The Polish American Football League or shortly PLFA ( pl, Polska Liga Futbolu Amerykańskiego) was a structured system for the

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

competitions in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

founded in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

by the Polish federation PZFA. In 2012, the Topliga was created as a major league with a bid (invitation) rule. The remaining teams are divided into two leagues (PLFA I and PLFA II) between which there was

promotion and relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues ...

. There were two eight-man football competitions: PLFA 8 for

reserve team In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...

s and smaller clubs, and PLFA J for under-17 players. The top four teams from the Topliga regular season entered the playoffs and the winners met in the championship game called the SuperFinał (more commonly known as the '' Polish Bowl''). The PLFA I championship game was called the PLFA Cup Game. In the 2013 season there were 74 teams in 5 leagues. 57 teams played 11-man football (8 teams in the Topliga, 8 teams in the PLFA I and 21 teams in the PLFA II) and other 37 teams played 8-man football competitions: 20 senior teams and 17 junior teams). The TopLiga and PLFA I are divided into two divisions, PLFA II into three divisions, and PLFA 8 and PLFAJ into five divisions based on geographical reasons. After the 2017 season, there was a split in Polish American football, 20 clubs left the PLFA and founded a new league, the Liga Futbolu Amerykańskiego or shortly LFA.

History

Stadion Narodowy, 2012 American Football Superfinal

American football is arguably the fastest growing sport in Poland, which appeared in Poland in 1999, when a pioneer initiative was established in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

. The Polish American Football Association ( pl, Polski Związek Futbolu Amerykańskiego or ''PZFA'') was created in November 2004, initiated by the first two American football teams: Warsaw Eagles and 1. KFA Wielkopolska. Its founding was a response to the dynamic growth of the American football movement in Poland. The first game between Polish teams (still without professional equipment) was played in December 2005 in

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

. The first international game, officiated by professionals, was played in March 2006 – The Warsaw Eagles took on Czech team Pardubice Stallions in a game played in Warsaw. From that moment on, teams began to be established in different parts of the country. The Polish American Football League started in October 2006 with just 4 teams. There were 9 teams competing for the second championship in 2007. In 2008, the league split into two divisions - PLFA I (8 teams) and PLFA II (9 teams). There were 22 teams competing for the 2009 season and 21 for the 2010 season. 2011- 34 teams, 2012- 42 teams, and 2013- 74 teams.

Season structure

The regular season in the Topliga starts in March/April and ends in June/July. Each team plays nine games competing against every other team in the division (4 or 5 home games and 5 or 4 away games). A team is awarded two points for a win, one point for a tie, and zero points for a loss (a tie only occurs if the

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

can not be played). After a regular season, the top four teams qualify for the play-offs (1st place against 4th place and 2nd against 3rd) and the Semi-Final winners meet in the championship game called SuperFinal; there is no 3rd place game. The 2012 Super-Final championship game drew 23,000 fans.

Game rules

Playing rules are based on those of the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

College football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...

with minor modifications, e.g.: * 12-minute quarters * minimal field markings * unsportsmanlike conduct for excessive celebration after plays, similar to the NFL rules * no

Instant replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred which was both shot and broadcast live. The video, having already been shown live, is replayed in order for viewers to see again and analyze what had j ...

Rules are adopted with a one-year delay. For example, 2011 NCAA game rule changes was adopted for

2012 PLFA season The 2012 season of the Polish American Football League was the seventh season played by the american football leagues in Poland. In 2012, the Topliga was created as a major league with a bid (invitation) rule. Remaining teams was divided into two l ...

. Before 2012, coaches, players and officials used the English-language NCAA Rulebook. In February 2012, the Rulebook was translated into Polish by the Officiating Department chairman.

Teams in 2019 Season

Champions

References

http://en.plfa.pl/

External links

Polish American Football League
{{European Football Leagues 2006 establishments in Poland Sports leagues established in 2006 American football in Poland American football leagues in Europe Professional sports leagues in Poland