. ESPN2 airs a few Thursday night games, and NFL Network airs a few Saturday nights late in the season and a few Thursday night games.
Radio
National Football League games are broadcast on the radio in most markets across the United States. Westwood One is the exclusive English-language radio broadcaster of the NFL, while Compass Media Networks and Spanish Broadcasting System air NFL games in Spanish.
In the United States, professional football is one of the most popular spectator sports. The National Football League (NFL) is the highest level of professional American football in the world. It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL originally consisted of 14 teams but has since grown to include 32 teams. The NFL is divided into two conferences—the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC)—and each conference is further divided into four divisions.
While most NFL games are televised, some fans prefer to follow their favorite teams in print. There are a few different ways to do this. National newspapers like USA Today and The Wall Street Journal typically include a standings table and short game summaries for every NFL game in their sports section on Mondays. Local newspapers will usually devote more attention to games involving teams from their region or city. For example, The New York Times will write more detailed stories about games involving the New York Jets or New York Giants than they would about games involving teams from other cities.
There are also many magazines devoted to coverage of the NFL. Sports Illustrated is one of the most popular general interest sports magazines in the United States, and it includes several pages of NFL content in every issue, including game recaps, player profiles, and predictions for the upcoming season. There are also magazines that focus specifically on coverage of the NFL, such as Pro Football Weekly and ESPN The Magazine. These magazines provide in-depth analysis of every team and every game, along with player statistics, predictions, and insider information.
See also
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.
References
-National Football League. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2016, from http://www.nfl.com/about
-National Football League. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 15, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League
-About the NFL | NFL.com. (n.d.). Retrieved August 15, 2016, from http://www.nfl.com/about-the-nfl
External links
* American Football League (AFL)
* Canadian Football League (CFL)
* United Football League (UFL)
* Arena Football League (AFL)
* Indoor Football League (IFL)
